Slow light propagation via quantum coherence in a semiconductor quantum well

With the Schrödinger equations, we investigate the low-intensity light pulse propagation through a semiconductor quantum wells. Through studying the dispersion and absorption properties of the weak probe field, it is shown that slow light propagation is observed in this system. From the view point of practical purpose, it is more advantageous than its corresponding atomic system. Such investigation of slow light propagation may lead to important practical applications in semiconductor quantum information.     

Phase-controlled gain-assisted slow light propagation in three-coupled quantum wells

The low-intensity light pulse propagation through three-coupled semiconductor quantum wells is studied with the Schrödinger equations. Phase-controlled slow light propagation with little gain is observed in this system. For its flexible design and its wide adjustable parameters, such a semiconductor system is better than its atomic counterpart. Such investigation of properties may provide a new way for realizing slow light and lead to important applications in high-fidelity optical delay lines and optical buffers.     

On the theory of electromagnetic surface waves in magnetized semiconductor plasma

The paper demonstrates existence of electromagnetic surface waves at the boundary separating a magnetized semiconductor plasma and a dielectric or metal. The external magnetic field is along the interface. As has been shown, slow surface waves of the helicon or Alfven type can exist only with their propagation vector directed obliquely with respect to the magnetic field. The ω-k relations have been found and ranges of existence established both in the frequency domain and that of angles between the propagation vector and the magnetic field.     

Subluminal to superluminal light propagation in a V-type three-level atomic system interacting with squeezed vacuum

We study the light propagation properties in a V-type three-level atomic system interacting with two independent broadband squeezed baths. Using the graphic method, the dependences of the absorption and the dispersion of the system on the coupling field strength, the incoherent pumping field strength and the intensity of the squeezed vacuum are analysed. The result shows that the probe pulse propagation can be changed from subluminal to superluminal speed.     

Effect of drifting carriers on longitudinal electro-kinetic waves in ion-implanted semiconductor plasmas

We present an analytical study of wave spectra of electro-kinetic waves propagating through semiconductor plasma, whose main constituents are drifting electrons, holes and non-drifting negatively charged colloids. By employing the hydrodynamical model of multi-component plasma, a compact dispersion relation for the same is derived. This dispersion relation is used to study slow electro-kinetic wave phenomena and resultant instability numerically. We find some important modifications in the wave spectra of the slow electro-kinetic branch. It is found that the drift velocities of electrons and holes are responsible for converting two aperiodic modes into periodic ones. The applied dc electric field increases the phase velocities of contra-propagating modes. The amplification coefficients of propagating modes can be optimized by tuning the amplitude of applied electric field and wave number. It is hoped that the results of this investigation should be useful in understanding the wave spectra of slow electro-kinetic waves in ion-implanted semiconductor plasma subjected to a dc electric field along the direction of wave propagation.     

Slow light pulse propagation in dispersive media

We present a theoretical and numerical analysis of pulse propagation in a semiconductor photonic crystal waveguide with embedded quantum dots in a regime where the pulse is subjected to both waveguide and material dispersion. The group index and the transmission are investigated by finite-difference-time-domain Maxwell–Bloch simulations and compared to analytic results. For long pulses the group index (transmission) for the combined system is significantly enhanced (reduced) relative to slow light based on purely material or waveguide dispersion. Shorter pulses are strongly distorted and depending on parameters broadening or break-up of the pulse may be observed. The transition from linear to nonlinear pulse propagation is quantified in terms of the spectral width of the pulse. To cite this article: T.R. Nielsen et al., C. R. Physique 10 (2009).     

Three-level medium as a former of a series of short light pulses

We study propagation of optical radiation in a gaseous medium consisting of atoms with doublet structure of the ground state. It is shown that at small deviation of the amplitude of the wave incident at the medium from the regime of adiabatically slow variation the medium polarization becomes periodically modulated. In this case the transmitted wave acquires amplitude modulation in addition to phase modulation. Under favorable conditions this modulation transforms the input quasimonochromatic wave into a regular sequence of short pulses. We show that it is possible to generalize this scheme for more complex structure such as molecules and semiconductor constructions.     

Pondermotive forces with slow light

This work describes atomic processes which result from the greatly enhanced longitudinal gradient force which is inherent to the propagation of slow light. These processes are (1) ballistic atom motion and atom surfing, and (2) a type of local pondermotive nonlinearity or scattering which results from free-particle sinusoidal motion and the density variation caused by this motion.     

高灵敏度色散型慢光干涉仪的仿真研究

设计了一种基于慢光介质色散特性的新型干涉装置,研究其物理过程,证明利用慢光介质可以有效提高干涉仪的光谱灵敏度,并且光谱灵敏度与慢光介质的群折射率成正比。同时,进一步具体分析慢光介质GaAs的色散特性,给出研究色散型慢光干涉仪的一般性方法,并证明使用慢光介质GaAs在近红外区域可以提高光谱灵敏度2倍左右。     

Slow light and saturable absorption

Quantitative analysis of slow light experiments utilising coherent population oscillation (CPO) in a range of saturably absorbing media, including ruby and alexandrite, Er³⁺:Y₂SiO₅, bacteriorhodopsin, semiconductor quantum devices and erbium-doped optical fibres, shows that the observations may be more simply interpreted as saturable absorption phenomena. A basic two-level model of a saturable absorber displays all the effects normally associated with slow light, namely phase shift and modulation gain of the transmitted signal, hole burning in the modulation frequency spectrum and power broadening of the spectral hole, each arising from the finite response time of the non-linear absorption. Only where hole-burning in the optical spectrum is observed (using independent pump and probe beams), or pulse delays exceeding the limits set by saturable absorption are obtained, can reasonable confidence be placed in the observation of slow light in such experiments. Superluminal (“fast light”) phenomena in media with reverse saturable absorption (RSA) may be similarly explained. The article is published in the original.     

976 nm宽条形高功率半导体激光器的光束质量M2评价

为了提高976 nm宽条形高功率半导体激光器的光束质量,基于严格的二阶矩理论搭建了一套适用于高功率半导体激光器的光束质量检测装置。利用该装置测量了实验室研制的976 nm宽条形高功率半导体激光器在1～10 A工作电流下的束腰位置、束腰尺寸和远场发散角。实验结果表明,随着电流从1 A增加到10A,快轴方向束宽及远场发散角由于反导引效应有微小增加,但由于垂直方向较强的折射率导引机制使得光束参数变化很小,光束质量因子M~2仅从1. 32增加到1. 48,光束质量基本不变。慢轴方向由于反导引效应及热透镜效应而导致高阶模式激射,使得束宽及远场发散角随工作电流增加逐渐增大,光束质量因子M~2从5. 44增加到11. 76,光束质量逐渐变差。傍轴光束定义及非傍轴光束定义下的光束质量因子测试结果表明,在快轴方向,两者差别较大,不能使用傍轴光束定义近似计算;在慢轴方向,两者近似相等,可以使用傍轴光束定义近似计算。     

Multilayer structures with magnetically controlled light transmission

Taking into account the gyromagnetic properties of multilayer two-component structures of which one or both components are magnetoactive materials shows that their optical properties can be controlled by an external magnetic field. In particular, when applied to multilayer structures with a phase shift (defect), the magnetic field changes (decreases or increases) the width of the spectral resonance curve of the transmission coefficient. The application of longitudinal and transverse (relative to the light propagation direction) magnetic fields gives different results. Analysis shows that the effects observed may find application, for example, in fiber optics.     

Transient and steady-state properties of asymmetric semiconductor quantum wells at telecom wavelength bands

The transient and steady-state dispersion and absorption properties of a three-subband asymmetric semiconductor quantum well system are investigated. In the steady-state regime, it is shown that by increasing the strength of Fano-interference as well as enhancement of energy splitting of two excited states the slope of dispersion changes from negative to positive which is corresponding to a switch between superluminal to subluminal light propagation. At the same time, the probe absorption reduces at telecommunication wavelength λ = 1550 nm. The influence of incoherent pumping fields on time-dependent susceptibility is then discussed. It is found that due to more transfer of population to the upper levels, increasing the rate of incoherent pump field leads to the reduction of probe absorption. In addition, it is realized that incoherent pumping has a major role in converting fast to slow propagation of light at long wavelength. We also introduce an extra controllability for the light pulse to be slow downed at Telecom wavelength just through the quantum interference arising from incoherent pumping fields. The obtained results may be practical in telecommunication applications.     

Influence of cladding layer field of slab waveguide on M~2 factor

Based on the theory of semiconductor laser pattern and the non-paraxial vectorial moment theory of light beam propagation, the beam quality factor M2 of TEo propagating mode is analyzed and calculated. The result shows that when both core layer and cladding layer are considered, M2>1 is always obtained. Moreover, by analyzing the characteristic of real beams, this result is generalized to the multilayer isotropic linear slab waveguides.     

Plasmonic slow light waveguide and cavity

In this work, we present a detailed analysis of optical properties of metal–insulator and metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structure-based surface-plasmon waveguides and cavities. It is shown from the dispersion relation, the field distribution, the quality factor Q, and the transmission spectrum that the MIM structure can be designed as a high-Q cavity, supporting slow light with tolerable pulse distortion and lower propagation loss in the axial direction.     

Slow light with cavity electromagnetically induced transparency

We report an experimental observation of slow light propagation in cold Rb atoms exhibiting cavity electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The steep slope of the atomic dispersion manifested by EIT reduces the light group velocity. The cavity filtering and feedback further contribute to the slowdown and delay of the light pulse propagation. A combination of the cavity and the EIT atomic system significantly improves the performance of the slow light propagation. A propagation time delay of approximately 200 ns was observed in the cavity and Rb EIT system, which is approximately 70 times greater than the time delay calculated for the light pulse propagation through the same Rb EIT system without the cavity.     

不同光线入射角度下超声速湍流边界层气动光学效应的实验研究

利用基于纳米粒子的平面激光散射技术获取超声速(Ma=3.0)湍流边界层的密度分布,采用光线追迹方法计算其对应的光程差分布,并结合边界层气动光学相似律验证实验结果的可靠性.着重研究了光线入射角度对超声速湍流边界层气动光学效应的影响,并对其内在机理进行了分析.研究表明,气动光学效应对光线入射角度的依赖性源于光线在流场中的传输路径,传输路径的不同导致了光线在流场中的传输距离以及对应密度脉动互相关结果的差异.光线倾斜入射导致其在流场中传输距离增长,进而气动光学效应出现恶化.光线入射方向与壁面垂直方向之间的夹角越大,气动光学效应越显著,而且不同时刻的差异性增加,气动光学效应校正的难度增加.超声速湍流边界层中大量具有特定方向的涡结构导致了湍流边界层气动光学效应的各向异性.当光线倾斜向下游入射时,光线传播方向与流场中的涡结构具有较好的一致性,体现为此方向上密度脉动互相关系数较大,故气动光学效应比较严重.而当光线倾斜向上游入射时,相关系数较小,故气动光学效应较弱.     

Optical knobs from slow- to fast-light with gain in low-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures

The light pulse propagation through semiconductor quantum-well heterostructures under realistic experimental conditions is studied analytically with the Schrödinger equations. It is shown that slow light and superluminal propagation with gain can be observed by varying the relative phase and the strength of the applied fields. Such investigation may open up the possibility to control the light propagation and may lead to potential applications such as high-fidelity optical delay lines, optical buffers and optical communication in quantum wells solid materials.     

Low loss propagation in slow light photonic crystal waveguides at group indices up to 60

We have designed slow light photonic crystal waveguides operating in a low loss and constant dispersion window of Δλ = 2 nm around λ = 1565 nm with a group index of n_g = 60. We experimentally demonstrate a relatively low propagation loss, of 130 dB/cm, for waveguides up to 800 μm in length. This result is particularly remarkable given that the waveguides were written on an electron-beam lithography tool with a writefield of 100 μm that exhibits stitching errors of typically 10–50 nm. We reduced the impact of these stitching errors by introducing “slow–fast–slow” mode conversion interfaces and show that these interfaces reduce the loss from 320 dB/cm to 130 dB/cm at n_g = 60. This significant improvement highlights the importance of the slow–fast–slow method and shows that high performance slow light waveguides can be realised with lengths much longer than the writing field of a given e-beam lithography tool.