Comparison of optical compensations based on discotic liquid crystals with linear and non-linear orientation for wide viewing angle twisted nematic liquid crystal displays

Optical compensation film using discotic liquid crystals has been commercialized to suppress light leakage of twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal (LC) cells in the dark state when the viewing directions are off-axes. In the conventional film, the tilt angle variation of the discotic LC layers is linear, whereas that of the rod-like LC layers in the TN cell is non-linear with twist alignment. We investigated the optical compensation effects in terms of iso-contrast ratio, gray scale inversion and color shift with linear and non-linear orientation in a tilt angle or twist and non-twist orientation on TN-LC cells. The results showed that the optical compensation with non-linear orientation exhibited an improved performance in suppressing light leakage in the dark state.     

Mueller-Stokes polarimetric characterization of transmissive liquid crystal spatial light modulator

In the twisted nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulators (TN-LCSLM), distortion of uniform twist and decrease in tilt angle of liquid crystal molecules on application of an electric field lead to amplitude and phase modulations of the transmitted or reflected wavefront, respectively. The amplitude and phase modulation characterization of TN-LCSLM using Jones calculi is simple and extensively used but does not give any information about important polarimetric parameters such as diattenuation and depolarizance. On the other hand, the characterization using Mueller calculi provides all information in terms of polarimetric properties such as diattenuation, retardance (birefringence) and depolarization. In this paper, polarimetric properties of the transmissive TN-LCSLM (HOLOEYE LC2002) are characterized measuring 17 different Mueller matrices at different addressed gray scale through Mueller Matrix Imaging Polarimeter (MMIP) at 530 nm wavelength. Lu-Chipman polar decomposition for Mueller matrix is utilized to separate out three independent Mueller matrices for diattenuation, depolarization and retardance as a function of addressed gray scale. Further, Mueller-Stokes combined formulation is used to examine the effect of depolarization present in the TN-LCSLM on six different states of polarization and evaluation of eigenpolarization states for the TN-LCSLM has been presented.     

New nonlinear optical processes in liquid crystals

We have worked out some consequences of the optical nonlinearities due to laser induced changes in the order parameter of a liquid crystal. The change in the order parameter can be affected by laser induced suppression of the director fluctuations in liquid crystals and or changes in the tilt angle of smectic liquid crystals. Both the processes lead to well known nonlinear optical effects like self-focusing, self-divergence, self-phase modulation, wave mixing, and so on. In addition, we predict some new phenomena like self-iridescence and new types of optical spatial solitons. In the case of chiral liquid crystals in the short wavelength limit the laser beam induces a change in the twist and at the long wavelength edge of the Bragg band it leads to temporal oscillations in the twist and the transmitted intensity. In smectic liquid crystals interesting periodic structures in a standing laser wave are to be expected.     

Polarization of light transmitted through a polymer film with nanosized droplets of liquid crystal

A method is developed for analyzing the state of polarization of a plane wave transmitted through a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) film with nanosized liquid-crystal (LC) droplets. This method is based on the anisotropic-dipole approximation for describing scattering by a separate droplet and on the Foldy-Twersky approximation for describing propagation of light in a film. Equations are obtained that relate the ellipsometric parameters of coherent (direct) light transmitted through a PDLC film to the order parameters that characterize the morphological and structural properties of the film. Elliptic and circular polarizations and the rotation of the plane of polarization of a wave transmitted through a film are investigated under the normal illumination of the PDLC film by a linearly polarized plane wave. The order parameters of the PDLC film are determined as a function of a control field under the transition from a partially ordered structure of optical axes of LC droplets to a homeotropic structure.     

棱镜-薄膜耦合结构中光束Goos-H(a)nchen位移的增强

棱镜-薄膜耦合结构是单侧镀电介质膜的双棱镜结构中的一种,在光信号传输方面具有十分重要的作用.利用稳态相位法分析了这种结构中反射和透射光束的Goos-Hanchen位移,研究结果表明,反射和透射光束的Goos-Hanchen位移随薄膜厚度或入射角的增大除出现共振峰外,还存在反射光束的Goos-Hanchen位移共振峰为负值的新现象.在共振点处透射和反射光束的正向或负向位移量最大可达百余波长.这一结构中薄膜和入射角.对光束Goos-Hanchen位移的调制在设计新型光位移调制和光传感器件中具有潜在的应用.     

基于微机电系统红外光源的长光程气体检测

针对红外气体传感器对光源的要求,选用了一种宽波长、高调制频率、低功耗的小体积微机电系统(micro-electro-mechanic system, MEMS)红外光源作为辐射源,其各项性能均能很好的满足红外传感系统对于光源的要求。由于其面光源的朗伯辐射特性,整形之后的红外光数值孔径仍然很大,采用传统的长光程气室结构很难实现长光程从而提高系统的检测灵敏度。本文结合双波长单光路的差分检测方法,设计了一种基于积分球特性的吸收气室,有效地解决了MEMS红外光源在高灵敏度气体检测应用中难于实现长光程的问题;并运用光在传输过程中光通量守恒的原理,推导了此积分球吸收气室的等效光程,解决了积分球气室等效光程计算的难题;同时采用FPGA主控芯片对MEMS红外光源进行高频调制并处理探测器的输出信号,使得外围电路的设计更加简单、灵活。设计中,使用直径为5 cm的积分球吸收气室便可实现166.7 cm的等效光程,研究结果显示系统可测得的最小甲烷浓度达0.001×10-6,极大地提高了红外检测系统的灵敏度。     

Performance analysis of symmetrical 10 Gbps colorless WDM-PON using subcarrier modulated downstream and wavelength converted upstream through RSOA

Here we have demonstrated a novel architecture of colorless wavelength division multiplexed-passive optical network (WDM-PON) and analyze its performance which is capable of transmitting 10 Gbps data symmetrically in both downstream and upstream. In this architecture downstream data is subcarrier modulated (SCM) using radio frequency (RF) as subcarrier and laser frequency as carrier with the help of a Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM). For upstream data modulation an electro-absorption modulator, an optical coupler and reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA) are used. Upstream data is transmitted through wavelength conversion between pump wavelength and continuous wave light sent from central office (CO) using cross gain modulation (XGM) in RSOA. Pump wavelengths have separate wavelength band than the carrier's wavelength sent from optical network unit (ONU) and can be chosen any one in its band. Since carrier reuse scheme is implemented so all the ONUs are operates in colorless mode. Effect of ER of delay interferometer (DI) on output OCSR of DI for different input OCSR is performed for SCM data. Simulation is performed with all 16 downlink and 16 uplink channels having data rate of 10 Gbps having acceptable performance.     

交叉增益调制的全光波长转换的消光比特性分析

建立了基于半导体光放大器交叉增益调制的波长转换理论模型,讨论了放大器的偏置电流、抽运光参数以及探测光参数对转换后信号消光比特性的影响,结果表明,大的抽运光功率小的探测光功率以及合适的转换波长间隔有利于获得大的消光比。     

Broad band polarizing beam splitter with a dielectric layer embedded in the groove of metal grating

We described the use of a metal grating embedded with a dielectric layer in the grating groove as a highly efficient polarizing beam splitter (PBS), to reflect s-polarized light and transmit p-polarized light in a wide spectrum band. This novel structure is designed at a wavelength of 1550 nm to be used in the optical communication wavelength band. High polarization efficiency and extinction ratio for both reflected and transmitted light are obtained by optimization of the designed structure. Moreover, it is shown that this structure can exhibit extremely high extinction ratio in the optical communication band with less dependence on the grating parameters and on the incidence angle, which greatly ease the fabrication of such kind of gratings.     

Engineered pixels using active plasmonic holograms with liquid crystals

Digital holography requires arrays of small reconfigurable elements to achieve complex reconstruction of the hologram with common systems based on pixels utilizing liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology. The backplane of a typical pixel element is potentially underutilized and thus relatively large physical areas exist in which information can be stored and exploited to give additional functionality to pixel elements. Polarisation and wavelength dependent optical properties can be achieved in small areas using the plasmonic effects of optical antennae. The integration of LCs with optical antennae‐based plasmonic holograms allows active modulation of the far field pattern. The work here demonstrates the concept that conventional LCoS pixel elements can be greatly enhanced with the integration of plasmonic holograms, composed of optical antennae patterned on the surface, giving rise to new levels of modulation capability for holographic pixel elements. Using LCs, polarisation dependent effects in plasmonic holograms can be switched. ‘Engineered pixels', with sub‐wavelength multiplexing over both polarisation and wavelength, can increase the channel capacity of a typical LC display device. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

基于LOA-XGM波长转换器消光比特性的数值分析

建立了基于一种新型光放大器（线性光放大器）的交叉增益调制波长转换理论模型.对交叉增益调制波长转换器同向工作方式下的输出消光比进行了分析,讨论了抽运光和探测光的波长和功率等参量对转换后信号消光比特性的影响.结果表明:随着抽运光波长的增加,波长转换器的输出消光比逐渐增大,但对于探测光波长的增加,消光比反而减小;增加抽运光功率和减小探测光功率都可以获得较大的消光比;波长向下转换时的消光比明显优于向上转换时的消光比.     

一种Offner型小型短波红外成像光谱仪

通过对Offner分光光学系统分析,给出了快速计算初始结构参数公式,根据算得的初始结构参数优化出一套适用于短波红外(1 000～2 500 nm)的分光光学系统,设计的光学系统相对孔径大(F/#2.2)、光谱分辨率高(优于10 nm)和入射狭缝长(12 mm),在整个波长和视场范围内调制传递函数MTF均大于0.5。完成的成像光谱仪整机体积小,重量轻(小于5 kg),仪器测试结果表明,全光谱范围内光谱线性好,光谱标定后波长精度优于4 nm, 通过对不同波段分辨率测试,全波长范围内光谱分辨率与设计相符,动态成像实验表明, 光谱图像清晰并且光谱数据质量佳。     

Improvement of the switching frequency of a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator with optimal cell gap

In the application of a nematic liquid-crystal (LC) spatial light modulator, we derived the formula of retardation dynamic response of the device by solving the Erickson-Leslie equation. Then, the response time of the 2π phase change can be expressed as a function of the LC cell gap. The theoretical and experimental results all indicate that the response time of 2π first decreases and then increases with the LC cell gap increasing, and there is an optimal cell gap to obtain the shortest response time. Therefore, the method of optimizing the cell gap shows potential to improve the switching frequency for all type of nematic LC optical device with specific modulation quantity.     

Optical studies in liquid crystals using the high-accuracy universal polarimeter

The so-called high-accuracy universal polarimeter (HAUP) is introduced as a tool to study optical properties of liquid crystals. It is shown that besides homogeneous crystals, the HAUP method also permits to investigate inhomogeneous materials, provided that the optical parameters vary slowly on a wavelength scale. The technique is especially useful when small effects are sought. Measurements are presented for several twisted nematic samples. Twist angles are measured with high accuracy and non-adiabatic effects for light propagation, such as apparent indicatrix rotations or effective gyrations, are easily detected. The results agree well with the predictions of a first-order perturbation treatment for light propagation through a stratified medium. Finally, the changes of the director profile are analyzed in a planar sample that presents a chiral nematic to smectic-A transition. The experimental data indicate that if the rubbing directions of the cell are not strictly parallel, the molecules at the surfaces undergo small twists in both phases, and the twist parameters are determined. Received 13 September 1999 and Received in final form 25 January 2000     

Optical properties of chiral photonic crystals with linear profiles of modulation parameters

The oblique propagation of light through a layer of chiral photonic crystal (PC) with linear profiles of modulation parameters is considered. The problem is solved by the method of Ambartsumyan layer addition. The wavelength dependences of the amplitude characteristics have been studied at different angles of incidence in two cases, i.e., in a chiral PC with a linear profile of modulation period and a chiral PC with a linear profile of modulation depth. It is shown that the photonic band gap is broadened in both cases and that omnidirectional reflection occurs under certain conditions. The nonreciprocity features are investigated for these two cases and it is shown that a chiral PC with a linear profile of modulation period can operate as an ideal optical diode in a certain frequency range. The features of the effect of change in the modulation parameters on the photon density of states, group velocity, and group velocity dispersion are analyzed. It is shown that, when the modulation parameters change in space, the photon density of states at the photonic band gap edges significantly decreases. It is proposed to use PCs with a spatially changing modulation period can be used to compress (expand) light pulses.     

Spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

Spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT), an extension of conventional OCT, is demonstrated for performing cross-sectional tomographic and spectroscopic imaging. Information on the spectral content of backscattered light is obtained by detection and processing of the interferometric OCT signal. This method allows the spectrum of backscattered light to be measured over the entire available optical bandwidth simultaneously in a single measurement. Specific spectral features can be extracted by use of digital signal processing without changing the measurement apparatus. An ultrabroadband femtosecond Ti:Al(2)O(3) laser was used to achieve spectroscopic imaging over the wavelength range from 650 to 1000 nm in a simple model as well as in vivo in the Xenopus laevis (African frog) tadpole. Multidimensional spectroscopic data are displayed by use of a novel hue-saturation false-color mapping.     

复杂激光系统中平板光学元件的调频-调幅效应的研究

为了抑制大口径光学元件中的受激Brillouin散射效应,并满足打靶过程中束匀滑的要求, 目前高能激光驱动器大都采用了正弦相位调制脉冲.然而,这类脉冲在复杂激光系统中传输时, 会出现明显的调频-调幅(FM-to-AM)效应.研究这种效应的来源,对提升激光系统的整体输出性能至关重要. 对复杂激光系统中一直被人们所忽视的平板光学元件带来的FM-to-AM效应进行了理论研究和数值模拟. 数值模拟结果表明,通过平板光学元件的次数越多调制深度越大,呈线性递增趋势,当通过次数为10次时, 调制深度高达22.2%;并且平板光学元件对各谱线的过滤也各不相同,当前端选用的中心波长为1054 nm时, 平板光学对各谱线的过滤作用非常小.提出通过改变中心波长来减小FM-to-AM效应, 这对于复杂激光系统的设计具有重要的指导意义.     

Fast frequency modulation optical code division multiple access communication system

An optical fast frequency modulation code division multiple access communication system is proposed. In this system, an electrically controlled tunable optical filter (TOF) is used to encode the modulated broadband light source. The code depends on the function set to the controller. Two-dimensional code named functional code is also proposed based on a shifted sine function. The function defines the dynamic coding pattern of the central wavelength of the transmitted narrowband optical signal. Thus, the system will allow for an easy reconfiguration of the transmitter without the need for sophisticated encoder. At the receiver, a synchronized TOF with the same function is used as a decoder. The performance of this system is shown to be better compared with a fast frequency hopping and a spectral amplitude coding systems.     

A full-duplex radio-over-fiber system using direct modulation laser to generate optical millimeter-wave and wavelength reuse for uplink connection

In this paper, we present a full-duplex radio-over-fiber system incorporating both optical millimeter-wave (mm-wave) generation and wavelength reuse for uplink connection. The optical double sidebands (DSB) signal is generated by using only one inexpensive broadband direct modulation laser (DML), to which a mixing RF signal is applied. An optical interleaver is then used to separate the first-order optical sidebands from the optical carrier of optical DSB signal. The separated first-order optical sidebands are beat to generate mm-wave signal that has double the frequency of the RF drive signal, while the separated optical carrier is reused as light source to remodulate uplink signal. Both detailed theoretical analysis and experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system are presented. Experiment result shows that the bidirectional 2.5 Gb/s data can be successfully transmitted over 40 km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) with less than 2 dB power penalty.     

光子晶体光纤非线性光谱特性的理论与实验研究

光子晶体光纤具有特殊的导光机制和结构可调性,可以产生奇异的色散特性及高非线性,为非线性光纤光学领域的研究提供了新的条件。受多种非线性光学效应的共同作用,在不同泵浦光脉冲参数条件下,不同结构参数及传输特性的光子晶体光纤能产生丰富的非线性光谱。利用分步傅里叶方法求解非线性薛定谔方程,模拟飞秒激光脉冲在光子晶体光纤中的传输过程,获得输出光谱与入射光脉冲参数(泵浦光峰值功率P、泵浦光波长λ、光脉冲形状、光脉冲宽度T_FWHM)、光纤结构参数(孔间距Λ、空气填充比d/Λ、光纤长度z)、传输特性(色散、非线性系数)的关系,分析拉曼孤子、色散波、自相位调制等非线性效应产生的光谱特性。利用光子晶体光纤包层节区进行非线性光学实验研究,获得了孤子波和色散波的宽带光谱输出。理论分析与实验测量的光谱中都包括了波长0.5 μm附近可见光波段的蓝移色散波、0.82 μm波段的剩余泵浦光、1.1 μm波段的孤子波、2 μm附近的红移宽带色散波。理论分析与实验测量结果一致,阐明光子晶体光纤中非线性光谱产生的物理原理,实现了对宽带光谱的可控输出,为高非线性光子晶体光纤的结构设计、制备及非线性光谱的应用研究奠定基础。