Theory of a “stimulated photorefractive backscattering and four-wave mixing” self-pumped phase conjugator

We give a theoretical analysis of a “stimulated photorefractive backscattering and four-wave mixing” (SPB-FWM) self-pumped phase conjugator (SPPC) in which the generation of the phase conjugate wave relies on both stimulated photorefractive backscattering (SPB) and four-wave mixing (FWM) processes. The two pumping beams in the FWM process are, respectively, the forward-propagating beam of which the generation is seeded by the fanning effect, and the backward-propagating beam that is generated by the SPB process. Assuming that the SPB interaction is seeded by the scattering centers in the crystal, we have calculated the threshold four-wave mixing coupling strength (γ₁l₁)_th as a function of the SPB two-wave mixing coupling strength (γ₂l₂) corresponding to the 2k grating and of the reflectivity R′ of the scattering centers. Above threshold, we have also calculated the phase-conjugate reflectivity with a numerical method. Our calculations show that the threshold as well as the reflectivity of a SPB-FWM SPPC strongly depend on γ₂l₂ and R′. It is also shown that a high phase-conjugate reflectivity can be easily realised in doped barium titanate crystals which are shown to have much larger γ₁ and γ₂ than an undoped one.     

The effect of fluorocarbon gases on sonoluminescence: a failure of the electrical hypothesis

Ultrasonic irradiation of solutions containing volatile organometallic complexes results in intense emission from excited-state metal atoms. We have determined the effect of dissolved gases (Xe, Kr, Ar, Ne, He, CF₄, C₂F₆, CO, N₂) on the intensity of the sonoluminescence resulting from ultrasonic irradiation of silicone oil solutions of Cr(CO)₆. This provides a well-defined, spectrally resolved probe of sonoluminescence with emission resulting from a single species, the chromium atom excited states. As predicted by the hot-spot, thermal mechanisms of sonoluminescence, the intensity of excited-state Cr emission decreases with increasing thermal conductivity of the noble gases. The intensity of sonoluminescence increases with increasing γ (i.e. C_p/C_v), which is also in accord with a thermal mechanism. Sonoluminescence is substantially diminished by the addition of even small amounts (≈ 1%) of CF₄ or C₂F₆, even though they are capable of supporting electrical discharge. This is in agreement with a thermal mechanism, but is in direct conflict with electrical theories of sonoluminescence.     

Resonant frequency doubling of an actively mode-locked Ti: Al2O3 laser using an external enhancement cavity

We report on the efficient frequency doubling of an actively mode-locked Ti: Al₂O₃ laser. The laser output was in the form of pulses of 6–15 ps duration at a 240 MHz repetition rate, tunable from 737 nm to 806 nm. Using a 7 mm long Brewster cut crystal of LiIO₃ we have measured conversion efficiencies of up to 42% in the form of picosecond pulses tunable from 369–403 nm. The maximum generated power in the blue was 194 mW at 381 nm.     

Theory of optical conductivity and photoemission intensity for Cu---O plane superconductors

The quasiparticle self-energy and the dynamic spin and charge susceptibilities are calculated self-consistently in RPA for the two-dimensional Hubbard model with additional electron-phonon interaction. Vertex corrections lead to an enhancement of charge fluctuations and a suppression of spin fluctuations, thus increasing T_c. The resulting optical reflectivity in the normal and superconducting state is found to be in qualitative agreement with the experiment data on YBa₂Cu₃O₇ for intermediate values of λ_ph and U/t. We calculate also the photoemission intensity in the normal and superconducting state.     

High power, long pulse duration, single-frequency Nd:YVO4 master-oscillator power-amplifier

An efficient single-frequency Nd:YVO₄ master-oscillator power-amplifier is described. Gated pulses from a CW diode-pumped ring laser were amplified by three Nd:YVO₄ amplifiers. Pulses of 1mJ energy; 2 kW peak power and 1 μs duration were obtained at a repetition frequency of 10 kHz. Analogue shaping of the input pulses was used to control the output pulse shape and thus extend the useful range of pulse widths from the 100 ns to the μs regime. A simple mathematical expression was used to model the results which provided reasonable agreement with the experimental work. This system offers a promising pump source for a quasi-CW singly-resonant optical parametric oscillators.     

Picosecond nonlinear absorption and phase conjugation in BSO and BGO crystals

We have observed a very strong nonlinear absorption in BSO and BGO crystals when they are illuminated by picosecond laser pulses with optical intensity on the order of 10⁸ W/cm². In addition, a phase conjugate reflectivity of 2×10^-3 is obtained in a degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) experiment using the same optical power. We derive the nonlinear coupled-wave equations to explain the experimental results. We show that the creation of the conjugate wave can be explained by the presence of a strong nonlinear absorption.     

Shaping NRZ pulses and suppression of the inter-symbol interference by a second-harmonic-generating module

A device that shapes fiber-optic pulses by passing them through a χ⁽²⁾ optical crystal is considered. The length of the propagation in the χ⁽²⁾ medium is selected so that the fundamental-harmonic (FH) transmission coefficient attains its maximum, which corresponds to a complete χ⁽²⁾ cascade, for the power equal to the peak power of the input pulse, whose carrier frequency coincides with the FH frequency in the χ⁽²⁾ process. Portions of the pulse which have smaller values of the power are attenuated, as the cascading is incomplete in them. An estimate, based on relevant values of the peak power for non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signals, shows that the necessary length of the propagation in the χ⁽²⁾ medium is 100 times larger than the size of available χ⁽²⁾ crystals. To resolve the problem, a multi-pass configuration with mirrors is proposed. A modification of the scheme, which makes it possible to shape pulses in a multi-channel wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) system, without inducing crosstalk in the χ⁽²⁾ crystal, is also proposed. Simulations demonstrate that the shaper, combined with a linear amplifier, provides for stable propagation of pulses in a linear dispersive fiber link. The most essential result is obtained for pairs of pulses: it is found that they co-propagate without developing an appreciable inter-symbol interference (ISI), provided that the initial separation between them exceeds a certain threshold value, which is found as a function of an effective mismatch q of the χ⁽²⁾ unit. The function has two minima, at q>0 and q<0, suggesting a choice of an optimum operation regime.     

Observations of ω0/2 harmonic emission from 0.35μm laser-irradiated plasmas

Observations of ω₀/2 harmonic emission from both spherical and plane targets irradiated by 0.35 μm, 800 ps laser pulses have been obtained with simultaneous high spectral and temporal resolutions of 16 Å and 20 ps respectively. The ω₀/2 harmonic emission spectrum is interpreted as providing a direct measurement of the frequency of the ω₀/2 plasma waves and hence can be used to estimate the electron temperature.     

Real-time observation of Bragg grating formation in As2S3 chalcogenide ridge waveguides

Real-time study of the formation of Bragg gratings in monolayer As₂S₃ ridge waveguides is presented. A transverse holographic method is used to record such gratings. The periodic photodarkening of the layer leads to the formation of a Bragg grating with resonant wavelength 1.55 μm. The experiment allowed to control in situ the grating parameters such as the reflectivity, the resonant wavelength (between 1500 and 1630 nm) and the bandpass at −3 dB.     

Fiber based high repetition rate, high energy laser source applying chirped pulse amplification

We demonstrate the potential of a high-gain Yb-fiber amplifier system to provide ultrashort pulses with high energies. 100 μJ pulses generated at a repetition rate of 32 kHz exhibit nearly diffraction limited output (M²≈1.7) at a 1060 nm center wavelength. Using chirped pulse amplification, temporally streched laser pulses from a femtosecond oscillator could be compressed after amplification to subpicosecond pulse duration. The achievable intensities are high enough to create plasmas which can efficiently convert laser light to the extreme ultraviolet radiation. In a multimode Yb-doped fiber amplifier we obtained average powers of up to 22 W and single pulse energies up to 130 μJ.     

Coherent population trapping with a train of pulses via a continuum and its application to the suppression of excited-state absorption

We discuss the coherent population trapping (CPT) effect induced in a three-level Λ-type system by a train of short pulses. Specifically, we consider a modified Λ system with the upper level replaced by a continuum of states. We show that CPT with a train of pulses can be applied to the suppression of excited-state absorption of pump radiation in crystalline laser materials. The utility of the technique for pumping a promising yellow-orange solid-state medium Ti:YAlO₃ and overcoming excited-state pump absorption is analyzed.     

Muonic Au: A test of the weak-coupling model

We report the measurement of the energies of various muonic atomic transitions above 500 keV in ¹⁹⁷Au. We have used the weak-coupling model in order to analyze the hyperfine structure of ¹⁹⁷Au. Using transitions to and from the 1s, 2s 2p and 3p levels as well as the fine structure of the 2p states and hyperfine splittings of the 2p, 3p and 3d states we have fitted our data to two deformed Fermi distributions: one with a constant skin thickness, the other with a skin thickness which varies. Both yield equally good fits. We have determined the quadrupole moment of ¹⁹⁷Au to be 0.547±0.016 b. The model dependence of our results is discussed. The weak coupling parameters of de-Shalit Ω_p, Ω₂₂, Ω₂₀ and A² have been determined and are in fair agreement with Coulomb excitation results. There is also good agreement between our results and those of electron scattering.     

Optical fibre beam delivery of high-energy laser pulses: beam quality preservation and fibre end-preparation

This paper investigates the extension of optical fibre beam delivery to high-brightness applications, in particular laser percussion drilling, where both a good beam quality and high peak power are required. Beam quality preservation through a number of optical fibres is studied both experimentally and by using a ray propagation model. It is determined that in order to achieve the beam quality required for percussion drilling (M²<30) the largest fibre which can be used is 400 μm diameter. The laser-induced damage threshold is measured for a number of 400 μm fibres, and a CO₂ laser-annealing technique is shown to increase the damage threshold by a factor of 10, allowing 28 J, 1 ms pulses to be transmitted.     

Mixing of low-frequency Raman-active phonons studied by femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy

We report an optical study of the superconducting transition in the YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x films on MgO substrate carried out by femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy. In both the normal and the superconducting state, we have observed the transient time-resolved reflectivity caused by the oscillations associated with two A_1g metal-ion modes. Temporal interference between the modes is modified below the phase transition, which also appeared in an altered relative intensity of the modes in the Fourier transformed spectra.     

Long-range intensity correlation and the approach to localization

The influence of internal surface reflectivity is incorporated into a heuristic model of long-range intensity correlation. This allows us to identify the spatial intensity correlation function in a sample of randomly positioned polystyrene spheres as the sum of a first-order term in the correlation parameter κ, which falls linearly with detector separation, and a constant term, which is of order κ². κ is a measure of the proximity to the localization threshold. In a sample which is a mixture of metallic and dielectric spheres and in which κ becomes large, the probability of large intensity fluctuations increases. The distribution of intensities is then found to be stretched exponential even for sample lengths which are comparable to the wavelength of the radiation.     

Theoretical aspects of nuclear parity violation

We make use of the topological chiral soliton model of the nucleon to predict the form factors related to the parity-violating meson-nucleon vertices. We find that these are of monopole type at low q² with cut-offs similar to the equivalent strong meson-nucleon form factors. We furthermore investigate the parity-violating πΔN vertex. We find that while the isoscalar coupling vanishes identically, the isovector parity-violating πΔN vertex has a coupling stant of about 2 × 10⁻⁸ being of comparable magnitude as the equivalent weak pion-nucleon vertex strength. We also discuss the parity-violating ωΔN and ρΔN vertices in the model and furthermore comment on the pv meson ΔΔ vertices. In the appendix we will correct the formula for h_ω⁰ of ref. ⁵), where some terms have been omitted.     

Carrier relaxation in InGaAs

A modelocked Nd: YAG pumped optical parametric amplifier providing 35 ps pulses in the wavelength range λ = 1.45−2.1 μm has been used to study photoexcited carrier recombination in InGaAs. At carrier densities in excess of 10¹⁸ cm^-3 Auger processes are found to dominate the carrier recombination. An Auger rate of 2.5±0.5×10^-28 cm⁶ s^-1 is determined.     

Beam quality of a high-power CO2 laser MOPA system

In this paper, the effects of amplification of diffraction-limited pulsed CO₂ laser radiation over several meters of amplification length on beam quality and pointing stability are documented. Millijoule pulses are amplified up to 3 J. Generation and amplification of the 10 μm wavelength pulses were performed in the discharge volume of an e-beam sustained CO₂ laser. Beam quality is measured according to the ISO/DIS 11146 standard in terms of the beam quality factor M². Fluence distributions were recorded with a beam analysing system of 100 μm spatial resolution. M² parameter values ranged up to 1.55 for amplified pulse energies of 3 J. The necessity of beam-quality restoring techniques is inferred for the multijoule pulse energy regime.     

The antiferromagnetic Potts model in two dimensions: Berker-Kadanoff phase, antiferromagnetic transition, and the role of Beraha numbers

Using methods of integrable systems and conformal field theory, we study the Q-state Potts model on the square lattice with e^K real. We discover a surprisingly rich phase diagram that involves, besides the usual ferromagnetic critical line, an antiferromagnetic critical line and a Berker-Kadanoff phase (i.e., a massless low-temperature phase with coupling-independent exponents) that has singularities at the Baraha numbers (including Q integer) Q = 4cos²π/n. Critical properties are derived; we show in particular that the Q = 4cos²π/δ antiferromagnetic critical Potts model is in the “Z_δ−2” universality class with c = 2−6/δ. Extensions to other lattices are considered. We discuss the consequences of our results on the coloring problem and the Beraha conjecture. Three appendices deal with the geometrical interpretation of the Temperley-Lieb algebra and U_qsl(2) symmetry in the Potts and associated loops model, and with the vertex-Potts model correspondence in systems with free boundary conditions.     

Measurements and interpretation of the absorption of 0.35 μm laser radiation on planar targets

We report on experimental plasma absorption of 0.35 μm radiation incident on plane targets. Absorption fractions between 50 and 98% were found for UV pulses of 90 and 450 ps duration on planar CH, nickel, and gold targets for intensities between 10¹³ and 3 × 10¹⁵ W/cm². The results are in agreement with computer calculations using inverse bremsstrahlung absorption and a thermal electron heat flux limiter between 0.03 and 0.06