Investigations on the wavelength dependence of optically induced long-period Bragg gratings

We numerically analyze the conversion of transverse modes with optically induced long-period Bragg gratings. These gratings are generated by a recently developed technique which uses a writing beam guided within the fiber to introduce a transient grating via the optical Kerr effect. We demonstrate several settings for conversion between different transverse modes, including conversion over a broad spectral range of up to 60?nm. The tunability of the grating parameters could promote novel applications.     

Optically induced mode conversion in graded-index fibers using ultra-short laser pulses

We propose the use of graded-index few-mode fibers for mode conversion by long-period gratings (LPG) transiently written by ultrashort laser pulses using the optical Kerr effect. The mode interaction is studied by numerically solving the multi-mode coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations. We present highly efficient conversion of the LP₀₁- into the LP₁₁-mode preserving the pulse shape in contrast to previous results in step-index fibers. Furthermore, mode conversion using different wavelengths for inducing and probing the LPG is shown. Due to the flat phase-matching curve of the examined modes in the graded-index fiber, mode conversion can be observed for probe center wavelengths of 1,100 nm up to 1,800 nm with a write beam centered around 1,030 nm. Therefore, a complete separation of the probe from the write beam should be possible as well as the application of optically induced guided-mode conversion for all-optical modulation across a broad wavelength range.     

多层介质膜脉宽压缩光栅的严格矢量分析

用于展宽和压缩激光脉冲的多层膜脉宽压缩光栅是由多层介质高反膜和位于其顶层的浮雕光栅构成。以设计的高反射多层膜为基础,利用傅里叶模式理论分析了其衍射场分布,给出了TE波自准直角入射的使用条件下,多层介质膜脉宽压缩光栅衍射效率的表达式。以-1级衍射效率为评价函数,分别讨论了HfO2和SiO2为顶层材料时,多层膜脉宽压缩光栅-1级衍射效率高于0.95的光栅结构参量范围。结果表明,在该条件下,选择HfO2为顶层材料时,光栅结构参量有较大的取值范围。给出了优化的光栅结构参量,并分析了光栅制作误差及其使用条件的宽容度,对光栅制作工艺和使用具有一定的指导意义。     

Complete Polarization Conversion Characteristics of Dielectric Grating Composed of Left-Handed Materials

The TE/TM polarization conversion characteristics of dielectric grating composed of left-handed materials for the case of plane wave oblique incidence are carefully investigated by a method which combines the multimode network theory with the rigorous mode matching method. It is indicated that complete polarization conversion between TE and TM modes can be realized using left-handed gratings. This can hardly achieve in the conventional right-handed gratings. Comparisons of polarization conversion properties between right-handed gratings and left-handed gratings are given with physical explanations. This unique merit of left-handed periodic structure is of important significance for accurate design of new millimeter wave TE/TM polarization converters.     

Ultrafast pulsed mode effects on the performance of grating-assisted output couplers of finite extent

The performance of grating-assisted output couplers of finite extent excited by finite ultrafast pulsed modes is characterized numerically by the finite-difference time-domain method. The results for pulsed excitations with extremely long pulse envelopes are compared with those that contain only a few optical cycles for gratings that are both long and short compared with the equivalent pulse length. We demonstrate that the shortest length of either the grating or the pulse dictates the far-field performance of the grating-assisted output couplers.     

Difference-Frequency Generation Among Ultrashort Optical Pulses in Quasi-Phase-Matching Waveguides

A theoretical model of ultrashort pulse difference-frequency generation (DFG) is presented and developed with quasi-phase matching (QPM) gratings in the undepleted-pump, unamplified-signal approximation. An analytic solution to a case of ultrashort pulse pumped DFG process, including group-velocity mismatching effects and input pulses with frequency chirp and time delay, is obtained. The influences of group-velocity mismatching effects and input signal pulse parameters on the conversion efficiency and output converted pulse characteristics are analyzed and discussed. The results indicate that the conversion efficiency is increased due to the enhancement of pump and signal interaction. The output pulse is inevitable compressed under pulsed pumping and can be compensated by introducing the initial frequency chirp and time delay.     

TM-mode perturbation analysis of dielectric gratings

An improved perturbation procedure that was previously presented for TE modes guided by dielectric gratings is extended here to TM modes. In both cases, the fields are described in terms of a transverse transmission-line network, which lends considerable physical insight into the behavior of dielectric gratings. However, TM modes require equivalent sources of both the voltage and current varieties, in contrast to TE modes which involve only current sources. By comparing with an exact solution, the numerical results obtained by the present perturbation procedure are found to be very accurate. This work was supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, under Contract No. N 00014-67-A-0438-0014, and by the U.S. Joint Services Electronics Program, under Contract No. F 44620-69-C-0047.     

Silicon nanocrystals in silica—Novel active waveguides for nanophotonics

Nanophotonic structures combining electronic confinement in nanocrystals with photon confinement in photonic structures are potential building blocks of future Si-based photonic devices. Here, we present a detailed optical investigation of active planar waveguides fabricated by Si⁺-ion implantation (400 keV, fluences from 3 to 6×10¹⁷ cm⁻²) of fused silica and thermally oxidized Si wafers. Si nanocrystals formed after annealing emit red-IR photoluminescence (PL) (under UV-blue excitation) and define a layer of high refractive index that guides part of the PL emission. Light from external sources can also be coupled into the waveguides (directly to the polished edge facet or from the surface by applying a quartz prism coupler). In both cases the optical emission from the sample facet exhibits narrow polarization-resolved transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes instead of the usual broad spectra characteristic of Si nanocrystals. This effect is explained by a theoretical model which identifies the microcavity-like peaks as leaking modes propagating below the waveguide/substrate boundary. We present also permanent changes induced by intense femtosecond laser exposure, which can be applied to write structures like gratings into the Si-nanocrystalline waveguides. Finally, we discuss the potential for application of these unconventional and relatively simple all-silicon nanostructures in future photonic devices.     

Holographic storage of multiple coherence gratings in a Bose-Einstein condensate

We demonstrate superradiant conversion between a two-mode collective atomic state and a single-mode light field in an elongated cloud of Bose-condensed atoms. Two off-resonant write beams induce superradiant Raman scattering, producing two independent coherence gratings with different wave vectors in the cloud. By applying phase-matched read beams after a controllable delay, the gratings can be selectively converted into the light field also in a superradiant way. Because of the large optical density and the small velocity width of the condensate, a high conversion efficiency of >70% and a long storage time of >120 micros were achieved.     

Optical interference in overtones and combination bands in α-quartz

Successive optical interference fringes were monitored for α-quartz at the frequencies of the combination and overtones of the fundamental lattice vibration bands. The interference fringes were explained to be formed by the dynamic gratings induced by coupling of the transverse waves of the incident light with the optic modes in α-quartz. The distance of the dynamic gratings was evaluated to be 32.895 μm.     

CuBr自锁模激光器的实验研究

首次报道在纵向放电的CuBr激光器中,通过抑制高阶横模的振荡,同时得到高度稳定完全调制的绿光和黄光自锁模脉冲串,并在实验上研究了高阶横模,泵浦功率和谐振腔腔长对CuBr激光自锁模脉冲串及其纵模频谱的影响.     

Broadband circular polarizer based on high-contrast gratings

A circular polarizer, which is composed of periodic and two-dimensional dielectric high-contrast gratings, is designed theoretically such that a unity conversion efficiency is achieved at λ(0)=1.55 μm. The operation is obtained by the achievement of the simultaneous unity transmission of transverse magnetic and transverse electric waves with a phase difference of π/2, meaning that an optimized geometrical anisotropy is accomplished. By the utilization of the rigorous coupled-wave analysis and finite-difference time-domain methods, it is shown that a percent bandwidth of ～50% can be achieved when the operation bandwidth is defined as the wavelengths for which the conversion efficiency exceeds 0.9.     

Optical properties of sub-wavelength dielectric gratings and their application for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We fabricated and measured the far-field optical properties of a sub-wavelength Si₃N₄ (silicon nitride) two dimensional grating. Frequency-dependent transmission measurements from a white-light source revealed that both transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) modes were excited on the grating. We determined the dispersion relations of the modes by tilting the sample with respect to the incoming light beam and measuring the frequency shift of the absorption features. By comparing to a simple model, we determined the effective refractive index for the TM and TE modes and the geometrical constants for the grating. This information enables gratings with desired optical properties to be designed and fabricated. The application of the sub-wavelength grating for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is demonstrated.     

Characteristics of filament induced Dammann gratings fabricated using femtosecond laser

To establish optimal processing conditions for direct write fabrication of diffractive optical elements such as gratings, waveguides, lenses, we have investigated the effect of process parameters such as scan speed, numerical aperture (NA) of objective lens, pulse energy on the characteristics of the filament induced inside fused silica with a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser. The optimum process parameters were used to fabricate a number of Dammann gratings, 6×6 array, having different thicknesses and number of layers. The performance of these optical elements was evaluated by measuring their diffraction efficiencies. All gratings fabricated were strongly birefringent, the zero order spot with high intensity was not separated from the spot array, and the intensity distribution of 6×6 spot array exhibited some degree of nonuniformity. The single layer Dammann grating fabricated with a thickness of 80 μm attained a maximum diffraction efficiency of 38.8%.     

Generation of sub-5 fs pulses in vacuum ultraviolet using four-wave frequency mixing in hollow waveguides

We investigate the potential of four-wave mixing in dielectric hollow waveguides for vacuum ultraviolet pulse generation with unprecedented short durations. Taking into account higher-order transverse modes and plasma effects we predict the generation of a 2.5 fs pulse at 160 nm using an intense 10 fs, 800 nm pulse and its weaker third harmonic at 267 nm, both coupled to the fundamental transverse mode. Excitation of higher transverse modes allows an increase of the signal energy (up to by a factor of 20) but with a pulse duration of 13 fs (compressible to 7.7 fs).     

Computer-generated holographic optical elements produced by photolithography

We report the creation of novel computer-generated holographic optical elements. The method of computing diffraction gratings producing a continuous focal pattern in the form of a line and also gratings that have N orders in a row of equal energy is described. The method has also been developed for coding the filter-complex transmittance functions in order to form and analyze the transverse modes. All the above elements are realized as glass-substrate binary-phase refractive holograms by projection photolithography by using photoreduction. The minimum line width is 2·5 mkm. These elements may also be fabricated as reflective holograms.

Phot-masks and the results of an investigation of the intensity distribution produced by the elements are presented. The investigation results confirm the synthesized elements' high quality.     

Bandwidth control of long-period grating-based mode converters in few-mode fibers

Control of the group-velocity differences between two distinct modes in a few-mode fiber can be used to define the spectral characteristics of long-period gratings written in them. Using this effect, we report the demonstration of strong mode conversion (>99%) with long-period fiber gratings over what is believed to be a record bandwidth of 63 nm. These novel spectra are obtained from gratings written in specially designed few-mode fibers in which the grating phase-matching condition is satisfied over a large spectral range. We show that the bandwidths of such mode converters can be tailored by suitably altering the design of the few-mode fibers. The polarization-dependent coupling for the mode converters varies by less than 0.004% over the entire spectrum.     

Spatiotemporal behaviors and singularity of ultrashort pulsed Elegant Hermite-Gaussian beams

Analytical propagation expressions of ultrashort pulsed Elegant Hermite-Gaussian beams are derived and spatiotemporal properties of the pulses with different transverse modes are studied. Singularity of the complex amplitude envelope solution of the pulses obtained under slowly varying envelope approximation is analyzed in detail. The rigorous analytical solution of the pulse is deduced and no singularity emerges in the solution. The obtained results indicate that the transverse mode affects not only the spatiotemporal properties but also the singularity of the pulses. Time delay of the off-axis maximum intensity is more obvious and the singularity is located nearer to the z-axis for the pulse with higher transverse modes.     

Mode Structure and the Envelope of a Short Pulse in a Graded-Index Optical Fiber with a Longitudinal Inhomogeneity and a Spatial Bending

We consider propagation of a short optical pulse in an optical fiber whose refractive index is strongly dependent on the radial coordinate and is weakly dependent on the longitudinal coordinate with allowance for the possible weak spatial bending of the fiber axis. The three-dimensional nonlinear wave equation modelling the pulse propagation is solved asymptotically with respect to a small parameter specifying the order of magnitude of the pulse amplitude. A relationship between the propagating modes and the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the singular Sturm-Liouville problem is established. The pulse propagation is shown to have three scales: the high-frequency carrier is modulated by the envelope which evolves in a two-scale manner and is described by a nonlinear Schrödinger equation whose coefficients depend on the longitudinal coordinate. The transverse distribution of the wave field and the envelope soliton are obtained in terms of elementary functions for several types of transverse and longitudinal inhomogeneities of the fiber. The possibility of controlling the pulse parameters by varying the transverse and longitudinal inhomogeneities of the fiber is pointed out.     

High idler conversion with an intracavity optical parametric oscillator and difference frequency generation

Tunable mid IR generation is analyzed with an optical parametric oscillator (OSO) and difference frequency generation (DFG) based on two periodically poled gratings. To obtain chirped-pulse amplification techniques, in the difference frequency generation the group-velocity must be matched. If grating periods are selected, appropriately, the wider tunable range of output pulse can be obtained. Because the group velocity is matched, the parametric bandwidth and the maximum effective length will be enhanced. We theoretically demonstrate high idler conversion in a femtosecond optical parametric oscillators with two different and cascaded periodically poled gratings. In the first grating the signal and the idler 1 are generated, while in the second one, the midwave infrared idler 2 is generated. The dependence of the lengths of the two cavities on the conversion efficiency is discussed.