On the ability of resonant diffraction gratings to differentiate a pulsed optical signal

The passage of an optical pulse through a resonant grating is considered. The conditions under which the resonant grating differentiates the envelope of the incident pulse are determined. It is shown that the necessary condition for computing the k-order derivative is the presence of k resonances in the transmission spectrum of the grating in the vicinity of the central frequency of the incident pulse. A method is described for constructing the stacked structure for computing the kth derivative on the basis of repetition of the structure for computing the first derivative. The results of numerical simulation of diffraction of the pulse from the analyzed structure for computing the first, second, and third derivative are presented.     

Dynamics of light-induced diffraction gratings in silicon excited by picosecond pulses

On the basis of a numerical solution of the system of continuity equations we analyze the formation and decay of light-induced diffraction gratings in silicon under excitation by picosecond pulses. The concentration of nonequilibrium carriers generated at excitation-pulse intensities I₀ 10¹⁰ W/cm² reaches values of 10¹⁹–10²⁰ cm^–3. Estimates of the relaxation time of diffraction gratings from widely used formulas are shown to be too low because of the nonlinearity of the evolution of nonequilibrium carriers. The internal electric fields are calculated. The dynamics of diffraction gratings that are nonuniform over the depth of the sample have been studied experimentally as a function of the intensity of the excitation pulses. The experimental data accord with the results of numerical calculations.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 53–58, March, 1990.     

Temporal differentiation of optical signals using resonant gratings

We study theoretically the possibility of performing temporal differentiation of optical signals using a resonant diffraction grating. We demonstrate that the resonant grating allows the calculation of the first-order derivative of an optical signal envelope in the vicinity of waveguide resonant frequencies in the zeroth transmitted diffraction order. The grating is shown to allow the calculation of the fractional derivative of order 1/2 in the vicinity of Rayleigh-Wood anomalies. Numerical simulations based on the rigorous coupled-wave analysis of Maxwell's equations demonstrate the high-quality differentiation of optical signals with temporal features in the picosecond range.     

Formation and erasure of population difference gratings in the coherent interaction of a resonant medium with extremely short optical pulses

In the regime of coherent interaction of short optical pulses with a resonant medium, which is implemented with a pulse duration shorter than the relaxation times in the medium, the formation of population gratings can occur without overlapping the pulses therein. In this case, there are new possibilities for controlling optical pulses, which are especially pronounced for extremely short pulses. It is shown that, with the proper choice of the parameters of a sequence of extremely short optical pulses, not only the formation of population gratings, but also their erasure are possible. It is demonstrated that this effect can be used for the creation of an ultrahigh-speed optical deflector.     

Transverse instability of one-dimensional transparent optical pulses in resonant media

It is shown analytically that a transparent optical pulse in a resonant medium, i.e the SIT soliton, is unstable with respect to long transverse perturbations. In this limit, the growth rate as a function of the amplitude and phase of the pulse is derived.     

Diffraction of ultrashort optical pulses from circularly symmetric binary phase gratings

The complete spatiotemporal characterization of the diffracted field of ultrashort pulses after passing through circularly symmetric binary phase diffraction gratings is carried out. The complex field is registered at different planes behind the gratings with an ultrashort-pulse measurement technique called SEA TADPOLE. Numerical simulations based on scalar diffraction theory are compared with the measurements.     

Investigation of Fano resonance in compound resonant waveguide gratings for optical sensing

An optical sensor is designed to support the Fano effect based on a compound resonant waveguide grating(CRWG).The transmission spectra of the CRWG are investigated by utilizing a theoretical method that combines the temporal coupled mode theory with the eigenmode information of the grating structure.The theoretical results,which are observed to agree closely with those acquired by rigorous coupled-wave analysis,show that the linewidth of the transmission spectrum decreases upon increasing the distance between the grating strips,and the central resonance frequency decreases as the refractive index of the analyte increases.Here,the proposed CRWG structures will find potential uses in optical sensing.     

Special features of the diffraction of light on optical Fibonacci gratings

Diffraction gratings designed on the basis of the geometrical properties of 1D quasicrystalline structures are considered. It is shown that the diffraction peak position is highly stable against small perturbations of the grating profile when the periodic pattern of the alternating elements comprising the profile remains unchanged. The fractal character of the diffraction patterns is also preserved during perturbations, with the fractal geometry obeying the principle of the Golden ratio.     

Anisotropy of inhomogeneous resonant media during transient interaction with optical pulses

This study predicts the manifestation of anisotropic properties in linearly isotropic inhomogeneous resonant media during the propagation of optical pulses through them with pulse durations comparable to the phase memory of the medium. For examples, the energy of an obliquely incident pulse propagating through a layered inhomogeneous medium, varies with inversion of the propagation direction. This effect results from phase modulation of the pulse duse to variation in refraction in a region of transient coherent processes in the medium. This study analyzes the most favorable conditions for observing anisotropic effects.V. D. Kuznetsov Siberian Physical — Technical Institute, Tomsk State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 96–99, August, 1994.     

Phonon diffraction gratings

A two-dimensional diffraction grating for phonons is described. It scatters thermal phonons strongly when their dominant wavelength is equal to the grating's lattice constant. Through measurements of the Kapitza resistance between the silicon crystal carrying the grating and liquid helium, it is shown that the scattering by the grating is predominantly coherent, as expected for phonon diffraction.     

Generation of multiple femtosecond pulses by step gratings

A simple method for generating multiple isolated femtosecond pulses by step gratings is presented, and a criterion for judging whether or not an incident pulse is just split into multiple independent pulses is obtained. The dependences of multiple pulses on the structural parameters of the step gratings are explored. The results show that an incident pulse can split into multiple isolated similar diffraction pulses for enough step height, and the pulse repetition interval increases with the increasing of the step height.     

Spectral distortions of optical pulses in resonant media of complex spatial structure

An analysis is made of spectral distortions of small-area short optical pulses as they propagate in inhomogeneous resonant media. The spectral distortion mechanism considered results from nonsteady-state refraction and depends on the geometric structure of the medium. Fractal and multifractal objects are considered as propagation media. The analysis is compared with the well studied dispersion mechanism of spectral distortion. State University, Tomsk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 47–54, May, 1996.     

Neutron diffraction by laser-generated volume phase gratings

Cold neutrons are diffracted by thick phase gratings which have been produced by light-optical holography in poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The neutron diffraction efficiency is investigated in the Laue case as a function of the angle of incidence by rocking the sample. The dynamical theory of neutron diffraction allows to relate the measured diffraction efficiency to the modulation amplitude of the neutron-optical refractive index. The absence of higher order diffraction peaks proves that this modulation is sinusoidal. Further experimental parameters are shown to influence the diffraction in accordance with the dynamical theory: the wavelength of neutrons, the sample thickness, and the grating period. Laser diffraction experiments allow us to give upper limits for the uniformity of the grating constant throughout the sample volume. The gratings show properties which are promising for the fabrication of high-precision control samples for cold and very cold neutron spectrometers, for the construction of neutron-optical instruments, and the possibility to measure photoinduced changes of neutron-optical potentials.     

Protecting MRI rooms by dielectric diffraction gratings

Nowadays in order to protect against the waves available in surrounding MRI rooms we use mu-metal. We suggest to use 1D dielectric gratings to protect MRI rooms from surrounding mobile waves. Hence, we present a grating with maximum reflection by RCWA method.     

Bragg diffraction of light by rectangular phase gratings

Bragg diffraction of light by rectangular phase gratings is considered, utilizing two-dimensional coupled-wave theory. Diffraction characteristics for two important cases of incident plane waves and Gaussian-profile beams are presented. It is shown that the diffraction properties depend on the following normalized parameters: the grating strength and a geometry parameter, the beam width and a displacement. Values of these parameters for the realization of both nearly transmitting and nearly reflecting regimes of diffraction are determined. The results obtained are used for the choice of the design parameters of integrated optic Bragg-type devices.     

Diffusion phase diffraction gratings

Ion exchange in glass is studied. The two-dimensional diffusion equation with periodic boundary conditions that describes the formation of a diffraction grating in glass is numerically solved. The existence of the optimum diffusion time providing the maximum diffraction efficiency in the first order is demonstrated. Dependences of the optimum diffusion time and the maximum diffraction efficiency on the space factor of a mask used for ion exchange are found.     

Theoretical analysis of transverse mode conversion using transient long-period gratings induced by ultrashort pulses in optical fibers

We study numerically the conversion of transverse modes in a few-mode fiber using long-period gratings that are optically induced by femtosecond pulses. The gratings are transiently generated via the Kerr effect by the modal beating of a high-power write beam that excites a combination of transverse modes. The spectral properties and the influence of pulse walkoff on the conversion are investigated. Furthermore, by delaying the write pulse with respect to the probe pulse and choosing a suitable target mode profile, we show the temporal characteristics of a novel optical switch that can be realized based on this principle.