On the theory of TE-polarized waves guided by a nonlinear three-layer structure

TE-polarized electromagnetic waves guided by a three-layer structure consisting of a film surrounded by semi-infinite media (all media are characterized by a Kerrlike dielectric function) are investigated by expressing the solution of the field equations in terms of Weierstrass' elliptic functions. Evaluation leads to a universal dispersion relation and its solutions and a universal expression for the power flow. Numerical results are presented for the effective wave number as a function of the intensity of the electric field at the lower surface of the nonlinear film, for various profiles of the field intensity, and for the power flow as a function of the effective wave number.     

Dipole-allowed optical absorption in a parabolic quantum dot with two electrons

Dipole-allowed optical absorption in a parabolic quantum dot with two electrons are studied by using the exact diagonalization techniques and the compact density-matrix approach. Numerical results are presented for typical GaAs parabolic quantum dots. The results show that the total optical absorption coefficient of two electrons in quantum dot is about five times smaller than that of one electron in quantum dot.     

High-Efficiency Bistable Switching Based on One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals with Single-Negative Materials

We study theoretically the nonlinear responses of one-dimensional photonic crystals （PCs） composed of alternating two kinds of single-negative （permittivity-negative and permeability-negative） materials embedded with a Kerrtype nonlinear defect layer. In conventional PCs, it is difficult to realize a bistable switching with both low threshold and quick response time. However, in PCs with single-negative materials, by changing the ratio of the thicknesses of the two types of layers, with the decreasing size of the structure, the switching response time is shortened and the threshold intensity decreases simultaneously.     

Optical limiting in cobalt-doped polyvinylpyrrolidone

The results of optical limiting investigations of cobalt-doped polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions are presented. The optical limiting studies have shown that this process is due to self-defocusing at the wavelength of 1064 nm and also due to reverse saturable absorption and self-defocusing at the wavelength of 532 nm. The results of measurements on the non-linear optical characteristics of organometallic complexes are presented. Received: 10 July 2001 / Revised version: 15 October 2001 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Visible and infrared dispersion of the refractive indices in periodically poled and single domain Nd:Mg:LiNbO3 crystals

3 crystals are measured in the transparency region (with the accuracy ±0.0002) and for the upper phonon polariton branch (with the accuracy ±0.003–±0.05), from 0.44 μm up to 10.5 μm. The method of spontaneous parametric light scattering is used for measurement of the ordinary refractive index dispersion in the mid-infrared region and for determination of the domain grating period d=5.6±0.2 μm in the periodically-poled crystal. Received: 29 January 1997/Revised version: 10 July 1997     

Optical multistability in nonlinear negative index Fibonacci multilayers

We have demonstrated numerically that the nonlinear negative index Fibonacci multilayer can exhibit optical multistability and offer a wide variety of switching between states of various contrasts. The stepwise up-switch and one-step or stepwise down-switch operations can take place in such structures. It is also shown that multistable operations and contrasts can be controlled by regulating the width of the negative index slabs.     

Chemical-bond analysis of the nonlinear optical properties of the borate crystals LiB3O5, CsLiB6O10, and CsB3O5

The second-order nonlinear optical properties of practical borate crystals, LiB₃O₅, CsLiB₆O₁₀, and CsB₃O₅, which all contain the identical basic structural unit [the (B₃O₇)^5- group], have been quantitatively studied from the chemical-bond viewpoint. Differences in the nonlinear optical properties among these three borate crystals arise from the contributions of the different cations, i.e., the different interaction between the cation and the (B₃O₇)^5- anionic group. The chemical-bond method quantitatively expresses this important difference. At the same time, the current calculation also shows that the B₃O₇ group is a very important crystallographic frame in the crystalline borate solids; it offers different cations an excellent coordination environment. Received: 20 February 2001 / Accepted: 14 June 2001 / Published online: 30 August 2001     

Features of the simplest model of second-harmonic magneto-optical Kerr effects

A generalised formalism of characteristic matrices is presented to analyse second-harmonic magneto-optical Kerr effects in an optically anisotropic centrosymmetric ferromagnetically ordered multilayer if its response can be described in terms of electric polarisation. Features of the model associated with ideal (infinitely thin) interfaces are highlighted. These are due to both the existence of two versions of unconventional boundary conditions and an inevitable conventional approach to defining the surface polarisations through the fundamental electric field and surface-susceptibility tensors. New analytical results for linear and second-harmonic Kerr effects are shown to be advantageous for developing an effective algorithm for their numerical simulation. The linear approximation with respect to magnetisation is pursued, thereby also making our results suitable for investigating a great variety of magneto-optical effects and (in the second-harmonic case) effects related to anisotropy. Received: 16 October 2001 / Published online: 24 April 2002     

Time-resolved photo-induced nonlinear magneto-optical Kerr effect for the study of spin dynamics at a GaAs(001) surface

Received: 20 September 1998     

On the aproximate formulae and the exact method to compute wavefront reflectivity in degenerate four-wave mixing

Wavefront reflectivity in a conventional degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) configuration can be calculated, using either approximate formulae, or exact numerical methods to solve the nonlinear coupled-wave equations. We have computed the wavefront reflectivity for FWM in a transmission and reflection geometry, respectively, using these two different methods. A comparison between them indicates that these formulae are reasonable approximations when beam coupling, diffraction efficiency and absorption are all low, and especially in the case of transmission geometry.     

Modelling the vertical grating-waveguide coupler for the description of its nonlinear symmetry-breaking dynamics

We propose a new scheme to observe the symmetry-breaking dynamics of two counter-propagating beams in a Kerr-type nonlinear waveguide coupler. Using a grating to couple light at normal incidence upon the waveguide allows for a single-beam geometry. The ability of the grating to couple light symmetrically is demonstrated on the basis of a linear coupled-mode approach especially adapted to vertical coupling. The nonlinear symmetry-breaking dynamics is studied analytically.     

Poled Silica/DR1 Films with Thermally Stability and Large Electro-Optic Coefficient Applying in External Probe Tip

Sol-gel-processed silica films doped with Disperse Red 1（DR1） were prepared at 80℃ aging temperature and 120℃ baking temperature with corona poling to obtain stable and large electro-optic （EO） coefficient and film strength. A large EO coefficient of γ33 = 56 pm/V was measured for the film of 05μm thickness at the wavelength of 1300nm, and the value was unvaried at room temperature. Moreover, an external EO probe tip using the film was fabricated for the first time, and a signal voltage level corresponding to the EO signal was calibrated successfully.     

Tailoring the nonlinear refractive index of fluoride-phosphate glasses for laser applications

In this paper we report on measurements of the nonlinear refractive index n₂ at 1047 nm of various fluoride-phosphate laser glasses relative to fused silica using degenerate four-wave mixing. We find good agreement with empirical estimates obtained from the d-line linear refractive index and the Abbe number for pure fluoride-phosphate glasses. Significant increase of n₂ is observed when adding sulfate and niobium oxide to the glass composition offering tailorable nonlinear properties for glasses employed in short pulse laser oscillators. Received: 27 December 1999 / Published online: 24 March 2000     

Determination of nonlinear absorption and refraction by single Z-scan method

We report a simplified Z-scan technique based on a study on the symmetric features of a typical Z-scan curve. The contributions from the two-photon absorption (TPA) and the nonlinear refraction (NLR) are easily separated from a closed-aperture Z-scan curve using this method. And the determination of the two nonlinearities is simplified and unambiguous. We demonstrate this method on ZnSe, CdS, and ZnTe semiconductors with 120-fs laser pulses. And the influence from the uncertainty of the focal plane (Z=0) position is discussed. It is also found that the TPA coefficient can be obtained independently without knowing the exact location of the focal point. Received: 8 July 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

Passive, “self-trapped family” all-optical half adder using all-optical XOR and AND gates

The paper presents an alternative novel approach to obtain all-optical logic. We show that XOR, NOT, and AND logic could be obtained by appropriately setting parameter of all-optical passive transistor. An AND gate followed by NOT gives NAND logic (building block) that, in principle can provide complete set of passive, fiber compatible “self-trapped family” all-optical logic gates (with Boolean completeness) and may find many possibilities in the area of all-optical computing. To give one example, we propose all-optical half adder.     

Effective medium approximation for optical bistability in nonlinear metal-dielectric composites

A general theory based on the spectral representation method and effective medium approximation is adopted to investigate the optical bistable behavior in a nonlinear two-phase composite with symmetrical microstructure, in which the metal particles of the volume fraction p and the dielectric particles of the volume fraction 1−p are randomly dispersed but oriented with respect to one another. The relation between the spatial average of local field squared and the external applied field is established through the spectral density function m(x), obtained from the modified Bruggeman effective medium approximation. We find that the optical bistability (OB) is dependent on the depolarization factor L of the components and the volume fraction p. For a given p, we predict that OB can be observed only when L is larger than the critical value L_c, and bistable behavior is more pronounced at large L. Moreover, numerical results show that both the upper threshold field and the width of OB region increase monotonically as L increases. The field-dependent reflectance at normal incidence R in random composites is also investigated.     

Cross-phase modulation in one-dimensional photonic crystals: applications to all-optical devices

We present a numerical study of a finite photonic band gap structure with a χ⁽³⁾ nonlinearity that couples two input pump beams at frequencies ω₁ and ω₂. We show that in this configuration a variety of all-optical devices can be obtained: an optical transistor, a double switch, and a dynamical switch.     

Surface nonlinear optics: a historical overview

The availability of widely tunable dye lasers and optical parametric oscillators permit the detection of surface specific electronic and vibrational states. Polarization dependent studies yield information about the orientation of molecular monolayers and surface specific bonds. The use of picosecond and femtosecond pulse–probe techniques permits time-resolved studies of surface phase transformations, desorption, and melting. A few examples from the rapidly growing literature are selected to illustrate this historical evolution. Received: 20 September 1998     

Theory of singular vortex solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We present a systematic study of singular vortex solutions of the critical and supercritical two-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In particular, we study the critical power for collapse and the asymptotic blowup profile of singular vortices.