Grating-assisted phase matching in extreme nonlinear optics

We propose a new technique for phase matching high harmonic generation that can be used for generating bright, tabletop, tunable, and coherent x-ray sources at keV photon energies. A weak quasi-cw counterpropagating field induces a sinusoidal modulation in the phase of the emitted harmonics that can be used for correcting the large plasma-induced phase mismatch. We develop an analytical model that describes this grating-assisted x-ray phase matching and predicts that very modest intensities (<10(10) W/cm2) of quasi-cw counterpropagating fields are required for implementation.     

基于有机吡啶盐晶体的太赫兹频率上转换探测

利用激光泵浦国产有机吡啶盐4-(4-二甲基氨基苯乙烯基)甲基吡啶对甲基苯磺酸盐(4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methyl-stilbazolium tosylate,DAST)晶体,通过非线性频率上转换方法实现了室温运转的高灵敏、快响应、宽频段太赫兹探测.高效生成了近红外上转换光,采集到其脉冲包...     

Two-dimensional vectorial photonic crystals formed in azo-dye-doped liquid crystals

A 2D, square lattice, vectorial photonic crystal is formed by vectorial holography using an azo-dye-doped liquid-crystal material. Four coherent beams are interfered to generate a highly stable, switchable polarization holography structure. The formation of the vectorial lattice by the liquid-crystal molecular orientation is confirmed by diffraction pattern and polarization microscopy analysis. Simulations of the alignment and diffraction pattern are in good agreement with the experimental results. Polarization sensitive diffraction behavior is also consistent with the Kakichashvili model.     

Quasi phase matching in two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals

We analyze quasi-phase-matched (QPM) conversion efficiency of the five possible types of periodic two-dimensional nonlinear structures: Hexagonal, square, rectangular, centered-rectangular, and oblique. The frequency conversion efficiency, as a function of the two-dimensional quasi-phase-matching order, is determined for the general case. Furthermore, it is demonstrated for two basic feasible motifs, a circular motif and a rectangular motif. This enables to determine the optimal motif dimensions for achieving the highest conversion efficiency. We find that a rectangular motif is more efficient than a circular motif for quasi-phase-matched processes that rely on a single reciprocal lattice vector (RLV), and that under optimal choice of motif dimensions, it converges into a one-dimensional periodic structure. In addition, in a few specific cases we found that higher order QPM can be significantly more efficient than lower order QPM.     

Study of structural phase transitions by techniques of nonlinear optics

The paper is intended to illustrate that nonlinear optical phenomena yield useful information about structural phase transitions in crystals. Emphasis is placed on collinear second harmonic generation (SHG) and on second harmonic scattering (SHS). The temperature dependence of higher-rank tensors describing SHG is discussed in detail and is related to variations of long- and short-range order. Several kinds of SHS are considered and explained by modulations of the nonlinear optical susceptibility. Particular attention is paid to results obtainable by SHS, but not by ordinary scattering of light.     

HMO in nonlinear optics

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Calculation of nonlinear optical polarization and phase matching in biaxial crystals

We present a general, analytical formula for the calculation of the unit vectors of the direction of vibration of the electric field strength in biaxial crystals. By means of this formula it is possible to calculate the effective nonlinearity for second-order nonlinear optical frequency conversion processes in biaxial crystals. For two highly efficient nonlinear optical crystals we have calculated the effective nonlinear susceptibility and walk-off angles. The results have been compared with numerical as well as experimental data of previous papers.     

Picosecond nonlinear absorption and phase conjugation in BSO and BGO crystals

We have observed a very strong nonlinear absorption in BSO and BGO crystals when they are illuminated by picosecond laser pulses with optical intensity on the order of 10⁸ W/cm². In addition, a phase conjugate reflectivity of 2×10^-3 is obtained in a degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) experiment using the same optical power. We derive the nonlinear coupled-wave equations to explain the experimental results. We show that the creation of the conjugate wave can be explained by the presence of a strong nonlinear absorption.     

Quantum crystallites and nonlinear optics

This is a review and analysis of the optical properties of quantum crystallites, with principal emphasis on the electro-optic Stark effect and all optical third order nonlinearity. There are also introductory discussions on physical size regimes, crystallite synthesis, quantum confinement theory, and linear optical properties. The experiments describe CdSe crystallites, exhibiting strong confinement of electrons and holes, and CuCl crystallites, exhibiting weak confinement of the exciton center of mass. In the CdSe system, neither the Stark effect nor the third order nonlinearity is well understood. The Stark shifts appear to be smaller than calculated, and field inducted broadening also occurs. The third order nonlinearity is only modestly stronger than in bulk material, despite theoretical prediction. Unexpectedly large homogeneous widths, due to surface carrier trapping, in the nominally discrete crystallite excited states appear to be involved. The CuCl system shows far narrower spectroscopic homogeneous widths, and corresponds more closely to an ideal quantum dot in the weak confinement limit. CuCl also exhibits exciton superradiance at low temperature. Surface chemistry and crystallite encapsulation are critical in achieving the predicted large Stark and third order optical effects in II-VI and III-V crystallites.     

Oscillating solitons in nonlinear optics

Oscillating solitons are obtained in nonlinear optics. Analytical study of the variable-coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which is used to describe the soliton propagation in those systems, is carried out using the Hirota’s bilinear method. The bilinear forms and analytic soliton solutions are derived, and the relevant properties and features of oscillating solitons are illustrated. Oscillating solitons are controlled by the reciprocal of the group velocity and Kerr nonlinearity. Results of this paper will be valuable to the study of dispersion-managed optical communication system and mode-locked fibre lasers.     

Quantum fluctuations in nonlinear optics

We consider nonlinear optical devices which are excited by coherent light from a laser and in which several other waves are generated by nonlinear processes. We develop a general theory to treat the noise properties of the generated waves. In particular a probability distribution function is found which in principle can be measured experimentally. This formulation allows a thermodynamic study of phase transitions.     

Computational chaos in nonlinear optics

A few models of nonlinear optical systems, known experimentally to possess both stable and unstable dynamical modes, are approximated by different dynamical models and integrated by different numerical methods. It is shown that the onset of instabilities and chaotic behavior in the same physical system may be dependent on the model used and on the numerical method applied. Finite order difference schemes should be applied with caution to infinite dimensional dynamical systems displaying irregular behavior.     

Phase measurements in nonlinear optics

Measurement of the phase, and not only the intensity, of the nonlinear optical response of a system is important in many applications which are reviewed here. We demonstrate and compare several techniques for direct measurement of the phase of the nonlinear susceptibilities through nonlinear interferometry. Different ways of imparting a controllable phase shift are discussed. Unless the coherence length is impractically large, the preferred method is to use a variable-pressure gas cell to control the phase difference between the input laser pulse and the nonlinear optical signal.Prof. F. P. Schäfer on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Polarization nonlinear optics of quadratically nonlinear azopolymers

The polarization properties of second harmonic and sum-frequency signals generated by femtosecond laser pulses in films of polymers containing covalent groups of an azobenzothiazole chromophore polarized by an external electric field are investigated. It is shown that the methods of polarization nonlinear optics make it possible to determine the structure of oriented molecular dipoles and reveal important properties of the motion of collectivized π electrons in organic molecules with strong optical nonlinearities. The polarization measurements show that the tensor of quadratic nonlinear optical susceptibility of chromophore fragments oriented by an external field in macromolecules of the noted azopolymers has a degenerate form. This is indicative of a predominantly one-dimensional character of motion of collectivized π electrons along an extended group of atoms in such molecules.     

Cascade-avalanche up-conversion in Tm3+:YLF crystals

New efficient mechanisms of long-wavelength excitation of short-wavelength luminescence in a system of rare-earth impurity ions are proposed. The model studied involves a multilevel system of electronic states of a rare-earth ion interacting with the long-wavelength emission that is in resonance with one or several transitions between the excited levels. The concentration of impurity ions is assumed to be sufficiently high, so that the interionic cross-relaxation and the up-conversion play a significant role. Moreover, the model includes processes similar to photon avalanche, in which the photoinduced excitation of a single ion is converted into lower-level excitations of several ions, each of them reentering the process after photon absorption. Numerical solutions of the system of balance equations for a multilevel system are obtained with calculated and semiempirical parameters of self-quenching and up-conversion. It is shown that, in a system of Tm³⁺ impurity ions, short-wavelength luminescence at λ≥0.29 μm can be efficiently excited by radiation at λ?1.11 or 0.649 μm with a moderate intensity.     

Role of the carrier-envelope offset phase of few-cycle pulses in nonperturbative resonant nonlinear optics

We study the influence of the carrier-envelope offset phase of few-cycle pulses on nonperturbative resonant extreme nonlinear optics in a semiconductor. If the Rabi frequency becomes comparable to the light frequency, the different Rabi sidebands interfere around twice the laser center frequency, giving rise to a signal which strongly depends on the carrier-envelope offset phase. This signature should be measurable in GaAs samples.