Conversion of topological charge of optical vortices in a parametric frequency converter

It is shown that sum-frequency generation of light beams with vortices allows to construct vortices of different topological charges. An optical parametric amplifier enables to produce a vortex with opposite topological charge (to the reverse vortex). In this way, a frequency converter can be seen as a prototype of an optical processor which allows to produce simple arithmetical operations with topological charges of the interacting vortices.     

相反拓扑指数的Laguerre-Gaussian模的产生和模间相互作用的实验研究

实验研究了带有相反拓扑指数的Laguerre-Gaussian(LG)模间的相互作用，发现含有相反拓扑指数的两个LG模在传播过程中其光场发生变化，观察到随着传播距离的增加，两个LG模的中心位相奇点会逐渐连成为一个弧形暗线形状.实验上验证了带有相反拓扑指数的光学涡流中的螺旋位错在传播过程中会演变为边位错这一理论结果.     

Superfluidlike motion of vortices in light condensates

We demonstrate, through numerical simulations, the generation of stable vortex lattices in light condensates. This can be achieved by propagating several concentric laser beams with nested vortices of different topological charges in an optical material with a cubic-quintic nonlinearity. We have considered several initial conditions, and in all the cases the net topological charges of the resulting lattice is equal to the topological charge of the initial outer vortex. The lattice exhibits rotation similar to vortex motion in superfluids. These vortex arrays could be used to implement all-optical photonic crystal fibers. Our results also apply to Bose-Einstein condensates in the presence of three-body elastic interactions.     

Adaptive correction of vortex laser beam in a closed-loop system with phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulator

We propose and demonstrate the wave front correction of a vortex laser beam by using dual phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs) and a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. One phase only LC-SLM is used to generate vortex laser beam by loading spiral phase screen onto the wave front of input quasi-Gaussian beam. The other phase only LC-SLM under SPGD controller based on the subzone control method adaptively compensates the wave front of vortex laser beam. Numerical simulation and experimental results show that after correction, vortex doughnut like beam is focused into a beam with airy disk pattern distribution in the far field. The adaptive corrections of vortex laser beam with different optical topological charges are studied. The results show that the optical topological charge has little influence on adaptive correction. The powers in the main lobe of far field intensity distributions of vortex laser beams with different optical topological charges are all greatly improved by adaptive correction. The technique proposed in this paper can be used in optical communication, relay mirror and atmospheric turbulence correction.     

Spatial control of high-harmonic generation in hollow fibers

We demonstrate the control of high-harmonic generation in a hollow fiber by shaping the spatial structure of the generating laser pulse. We use a liquid-crystal-based two-dimensional spatial light modulator to control the spatial phase of the driver pulse. An evolutionary algorithm finds the spatial laser phase distribution that is optimal for reaching maximum total harmonic yield and for selectively enhancing the cutoff region of the spectrum. We show that enhacement of harmonic generation is related to coupling into a single fiber mode. Our results directly show that spatial properties of the laser are important parameters in fully controlling the high-harmonic spectrum. It is thus not possible to derive the controllability of the high-harmonic generation from the single-atom response only.     

利用全息法在偶氮聚合物薄膜中记录涡旋光场

利用全息技术在偶氮聚合物薄膜中记录了拓扑荷数q=–1,1,2,4的涡旋光场,并将记录的原始叉形光栅与计算全息光栅进行对比,对不同拓扑荷数涡旋光的记录速率和偶氮材料的可重复擦写性能进行了测试;记录完成后,将复现涡旋光与高斯光束干涉,并与原始涡旋光和原始叉形光栅对比,分析了记录质量.实验结果表明:高阶涡旋光场的全息叉形光栅会在记录过程中发生劈裂,轻微劈裂的涡旋光束仍维持一个稳定的环状结构;全息记录过程中不同拓扑荷数的涡旋光束记录速率较为统一,偶氮材料可经过上百次的擦写而不出现疲劳;再现涡旋光与原始涡旋光在光强分布结构上保持高度一致,再现涡旋光的干涉条纹与原始涡旋全息光栅保持高度一致,涡旋光及其携带的拓扑荷信息可被有效记录和读取.     

Monitoring atomic cluster expansion by high-harmonic generation

High-harmonic generation is shown to be capable of providing time-resolved information about the particle density of a complex system. As an example, we study numerically high-harmonic generation from expanding xenon clusters in a pump-probe laser scheme, where the pump laser pulse induces the cluster explosion and the probe pulse generates harmonics in the expanding cluster. We show that the high-harmonic spectra characterize the properties of the expanding cluster. Hence, measuring the dependence of the harmonic signal on the pump-probe delay suggests itself as an experimental tool to monitor many-particle dynamics with unique temporal resolution; based on optical measurements, this technique is naturally free from any spatial charge effects.     

均匀椭球粒子对拉盖尔-高斯光束的散射特性研究

基于广义Mie理论, 研究了椭球粒子对在轴入射的拉盖尔-高斯光束的散射特性. 通过局域近似法求解椭球坐标系中的波束因子, 计算得到了波束因子之间满足的普遍关系. 对散射强度随椭球粒子不同尺寸参数和扁圆程度的变化特性进行了数值计算, 并针对不同拓扑荷时的散射强度进行了对比分析. 结果表明: 当椭球粒子尺寸在与入射光波长可比拟的范围内变化时, 散射强度随尺寸参数的增大而增大, 随椭球长短轴之比和拓扑荷的增大而减小. 本文的理论研究能够为拉盖尔-高斯光束在粒径测量、大气激光通信、 大气遥感等领域的应用提供更准确的粒子模型和参考价值. 关键词： 椭球粒子 拉盖尔-高斯光束 波束因子 散射强度     

Experimental measurements of topological singularity screening in random paraxial scalar and vector optical fields

There exists a substantial body of theory that predicts mutual screening of signed topological singularities (topological charges) in random optical fields (speckle patterns). Such screening appears to be rather mysterious because there are neither energetic nor entropic reasons for its existence. We present the first experimental confirmation of mutual screening by the stationary points of the intensity, the canonical optical scalar field, and of mutual screening by C points in elliptically polarized light, the generic optical vector field. We also elucidate specific aspects of the geometry and topology of these fields that we argue give rise to screening.     

相位片角向衍射产生拉盖尔-高斯光束的实验研究

设计了一种角向分布的相位片,利用离子束刻蚀技术加工成0和π二级的相位片.利用角向衍射理论对相位片的衍射场分析表明,衍射场为拓扑指数相反的两束拉盖尔-高斯光束的叠加场.用直径为4 mm的近平行光照射相位片,获得径向指数为零,拓扑荷相反的叠加拉盖尔-高斯光场.采用较大孔径的光束入射时,仍为拓扑荷相反的两束光的叠加,但径向指数会发生变化. 关键词： 信息光学 拉盖尔-高斯光束 相位片 离子束刻蚀     

Single attosecond pulse generation in the multicycle-driver regime by adding a weak second-harmonic field

We present a method of producing single attosecond pulses by high-harmonic generation with multicycle driver laser pulses. This can be achieved by tailoring the driving pulse so that attosecond pulses are produced only every full cycle of the oscillating laser field rather than every half-cycle. It is shown by classical and quantum-mechanical model calculations that even a minor addition (1%) of phase-locked second-harmonic light to the 800 nm fundamental driver pulse for high-harmonic generation leads to a major (15%) difference in the maximum kinetic energies of the recombining electrons in adjacent half-cycles.     

Revealing optical vortices with a small number of photons

Detecting the optical vortices of darkness hidden in an ultra‐weak background is a difficult task. Here we report an experiment demonstrating that the optical vortices can be directly visualized and identified with a smaller number of photons. Our method is based on the extension of the spiral phase contrast technique to incorporate vortex phase plates (VPP) of high‐order topological charges. In our experiment, we prepare optical vortex arrays of interesting structures such as Arabic numerals and the wings carrying various topological charges. By placing various VPP filters in the Fourier plane of a 4f imaging system, the embedded vortices of an incident ultra‐weak light field can be visualized, revealing both their positions and topological charges. It is found that a higher order vortex generally requires a smaller number of photons to be detected. Our method may find potential application in the fields of astronomical optics and biosensing in an ultra‐weak light environment.

     

Superpositions of Laguerre-Gaussian Beams in Strongly Nonlocal Left-handed Materials

We present beam solutions of the strongly nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation in left-handed materials (LHMs). Different Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) necklace beams, such as symmetric and asymmetric single layer and multilayernecklace beams are created by the superposition of two single beams with different topological charges. Such superpositions are then propagated through LHMs, displaying linear diffraction. It is found that the superposition of two LG_nm beams with opposite topological charges does not show rotational behavior and that there exists rotation for other topological charge combinations. Our theory predicts that the accessible solitons cannot exist in LHMs.     

超高斯涡旋光束在空间中的传输特性

研究了超高斯涡旋光束光强最大值、光斑半径以及环围能量半径等参数随传输距离和拓扑荷数的变化规律,并与高斯涡旋光束做了比较,结果表明:超高斯涡旋光束的光斑半径和环围能量半径随拓扑荷数及传输距离呈近似线性关系;对同一拓扑荷数和传输距离,高斯涡旋光束的能量较超高斯涡旋光束要发散;当拓扑荷数较大时,超高斯涡旋光束的光斑半径比高斯涡旋光束更大。针对光束质量研究了广义光束质量因子随传输距离和拓扑荷数的变化,结果表明传输距离足够远时,拓扑荷数较小的超高斯涡旋光束具有更好的光束质量。     

分数阶双涡旋光束的实验研究

具有分数阶拓扑荷数的涡旋光束的产生及其传输是近几年来人们感兴趣的研究课题． 本文提出了一种新型的分数阶双涡旋光束, 该光束是由两束带有不同分数阶拓扑荷数的涡旋光束共轴叠加产生, 其光强分布为双环结构．我们对该光束分别进行了理论模拟和实验研究．研究表明, 分数阶双涡旋光束的双环携带不同的轨道角动量, 且相互独立地传输．这种新型的涡旋光束相对于整数阶或单个分数阶拓扑荷数的涡旋光束更具有控制多样性, 有望在光学镊子、光学扳手等微粒子操控领域开发新的应用．     

Steering the optical response with asymmetric bowtie 2-color controllers in the visible and near infrared range

We have proposed an asymmetric bowtie 2-color controller and analyzed its resonance frequency spectra and temporal responses. The results show improved optical properties of the asymmetric bowtie 2-color controller as compared to symmetric bowties. The improved optical properties are a broad bandwidth of the plasmonic spectrum consisting of two resonant peaks, a high field enhancement in the gap of the bowtie structure, and a large effective enhancement volume. The system might have applications in the generation of XUV light via high-harmonic generation as well as in ultrabroadband sensors and multicolor optoelectronic filters.     

单环多段光强分布检测光学涡旋拓扑荷值

针对涡旋光束检测范围局限这一问题, 提出了一种新的光学涡旋拓扑荷值检测方法-单环多段光强分布检测法, 它以分段数和环半径为两大检测常数, 将检测涡旋光束拓扑荷值范围扩大到了128种, 与以往利用旁瓣调控光学涡旋检测拓扑荷值方法相比, 检测范围扩大了1个数量级. 单环多段光强分布是基于计算机全息图实现在远场衍射焦平面上环半径相等的两束携带不同拓扑荷数的涡旋光束叠加后形成的光强分布. 计算机模拟和光学实验验证了所提出方法的可行性, 该方法在自由空间光通信领域具有一定的研究价值和应用潜力.     

激光直写制作高阶螺旋相位板及其性能

将拓扑荷为4的螺旋相位光束与平面光干涉的计算全息图输入到空间光调制器中,得到含有多个衍射级次的高阶涡旋光束。为提高衍射效率,利用激光直写技术制作拓扑荷为4的高阶螺旋相位板,经测定,相位板深度理论数值为1.073 m,测量数值为1.082 m,相位板制作误差在0.83%以内。平行光束通过此相位板时,在夫琅和费衍射场获得一个高质量的高阶光学涡旋,光强分布与理论数值基本吻合,衍射效率达到86%。     

Quasi-two-dimensional dark spatial solitons and generation of mixed phase dislocations

This paper presents experimental evidence that orthogonally crossed dark soliton stripes form quasi-two-dimensional spatial solitons with a soliton constant equal to that of singly charged optical vortices. Besides the pairs of oppositely charged optical vortex solitons, the snake instability of the dark formation at moderate saturation is found to lead to generation of steering mixed edge–screw phase dislocations with zero total topological charges. Received: 26 October 1998 / Revised version: 19 January 1999 / Published online: 12 May 1999     

Surface-enhanced high-harmonic generation: a promising approach for extreme ultraviolet frequency combs

We propose a promising scheme to produce extreme ultraviolet frequency combs through high-harmonic generation with a surface-enhanced optical field. High harmonics are generated in a wavelength-scale spatial region and show a noticeable emission probability at an angle around 10 degrees relative to the surface. This can be further controlled with an additional static electric field or polarization-gated scheme, leading to enhanced energy conversion efficiency and extra even-order harmonic generation.