Surface plasmons modulate the spatial coherence of light in Young's interference experiment

It is shown how surface plasmons that travel between the slits in Young's interference experiment can change the state of spatial coherence of the field that is radiated by the two apertures. Surprisingly, the coherence can both be increased and decreased, depending on the slit separation distance. This results in a modulation of the visibility of the interference fringes. Since many properties of a light field-such as its spectrum, polarization, and directionality - may change on propagation and are dependent on the spatial coherence of the source, our results suggest that the use of surface plasmons provides a new way to alter or even tailor the statistical properties of a light field.     

Sub-wavelength interference in the field assisted by surface plasmons

We present a theoretical study of the optical transmission from a thin metallic double slit. The second-order correlation function as a function of the displacement of the detectors for different values of slit separation is studied. It is shown that surface plasmons excited at one slit and propagating to the other slit modulate the coincidence counts with the variation of slit separation. Sub-wavelength interference effect has also been observed for the field assisted by surface plasmons. It is also shown that the second order interference-diffraction pattern changes with slit separation and at some particular value of slit separation it changes into the Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) effect.     

Enhancement of spatial coherence by surface plasmons

We report on a method to generate a stationary interference pattern from two independent optical sources, each illuminating a single slit in Young's interference experiment. The pattern arises as a result of the action of surface plasmons traveling between subwavelength slits milled in a metal film. The visibility of the interference pattern can be manipulated by tuning the wavelength of one of the optical sources.     

利用激光干涉测钢丝的杨氏弹性模量

分析了在洛埃镜干涉装置中等效双狭缝间距变化对干涉条纹密度的影响。导出了钢丝因受力引起的绝对伸长量与干涉条纹密度变化之间的关系 ,并通过它计算了钢丝的杨氏弹性模量。结果表明 ,激光干涉法不仅比光杠杆法测量的量要少 ,而且用该方法通过测微目镜测条纹的位置要比光杠杆法通过望远镜对标尺读数精确 ,其测量结果要比光杠杆法更准确可靠     

Tunable On‐Chip Sources with Aperiodic Metasurface

Surface plasmons show tremendous capability in integrated communication, quantum computing and sensing. Excitations and manipulations of surface plasmons are essential in developing integrated photonic devices. Here, a systematic study of tunable emission of surface plasmons with an eightfold quasicrystal metasurface, which acts as an on‐chip source, is presented. It is shown that the quasicrystal structure can switch on or off the surface plasmons propagation channels in the desired direction. Meanwhile, such a quasicrystal structure can be polarization‐dependent or polarization‐independent based on different constituent slit pairs. The proposed quasicrystal design provides more freedom for steering surface plasmons in the launching process. Thus, it may significantly simplify the design and fabrication of integrated plasmonic devices.     

Coherence characteristics of light-emitting diodes

We report the measurement of coherence characteristics of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Experiments were performed using red and green color LEDs directly illuminating the Young's double slit kept in the far-zone. Fourier transform fringe analysis technique was used for the measurement of the visibility of interference fringes from which the modulus of degree of spectral coherence was determined. Low degree of spectral coherence, typically 0.4 for red and 0.2 for green LED with double-slit separation of 400 μm was observed. A variable slit was then kept in front of the LEDs and the double slit was illuminated with the light coming out of the slit. Experiments were performed with various slit sizes and the visibility of the interference fringes was observed. It was found that visibility of the interference fringes changes drastically in presence of variable slit kept in front of LEDs and a high degree of spectral coherence, typically 0.85 for red and 0.8 for green LED with double-slit separation of 400 μm and rectangular slit opening of 500 μm was observed. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical counterparts. Coherence lengths of both the LEDs were also determined and it was obtained 5.8±2 and 24±4 μm for green and red LEDs, respectively.     

Far field spectrum in surface plasmon-assisted Young's double-slit interferometer

We derive an expression for the resultant spectral density (spectrum) at a point in the far zone for the surface plasmons modulated Young's double-slit interference setup. The resultant spectral interference law has the same form as the standard spectral interference law for the scalar fields. This resemblance in turn provides a means for determination of the modified spectral degree of coherence at the two slits. The mathematical results also show that in an interesting situation when the field is incident at one slit only, the interference can still be observed at the observation plane. These findings are verified theoretically using a wide-band source, i.e. a black-body, having a spectrum following Planck's radiation law.     

Polarization controlled couplings of surface plasmon with asymmetrical nanoslit pairs

Light-driven surface plasmons offer an opportunity to ultrafast information processing combining the compactness of electric circuits with the bandwidth of photonic networks. For practical applications, the efficient and controllable conversion from signal light to surface plasmons is essential. This leads to the recent developments in the polarization controlled couplings of surface plasmons. Currently, most works only tailor the orientation and arrangement of nanoslits to control the launching of surface plasmons. In this paper, we consider both the orientation and size of each slit in a one-dimensional array of nanoslit dimers. We first realize the unidirectional propagation of surface plasmons with designed wavefronts. Next, the unidirectional coupling and bi-directional coupling of surface plasmons are realized for a pair of orthogonal polarizations, respectively. This is quite different from the conventional opposite propagating surface plasmons excited by two orthogonal polarizations. The manipulation of both orientation and size of nanoslits allows additional freedom in the photon-plasmon conversions.     

X-ray interferometric Fourier holography

An X-ray interferometric Fourier holography was proposed and theoretically investigated. X-ray Interferometric Young fringes and the reconstruction of an object image were investigated by the Fourier transform method. It was shown that on the output surface of the analyzer crystal (the third plate of the interferometer) the interference pattern of two slits gives X-ray interferometric Young fringes. An expression for the period of X-ray interferometric Young fringes was obtained. The subsequent reconstruction of the slit image as an object is conducted by means of the Fourier transform method of intensity distribution on the hologram. Three methods for reconstruction of the function of complex transmission of the object are presented: an analytical one–the approximate method, the iteration method and the step-by-step approach. As examples a recording of X-ray interferometric Fourier hologram and the reconstruction of the function of complex amplitude transmission of a beryllium circular cylinder are given.     

基于光束的相干特性拓展双缝实验教学实验内容

对部分相干光束的双缝实验干涉条纹进行了研究。利用转动的毛玻璃以及两个透镜构成了一个简单的产生部分相干光束的光学系统,通过调整毛玻璃与两个透镜的共焦点之间的距离,可以定量地控制光束的相干性。对不同相干性的光束经过双缝干涉之后的光强进行了实验观测,发现光束的相干性会对双缝干涉条纹的衬比度产生影响,光束的相干性越低,条纹衬比度也越小。并对实验结果进行了理论模拟,理论数值模拟的结果与实验观测结果基本一致。     

点光源劈尖干涉的条纹分布特征

在有限远的点光源照射下,导出了劈尖干涉的明、暗纹条件,通过Matlab软件,用数值分析方法给出了劈尖表面条纹分布特征,讨论了光源距离对表面条纹分布的影响.     

扩展光源照明的双光栅系统滤波狭缝对成象莫尔条纹的作用与影响

本文用衍射理论定量分析了扩展光源照明的双光栅系统中滤波狭缝对成象莫尔条纹形成的影响及作用,给出了狭缝的面内及离面位移量与条纹手移量及倾斜角间的关系.     

Determination of the standard deviation of height on a rough surface using interference microscopy

When a rough surface is viewed in an interference microscope with tilt fringes introduced, the effect of the roughness is to reduce the average visibility of the tilt fringes. The relationship between the standard deviation of surface height and the average visibility of the tilt fringes is derived, and experimental results are presented of measurements made on ground glass surfaces using a Linnik interference microscope.     

Resonant transmission of microwaves through a narrow metallic slit

Strong resonant transmission of microwave radiation through a very narrow (much less than the radiation wavelength) metallic slit is recorded. The results show that a set of resonant self-coupled surface plasmons are excited within the small gap, giving a Fabry-Pérot-like behavior in accord with analytical results published earlier [Y. Takakura, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 5601 (2001)]. The metallic slit, formed by two thick metal plates spaced apart by tens of microns, is inserted in a wavelength-sized aperture. On resonance the transmissivity through the metal slit is more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than the radiation impinging on the slit area.     

液面微幅波动的激光干涉测量

对于低频微幅的液面波动,提出了一种激光干涉测量方法.实验上观察到了清晰、稳定的激光干涉图样.干涉图样受到调制,光强在两边界位置达到极大,形成两个极亮条纹.干涉条纹被限制在两个极亮条纹之间的确定区域内.根据光干涉理论推导出了调制干涉条纹光强度、相邻条纹角宽度、干涉区域角宽度与液面波物理参量之间的解析关系,该理论分析与实验...     

Direct measurement of transverse coherence length of hard X rays from interference fringes

We propose a simple interferometric technique for hard x-ray spatial coherence characterization, recording a Fresnel interference pattern produced by a round fiber or a slit. We have derived analytical formulas that give a direct relation between a visibility of interference fringes and either the source size or the transverse coherence length. The technique is well suited to third-generation synchrotron radiation sources and was experimentally applied to determine the spatial coherence length and the source size at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.     

Measurement of surface form deviation of the plane optical element using grid line method

A method for automatically measuring the surface form deviation of the plane optical element is presented. It uses the image pre-processing technique to obtain the centerlines of the interference fringes, the grid line technique to search the average fringe spacing and the maximum curvature of the interference fringes, and the normalization to obtain the value of surface form deviation of the optical element. The experimental results show that the measuring precision of the surface form deviation of the plane optical element reaches the value of 0.1 and the method improves the adaptation capability of processing the interference fringes, which indicates that the method can substitute the visual interpretation of interference fringes in high-noise workshop environment.     

Band gaps in the spectra of terahertz surface plasmons on metallic diffraction gratings

The effect of the appearance of band gaps in the energy spectra of terahertz surface plasmons has been experimentally observed and investigated. The band gaps are formed due to the interference interaction of the surface plasmons excited by pulsed terahertz radiation on metallic diffraction gratings. It has been shown that the experimental dispersion curves of terahertz plasmons are in good agreement with the dispersion curves obtained in the numerical simulation.     

Multiple-surface interference fringes analysis basing on wavelength-modulated phase shifting interferometry

Phase-shifting interferometry is widely used for high-precision surface measurements, but has difficulty in dealing with parallel optical plates. In this paper, an advanced method is proposed to simultaneously measure surface distributions of parallel optical plates from multiple surface interference fringes. The basic theory behind the technique is by applying wavelength-modulated phase shifting interferometry (WMPSI) to get enough frames of multiple surface interference fringes. In the procession of wavelength-modulated phase shifting, the phase variation for one point of the surface is traced and is processed by Fourier transform, and then the frequency spectrum of every surface can be separated from each other. Therefore, it allows extraction of front surface, back surface and thickness variation from multiple surface interference fringes with high precision.     

Optical method of determination of stress at a point

A method of determining stress at a point is suggested here. The effect of bending of a wave front that is due to variations of the refractive index is used to measure different aspects of stresses. A Fourier lens with a cross slit at its front focal plane is used to form interference fringes at planes near its back focal plane. The sample, illuminated by a plane-parallel coherent beam of light, is placed close to a cross slit, and the change in fringe pattern due to axial shift of the spectrum planes of the slits is measured to relate it to the state of stress.