Coupling of surface plasma oscillations in thin periodically corrugated silver films

We investigated surface plasma oscillations (SPO's) in a layer system of thin dielectric films with a periodically corrugated surface coated by a silver film. SPO's at both surfaces of the silver film could be excited by light. We observed coupling of the two SPO's through the thin film via the periodicity of the surface and as a consequence a discontinuity in the dispersion relations of the SPO.     

Hydrogenic atom multiphonon ionization by intense fields with green's method

An expression for n-photon cross-section ionization of hydrogenic atoms by intense linearly polarized light is obtained using the second quantification formalism for the radiation and the Green's function method. It is shown that it reduces into Stobbe's formula in the one photon case.     

A light cone formulation of two-dimensional Q.E.D.

Starting from an explicit operator solution to Schwinger's 2-dimensional Q.E.D. we investigate the problems which arise in formulating this theory on the light cone. Taking proper care of the independent variables and quantizing the theory with the help of Schwinger's action principle, a consistent solution is presented with initial data given on lightlike surfaces. It is shown how the usual spacelike recipe for the current is to be carried over in a light-cone formulation. The Wightman and Green's functions and their regularization on the light cone is discussed. The charge distribution of the fermion field is investigated.     

Adjustability as a requirement of ideal clocks

A coordinate frame is considered as an arrangement of clocks that meet certain criteria of synchronization. Einstein's ideal clock is compared with the behavior required for clocks to maintain synchrony in the group of coordinate frames that leaves Maxwell's equations invariant. The required clock rates differ from the rate of Einstein's clock. An ideal adjustable clock is defined as an Einstein clock augmented by variable “gearing” that can offset its rate. Ongoing adjustment of these clocks enables them to meet all synchronization criteria in the group of coordinate frames. The need for adjustment is due to the well known invariance of Maxwell's equations under a group of coordinate transformations larger than the Lorentz group, and has nothing to do with imperfections in clocks. It is shown that the adjustments needed by ideal adjustable clocks to maintain synchrony can be measurably separated from additional adjustments that may be needed to compensate for random imperfections. The necessity for adjustment brings with it the necessity for ongoing measurement of the light signals whose exchange defines synchronization. Implications are discussed, both for the interpretation of Maxwell's equations and for the role of measuring instruments.     

Complex symmetries of electrodynamics

We prove that a set of nonsingular free solutions of Maxwell's equations forms a representation of the group obtained by analytic continuation of the Poincaré group to complex values of the group parameters, and that a set of singular solutions forms a representation of the group obtained by analytic continuation of the conformal group to complex values of the group parameters. These results are obtained by constructing a theory governing 2 × 2 complex matrix fields defined for complex values of position and time; the equations of this theory are invarient with respect to complex Poincaré transformations and complex conformal transformations, but the set of nonsingular solutions is in one-to-one correspondence with a set of nonsingular solutions of Maxwell's equations, and a similar correspondence exists for the singular solutions. Certain collections of solutions of Maxwell's equations for the field of a current form representations of these complex groups if both magnetic and electric currents are permitted, in which case complex transformations provide a natural connection between electric and magnetic charge. A class of complex transformations also yield natural relations between sources moving slower than light and sources moving faster than light.     

Relativistic effects of laser doppler velocimeters using one light beam with two frequencies

Relativistic effects of laser Doppler velocimeters (LDV's) are discussed and novel LDV systems are proposed. If the direction of the scattered light makes a right angle with the flow direction, relativistic effects completely disappear no matter how high the velocity of a moving particle becomes. The proposed LDV's involve that the velocity can be measured from one scattered light beam with two different single frequencies. It is also predicted that the usual optical heterodyne-detection techniques can be made applicable to measure even ultra-high velocities up to the region where relativistic effects should be taken into account.     

Achromatic stellar interferometry

One drawback of Michelson's stellar interferometer is due to the fact that the period of the interference fringes is proportional to the wavelength. Hence, in broadband light the fringe contrast is low, or in narrowband light (after filtering) the luminosity is low. We propose a modified stellar interferometer with perfectly achromatic fringes, that has better light efficiency and better signal to noise under most circumstances. To that end, two pieces of grating have to fill the two apertures of Michelson's setup. Achromatic interference fringes occur somewhere along the system axis, where the plus-first diffraction order from one aperture meets the minus-first diffraction order from the other aperture. Laboratory experiments confirm the predicted achromatic performance.     

Anisotropic speed of light and four-dimensional symmetry of physical laws

We demonstrate that Earth's west-east motion will not be detected by a recently proposed laser experiment. Within the four-dimensional symmetry framework, there is anisotropy of the one-way speed of light when one uses clock systems which differ from the relativistic clock systems; however, the two-way speed of light is still isotropic.     

LED for high data rate,optical communications

The frequency response of light emitting diodes (LED's) in an edge, as opposed to surface, configuration is examined. We find that the frequency response is not limited by parasitic space charge capacitance, and thus, modulation frequencies in excess of 200 MHz can easily be obtained. If the internal heterojunction geometry is suitably arranged, it is possible to minimize coupling losses into low numerical aperature fibers so that these LED's are attractive sources for optical communications systems utilizing high data rates. Output power in excess of 1 mW at drive currents of ～200 mA is typical.     

Three photon ionization of alkali atoms at the ruby laser frequency

Three-photon ionization cross sections of alkali atoms for linearly and circularly polarized light have been calculated using the Green's function and the quantum defect methods. The results are compared with the values experimentally obtained by Cervenan et al.     

A magnetically polarized He-Ne laser

The performance of an internal mirror He-Ne laser that has a fraction of its capillary immersed in a strong transverse magnetic field will be described. The field is produced by permanent magnets which are built into the laser's housing. The laser produces a light output which has less than 0.1% of its power in the modes polarized orthogonal to the magnetic field. The attainment of such a high degree of polarization requires that the magnetic field be oriented relative to naturally occuring anisotropies of the laser cavity. Misalignment not only lowers the degree of polarization, but also decreases the laser's output.     

Light propagation and light scattering

A self-consistent theory is given for the propagation and scattering of light in a material medium. A generalized statement for the extinction theorem is obtained. To first order Yvon's result is recovered for the intensity of polarized scattered light.     

Cooling of gases by laser radiation

It is shown that a low-density gas can be cooled by illuminating it with intense, quasi-monochromatic light confined to the lower-frequency half of a resonance line's Doppler width. Translational kinetic energy can be transferred from the gas to the scattered light, until the atomic velocity is reduced by the ratio of the Doppler width to the natural line width.     

Stochastic model for the motion of correlated photon pairs

If one analyzes the stochastic behaviour of two massive (m_γ≠0) photons imbedded in Dirac's vacuum one obtains (with stochastic jumps at velocity of light) the two-particle Proca equations which one can use to interpret (i) the first results of the Aspect experiment; (ii) the future issues of the complete Aspect and Rapisarda experiments, if they will violate Bell's inequality.     

The aspect experiment and quantum states

The interpretation of Aspect-type experiments is discussed in the light of the fact that some quantum states are, with respect to Bell's inequality, experimentally indistinguishable from a hidden-variable model.     

Engineering the optical spring via intra-cavity optical-parametric amplification

The ‘optical spring’ results from dynamical back-action and can be used to improve the sensitivity of cavity-enhanced gravitational-wave detectors. The effect occurs if an oscillation of the cavity length results in an oscillation of the intra-cavity light power having such a phase relation that the light's radiation pressure force amplifies the oscillation of the cavity length. Here, we analyse a Michelson interferometer whose optical-spring cavity includes an additional optical-parametric amplifier with adjustable phase. We find that the phase of the parametric pump field is a versatile parameter for shaping the interferometer's spectral density.     

Newtonian time synchronization with the help of light signals

As light clocks with equal “arms” moving with the same velocity have the same rate, then, with the help of two such clocks put at the opposite ends of their mutual “arm”, one can measure the laboratory's absolute velocity by rotating the apparatus over 360°.     

Biorthogonality and radiative transfer in finite slab atmospheres

It is shown that the exact solution of transfer problems of polarized light in finite slab atmospheres can be obtained from an eigenmode expansion, if there is a known set of adjoints defined appropriately to treat two-point, half-range boundary-value problems. The adjoints must obey a half-range biorthogonality relation.The adjoints are obtained in terms of Case's eigenvectors and the reflection or the transmission matrices. Half-range characteristic equations for the eigenvectors and their adjoints are derived, where the kernel functions of the integral operators are given by the boundary values of the source function matrix of the slab albedo problem. Spectral formulae are obtained for the surface Green's functions. A relationship is noted between the biorthogonality concept and some half-range forms of the transfer equation for the surface Green's functions and their adjoints. Linear and non-linear functional equations that are well known from an invariance approach, are derived from a new point of view. The biorthogonality concept offers the opportunity for a better understanding of mathematical structures and the nonuniqueness problem for solutions of such functional equations.     

Supersymmetry and 't Hooft's twisted functional integral

't Hooft's twisted functional integral is exactly calculable in the supersymmetric version of the SU(N) gauge theories, provided that one uses periodic (up to gauge transformations) boundary conditions for fermions. The solution has in a sense light magnetic fluxes and heavy electric ones, and thus, it is consistent with confinement (but not a proof of it). This is an evidence of the fact that confinement is not ruled out by the absence of vacuum condensates in these supersymmetric gauge theories.     

Determination de la longueur de covariance d'une surface rugueuse par l'etude de la diffusion residuelle a l'infini

We propose a simple method for directly measuring the correlation length of a slightly rough surface by using the residual scattered light. As in a previous work about strong diffusors, we use the experimental results to discuss the validity of Beckmann's theory on surface scattering, now in the case of weak diffusors.