Numerical model for pulsations in polarization of emission from a laser with an anisotropic cavity when initiated in a magnetic field

Based on equations for the evolution of the polarization density matrix for laser emission, we have shown that when a laser with an anisotropic cavity is turned on in a magnetic field higher than some critical value, we will observe a new optical effect: pulsations between the polarized and completely unpolarized states of the laser emission. In a magnetic field much higher than the critical value, practically complete suppression of polarization occurs, which may serve as a method for obtaining unpolarized laser emission. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 1, pp. 134–142, January–February, 2008.     

Perturbative Study of Bremsstrahlung and Pair-Production by Spin-½ Particles in the Aharonov–Bohm Potential

In the presence of an external Aharonov–Bohm potential, we investigate the two QED processes of the emission of a bremsstrahlung photon by an electron, and the production of an electron–positron pair by a single photon. Calculations are carried out using the Born approximation within the framework of covariant perturbation theory to lowest non-vanishing order in α. The matrix element for each process is derived, and the corresponding differential cross-section is calculated. In the non-relativistic limit, the resulting angular and spectral distributions and some polarization properties are considered, and compared to results of previous works.     

Laser polarimetry of the orientation structure of bone tissue osteons

A matrix method is proposed for describing polarization properties of biological tissues as an aggregate of uniaxial crystal structures. We investigated 25 μm-thick histological sections of compact bone tissue which provided single light scattering. It is shown that in this case there exists a unique relationship between the polarization parameters of the boundary laser field and the parameters of anisotropy and orientation of the structural elements of biological tissue. On this basis, contactless methods of laser polarimetry of histological sections of bone tissue have been proposed. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 52–55, January–February, 2000.     

Nonadiabatic nondegenerate excitation by optical near-field and its application to optical pulse-shape measurement

Using DCM dye grains and light of different wavelengths generated by two CW laser diodes that oscillate in the near-infrared wavelength region, visible light emission from dye grains due to near-infrared excitation based on a nonadiabatic, nondegenerate excitation process was observed for the first time. Unlike sum-frequency generation with nonlinear polarization, the difference in polarization angles of the two beams did not affect the emitted light intensity. Optical sampling based on this nonadiabatic, nondegenerate excitation principle was demonstrated for the first time. The optical pulse shape in the wavelength band of λ=1250–1350 nm, which is close to the wavelength range used for optical fiber communications, was measured with a temporal resolution of 0.8–1.1 ps.     

Effect of polarization and coherence of low-intensity optical radiation on fish embryos

  We have shown that brief exposure of sturgeon embryos (fertilized roe) in the organogenesis stage to low-intensity radiation in the visible region of the spectrum can have a long-term effect on embryonic and post-embryonic development of the fish, detectable 50 days after the irradiation procedure. The biological effects (size-weight characteristics and hardiness parameters of the fish relative to unfavorable habitat conditions) induced by linearly polarized emission from a monochromatic laser source (helium-neon laser, λ = 632.8 nm, Δλ ≈ 0.02 nm) and a quasi-monochromatic light-emitting diode (LED) source (maximum in emission spectrum λ = 631 nm, Δ λ = 15 nm) are practically the same. Going to broadband linearly polarized radiation (λ = 420–800 nm) is accompanied by a decrease in the biological effect. From the results of studies of the effect on embryos from linearly polarized and unpolarized radiation from an LED source and also the effect of linearly polarized, circularly polarized, and unpolarized radiation from a helium-neon laser, we concluded that the type of polarization is of critical importance in realization of the biological effect of radiation. In this case, the maximum stimulating effect (on the size×weight characteristics and the hardiness parameters for juvenile fish) is observed on exposure to linearly polarized radiation; the photobiological effect induced in the same dose range by light with natural polarization (i.e., unpolarized) is significantly less pronounced; the stimulating effect of circularly polarized radiation occupies an intermediate position. Based on the presented data and also on data obtained previously, we conclude that among the resonant and nonresonant photophysical processes (orientational effect of light, effect of gradient forces, dipole-dipole interactions, thermooptic processes) capable of inducing photobiological effects dependent on such laser-specific characteristics as polarization and coherence, the determining influence in the processes studied in this work comes from the orientational effect of light and dipole×dipole interactions. And the orientational effect can appear for anisotropic media with liquid-crystal type ordering (especially domains in membranes and multiple-enzyme complexes) both under conditions when there is no resonant absorption and for weakly absorbing structures, and can initiate a change in their conformations and accordingly their functional characteristics. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 6, pp. 843–858, November–December, 2008.     

Calculation of spatial intensity distribution of InAsSb/InAsSbP laser diode emission

The spatial distribution of emission intensity in the active layer of a laser diode (LD) based on an InAsSb/InAsSbP heterostructure (generation wavelength λ_gen ∼ 3.3 μm) is obtained for various stripe widths w by means of numerical solution of the wave equation in the 2D approximation taking into account the refractive index nonlinearity. It has been shown that the special distribution of emission intensity becomes strongly inhomogeneous at w values exceeding 9–10 μm, which results in the appearance of additional maxima in the far-field pattern. Calculated far-field patterns in the active layer plane of the LD agree with corresponding experimental data. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 6, pp. 804–808, November–December, 2008.     

Effect of limiting polarization in the Jovian inner magnetosphere

Jovian decameter emission is known to exhibit almost total polarization. We consider the elliptical polarization to be a consequence of linear-mode coupling in the Jovian magnetosphere outside the source region. We determine conditions of emission propagation along the ray path that are necessary for self-consistent explanatation of the polarization observations and show that the ellipticity (axial ratio of the polarization ellipse) is determined by the magnetospheric plasma density n_e in a small region a distance of about half the Jovian radius from the radiation source. The plasma density in the region is quite low, n_e<0.4 cm⁻³, and the geometrical-optics approximation of emssion propagation in front of the region converts to the vacuum approximation behind it. The latter means that the linear-mode coupling in the Jovian inner magnetosphere is manifested as the effect of limiting polarization. Sources of decameter emission emitting at different frequencies f are located at heights corresponding to gyrofrequency levels f _Be ≅f and at magnetic-force lines that belong to L-shells passing through the satellite Io. The location of the transitional region in the Jovian magnetosphere varies depending on the emission frequency and the time. For each given decameter radio emission storm occupying some region in frequencytime space, we have a number of transitional regions located in a certain region of the Jovian magnetosphere—the interaction region of the magnetosphere (IRM) for the given emission storm. The distribution of magnetospheric plasma in an IRM is found from data of observations of the polarization ellipiicity of the given decameter radio emission storm. By matching the calculated ellipticity of emission with the observed ellipticity at every point of frequency-time space of the emission dynamic spectrum one finds a recurrent relation between the local values of the magnetospheric plasma density N_c and the planetary magnetic field B in the IRM, which allows evaluation of the distribution of plasma density if a definite model of the Jovian magnetic field has been adopted. Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 177–193, February, 1998.     

M<Superscript>2</Superscript> of MOPA CuBr Laser Radiation

The beam propagation factor, M² of the master-oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) CuBr laser emission compliant with ISO 11146 is studied methodically. Statistical parameters of 2D intensity profile of the near and far fields of MOPA laser radiation are measured by a beam analyzing technique as functions of timing delay between MO and PA. For first time the influence of the gas buffer (causing the radiation profile to change from annular to top-hat and Gaussian-like) and light polarization on CuBr laser beam focusability (M²) was under investigation. The MOPA gain curve is found and the influence of gain on the input signal (from MO into PA) due to the absorption/amplification in PA on the field profiles is shown. For annular radiation M² range is from 13–14 (small delays) to 5–6 (large delays) and for filled-center radiation M² is 6–7 (small delays) and at the end of gain curve is as much as 4. With polarized light, M² drops to 3 at the end of gain curve. The brightness of laser emission with hydrogen goes up 3–5 times and the linearly-polarized beam is at least 40% brighter than that of partial or non-polarized beams.     

Long duration light emission from femtosecond laser–target interactions

Time resolved emission from the interaction of ultra-short (∼200 fs) laser pulses with aluminum and copper targets was investigated. Measurements show that emission from the laser produced plasma in air is significantly more intense than in near vacuum conditions and that the emission in air can extend for periods exceeding 100 ns. Modeling the laser–target–air coupling shows that the laser–target interaction can lead to blast wave shock waves being launched in the ambient air and that the emission from the shocked air dominates over emission from the target surface. The long term emission measurements in air are in agreement with the modeling results.     

Distributed feedback dye laser holographically induced in improved organic–inorganic photocurable nanocomposites

Distributed feedback (DFB) lasing in permanent volume transmission gratings formed in a laser dye-doped organic–inorganic nanocomposite has been investigated. DFB laser cavities were fabricated using one-step two-beam holographic exposure of Pyrromethene 567 (PM567) doped photopolymerizable acrylate monomers containing inorganic (LaPO₄) nanoparticles. Compared to the formulation previously utilized, the material composition presented provides longer lifetime of the laser. Spectral and polarization properties, input–output and stability characteristics of the laser output have been investigated by varying the material composition and the patterning parameters. DFB lasing emission of the second and the third diffraction orders has been demonstrated. The spectral linewidth of ∼0.08 nm has been observed at a pump energy threshold of about 0.2 μJ/pulse for the second-order DFB lasing when pumped with 532 nm 500 ps laser pulses. Spectral tuning of the lasing output over ∼56 and ∼7 nm was obtained by varying the grating period and the content of inorganic nanoparticles in the polymer matrix, respectively.     

Ultrafast dynamics of three novel oligomers with strong two-photon absorption properties

A comparative study of the nonlinear optical properties and ultrafast dynamics of three oligomers were carried out using femtosecond laser spectroscopic techniques. All oligomers showed intense fluorescence emission induced by a two-photon absorption process. Relaxation features with parallel and perpendicular polarization configurations were investigated in a one-color pump–probe experiment at 400 nm. Two relaxation components were assigned to the exciton migration and exciton recombination processes, respectively. Time-resolved fluorescence results showed that the electron–phonon interaction happens on the picosecond-scale, while the recombination lifetimes of the excited state are relatively long. PACS 33.80.Rv; 34.30.+h; 82.53.-k; 82.35.Ej     

Optical activity of a cadmium diphosphide crystal

We have experimentally studied the characteristic features of a laser beam, polarized at angles of ± 45° to the horizontal (vertical), passing through plates of varying thickness cut from a CdP₂ crystal and placed between crossed polarizers, as a function of their angle of rotation relative to the vertical axis. We show that a periodic variation in the intensity is connected with the variation in polarization of the laser beam. We have established that the laser beam remains linearly polarized not only when it passes through the sample along the optic axis, but also when it travels at up to a 17.5° angle to the optic axis. In this case, the specific rotation of the plane of polarization along the optic axis is 68.2 degrees/mm for a thicker plate and 83.3 degrees/mm for a thin plate. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 5, pp. 690–693, September–October, 2006.     

Infrared luminescence of erbium-doped sodium lead germanate glass

The infrared optical properties of Er³⁺ ions are reported for 60GeO₂–20PbO–20Na₂O glass for two Er₂O₃ concentrations. From the optical absorption spectra, the Judd–Ofelt (J–O) parameters have been obtained and have been used to calculate radiative lifetimes and stimulated emission cross sections. A narrow emission band peaked at 1536 nm with exponential decay for both Er concentrations is observed. The measured lifetime decreases for increasing Er concentration, its value being very close, in the case of the lowest doping level, to the radiative lifetime calculated from J–O analysis. This, together with the relatively high emission cross section makes this glass suitable for laser applications.     

Influence of laser heating on the optical properties of a superhigh-modulus organoplastic material

The degree and azimuth of polarization and the indicatrix of the intensity of radiation (λ=0.63 μm) reflected by the surface of a monodirectional superhigh-modulus organoplastic material after structural transformations induced in it by CO₂-laser radiation are measured. It is shown that the space-polarization characteristics of the radiation reflected by the organoplastic material charred as a result of laser heating correspond to the parameters of radiation scattered by a nontransparent material with an isotropic surface in the approximation of geometrical optics. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 5, pp. 635–639, September–October, 1999.     

The von Neumann representation as a joint time–frequency parameterization for polarization-shaped femtosecond laser pulses

We generalize the joint time–frequency von Neumann representation of femtosecond laser pulses for usage with time-dependent polarization states. The electric field is expanded in terms of Gaussian-shaped transform-limited subpulses located on a discrete time–frequency lattice, each with a specific polarization state. This formalism provides an intuitive picture for the time- and frequency-dependent polarization state. It can also serve as a basis for polarization pulse shaping. As an illustration, we define pulses for which polarization parameters (ellipticity and orientation) are given directly in time–frequency phase space. This approach has applications in quantum control and other areas for which time- and frequency-dependent light polarization is relevant.     

Photoinduced optical activity of C<Subscript>70</Subscript> fullerene in organic solvents

We have experimentally studied for the first time the effect of photoinduced rotation of the plane of polarization for pulsed laser radiation in solutions of C₇₀ fullerene in organic solvents and their mixtures. We have shown that the effect is observed for elliptical polarization of the laser radiation and is absent for linear polarization. We present the results of a study of the nonlinear optical characteristics of the C₇₀ solutions. We discuss the physical mechanisms by which nonlinear gyrotropy is induced in solutions. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 93–99, January–February, 2009.     

Possibilities of the method of phase-polarization selection of laser frequencies in strong fields

The spectra of Faraday rotation of the plane of polarization of laser radiation in strong radiation fields and a magnetic field were investigated for alkali atoms. The spectra were obtained using the known method of computer simulation of polarization effects in real multilevel atoms. The possibility of using these effects in the phase-polarization method of selection of laser frequencies was considered. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 61–64, January–February, 2000.     

超强激光作用下相对论电子振荡所导致的谐波辐射

研究发现，在超强激光作用下电子运动的相对论效应可导致高次谐波辐射，采用单电子模型计算分析了不同偏振微光作用下的高次谐波发射，表明圆偏振激光较线偏振激光更有利于高次谐波产生。     

Probing vacuum birefringence by phase-contrast Fourier imaging under fields of high-intensity lasers

In vacuum high-intensity lasers can cause photon–photon interaction via the process of virtual vacuum polarization which may be measured by the phase velocity shift of photons across intense fields. In the optical frequency domain, the photon–photon interaction is polarization-mediated described by the Euler–Heisenberg effective action. This theory predicts the vacuum birefringence or polarization dependence of the phase velocity shift arising from nonlinear properties in quantum electrodynamics (QED). We suggest a method to measure the vacuum birefringence under intense optical laser fields based on the absolute phase velocity shift by phase-contrast Fourier imaging. The method may serve for observing effects even beyond the QED vacuum polarization.     

Distributed feedback laser action by polarization modulation

Laser action was generated in dye-doped sol–gel glass waveguides and in liquid solutions by crossing two beams from a frequency-doubled neodymium:YAG laser. The angle between the polarization directions of the two beams was varied continuously from 90. The case of 0° corresponded to pure intensity modulation. As the angle increased, the degree of intensity modulation decreased, resulting in the decline and finally the demise of the laser output. At 90°, corresponding to pure polarization modulation, distributed feedback laser action with narrow line-width output was again observed when the pump energy was increased three-fold. The laser output also showed different polarization characteristics when the feedback mechanism was changed from intensity modulation to polarization modulation. Received: 13 February 2003 / Revised version: 3 April 2003 / Published online: 22 May 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: 852/2603-5204, E-mail: dlo@sun1.phy.cuhk.edu.hk