Large Positive and Negative Lateral Displacements from Total Internal Reflection Configuration with a Weakly Absorbing Dielectric Film

It is theoretically shown that the simultaneously large positive and negative lateral displacements will appear when the resonant condition is satisfied for a TE-polarized light beam reflected from the total internal reflection configuration with a weakly absorbing dielectric film. Appearance of the enhanced negative lateral displacement is relative to the incidence angle, absorption of the thin film and its thickness. If we select an appropriate weakly absorbing dielectric film and its thickness, the simultaneously enhanced positive and negative lateral displacements will appear at different resonant angles. These phenomena may lead to convenient measurements and interesting applications in optical devices.     

Double grating systems with one steel tape grating

Steel tape gratings are used in different metrology applications. As the period of these gratings was large (around 100μm,), its analytical study has been performed, up to date, using a geometrical approach. Nowadays, steel tape gratings can be manufactured with lower periods, around 20-40 μm, and diffractive effects must be taken into account. Also, due to the roughness of the surface, statistical techniques need to be considered to analyze their behavior. In this work, an analysis of the pseudo-imaging formation in a double grating system including one steel tape grating is performed. In particular Moiré and Lau configurations are analyzed. We have found that roughness significantly affects to Moiré configuration. However, its effect is negligible in Lau configuration. Generalized grating imaging configuration is also studied in depth. It is shown that roughness does not affect to the contrast of pseudoimages, but it modifies their depth of focus.     

Negative Refraction in One-Dimensional Photonic Crystals with Tilted Interface

We investigate the wave propagation through the tilted interface of one-dimensional photonic crystals. Negative refraction can be realized by excitation of the Bloch states in the extended Brillouin zone with suppressed reflection. Equi-frequency surface analysis shows that the positive refraction, negative refraction or birefringence in this configuration can be achieved under a proper incident angle, which is confirmed by finite-difference timedomain simulations. The results may be useful in applications in the new devices based on one-dimensional photonic or optical waveguide arrays.     

Stabilization of a non-planar optical cavity using its polarization property

This paper describes new scheme for obtaining a differential signal to lock an optical cavity at a resonance peak. This scheme utilizes a unique property of non-planar cavities; due to an additional phase factor originated from the geometric configuration of the optical path, the two circular polarizations produce two resonance peaks. An ideal signal that crosses zero at the resonance peaks can be obtained using a simple setup consisting of a polarizing beam splitter and photo-diodes. The principle and the results of an experiment are also presented.     

High Sensitivity Transmission-Type SPR Sensor by Using Metallic--Dielectric Mixed Gratings

We theoretically investigate transmission-type SPR sensors with novel metallic-dielectric mixed gratings by rig- orous coupled-wave analysis （RCWA）, compared to the conventional dielectric gratings based structure. It is found that the transmittance efficiency and the full width at half-maximum （FWHM） of the transmission curve can be modulated by increasing or decreasing the metallic part. Therefore, appropriate proportion of metal part will induce enhancement factor of sensor merit. Furthermore, this novel structure will also bring enhancement of resonant angle shift, which can be explained by plasmonie interpretation based on a surface limited increase of interaction area and excitation of localized surface plasmons （LSPs）. The proposed configuration has a wide range of potential applications not only as sensor but also other optical devices.     

Phase singularities and coherence vortices in linear optical systems

It is demonstrated for a time-invariant linear optical system that there exists a definite connection between the optical vortices (phase singularities of the field amplitude) which appear when it is illuminated by spatially coherent light and the coherence vortices (phase singularities of the field correlation function) which appear when it is illuminated by partially coherent light. Optical vortices are shown to evolve into coherence vortices when the state of coherence of the field is decreased. Examples of the connection are given. Furthermore, the generic behavior of coherence vortices in linear optical systems is described.     

Parametric study of uniformly polarized stochastic electromagnetic beam and its imaging

A parametric study is performed in investigating the stochastic electromagnetic beam generated by a uniformly polarized electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model source and passing through ABCD optical systems. Through theoretical analysis, the requirement is derived that the uniformly polarized electromagnetic field can be obtained at the output plane of the imaging optical system. Furthermore, the general imaging formula of the stochastic electromagnetic beam is derived. Numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the application.     

A Novel Method for Enhancing Goos-Hänchen Shift in Total Internal Reflection

Due to the tiny shift in order of optical wavelength for Goos-Hǎnchen （GH） shift, it is very difficult to directly measure and apply the GH shift. We develop a new method for enhancing GH shift of both TE and TM polarized waves. The method is based on a total reflection prism made of BK9 glass combined with a precise measurement of the resulting spatial displacement with a one-dimensional charge coupled device （CCD）. Measurements are performed to examine the validity of the method. Experimental and theoretical results indicate the feasibility of the method with an enhancement in optical wavelenghth shift at millimetre scale. The method is advantageous to application the GH shift in the optical domain, and is also meaningful for measuring even smaller changes in the refractive index of a liquid.     

Electromagnetic fields that remain totally polarized under propagation

It is remarked that, in general, a totally polarized field becomes partially polarized at the output of an optical system, even though the field propagates through non-polarizing devices. Two kinds of fields are shown in the present work, which maintain the totally-polarized character at the output of any (deterministic) non-polarizing first-order optical system. This property is satisfied by uniformly totally polarized beams and also by those fields whose electromagnetic degree of coherence [T. Setälä, J. Tervo, A.T. Friberg, Opt. Lett. 29 (2004) 328.] equals 1.     

Configurable three-dimensional optical cage generated from cylindrical vector beams

We propose a new approach to generate a controllable three-dimensional (3D) optical cage by double-mode cylindrical vector beam in the vicinity of focus, by controlling the polarization state of beam. The simulation results show that the 3D optical cage of spheroid surface shape with a sharp dark region surrounded by a uniform optical barrier with a maximum deviation of 2% is achieved. The finite-difference time-domain calculation of optical force validates that such a kind of 3D optical cage has the trapping capability of the low-refractive-index particles with the size being much smaller than the light wavelength.     

Phase control algorithms for focusing light through turbid media

Light propagation in materials with microscopic inhomogeneities is affected by scattering. In scattering materials, such as powders, disordered metamaterials or biological tissue, multiple scattering on sub-wavelength particles makes light diffuse. Recently, we showed that it is possible to construct a wavefront that focuses through a solid, strongly scattering object. The focusing wavefront uniquely matches a certain configuration of the particles in the medium. To focus light through a turbid liquid or living tissue, it is necessary to dynamically adjust the wavefront as the particles in the medium move. Here we present three algorithms for constructing a wavefront that focuses through a scattering medium. We analyze the dynamic behavior of these algorithms and compare their sensitivity to measurement noise. The algorithms are compared both experimentally and using numerical simulations. The results are in good agreement with an intuitive model, which may be used to develop dynamic diffusion compensators with applications in, for example, light delivery in human tissue.     

Propagation of random electromagnetic beams through axially nonsymmetrical optical systems

When random electromagnetic beams passing through axially nonsymmetrical ABCD optical systems, the analytical formula for the transformation of the elements of 2 × 2 cross-spectral density matrix is obtained with the help of vector integration. We derive analytical expressions of the spectral degree of polarization, the spectral degree of coherence, and the spectral density in any output plane z > 0. Some numerical calculations are illustrated relating to the electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beams propagating through such optical systems.     

Optical substrate thickness measurement system using hybrid fiber-freespace optics and selective wavelength interferometry

Proposed and demonstrated is a simple few components non-contact thickness measurement system for optical quality semi-transparent samples such as Silicon (Si) and 6H Silicon Carbide (SiC) optical chips used for designing sensors. The instrument exploits a hybrid fiber-freespace optical design that enables self-calibrating measurements via the use of confocal imaging via single mode fiber-optics and a self-imaging type optical fiber collimating lens. Data acquisition for fault-tolerant measurements is accomplished via a sufficiently broadband optical source and a tunable laser and relevant wavelength discriminating optics. Accurate sample thickness processing is achieved using the known material dispersion data for the sample and the few (e.g., 5) accurately measured optical power null wavelengths produced via the sample etalon effect. Thicknesses of 281.1 μm and 296 μm are measured for given SiC and Si optical chips, respectively.     

Photonic band gap properties of GaP opals with a new topology

In this paper, we propose that the “anomalous” optical response exhibited by GaP and InP infiltrated opals is due to the peculiar morphology shown by these materials when grown within the pores. In order to account for their optical response, we propose a new structural model consisting of a network of high dielectric spheres located in the pores of the bare opal, interconnected by cylinders of the same material. A fair agreement between the theoretical predictions using this model and the experimental measurements has been found. We also show that the inverse structure presents very interesting optical properties.     

Optical forces acting on a nanoparticle placed into an interference evanescent field

We describe a general way how to calculate analytically optical forces acting on Rayleigh particles or colloids placed into interference field made by evanescent waves. In this paper we focus on a configuration with three interfering waves and we present a comprehensive analysis of optical trap positions, depths, and forces depending on the configuration and polarisation of the incident waves. Particle behaviour is predicted including optical sorting according to the particle refractive index.     

Matrix-Based Polarization Analysis and Application of Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

Employing the Mueller matrix method with polar decomposition, we analyse the polarization rotation (PR) effects in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) and demonstrate that the PR angle is linear to the birefringence dependent gain while the average PR coefficient is about 0.625 for the employed SOA. It is further evident that the current and optical intensity dependent PRs rotate reversely around the same axis. Thus we propose an optical-electric synchronous control scheme to obtain orthogonal polarization states with power-equalization, and implement it by a polarization-sensitive SOA. The polarization duration time is about 10 ns which is applicable to high-speed polarization state generation.     

Electromagnetic wave scattering from two interacting small spherical particles. Influence of their optical constants, ε and μ

In this research, the influence of the optical constants ε and μ on the scattering patterns of a system consisting of two interacting Rayleigh particles is analyzed. We study specific scattering configurations in which the particles are separated by a fixed distance and where the connecting axis has fixed orientations with respect to the incident electromagnetic field. Multiple scattering effects and how they are affected by the optical properties of the particles are considered.     

Flat-topped spectrum obtained from partially coherent hollow Gaussian Schell-model beams passing through a slit

The anomalous spectral behaviors of partially coherent polychromatic hollow Gaussian Schell-model beams (HGSMBs) diffracted by a slit are investigated. Besides spectral switches, asymmetrical dual-peak spectral split and multi-peak spectral split are observed. In the vicinity of the positions where spectral switches occur, flat-topped spectrum can be obtained, the bandwidth of which is adjustable by changing the transverse coherence width and the observation position. The flat-topped spectrum has potential application for creating probe beams in optical metrology systems and generating broadband optical sources in fiber optic sensor interface systems.     

An experimental demonstration of resonant sideband extraction for laser-interferometric gravitational wave detectors

Resonant sideband extraction is a new optical configuration for laser-interferometric gravitational wave detectors with Fabry-Perot cavities in the arms. It reduces the thermal load on the beam splitter and the coupling mirrors of the cavities and also allows one to adapt the frequency response of the detector to a variety of requirements. We report the first experimental demonstration using a table-top setup at a detuned operating point. An increase of sensitivity by 6 dB was observed for artificial signals at frequencies above the arm cavity bandwidth, and the overall transfer function agreed well with theoretical predictions.     

Spatial coherence properties of azimuthally polarized laser modes

Understanding of coherence properties of optical fields is of basic importance both in classical optics and in quantum physics. Coherence properties of electromagnetic laser modes are only now beginning to be explored and have not yet been tested experimentally, except in the simplest cases. In this paper, we first study theoretically the coherence properties of azimuthally polarized laser modes and we clarify the distinction between coherence and correlations in stochastic electromagnetic fields, a distinction which has up to now not been fully understood and has, in fact, been a subject of controversy. Our analysis clearly illustrates the distinction between these two concepts. After elucidating theoretically the coherence properties of radially polarized laser modes, we describe an experimental study of their properties, made by the use of a recently introduced reversed-wavefront Young’s interferometer. A good agreement between theory and experiment has been found.