Features of electro-optical characteristics of composite liquid crystal media (a review)

Main patterns of structure formation of composite liquid crystal (LC) media and their classification according to the percentage content of liquid crystal and polymer are considered. Their properties are compared with the properties of homogeneous LC layers and the opportunities of their practical use in optical modulators are discussed. It is shown that, at small (10 wt %) monomer concentrations in the composite, its polymerization leads to formation of a thin-wall network which separates the liquid crystal into domains and provides an uniform orientation in the bulk. The polymer network increases the elasticity of the layer and decreases the relaxation time, but the devices usually work in polarized light and use the same principle as the devices filled with pure LC; i.e. the phase of the light or its polarization changes due to a change in the effective refraction index. However, the division of the LC volume into relatively autonomous domains also allows one to create a polarization-independent device based on the scattering effect. By increasing the relative content of the monomer, it is possible to ensure formation of a porous polymer matrix with inclusions of isolated from each other LC droplets. Such polymer-dispersed LC in its initial state either scatter the light of any polarization and becomes transparent state when an electric field is applied, or, with the use of special methods, the switch-off and switch-on states are swapped (“reverse mode” devices). The main advantages of the composite media are independence of polarization, mechanical strength, and small relaxation times, while the main disadvantages are increased power consumption, high polarization-independent optical losses, and significantly lower contrast. Possible ways to increase the contrast are described.     

Switchable surface plasmon dichroic splitter modulated by optical polarization

For the miniaturization of optical devices, surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) have been widely utilized due to their outstanding confinement and field‐enhancement characteristics. Analyzing a spectrum of optical signals and splitting certain regions of the spectrum range within a submicrometer‐scale structure are demanded for optical integrated systems. In this paper, a novel type of dichroic surface plasmon launcher that can switch the launching direction according to incident polarization states is demonstrated. Compared to the previously reported plasmonic dichroic splitters, the proposed schemes do not use any asymmetric geometry for directional launching. Hence, the direction of guided SPPs can be interchanged according to the polarization state. Such characteristics will be helpful to design switchable plasmonic devices that can be applied to active plasmonic integrated circuits.     

双折射对基于半导体光放大器的干涉型器件性能影响的模拟分析研究

分析了半导体光放大器中双折射对基于半导体光放大器的干涉型器件性能的影响，对基于半导体光放大器的马赫—曾德尔型波长转换器的理论计算表明，当半导体光放大器有双折射存在时，消光比不仅要比无双折射时的要低，而且还随着探测光的偏振态而改变，变化幅度可大于10dB。提出了减小双折射对干涉型器件影响的方案，并且分析了实现对增益和对相位变化同时具有偏振不灵敏的半导体光放大器的可能性。     

Anisotropy of electromagnetically induced left-handedness in atomic three-level media based upon bianisotropic polarizabilities and tensor character

A three-level atomic system, configured as either a gaseous medium or a solid state material, with a driving field establishing a Rabi frequency of control, is tested by a probe field. The medium has bianisotropic microscopic polarizability and magnetizability, from which the permittivity and permeability tensors are derived. Non-isotropy and polarization dependence for left-handedness (negative index of refraction) is demonstrated through examination of tensor components in the detuning frequency spectrum. These results have important implications for use in optical or electronic devices.     

Polarization controller using nematic liquid crystals

In this Letter we demonstrate a polarization controller capable of changing any state of polarization of light from one arbitrary state to another. The controller consists of a stack of three homogeneous nematic liquid-crystal cells. The polarization state is controlled by proper adjustment of the voltages applied across each of the cells. The mathematical algorithm and principles of this polarization controller are developed in the framework of the Stokes parameters, allowing easy visualization by use of a Poincaré sphere representation. The transformation functions are given for conversion of an arbitrary input state to any output state. Experiments are carried out to demonstrate arbitrary polarization transformation.     

Dynamical Theory of X-Ray Diffraction for Restricted Beams: I. Coherent Scattering by a Porous Crystal

The processes of electron spin dynamics in a hybrid nonresonance structure, which includes a layer of a diluted magnetic II–Mn–VI semiconductor and an asymmetric quantum well (QW) of a nonmagnetic III–V semiconductor, are experimentally studied. The nonresonance of the structure is determined by the fact that the level of the ground state of the magnetic layer falls into the range of the excited states of the nonmagnetic QW. The electron polarization in the ground thermalized state of QW is found not to depend on the magnetic part of the structure. However, the magnetic part affects the electron polarization in the excited state via spin injection from the magnetic semiconductor and the mixing of the electronic states of the magnetic and nonmagnetic subsystems of the structure. The possibility of controlling the polarization of an electron spin by carrier excitation toward the region of mixed states along with the absence of depolarizing influence of the magnetic semiconductor on carriers in the thermalized state of QW can be applied to design new spintronic devices along with those that use spin injection, optical orientation, and depolarization.     

Tunable photonic crystals based on ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials by focused ion beam

By making photonic crystals in ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials, field-provoked tunability of photonic crystals is broadening the interest in new applications of on-chip photonic devices. We report a nano-precise fabrication of various designs of photonic crystals in these non-conventional materials using the focused ion beam milling technique. Standard methods are developed and parameters for different materials are calibrated. Optical responses such as bandgaps and polarization status changing from planar film waveguide system with these patterns have been examined on ferromagnetic materials.     

Polarization noise in single mode fibres and its reduction by depolarizers

Fluctuations of the state of polarization in single mode fibres due to environmental conditions such as vibrations cause intensity noise if elements with polarization-dependent loss are inserted into the fibre system. Diffraction gratings, which are key elements for wavelength division multiplex-single mode fibre systems, exhibit a strong polarization dependence of loss. The polarization noise, originating from the combination of single mode fibres and diffraction gratings, is investigated experimentally. A drastic deterioration of the signal/noise ratio is observed, which is even more severe than modal noise with multimode fibres. Depolarizing devices, which reduce this kind of noise sufficiently, are presented and examined.     

Dynamic polarization rotation and vector field steering based on phase change metasurface

Polarization rotation and vector field steering of electromagnetic wave are of great significance in modern optical applications. However, conventional polarization devices are bulky, monofunctional and lack of tunability, which pose great challenges to the miniaturized and multifunctional applications. Herein, we propose a meta-device that is capable of multi-state polarization rotation and vector field steering based on phase change metasurface. The supercell of the meta-device consists of four Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) elliptic cylinders located on a SiO₂ substrate. By independently controlling the phase state (amorphous or crystalline) of each GST elliptic cylinder, the meta-device can rotate the polarization plane of the linearly polarized incident light to different angles that cover from 19.8° to 154.9° at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Furthermore, by merely altering the phase transition state of GST elliptic cylinders, we successfully demonstrated a vector field steering by generating optical vortices carrying orbital angular momentums (OAMs) with topological charges of 0, 1 and −1, respectively. The proposed method provides a new platform for investigating dynamically tunable optical devices and has potential applications in many fields such as optical communications and information processing.     

纳米管中的自旋极化

结构缺陷、掺杂等可以导致纳米管的自旋极化，而自旋极化的纳米管可以利用载流子的自旋状态作为信息载体，实现一维的自旋电子传输。具有不同自旋极化结构的纳米管，根据其电子结构、自旋极化性质和输运性质的不同，可以用于实现不同用途的自旋电子器件。很多有关自旋极化的纳米管的理论和实验工作已经展开，然而其中仍有很多物理问题有待深入研究。     

Cascaded dynamic eigenstates of polarization analysis for piezoelectric polarization control

We propose the cascaded dynamic eigenstates (DESs) of polarization to analyze multicomponent polarization control (PC) devices, and achieve the analytical expression of output state of polarization (SOP) as a function of voltage for piezoelectric polarization control (PPC). By measuring the DES at the output port of the device, the prestage DESs will rotate around subsequent ones. Experimental results in PPC confirm the validity of our analysis. The average error of our theoretical output SOP is 1.23 degrees, and the SOP response time is ~10 micros, which is promising to realize a quasi-open-loop high-speed PC.     

Semiconductor Detectors, Mixers, and Frequency Multipliers for the Terahertz Band

The state of the art in the development of semiconductor detectors, mixers, and frequency multipliers based on Schottky-barrier diodes (SBDs) and heterojunction structures for uncooled terahertz receivers is reviewed. The present status of this field features a transition from quasi-optical designs based on dot-matrix, whisker-contacted SBDs to the designs with hybrid-integrated and monolithic constructions on the planar SBD base, which are positioned in a waveguide mount. The high-level performance of these planar devices is achieved by partially or completely removing or changing semiconductor substrates and/or using membrane constructions incorporated in the waveguide.     

Scheme for linear optical preparation of a type of four-photon entangled state with conventional photon detectors

We propose a simple experimental scheme to prepare a type of four-photon entangled state |χ〉 that has many interesting entanglement properties and possible applications in quantum information processing with a certain success probability. The proposed setup involves only simple linear optical devices, a single-photon polarization state, three pairs of two-photon polarization entangled states, and the conventional photon detectors that cannot distinguish a single photon from two or more photons, which greatly simplify the experimental realization of the scheme.     

多功能太赫兹超表面偏振控制器

本文提出了一种“金属栅-开口环/硅环-金属栅”结构的透射式超表面偏振控制器, 研究了入射角度和抽运光对该器件传输及偏振态控制性能的影响. 研究结果表明, 当线偏振太赫兹波垂直入射时, 可对0.39-1.11 THz频段的太赫兹波实现偏振方向90°旋转, 偏振旋转效率为99%, 损耗为1 dB. 对于斜入射的情况, 偏振转换性能在0-60°范围内基本保持不变, 且透过率达到90%以上. 同时, 通过调控抽运光强度的方式, 该器件能够实现对透射与反射太赫兹光束的强度调制, 调制深度均达到90%, 且可以实现太赫兹波偏振分束功能. 该器件可以作为未来太赫兹空间光通信和信息处理的宽带、角度不敏感、可调谐的偏振转换器和分束器.     

Wavelength dependence of the phase retardation of a quarter-wave plate

We describe an optical heterodyne polarization interferometer that can be efficiently used for the precision measurement of the change in the state of polarization of a light wave induced by polarizing optical devices. This technique is used to measure the change with wavelength of the phase retardation of a quarter-wave plate. A theoretical derivation is presented to permit computation of the wavelength dependence of the phase shift induced by a quarter-wave plate.     

Effect on polarization control in 850 nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser fabricated by H ion inclined implantation using tungsten wire as mask

Polarization character measurements on VCSEL devices, fabricated by ion inclined implantation with various parameters using tungsten wire as mask, were performed. The effect of polarization mode control was observed in these devices with square injected current aperture formed by distributed ion during implantation. Moreover, the effect depended on the size of the square injected current aperture. The device with highest polarization mode suppression ratio (PMSR) up to 14 dB was obtained, which kept the operation of linear polarization state at 3.4I_th injected current. The further optimization to obtain the better polarization control effect is available. What the most valuable is that the mechanism of polarization control effect is completely self-formed during device processing. Furthermore, this method is the simplest technique to apply in industry, as much as we know.     

Analysis of optical polarization modulation systems through the Pancharatnam connection

We present a geometrical analysis on the Poincaré sphere of the complex (amplitude and phase) response of polarization modulation systems. The proposed method can be applied to analyze non-cyclic polarization changes and, in particular, the phase is evaluated through the geometric Pancharatnam–Berry phase and the Pancharatnam connection between the initial and the final state. The method can be very useful to analyze and intuitively understand the complex modulation mechanism in polarization modulation devices such as liquid crystal displays.     

Efficient scheme for three-photon Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger state generation

We propose an efficient scheme for the generation of three-photon Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) state with linear optics, nonlinear optics and postselection. Several devices are designed and a two-mode quantum nondemolition detection is introduced to obtain the desired state. It is worth noting that the states which have entanglement in both polarization and spatial degrees of freedom are created in one of the designed setups. The method described in the present scheme can create a large number of three-photon GHZ states in principle. We also discuss an approach to generate the desired GHZ state in the presence of channel noise.     

1.3μm InGaAsP／InP脊形波导激光器偏振输出的测量

本文对发射波长为１．３μｍ，具有不同脊形波导宽度ＩｎＧａＡｓＰ激光器的ＴＥ，ＴＭ模偏振输出特性进行了测量，实验观察到脊形波导比较窄的器件具有ＴＥ，ＴＭ模竞争现象，而脊形波导比较宽的器件在阈值电流以上，只有ＴＥ模激射，没有模式竞争。利用偏振度概念计算了阈值电流以上和阈值电流以下的偏振度，并对其进行了讨论。本文指出，只要严格选择激光器的参数，并控制环境温度，合理使用器件，就可获得稳定的偏振输出，而不必     

Switchable vortex beam polarization state terahertz multi-layer metasurface

We propose a switchable vortex beam polarization state terahertz multi-layer metasurface, which consists of three-layer elliptical metal crosses, four-layer dielectrics, and two-layer hollow metal circles, which are alternately superimposed. Under the normal incidence of left-handed circularly polarized (LCP) wave and the right-handed circularly polarized (RCP) waves, the proposed structure realizes three independent control functions, i.e., focused and vortex beam, vortex beam with different topological charges, and polarization states switching, and azimuth switching of two vortex beams with different polarization states. The results show that the proposed metasurface provides a new idea for investigating the multifunctional terahertz wave modulation devices.