Electro-optic properties of switchable gratings made of polymer and nematic liquid-crystal slices

We report the diffraction properties at wavelengths of 632.8 and 1550 nm for volume transmission gratings made of a sequence of continuously aligned nematic liquid-crystal layers separated by isotropic polymer slices. The gratings are generated by holographically curing a solution of liquid crystal diluted in an isotropic prepolymer by means of a laser beam at a wavelength of 352 nm with a total intensity of approximately 10 mW/cm2. A diffraction efficiency of 98% was measured, and an electric field as low as 5 V/microm switches off the phase grating. Measured angular spectra are fitted by use of the modified coupled-mode theory including the effects of grating birefringence.     

Postexposure evolution of a photoinduced grating in a polymer material with phenanthrenequinone

The specific features of the postexposure evolution of photoinduced (holographic) gratings in a model medium that consists of poly(methyl methacrylate) with distributed phenanthrenequinone and is characterized by a diffusion enhancement are investigated using the holographic relaxation technique. It is established that the evolution process occurs in four stages controlled by different mechanisms: (i) initial nonmonotonic changes governed by the diffusion of an intermediate radical photoreaction product and its transformation into a stable product due to attachment to the macromolecules, (ii) hologram enhancement through the diffusion of phenanthrenequinone molecules, (iii) rapid partial degradation associated with the spatially confined motion of polymer chain segments, and (iv) slow degradation as a result of macromolecular diffusion. In the course of polymer relaxation after a temperature jump, the processes associated with the mobility of molecules are retarded and the depth of rapid degradation decreases. The effective diffusion coefficient characterizing the destruction of reflection gratings is smaller than that for transmission gratings. This can be explained by the spatial inhomogeneity of the polymer.     

表面活性剂含量对全息聚合物分散液晶光栅电光特性的影响

研究了含表面活性剂Actyflon-G04的全息聚合物分散液晶透射光栅的表面形貌和电光特性,通过理论分析得出驱动电压和膜的锚定能及表面自由能的关系.实验结果表明,在Actyflon-G04含量为4wt%-8wt%时光栅相分离程度高,相界面平滑,聚合物层的致密度增加.光栅的衍射效率达到96%,接近理想值.实现了在提高光栅衍射效率的同时降低驱动电压,使光栅的电光特性得到改善.     

Polarization-selective switching in holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid crystals

We have developed an optical stack of holographically formed polymer dispersed liquid-crystal (H-PDLC) devices that is fully operational with nonpolarized light sources. The device consists of two H-PDLC transmission gratings separated by a passive polarization rotator that can output a diffracted s-polarized, p-polarized, or s- and p-polarized beam simultaneously.     

Birefringent azopolymer long period fiber gratings induced by 532 nm polarized laser

Based on the photoinduced birefringence in azo materials, the model of the birefringent long period fiber gratings (BLPFGs) has been proposed and the transmission of such birefringent fiber gratings was further simulated by the coupled mode theory. In order to obtain the optimum condition for making birefringent azopolymer optical fiber (APOF) gratings the photoinduced birefringence of azo dye and methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymers was systematically studied. After photosensitivity study of azo samples, using Teflon technique, azo dye containing single mode polymer optical fiber (POF) was fabricated. Finally, BLPFGs can be fabricated in azopolymer fiber using polarized 532 nm laser. A 120 μm LPFG with a 50% duty cycle has been successfully written within the core of the fiber with 532 nm laser by an amplitude mask method. Under polarized microphotography, the grating was observed when the optical axis was set at 45° with the direction of the first polarizing lens of the polarization microscope.     

3333lp/mm X射线透射光栅的研制

针对X射线透射光栅摄谱仪中的高线密度光栅,研究了采用电子束曝光和X射线曝光技术结合制作高线密度X射线透射光栅的工艺技术.首先利用电子束曝光和微电镀技术在镂空的薄膜上制备母光栅X射线掩模版,然后利用X射线曝光和微电镀技术小批量复制光栅.在国内首次完成了3333lp/mm X射线透射光栅的研制,栅线宽度为150nm,周期为300nm,金吸收体厚度为500nm.衍射效率标定的结果表明,该光栅的占空比合理、侧壁陡直,具有良好的色散特性,能够满足空间探测、同步辐射和变等离子诊断等多个领域的应用.     

Polymer gratings based on photopolymerization for low-order distributed feedback polymer lasers

Novel polymer distributed feedback(DFB)gratings are fabricated based on photopolymerization to reduce lasing threshold of polymer lasers.A photopolymer formulation sensitive to 355-nm ultraviolet(UV)light is proposed for the fabrication of polymer gratings and it can be used to form polymer films by spin-coating process.A very low surface-relief depth ranging from 12.5 to about 1.0 nm has been demonstrated with a refractive-index modulation of about 0.012.The experimental results indicate that such polymer gratings have promising potentials for the fabrication of low-order DFB organic semiconductor lasers.     

软X射线透射光栅制作技术

金透射光栅广泛用于真空紫外、X射线、物质波的衍射和光谱测量。分别介绍了美国麻省理工学院空间微结构实验室和中国科学技术大学国家同步辐射实验室的透射光栅制作技术及其新进展。麻省理工学院空间微结构实验室为完成 AXAF巨型空间天文台上的高能透射光栅谱仪经历了近 2 0年的发展 ,其光栅制作工艺日趋成熟 ,代表了当前世界最高水平。中国科学技术大学国家同步辐射实验室为了满足惯性约束核聚变实验研究的需要 ,在国内较早地开展了透射光栅的研制工作 ,在提高光栅质量的同时不断提高线密度     

Observation of type I and type II gratings behavior in polymer optical fiber

We report the first observation of type I and type II fiber grating behaviors in making polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings. Our observation reveals that there are two distinctive stages in the fabrication of polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings. Notably the two stages of grating formation correspond to low and high-index modulation gratings, which match well with those in silica fiber grating fabrication. Thus we refer them as type I and type II polymer fiber gratings, following the same nomenclatures for different types of silica fiber gratings. In addition, the characteristics and formation mechanism for type I and type II polymer fiber gratings are also examined.     

2000 l/mm X射线镂空透射光栅的制备研究

在满足工艺要求的前提下,通过模拟光栅衍射,设计出镂空透射光栅模型,在此基础上将电子束和X射线光刻技术相结合,研究了制造2000 l/mm X射线镂空透射光栅的新工艺技术.首先利用电子束光刻和微电镀技术在镂空聚酰亚胺薄膜底衬上制备X射线母光栅掩模.然后利用X射线光刻和微电镀技术实现了光栅图形的复制,之后采用紫外光刻和微电镀技术制作加强筋结构,最后通过腐蚀体硅和等离子体刻蚀聚酰亚胺完成镂空透射光栅的制作.从此新的制造工艺结果上来看.制备的光栅栅线平滑,占空比合理,侧壁陡直,不同光栅之间一致性好,完全可以满足应用需求,充分表明了该制造技术是透射式X射线衍射光学元件制造的良好选择.     

利用光敏光纤制作少模光纤布喇格光栅

利用相位掩模技术在光敏光纤中制作出了少模光纤布喇格光栅,1.06μm波长附近有2~3个特征峰,峰值约4~5 dB.对这种光纤光栅的特性进行了分析,结果表明理论与实验结果符合得较好,并对光纤光栅的温度特性进行了实验研究和理论分析,实验结果测得光纤光栅的温度敏感度为9~10 pm/℃.     

The Effect of Radiation on Transmission of Quasi-Periodic Multi-Layer Planar Dielectric Gratings

The transmission characteristics of quasi-periodic multi-layer planar dielectric gratings are systematically investigated by a method that combines the multimode network theory with rigorous mode matching method. The effect of radiation on the transmission characteristics of the multi-layer dielectric gratings is discussed in details, and some guidelines are given for accurate design of the gratings.     

一维金属光栅的透射光学特性

利用时域有限差分法模拟了一维金属光栅的透射光场的分布及光栅厚度等因素对透射光谱的影响.结果表明:特定波长的光通过金属光栅中的亚波长狭缝时有异常大的透过率增强.分析其物理起源,认为是类FabryPerot(FP)腔作用的结果.基底介电常量对类FP腔长度的调制导致了对透射光谱的影响.金属光栅表面激发的表面等离子体激元波与多缝干涉一样,对透射光谱有一定的影响,但不是形成增强的原因 关键词： 金属光栅 透射光学特性     

高线密度X光透射光栅衍射效率

高线密度X光透射光栅是各种高分辨光栅摄谱仪的核心色散元件,为了获得较高的光谱分辨率,工作在2~5 keV能区的光谱仪需要使用5000 l/mm的X射线透射光栅。为了获得光栅的绝对衍射效率,采用同步辐射光在多个能点对5000 l/mm的X光透射光栅进行衍射效率实验标定,通过光栅相对衍射效率拟合获得了光栅结构参数,与光栅结构测量结果非常接近。然后,采用衍射效率的矩形栅线模型,计算得到了光栅的绝对衍射效率。     

Design and analysis of nano-deep corrugated waveguide grating-based dual-resonant filters in visible and infra-red regions

A theoretical analysis of nano-deep corrugated long-period waveguide gratings on a SU-8 polymer-based channel waveguide with NOA61 optical epoxy coated upper- and lower cladding is presented. The transmission spectra of the gratings show strong rejection bands both at visible (at wavelength region of 450?460 nm) and infra-red (at wavelength region of 1530?1540 nm) regions when a grating period of ?68 μm with optimized grating tooth height is considered. Phase-matching graphs are studied to find the relationship between resonance wavelength and grating period. These results show that the grating parameters significantly affect the characteristics of transmission spectra as well as the resonance wavelength of the grating. Long-period waveguide grating-based band pass filter made by use of same polymer materials are also designed and analyzed. These types of waveguide grating-based filters can widely be used for visible and infra-red wavelength sensing applications.     

Thermal switching of the enhanced transmission of terahertz radiation through subwavelength apertures

We demonstrate that the extraordinary transmission of terahertz radiation through semiconductor gratings of subwavelength apertures can be switched completely by varying the temperature. The enhanced transmission, which is due to the resonant tunneling of surface plasmon polaritons that can be excited in semiconductors at terahertz frequencies, is controlled by thermally modifying the density of free carriers. The transmission through metal gratings cannot be switched in the same way since the carrier density is temperature independent. Thus semiconductors offer an interesting alternative to metals in enhancing the transmission of electromagnetic radiation.     

Polarizing beam splitter of two-layer dielectric rectangular transmission gratings in Littrow mounting

We theoretically investigated the design of polarizing beam splitters (PBS) of two-layer dielectric rectangular transmission gratings in Littrow mounting. The PBS grating is aimed to separate TE and TM polarized waves into two different transmitted orders, i.e. the 0th and −1st orders. The polarization-dependent diffraction process is analyzed by using a simplified modal method. The mode reflection and transmission at the interface of the two layers are illustrated. Design equations are given based on the average mode indices of the even and odd modes inside the grating region, which are verified by using rigorous coupled wave analysis. Moreover, with simulated annealing algorithm, two kinds of two-layer PBS gratings are optimized for operation over the C-band (1520-1570 nm). Compared with the single-layer transmission PBS gratings, such two-layer scheme exhibits a great flexibility of design. The PBSs of two-layer dielectric transmission gratings should be useful for practical applications.     

Period interaction on diffraction efficiency of blazed transmission gratings

The period interaction on diffraction of the blazed transmission gratings is analyzed with a modified extended scalar theory. For one certain period, the lights reflected from the neighboring structures can be refracted by the grating facets and form two extra fields on the bottom facet of blazed transmission gratings. The effects of this period interaction versus several diffraction orders for a fixed fabrication error of blazed transmission gratings with intermediate structures are discussed for both TE and TM polarizations. The results have been compared with those obtained with finite-difference time-domain method.     

Time-domain differentiation of terahertz pulses

We report on the time-domain differentiation of light waves by metallic transmission gratings. Time-resolved terahertz experiments show that the first time derivative of an arbitrary waveform can be achieved by use of gratings of subwavelength period. The results are in accord with classical diffraction theory and may permit novel applications for tailoring few-cycle light pulses and ultrahigh-frequency optoelectronics.     

Simultaneous process of embossing and poling at elevated temperatures: a simple technique for nonlinear grating formation in polymer films

A simple technique for fabrication of nonlinear gratings in polymer films, based on simultaneous embossing and poling, is proposed and demonstrated. A master grating consisting of a metal electrode with a dielectric die was fabricated and used for repeated embossing of the grating structures into nonlinear optical polymers at elevated temperatures. At the same time, we applied high voltage to the polymer films to induce second-order nonlinearity. The grating profile and the nonlinearity were estimated, as well as the mass productivity of nonlinear gratings.