Application of dynamic line narrowing in resonant optical sensing

We propose a dynamic operational mode and the resulting dynamic line narrowing as a method for enhancing the resolution and the detection limit of high-quality (high-Q) resonant optical sensors. Using a silica microtoroid as an experimental platform, we demonstrate that dynamic line narrowing through the thermo-optic effect can significantly improve the detection limit in both resonant shift and resonance splitting operating modes.     

Demonstration of ultralow-threshold 2 micrometer microlasers on chip

We demonstrate ultralow-threshold thulium-doped, as well as thulium-holmium-codoped, microtoroid lasers on silicon chips, operating at the wavelength of around 2 ?m. High quality factor whispering gallery mode(WGM) microtoroid cavities with proper thulium and holmium concentrations are fabricated from the silica sol-gel films. The highly confined WGMs make the microcavity lasers operate with ultralow thresholds, approximately 2.8 ?W and 2.7 ?W for the thulium-doped and the thulium-holmium-codoped microlasers, respectively.     

Transmission characteristics of a Fabry-Perot etalon-microtoroid resonator coupled system

The transmission spectra of a Fabry-Perot etalon coupled to a microtoroid resonator are studied theoretically and experimentally. The resonance line shapes depend strongly on the resonance wavelength detuning and coupling strength between the two resonators. A wide variety of line shapes, ranging from a single to triple peaks, symmetric to asymmetric Fano-like peaks, and notches were predicted and observed experimentally. The capability to modify the spectral line shapes by tuning the coupling between or losses of two resonators may find applications in optical filtering, switching, sensing, and dispersion engineering.     

Photoluminescence from site-selected coupling between quantum dots and microtoroid cavities

By using CdSe/ZnS quantum dots （QDs）, we study the effect of cavity quantum electrodynamics on the coupling of the microtoroid cavity. When with whispering gallery （WG） modes, the microtoroid cavity demonstrates high quality factor and small mode volume at visible wavelengths. Accordingly, fiber tapers allow QDs to adhere into the cavity and further permit the control of site-selected coupling. From the luminescence spectra, QDs are modulated effectively by cavity modes, Variable modulations are observed by changing QD coupling conditions. Therefore, based on experimental and theoretical research, strong and tunable Purcell enhancement can be realized by this system.     

Enhanced light trapping for the silver nanoparticles embedded in the silica layer atop the silicon substrate

The optical properties of the structures with silver nanoparticles embedded in the silica layer atop the silicon substrate are simulated by the finite-difference time-domain method. The effects of nanoparticle size, period, silica layer thickness, and the angle of incidence of the illuminated light on optical transmissions are studied. It is found that there is the red-shift for the maximum of the total light transmitting into the silicon substrate as the silica layer thickness increases. The electric field intensity distributions and the average power densities for the structure with largest optical transmission is studied, and the strong electric field intensities are found in the silica regions surrounding to the silver nanoparticles, which can help the light energy going into the silicon substrate. By controlling the structure parameters, the optical transmissions of the structures with the silica layer can have higher optical transmissions than the cases without the silica layer. The silica layer plays the role as the graded refractive index layer between the air and the silicon substrate, and the light power from the incident wave can transmit into the silicon substrate with less optical reflections for choosing a suitable silica layer thickness. A guideline to design the structures with high optical transmissions for the solar spectra is given. This study cannot only be useful for the solar cells applications, but also other antireflection applications.     

含羟基结构熔石英光电性质的第一性原理研究

熔石英是高功率激光装置中广泛使用的激光透镜材料,采用第一性原理结合平面波赝势方法,研究了熔石英材料中羟基结构的生成模式,系统计算了材料的电子态密度、差分电荷密度、原子电荷布居分布,分析了包含羟基熔石英材料的光学跃迁模式,研究结果表明:熔石英中的三配位硅原子缺陷在禁带中生成了两条缺陷能级,分别位于7.8和8.8 eV;研究还发现氢原子与五配位硅原子发生相互作用生成羟基结构,该反应还使三配位硅原子的杂化方式由sp~2变为sp~3,这种羟基结构会影响体系的电子结构,使原有的7.8和8.8ev缺陷能级消失,并在费米面上生成一条半占据态缺陷能级,引起激发能为6.2 eV的光学跃迁。     

Sensitized broadband near-infrared luminescence from bismuth-doped silicon-rich silica films

Developing Si compatible optical sources has attracted a great deal of attention owing to the potential for forming inexpensive, monolithic Si-based integrated devices. In this Letter, we show that ultra broadband near-IR (NIR) luminescence in the optical telecommunication window of silica optical fibers was obtained for Bi-doped silicon-rich silica films prepared by a co-sputtering method. Without excess Si, i.e., Bi-doped pure silica films, no luminescence was observed in the NIR range. A broad Bi-related NIR photoluminescence appears when excess Si was doped in the Bi-doped silica. The luminescence properties depended strongly on the amount of excess Si and the annealing temperature. Photoluminescence results suggest that excess Si acts as an agent to activate Bi NIR luminescence centers and also as an energy donor to transfer excitation energy to the centers. It is believed that this peculiar structure might find some important applications in Si photonics.     

Measurement of nonlinear properties and optical limiting ability of Rhodamine6G doped silica and polymeric samples

The third order nonlinear optical properties of Rhodamine6G (Rh6G) doped silica and polymeric samples have been investigated using single beam z-scan technique under excitation by the second harmonic of Nd:YAG laser beam (532 nm). The nonlinear refractive index, nonlinear absorption coefficient, real and imaginary parts of third order nonlinear susceptibility in the samples of silica and poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) matrices are measured. Thermal contribution to the nonlinear refractive index in case of undoped silica samples has been calculated in order to have better accuracy of the material response contribution to third order nonlinearity. The comparative study of the optical limiting performance of Rh6G doped silica and polymeric samples show that Rh6G doped silica is relatively superior for optical limiting applications.     

Structural and optical modifications in gamma-irradiated polyimide/silica nanocomposite

The structural and optical properties of thin films of polyimide composites with nanosilica particle content of 15?wt%, prepared via sol–gel process, were studied as a function of the gamma dose. The resultant effect of gamma irradiation on the properties of polyimide/silica nanocomposite has been investigated using X-ray diffraction and UV spectroscopy. Absorption and reflectance spectra were collected by a spectrophotometer giving UV-radiation of wavelength range 200–800?nm. The optical data obtained were analyzed and the calculated values of the optical energy gap exhibited gamma dose dependence. The direct optical energy gap for the nonirradiated polyimide/silica nanocomposite is about 2.41?eV, and increases to a value of 2.65?eV when irradiated with gamma doses up to 300?kGy. It was found that the calculated refractive index of the polyamide/silica increases with the gamma dose in the range 50–300?kGy.     

Photosensitivity and photoluminescence of Sn/Yb codoped silica optical fiber preform

Sn/Yb codoped silica optical fiber preform is prepared by the modified chemical vapor deposition （MCVD） followed by the solution-doping method. Ultraviolet （UV） optical absorption, photoluminescence （PL） spectra under 978-nm laser diode （LD） pumping, and refractive index change after exposure to 266-nm laser pulses are obtained. There is only a little change in the PL spectra while a positive refractive index change up to 2×10^-4 is observed after 30-min exposure to 266-nm laser pulses. The results show that both of the peculiar photosensitivity of Smdoped silica and the gain property of Yb-doped silica fiber are preserved in the Sn/Yb codoped silica optical fiber preform. The experimental data suggest that the photosensitivity of the fiber preform under high energy density laser irradiation should be mainly due to the bond-breaking of oxygen deficient defects, while under relatively low energy density laser irradiation, the refractive index change probably originates from the photoconversion of optically active defects.     

Low-frequency optical phonons in silica

Measurements of low_frequency Raman spectra of silica fibers under longitudinal tensions as a function of temperature have been correlated with the measurements of FIR spectra of bulk silica in reflection and transmission. The results indicate existence of an LO-TO pair of a low-frequency optical phonon branch in amorphous silica.     

Coaxial fiber-optic chemical-sensing excitation-emission matrix fluorometer

Great reductions in the overall size and complexity of high throughput multichannel UV-visible fluorometers were achieved by coupling a compact optical fiber array to compact dispersive transmission optics. The coaxial configuration centers on the insertion of a silica/silica optical fiber into the hollow region of a UV-fused silica capillary waveguide. The outer core delivers the maximum power of the narrow wavelength region of the excitation spectrum created by coupling a xenon arc discharge lamp to a compact spectrometer. The molecular fluorescence resulting from the interaction of light emitted at the distal end of the hollow waveguide and the sample matrix is received and transmitted to a CCD via a compact dispersive grating-prism (grism) optical assembly. A linear array of the coaxial optical fibers permits a full excitation-emission matrix spectrum of the analyte matrix to be projected onto the face of the CCD. The in situ identification and monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was carried out for the initial application testing for this prototype.     

Fundamentals of designing cylindrical high-order transformation optics invisibility cloaks using silver–silica metamaterials

Metamaterials have effective properties that are distinct from their composites as they consist of engineered-designed properties that are not in nature. In order to be able to design a metamaterial, we should establish sufficient understanding of the properties of the constituents. This will enable us to engineer new effective parameters of the metamaterial. We shall perform a detailed analytical study for the effective parameters and the constituents’ parameters of silver–silica metamaterial. This will define the optical response of the mixture at different sizes of the inclusions’ and different volume fractions of the silver and silica. Also an optimum value of the volume fraction is proposed to achieve a broadened resonance optical response. Finally, we propose the design technique and constraints of a non-magnetic optical cloaking device, based on high-order transformation optics with different volume fractions of silver and silica.     

Near-Field Characterization of Optical Micro/Nanofibres

Near-field scanning optical microscopy is used to investigate the waveguiding properties of optical micro/nanofibres （MNFs） by means of detecting optical power carried by evanescent waves. Taper drawn silica and tellurite MNFs, supported on low-index substrates, are used to guide a 532-nm-wavelength light beam for the test. Modification of the single-mode condition of the MNF in the presence of a substrate is observed. Spatial modulation of the longitudinal field intensity （with a 195-nm period） near the output end of a 760-nm-diameter silica MNF is well resolved. Energy exchange through evanescent coupling between two parallel MNFs is also investigated.     

紫外准分子激光损伤典型光学材料的特性分析

根据已经建立的紫外准分子激光损伤典型光学材料的理论模型,研究了准分子激光对透明光学材料（石英玻璃）和非透明光学材料（K9玻璃）的损伤特性,并结合实验结果证实了理论模型的有效性。研究表明：在准分子激光对非透明光学材料辐照下,激光光斑半径越大,产生的热应力和温度越小;脉宽越小,产生的热应力越大;随着脉冲数的增加,温度和热应力都逐渐增大。值得注意的是,当重频增加至45 Hz以上时,熔融损伤阈值开始低于应力损伤阈值,这说明当重频增加到一定程度时,非透明光学材料将首先产生熔融损伤,而不再是应力损伤。在准分子激光对透明光学材料辐照下,杂质微粒的半径和掩埋深度对光学材料温度场分布有着重要影响。但当杂质半径和掩埋深度超过一定的数值时,杂质粒子的存在与表面温度并无联系。理论模型能够较好地解释石英玻璃前/后表面相同的初始损伤形貌特征。     

Properties and Preparation of Chitosan/Silanol Quaternary Ammonium Modified Silica Hybrids Using Sol–Gel Process

Chitosan/modified silica nanocomposites, with a sol–gel process being used to prepare a silanol quaternary ammonium modified silica possessing antimicrobial activity, were investigated, as well as the thermal properties, morphology, optical, mechanical, antimicrobial, and adsorption properties of this type of nanocomposite. Grafting of the modifier onto nanosilica was confirmed through the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the chitosan structure was not disrupted from the incorporation of the modified silica. Fracture surfaces with no clear micro-phase separation were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which indicated the good interaction of chitosan and the modified silica. The organic modifier tended to cause the aggregation of the modified silica at higher content on a submicron scale based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, which might be due to a decrease of the stability factor originating from the negative charges on silica. With the introduction of modified silica, the optical transmittance decreased at higher organic modifier content in agreement with TEM analysis. The elongation at break remained largely unchanged, but tensile strength and Young's moduli deteriorated in modified silica filled systems in comparison with pure silica filled systems. The introduction of the organic modified silica gave a higher antibacterial activity. All nanocomposites were capable of chelating Cu (II) as well as Fe (III) at a different degree. Thus, the prepared chitosan/modified silica nanocomposites exhibited both antimicrobial and chelating properties.     

Fabrication and characteristics of silica optical fiber doped with InP nano-semiconductor material

We fabricated a novel special silica optical fiber doped with nano-semiconductor material InP in double cladding layers by using conventional modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) process. During the deposition process, InP powder was placed at the entrance of silica substrate tube and vaporized by high temperature. With the help of nitrogen gas flow, the vaporized InP was carried into silica substrate tube and deposited on the inner surface in the form of nano-particle. The physical structure and amplification characteristics of the special fiber were investigated. From the refractive index distribution of the preform, we can observe obvious increase in inner cladding index, which attributes to InP dopant. By using 532 nm LD as pump, a broadband amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was demonstrated in the wavelength range from 1,080 to 1,350 nm. The proposed nano- semiconductor doped fiber with optical amplification is expected to a wide application in optical fiber communications.     

A comparative morphological study of electron beam co-deposited binary optical thin films of HfO2:SiO2 and ZrO2:SiO2

A comparative morphology, grain structure and optical properties studies of reactive electron beam co-evaporated mixed thin films of hafnia–silica (HfO₂:SiO₂) and zirconia–silica (ZrO₂:SiO₂) systems have been carried out using atomic force microscopy and phase modulated ellipsometry. The addition of silica, especially with small fractions, has demonstrated altogether different types of evolutions in the microstructure and morphology in these binary thin film systems possibly forming new solid solution phases. Such morphological evolutions are probed through RMS roughness, power spectral density, height–height correlation and autocorrelation analyses of the topographic data acquired through atomic force microscopy. The present investigations indicated that with composition-control morphological quality improvement is more favourable in composite hafnia–silica over the zirconia–silica films. So for ultraviolet optical coating applications which demand low light scattering thin film microstructure, hafnia–silica binary composite system has a definite edge over the zirconia–silica counterpart.     

单次飞秒激光脉冲在玻璃内部产生多次微爆的研究

在入射能量不同的情况下，用近红外飞秒激光脉冲在重钡火石玻璃（ZBaF15）内部产生了色心和微爆，在熔融石英的内部产生了多次微爆现象.实验表明：入射能量较高时，色心的中间会产生微爆；在松聚焦条件下，一个飞秒激光脉冲在透明介质内会激发多次微爆.基于飞秒激光脉冲在透明介质内的自聚焦效应和自由电子等离子体的自散焦效应，理论分析了多次微爆产生的原因；也讨论了飞秒激光脉冲诱导玻璃折射率改变的机理.     

Nonlinear optical properties of biomineral and biomimetical nanocomposite structures

The transmission of laser femtosecond pulses by spicules of marine glass sponges and monolithic amorphous nanocomposite silica biomaterials synthesized on the basis of natural polysaccharides has been experimentally investigated. The strong non-linear optical properties of these biominerals have been revealed in spectral characteristics of transmitted ultra-short pulses (USP). Comparative analysis of the transmission spectra of USP reveals that spicules exhibit much stronger non-linear optical properties than quartz optical fibers. Recently new monolithic nanocomposite silica biomaterials were synthesized on the basis of various natural polysaccharides and completely water-soluble Si-precursor. The shape of transmitted spectrums through both spicules and new nanocomposite biomaterials demonstrates major changes indicating the broadening with formation markedly strong anti-Stokes component in the output spectrum with generation of supercontinuum spectra. The carried out studies have showed that the nature combination of spongin protein with silicon dioxide extracted from seawater by silicatein protein in glass sponge spicules and monolithic nanocomposite silica biomaterials are biological and biomimetical nanocomposite materials with unique optical properties.