Sensitive solid-state optical sensible materials for photothermal determination of trace metals

Methods of photothermal (thermal-lens) determination of iron and mercury on the basis of solid polymer matrices with immobilized reagents are developed. These methods combine selective and efficient preconcentration of trace elements to be analyzed on a transparent polymer matrix, the sensitivity of determination with the reliable and traceable photometric procedures and highly sensitive thermal-lens detection (enhanced in polymers compared to solutions). The advantage of this approach is in the use of sensitive organic reagents previously developed for spectrophotometry. In this study, transparent polymethacrylate matrices modified with copper dithizonate and 1,10-phenanthroline were applied to the determination of mercury(II) and iron(II), respectively.     

Measurement of the thermal properties of liquid mixtures using a thermal wave interferometer

In this paper we discuss the use of an alternative photothermal technique for measurements of thermal properties of liquid mixtures. The proposed technique is based upon the concept of a thermal wave interferometer. The liquid sample is confined between two thin pyroelectric detectors. One of these detectors acts as a modulated light absorber while the other is used for sensing the temperature fluctuations transmitted through the liquid layer. It is demonstrated that the proposed experimental configuration allows us to fully characterize the thermal properties of the constituent liquids. Received: 19 February 2001 / Published online: 18 July 2001     

Localized structures in an optical feedback interferometer: properties and interactions

The occurrence of localized structures in a nonlinear optical experiment is a robust phenomenon, persisting in a wide region of the parameter space. We demonstrate how different control parameters determine several properties of localized structures; among these of particular relevance are the contrast and the amplitude and frequency of the oscillations appearing on the tails of the structures. Tuning these oscillations modifies the interactions between pairs of localized structures, thus resulting in a substantial modification of their bound-state spectrum. PACS 42.65.Tg; 05.45.Yv; 42.65.Sf     

Diffractive interferometer for visualization and measurement of optical heterogeneities

New optical arrangements of the two beam diffractive interferometer with the inverted wave fronts and the combined optical branches based on zone plates are proposed. The special software is designed. The restitution of an interference pattern is performed; the skeleton of fringes is selected; the graphic visualization of optical heterogeneity of a sample is built in the computer-aided processing of interferograms. Proposed DI enable visualizing the optical thickness heterogeneities in the transparent sample, measuring them with accuracy ～0.05λ and can be used for research and quality surveillance of laser crystals and other optical materials.     

Optimal interferometer designs for optical coherence tomography

We introduce a family of power-conserving fiber-optic interferometer designs for low-coherence reflectometry that use optical circulators, unbalanced couplers, and (or) balanced heterodyne detection. Simple design equations for optimization of the signal-to-noise ratio of the interferometers are expressed in terms of relevant signal and noise sources and measurable system parameters. We use the equations to evaluate the expected performance of the new configurations compared with that of the standard Michelson interferometer that is commonly used in optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. The analysis indicates that improved sensitivity is expected for all the new interferometer designs, compared with the sensitivity of the standard OCT interferometer, under high-speed imaging conditions.     

机载相机非球面光学系统热光学特性分析

环境温度是影响非球面光学系统成像质量的主要因素之一,采用热光学特性分析方法,对某机载相机非球面光学系统进行热光学特性分析,通过有限元法分析相机光学系统结构热变形,并去除镜面表面刚体位移,将面型数据输入光学软件程序进行Zernike多项式拟合,将拟合结果导入光学设计软件中,对非球面光学系统成像进行性能评价。分析结果表明:热光学特性分析方法可以有效地对非球面光学系统的实际工作环境进行仿真,预测环境温度对光学系统成像质量的影响,对光学系统设计具有指导意义。     

A novel optical subdivision method for dual-frequency interferometer

The theory of optical subdivision techniques of dual-frequency laser interferometers is stated. And a novel optical subdivision technique is proposed originally to enhance resolution of a commercial interferometer by adding some corner-cubes. Then the performance of the interferometer is tested. The interferometer resolution of 1.24 nm and the average error of below 2 nm are achieved by using the technique. The most novel of the optical subdivision technique is without λ/4 plates. It is less sensitive to environmental changes, it has prodigious potential to improve resolution farther and it can reduce polarization mixing error.     

用于光学车间检验的偏振小孔球面干涉仪

本文简要地介绍了用于光学车间检验的偏振小孔球面干涉仪光学原理、功能及特点等。     

The new method of topological charge determination of optical vortices in the interference field of the optical vortex interferometer

In this paper, the new method of determination of the topological charge of vortex points in the interference field obtained by three plane waves interference is presented. Such optical fields are used in the optical vortex interferometer (OVI) and the determination of vortex points’ topological charge allows of unique determination of the relative phase between interfering waves (phase unwrapping problem). The new method uses additional plane wave, which produce a characteristic fork-like fringe structure in the neighbourhood of vortex points. By analysing the orientation of these fork-like patterns one can read the sign of the topological charge of the given vortex point. The method is simple and can be used for OVI calibration performed before the measurements.     

Photothermal methods for determination of thermal properties of bulk materials and thin films

Information on the thermal properties of materials is very important both in fundamental physical research and in engineering applications. The development of materials with desirable heat transport properties requires methods for their experimental determination. In this paper basic concepts of the measurement of parameters describing the heat transport in solids are discussed. Attention is paid to methods utilizing nonstationary temperature fields, especially to photothermal methods in which the temperature disturbance in the investigated sample is generated through light absorption. Exemplary photothermal measuring techniques, which can be realized using common experimental equipment, are described in detail. It is shown that using these techniques it is possible to determine the thermal diffusivity of bulk transparent samples, opaque and semi-transparent plate-form samples, and the thermal conductivity of thin films deposited on thick substrates. Results of the investigation of thermal diffusivity of the ground in the polar region, which is based on the analysis of the propagation of the thermal wave generated by sun-light, are also presented. Based on chosen examples one can state that photothermal techniques can be used for determination of the thermal properties of very different materials.     

A three-beam interferometer for studying small optical path differences

A three-beam interferometer has been designed for studying small refractive index changes in liquids emanating from concentration or temperature variations. By allowing the central beam to pass the test region twice a high sensitivity could be obtained while the setting error could be kept as low as λ/125 by a simple visual evaluation under a travelling microscope.     

Adequate determination of micro and macro properties of optical nano-crystals

The main problem in theoretical analysis of structures with strong confinement is the fact that standard mathematical tools: differential equations and Fourier’s transformations are no longer applicable. In this paper we have demonstrated that the method of Green’s functions can be successfully used on low-dimension crystal samples, as a consequence of quantum size effects. We can illustrate a modified model through the prime cubic structure molecular crystal: bulk and ultrathin film. Our analysis starts with standard exciton Hamiltonian with definition of commutative Green's function and equation of motion. We have presented a detailed procedure of calculations of Green's functions, and further dispersion law, distribution of states and relative permittivity for bulk samples. After this, we have followed the same procedures for obtaining the properties of excitons in ultra-thin films. The results have been presented graphically. Besides the modified method of Green’s functions we have shown that the exciton energy spectrum is discrete in film structures (with a number of energy levels equal to the number of atomic planes of the film). Compared to the bulk structures, with a continual absorption zone, in film structures exist resonant absorption peaks. With increased film thickness differences between bulk and film vanish.     

Two-beam interferometer for optical constants measurements at near-millimeter wavelengths

A simple and versatile instrument for the measurement of optical constants in the near millimeter spectral region is described. Studies of quasi-optical components used in this instrument for effective beam transmission and control are reported. These studies include transmission characteristics of dielectric waveguides and performance of a variable coupler based on frustrated total internal reflection. Operation of this instrument as a two-beam interferometer for determining the index of refraction or as a device to measure transmission for determining the absorption coefficient are described. Values measured with this instrument at 245 GHz, using an optically pumped molecular laser as the source, are reported for several low-loss materials. Appropriate corrections and error estimates are discussed. The potential for improvement and increased accuracies are discussed.Work supported by the U. S. Army Research Office under Grant DAAG29-80-G-0005 and by the NASA Langley Research Center under Grant NAG-1-187.     

Polarization phase-shifting Newton interferometer for plane optical surface measurements

This Letter introduces a polarization phase-shifting Newton interferometer that can be utilized for plane optical surface measurements, a setup constructed to realize the interferometer, and the experimental results from the use of the setup. The results confirm not only the validity but also the feasibility of the interferometer.     

组合式力热动态载荷光学窗口的光学特性研究

针对在一定压差及温度梯度等复合环境下工作的大口径光学窗口,提出了一种由光学玻璃与亚克力板组成的光学窗口组合方案,并以热光学分析为基础,对光学窗口整体强度及热环境进行了理论分析计算,得出光学窗口玻璃最小厚度。利用有限元软件将压力场及轴向温度场映射至三维结构模型,计算得到直径为380 mm的光学窗口在不同玻璃厚度下力热耦合的面形变化及成像质量评价指标,并通过相应的环境性试验对仿真结果进行验证。实验结果表明:以K9光学玻璃为原材料的大口径光学窗口在此工作环境下的厚度不小于32.5 mm;当光学窗口厚度为35 mm时,其所受热力学影响可以忽略。因此,35 mm的大口径组合式光学窗口既能满足强度要求,又能满足多光谱相机成像质量要求,为该类窗口的设计提供了依据。     

Size-dependent nonlinear optical properties and thermal lens in silver nanoparticles

We have investigated the nonlinear response of the silver nanoparticle samples in a low-power regime of electromagnetic field based on nonlocal thermo-optic models. In this work, the experimental investigation of the thermo-optic nonlinear response of Ag colloids containing different size of silver nanoparticles is reported. The colloidal nanoparticle samples were synthesized by nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of Ag bulk in acetone. The sample containing Ag was characterized by linear absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Using the z-scan technique, the behavior of thermal nonlinear refractive index of colloid was studied at different concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Observation of asymmetrical configurations of the z-scan data indicates that nonlinear refraction occurring in the Ag samples is related to the thermo-optical process. The optical limiting here is due to nonlinear refraction of the samples arising from thermal lens formation under low-power CW excitation. When the laser power is low, the self-defocusing effect is mainly dominated by surface plasmon resonance effect. Results show that with increasing concentration of nanoparticles in acetone, the nonlinear refractive index increases while the threshold power of optical limiting decreases.     

一种简易的薄膜光学特性测量装置

基于表面等离子波测量薄膜光学特性的原理 ,应用激光表面等离子波共振方法 ,建立了一种简易的测量薄膜光学特性的装置 ,并对实际的SiO2 薄膜进行了测量 ,实验和理论计算表明 ,薄膜厚度测量准确度可达纳米量级。还对测量系统作了简单的误差分析     

Mach-Zehnder interferometer employing coupled-resonator optical waveguides

A simple theoretical model of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) consisting of two coupled-resonator optical waveguides with different lengths is proposed and experimentally demonstrated at microwave frequencies. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results is observed. MZIs in planar photonic crystals may become key building blocks in the development of microscale optical integrated devices such as filters, demultiplexers, switches, and modulators.     

Photoacoustic characterization of optical and thermal properties of CdSe quantum dots

We report on the optical absorption properties of as prepared CdSe quantum dots (QDs) measured by the photoacoustic (PA) method. CdSe QDs were fabricated by the chemical solution deposition (CD) technique. With increasing growing time, the redshift of the PA spectra can be clearly observed and optical absorption in the visible region due to CdSe Q-dots is demonstrated. The average diameters of the CdSe QDs for each growth time interval is estimated using the effective mass approximation giving diameters ranging from 2.6 nm to 3.4 nm. These values are comparable to those obtained by scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). Thus, PA spectroscopy is useful to obtain the QDs sizes as grown and with no further preparation. In addition, PA measurements provide also the thermal diffusivity of samples of different sizes which in this case show an increase by at least an order of magnitude than the bulk value.     

A compact optical heterodyne interferometer by optical integration and its application

A compact high-resolution optical heterodyne interferometer combining a two-frequency light module and a minute optical system is described. The light module, which generates two independent frequencies of light, is fabricated by proton exchange method on LiNbO₃ substrate. We report an experiment evaluating measurement accuracy using a micro-displacement measurement system which incorporates this interferometer. Results of the experiment with a standard thickness sample show high thermal stability with maximum measurement error of 1.8 nm at a temperature from 19°C to 33°C. The system was used to measure the hysteresis of a piezoelectric element for displacements of several nm, thereby making it possible to analyze the system quantitatively in practice.