An Isotropic Electric-Field Sensing System Using Optical Probe

We design an isotropic electric-field sensing system using an optical probe. The optical probe consists of three electric-field sensors based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with the structure of segmented electrodes, which are perpendicular to each other. The measured results show that the ±5 dB baseband can reach 3 GHz, the linear dynamics range is 70dB, and the minimum detectable electric field is lower than 90 dBμ V/m （the spectrum analyser resolution is 100 Hz）. The directional characteristics are almost isotropic within deviations of ±1.5 dB. Therefore this sensing system can be used in the electromagnetic compatibility measurements.     

Optically S-polarized surface waves in symmetrical nonlinear sensors: Thermal effects

A surface wave in a planar nonlinear waveguide is a current problem that has several applications in modern electronics and optics such as optical sensors design. The effect of thermal stress on the optical performance of a nonlinear symmetrical sensor is studied. The mathematical forms of the dispersion equation and thermal-stress sensitivity are analytically derived and plotted numerically. It is found that the thermal sensitivity of the sensor can be controlled by tuning the core size, by changing the loading materials, and by carefully selecting the materials.     

Experimental Investigation on a Fibre-Optic Hydrophone with a Cylindrical Helmholtz Resonator

A novel mechanical anti-aliasing filtering fibre-optic hydrophone with a cylindrical Helmholtz resonator is con- structed and tested. The experimental results show that the hydrophone has a function of low-pass filtering. The low frequency acoustic sensitivity is about -160 dB （1 rad/#Pa）, and the response curve has a resonance deter- mined by the Helmholtz resonator. Theoretical and experimental results both show that the resonant frequency moves towards high frequency with the increasing orifice diameters. The sensitivity attenuation of high frequency is larger than lOdB. This new fibre-optic hydrophone is a prototype device for a class of sensors used to eliminate the aliasing in future sonar systems.     

Experimental determination of the multiple-scattering effect on the lidar-signal polarization characteristics during liquid- and solid-phase precipitation

We present results of experimental investigations of the signal-polarization characteristics in the case of lidar sounding during precipitation. We show and discuss the lidar signals and the depolarization profiles along the sounding path for liquid- and solid-phase precipitation. In the former case we compare the signal characteristics at different degrees of precipitation rate. In the latter situation, we consider snowfall with particle shape close to that of Chebyshev particles. We also follow the lidar-signal changes depending on the field-of-view of the receiving optics. The experimental data are compared with results of theoretical estimates and models concerning the optical and microphysical characteristics of the rain and snow particles. In the case of liquid-phase precipitation – rain – the observed dependence of the lidar’s signal-polarization structure on the precipitation intensity has two aspects: on the one hand, the change of the raindrops’ shape, and, on the other, the multiple-scattering effects. The lidar data demonstrate that the signal depolarization, and, more specifically, its behavior along the sounding path, can be used as a criterion for the presence of multiple scattering. In the case of a snowfall consisting of Chebyshev particles, the simultaneous role is evident of two factors influencing the lidar-signal depolarization, namely, the non-spherical shape of the particles and the multiple-scattering effects. When the scattering takes place off particles with a large size and a shape strongly differing from spherical, we observed the predominant role of the non-sphericity of the scattering centers in the signal depolarization. Received: 6 December 2000 / Revised version: 11 July 2001 / Published online: 19 September 2001     

Hybrid Optoelectronic Bistability in Frequency-Domain and Its Potential Application in FBG Sensors

We propose a novel optical bistable device （OBD） in frequency-domain with which we can perform optical bistable operations in a number of fibre Bragg gratings （FBGs） which are included in the same OBD. Such an OBD may bring more opportunities in applications and, as an example, we show the possibility of using it in an FBG sensor demodulating system. By use of a tunable light source, consisting of a broad band source and a scanning fibre F-P （FFP）, we demonstrate the above-mentioned operations experimentally.     

Optical hyperlens composed of multilayered metallodielectric nanofilms

We present a study of the properties of metamaterial consisting of multilayered nanofilms and numerically demonstrate the subwavelength imaging effect. We find that a point source placed in the vicinity of the structure can form an image in the opposite side of the slab, even when the permittivity of metal and dielectric materials is not matched. When light is incident obliquely on the interface, the intensity of transmitted field is smaller than the one when light is incident upon the structure, and the image becomes blurred. This structure verifies that the multilayered metallodielectric structure can act as optical hyperlens.     

Laser-Induced Silver Nanoparticles Deposited on Optical Fiber Core for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

We report on surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS） probes based on silver nanopaxtieles which axe deposited on the core of the distal end of standard single mode fibers, by means of the very simple, versatile, and lowcost laser-induced nanoparticle technique. The morphological features of the Ag nanoparticles vary according to the experimental conditions such as laser power, illumination time, and concentration of the reaction solution. The SERS activity of the probes is demonstrated with the detections of rhodamine 6G aqueous solutions. The detections are made from both ends of the probes, i.e., in direct detection mode from the end with nanoparticles and in remote detection mode from the distal end, respectively.     

New method of elaboration of the lidar signal

In lidar measurements noise and fluctuations strongly affect the results. The reason is a rapid decrease of the signal-to-noise ratio with an increase of distance. The differential absorption lidar (DIAL) is particularly sensitive to the signal instabilities. In this paper we present a method of the signal acquisition that is suitable for registration of both large light fluxes and single photons. We also present new method of solution of the DIAL equations. Compared to the traditional algorithm used for signal elaboration our procedures are much more stable and they are able to increase the effective range of lidar measurements. Received: 2 February 1999 / Revised version: 30 June 1999 / Published online: 16 September 1999     

Experimental observation and numerical simulation of guided modes in Nd:YLiF4 channel waveguides produced by carbon ion implantation

We report on, to our knowledge the first time, the channel waveguide formation in Nd:YLiF₄ laser crystal produced by 6 MeV carbon ion implantation. The guided modes are observed by using an end‐face arrangement. We construct the two‐dimensional (2D) refractive index profile of the channel waveguide cross section, which is based on the related planar waveguide index distribution as well as the rectangular shape of the waveguide cross sections. The modal intensity distribution is numerically calculated by using the beam propagation method according to the reconstructed index profile, which shows a reasonable agreement with the experimental result. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Design, Fabrication, and Measurement of Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Slab Waveguides

Two-dimensional photonic crystal slab waveguides on SOI wafer are designed and fabricated. Photonic band gap, band gap guided mode, and index guided mode are observed by measuring the transmission spectra. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical ones.     

Current state-of-the-art of LIDAR inversion methods for atmospheres of arbitrary optical density

It is the intention of this paper to report on the currently used methods to solve the different LIDAR signal inversion problems for molecular atmospheres, aerosols and clouds. Apart from more traditional approaches, we shall present a recent one using multiple scattering effects rather than avoiding them, which is useful especially for dense clouds.     

Temperature and pressure sensitivities of the highly birefringent photonic crystal fiber with core asymmetry

We investigated a particular design of a highly birefringent PCF with attractive features for pressure sensing applications. A plane-wave method together with the finite element method were used to numerically calculate phase and group modal birefringence, pressure and temperature sensitivities of our fiber. The simulation results together with the experiments demonstrate a considerable difference between a very high phase birefringence (B ∼ 10⁻³) and a very low negative group birefringence (G −10⁻³). Our fiber exhibits a low and positive temperature sensitivity (K_T < 0.1 rad/(K⋅m)), and relatively high and negative mechanical (pressure) sensitivity (K_p ≤ −10 rad/(MPa⋅m)), which supports its possible use as a mechanical sensor that does not require any temperature compensation.     

Design of Infrared Inverted Telephoto-Optical System with Double-Layer Harmonic Diffractive Element

A double-layer harmonic diffractive element （HDE） structure is investigated and the optimization procedure is given based on the equation of diffraction efficiency of the double-layer diffractive optical element. A new infrared double-layer inverted telephoto-optical system with an HDE is designed, which can work in the mid- and farinfrared wavebands. The diffraction efficiency of the system at each wavelength in the designed two wavebands is larger than 90%, which improves the image contrast and the imaging quality significantly.     

Field enhancement and power distribution characteristics of subwavelength-diameter terahertz hollow optical fiber

Fields in subwavelength-diameter terahertz hollow optical fiber (STHOF) can be intensified by large discontinuity of the electric field at high index contrast interfaces. The influences of fiber geometry and refractive index of the dielectric region on the fiber characteristics, such as power distribution, enhancement factor, have been discussed in detail. By appropriate design, the intensity in the central region of STHOF may be enhanced by a factor of greater than 1.5 compared with subwavelength-diameter terahertz fiber without the central hole and the loss can be reduced. For its compact structure and simple fabrication process, the fiber may be very useful in many miniaturized high performance and novel terahertz photonic devices.     

Impact of misfit dislocations on wavefront distortion in Si/SiGe/Si optical waveguides

Silicon-rich SiGe alloys represent a promising platform for the development of large-area single-mode optical waveguides to be integrated in silicon-based optical circuits. We find that SiGe layers epitaxially grown on Si successfully guide radiation with a 1.55 μm wavelength, but, beyond a critical core thickness, their optical properties are strongly affected by the clustering of misfit dislocations at the interface between Si and SiGe, leading to a significant perturbation of the local refractive index. Transmission electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, together with finite-element simulations, provide a complete analysis of the impact of dislocations on optical propagation.     

Characteristics of side-polished thermally expanded core fiber and its application as a band-edge filter with a high cut-off property

Characteristics of the side-polished thermally expanded core (TEC) fiber have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The effect of core expanding on the transmission of the side-polished TEC fiber is predicted theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. The side-polished TEC fiber covered with an external medium whose chromatic dispersion is much different from the fiber materials, is applied to a band-edge filter with a high cut-off. The relationship between the expanded core diameter and the performance of the band-edge filter was measured and discussed.     

An algorithm to determine cirrus properties from analysis of multiple-scattering influence on lidar signals

A Monte Carlo-based evaluation of the multiple-scattering influence on ground-based Raman lidar measurements is presented. The lidar returns from cirrus clouds are analyzed in order to evaluate vertical profiles of the extinction and backscattering coefficients. Results show that for the typical cirrus cloud, the presence of the multiple scattering can lead to an underestimation of the extinction coefficient by as large as 200% whereas the backscattering coefficient is almost unaffected for the Raman lidar technique. An algorithm to select one or a set of phase functions which fit to the lidar data is also presented. It is an iterative procedure based on Monte Carlo scattering simulation. By comparison of the experimental value of the lidar ratio, corrected for the multiple scattering influence, and the phase function used in the Monte Carlo simulation, one can determine a suitable phase function. The validity and sensitivity of the algorithm have been demonstrated by applying it to simulated cases. The application to some real cases indicates that our procedure allows for the establishing of a practical scattering model for the cirrus clouds.     

Measurement of filament length generated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse using electromagnetic radiation detection

We present a new method to measure the length of a filament induced by the propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air. We used an antenna to detect electromagnetic pulses radiated from multipole moments inside the filament oscillating at the plasma frequency. The results are compared with the values detected from the backscattered fluorescence induced by multiphoton ionization of nitrogen molecules excited inside the filament. The values are found to be in good agreement. Received: 6 November 2002 / Revised version: 27 January 2003 / Published online: 24 April 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-418/656-2623, E-mail: shosseini@phy.ulaval.ca     

Experimental Investigation of High Power Erbium-Ytterbium Co-doped Double Clad Fibre Laser

All-fibre high power erbium-ytterbium co-doped double clad fibre lasers are proposed and demonstrated. By using different back-cavity mirrors, the different double clad fibre lasers are constructed. It is experimentally found that the output behaviour of laser can be controlled by a back-cavity mirror. The lower the reflectivity of the back-cavity mirror, the higher the output power and the high the slop efficiency. The maximum output power is about 1.6 W and the slop efficiency is 27.6%.     

Measurement of small chirp-parameter for Mach-Zehnder-type optical modulator

A new measurement method of chirp-parameters is proposed for electro-optic (EO) intensity modulators with the Mach-Zehnder (MZ) waveguide interferometer. This method is suitably applied for the measurement of the small chirp with operation at a specific RF-frequency. To determine the chirp-parameter, optical spectrum components of the modulated light are observed with varying the relative optical phase difference between the two arms of the MZ waveguide interferometer. The chirp-parameter of 0.17, which is a value small enough for EO intensity modulation, was successfully measured by the experiment.