All-optical switch and limiter based on nonlinear polarization in Mach-Zehnder interferometer coupled with a polarization-maintaining fiber-ring resonator

A novel all-optical switch based on nonlinear polarization mechanism using polarization-maintaining fiber ring with a polarization rotator is proposed. Optical switching with low threshold of mW order and optical limiting with broader limiting range, less fluctuation, higher damage threshold and response speed are demonstrated numerically. The deterioration of switching and the improvement of limiting originating from losses are also studied. Considering the tradeoff between switching power and bandwidth, the way to increase bandwidth is discussed.     

High-resolution sum-frequency generation from alkylsiloxane monolayers

During the last decade, infrared optical sum-frequency generation (SFG) has been demonstrated to be a valuable technique for acquiring vibrational spectra of molecules at interfaces. However, the instrumentation that most frequently has been employed, which is based upon picosecond-scale pulse-width lasers, is fundamentally limited in the spectral resolution that can be achieved (typically ∼6 cm^-1). We have optimized an older technology, based on a nanosecond-scale pulse-width laser, which enables the infrared frequency to be specified to within 0.2 cm^-1. Exploiting this advantage, we have observed previously unrecognized features in the SFG spectrum of self-assembled monolayers. We demonstrate this through experiments performed on rubbed octadecylsiloxane (ODS) on glass, a system of considerable importance in liquid-crystal-display technology. Received: 14 August 2001 / Revised version: 15 January 2002 / Published online: 14 March 2002     

Microjoule supercontinuum generation by stretched megawatt femtosecond laser pulses in a large-mode-area photonic-crystal fiber

Microjoule supercontinuum generation is demonstrated using a large-mode-area photonic-crystal fiber (PCF) pumped by an amplified stretched-pulse output of a mode-locked Cr:forsterite laser. A PCF with a mode area of 380 μm² is employed to transform 300-fs Cr:forsterite laser pulses with a peak-power of a few megawatts into a supercontinuum radiation with a spectrum spanning from 700 to 1800 nm and a total energy of 1.15 μJ.     

Polarization-sensitive non-3ω third-harmonic generation by femtosecond Cr: Forsterite laser pulses in birefringent microchannel waveguides of photonic-crystal fibers

Femtosecond Cr: forsterite laser pulses coupled into small-diameter birefringent channel waveguides off the central core of a photonic-crystal fiber are shown to generate multiple narrowband spectral peaks within the 380–460 nm wavelength region through multimode-phase-matched third-harmonic generation. Some of these peaks are shifted by tens of terahertz from the tripled frequency of the pump field, dictated by standard energy conservation for third-harmonic generation in monochromatic fields. The spectral contents of the third-harmonic signal generated in such a regime are controlled by changing polarization and the intensity of the input pump field.     

Sum-frequency generation and temperature-programed desorption studies of formic acid on MgO(001) surfaces

Adsorption and decomposition of formic acid on MgO(001) surfaces were studied by means of Sum-Frequency Generation (SFG), Temperature-Programed Desorption (TPD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Formic acid was dissociatively adsorbed on MgO(001) surfaces at room temperature. From SFG and TPD measurements, the existence of several different types of formate species was deduced and all species mainly decomposed into CO and H₂O on raising the temperature of the substrate.Paper presented at the 129th WE-Heraeus-Seminar on Surface Studies by Nonlinear Laser Spectroscopies, Kassel, Germany, May 30 to June 1, 1994     

Spectral-temporal dynamics of ultrashort Raman solitons and their role in third-harmonic generation in photonic crystal fibers

We use cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating to obtain spectral-temporal portraits of ultrashort Raman solitons in photonic crystal fibers at telecommunication wavelengths. Power-dependent Raman frequency shifts of 200 nm in 63 mm of fiber are observed accompanied by spectral broadening and 2.5-times soliton compression. Complete time-frequency dynamics at the fundamental wavelength thus visualized enables us to explain the details of the intermodally phase-matched third harmonic generation by the propagating solitons.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Studies of interfacial regions by sum-frequency generation with a free-electron laser

The use of a Free-Electron Laser (FEL) allows the study of (non)linear optical properties of materials over unsurpassed large spectral intervals. As an example, we report on the use of a FEL as the infrared source in spectroscopic infrared-visible Sum-Frequency Generation (SFG). Employing the extremely wide tunability of the Free-Electron Laser for Infrared eXperiments (FELIX) at Rijnhuizen, we have studied the frequency dependence of the nonlinear susceptibility for sumfrequency generation in gallium phosphide between 20 and 32 m in great detail. We have developed a shortpulse visible laser system that is highly synchronous with FELIX thereby creating a two-color setup that can be broadly applied. Resonantly enhanced SFG in alphaquartz has been used to study the relative timing stability of FELIX and the synchronized picosecond-laser system.Paper presented at the 129th WE-Hearaeus-Seminar on Surface studies by Nonlinear Laser Spectroscopies, Kassel, Germany, May 30 to June 1, 1994     

Modulational instability in one-dimensional saturable waveguide arrays: Comparison with Kerr nonlinearity

Discrete modulational instability within the first band of uniform one-dimensional waveguide arrays possessing a saturable self-defocusing nonlinearity is investigated in detail within the coupled mode approach. Explicit analytical results for both the threshold and the maximal gain of instability are compared with the corresponding data from waveguide arrays exhibiting Kerr nonlinearity. We find that saturation bounds the interval of existence of discrete modulational instability, stabilizes the frequency region of perturbations around ±π/2 and decreases both gain and critical spatial frequency of perturbations.     

Photorefractive spatial solitons as waveguiding elements for optical telecommunication

Spatial solitons permit optical waveguiding. This holds true for the soliton write beam (i.e. the driving laser beam), as well as for additional probe beams, which may carry optically encoded information. This feature of spatial solitons is of significant interest for applications in optical telecommunication. We present systematic experimental investigations on single and multiple spatial solitons in the infrared spectral regime (i.e. around optical telecommunication wavelengths), applied as controllable all-optical devices. In particular, we present the implementations of a Y-coupler as an optical signal divider, a switchable Y-coupler as an optical add multiplexer, and a novel design for a 1 × 3 optical beam switch, i.e. applied as a router for infrared signal beams. We report large waveguiding efficiencies up to 40% and transmission rates of 90 Tbit/s in our setups. The presented experimental data are confirmed by numerical simulations.     

Quantum-chemistry simulations of second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation of organic layers

By using quantum-chemistry approaches, the second-order nonlinear optical responses of molecules and two-dimensional molecular arrays containing the p-nitroaniline chromophore are evaluated in order to highlight key features of the simulation of the second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation spectra of organic layers. For the electronic component, which dominates the second-harmonic generation response and which constitutes the weakly frequency-dependent background contribution to the vibrational sum-frequency generation phenomenon, the time-dependent Hartree–Fock scheme based on the semi-empirical AM1 parameterization is suitable for predicting the microscopic responses as well as for accounting for the surrounding effects within a simple multiplicative scheme. For the vibrational resonant part of the sum-frequency generation response, ab initio density functional theory approaches turn out to be necessary for locating the resonances and estimating their intensities. Received: 16 October 2001 / Published online: 29 May 2002     

Impact of chromatic dispersion and group delay ripple on self-phase modulation based optical regenerators

We demonstrate that chromatic dispersion and group delay ripple limit the performance of all-optical regeneration based on self-phase modulation. The level of degradation depends in detail on the type of phase distortions introduced. The regenerator performance is measured using the optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) margin provided to the system for a given bit error ratio. The addition of chromatic dispersion and group delay ripple induces a significant reduction in this OSNR margin.     

Second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation in AgGaSe2 with tunable waveguide CO2 lasers

A tunable source is described, giving extensive coverage of a spectral region around 2000 cm^–1. A frequency self-calibration routine allows for the recording of Doppler-limited absorption profiles with an absolute accuracy of better than 10 MHz. The applicability of the source is demonstrated through measurements on the¹²C¹⁶O,¹²C¹⁷O, and¹²C¹⁸O isotopomers. Collision-broadening parameters and line strengths are determined, some of the data showing evidence of motional narrowing. Sensitivity limits are determined for linear absorption measurements as well as for photoacoustic absorption, and the feasibility of monitoring all three isotopomers with ppm sensitivity is demonstrated.Work supported by the Danish Science Research Council under grants no. 11-6866, 11-0116, and 11-0920     

Mid-infrared spectroscopic detection of trace gases using guided-wave difference-frequency generation

Received: 1 April 1998/Revised version: 29 April 1998     

Second harmonic generation polarization microscopy with tightly focused linearly and radially polarized beams

Second harmonic generation microscopy was conducted on rat-tail tendons with linearly and radially polarized beams. Transverse and axial field components were generated in the focal region through tight focusing of linearly and radially polarized. It was found that the generated SHG signals could not be qualitatively explained with a scalar approximation to the electric field at the focus. Only by accounting for the interactions of the axial and transverse components of the electric field interacting through the nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽²⁾ tensor could the SHG images be explained. For the case of collagen we find that the SHG signal varies as a function of the analyzer angle with a cos² or sin² dependency for linearly polarized beams. For tightly focused radially polarized beams we find that the output SHG is radially polarized after collimation and is independent of the analyzer angle.     

Analysis of THz-wave surface-emitted difference-frequency generation in periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

It was shown that the periodically poled LiNbO₃-waveguide with period of poling λ≈λ/n_g (λ is the wavelength of emitted THz-wave, n_g is a refractive index corresponding to optical group velocity) emits THz-wave difference-frequency generation (DFG) in the direction normal to the surface of the planar waveguide. The 5% distinction between the manufactured and required periods of gratings results only in a small deflection (∼6°) of the output THz-beam from the normal direction. The dependence of DFG efficiency on mode size is analyzed. The output THz power at λ=150 μm is estimated as 2 mW, taking into account imperfections in coupling incident beams with guided modes. It was shown that the efficiency of THz-wave DFG in surface-emitting geometry is more than for collinear geometry in bulk crystal, especially in the high-absorption wavelength region. Received: 16 May 2001 / Revised version: 13 August 2001 / Published online: 2 November 2001     

Soliton control in optical lattices with periodic modulation of nonlinearity coefficient

We address the dynamics of solitons in the optical lattices with periodic modulation of the nonlinearity coefficient. Based on the quasi-particle approach, the properties of fundamental soliton localized in optical lattices are theoretically analyzed and shown its potential application for controllable soliton switching. Moreover, the phenomena of multi-soliton splitting and the single-soliton constituent trapping in the optical lattices are illustrated and discussed.     

Defect vector gap solitons in photonic lattices

The existence and general properties of different kinds of defect vector gap solitons in one dimensional optically induced photonic defect lattice with focusing saturable nonlinearity in photorefractive crystal are analyzed. The defect is well localized in a single site with two existence forms, namely repulsive and attractive defect. Propagation constants of two beams that compose defect vector gap solitons could be from same gap or from different gaps. We show that some kinds of unstable scalar defect gap solitons could be stabilized by their corresponding vector cases.     

Optical modes in a nonlinear double-channel waveguide

We analytically address different types of optical modes in a coupler composed by two nonlinear optical waveguides. It is shown that the coupler not only supports symmetry-preserving modes but also symmetry-breaking modes. In addition, the properties on the existence and bifurcation of those modes are analyzed in detail.     

Rotating surface soliton complexes in annular waveguides

We address surface soliton complexes formed at the edge of annular guiding structures containing several concentric rings. Such soliton complexes feature a π-phase difference between neighboring spots. It is shown that the multipole-mode solitons can rotate steadily upon propagation, and the existence domain is strongly affected by the rotation frequency. The rotation may enhance the stabilization of surface multipole-mode solitons.     

Enhancing the yield in surface sum-frequency generation by the use of surface polaritons

Received: 23 December 1998