Diffraction of an ultrashort pulsed beam with arbitrary polarization state from a volume holographic grating in LiNbO3 crystals

Based on a modified coupled wave theory of Kogelnik, we have studied the diffraction of an ultrashort pulsed beam with an arbitrary polarization state from a volume holographic grating in photorefractive LiNbO₃ crystals. The results indicate that the diffracted intensity distributions in the spectral and temporal domains and the diffraction efficiency of the grating are both changed by the polarization state and spectral bandwidth of the input pulsed beam. A method is given of choosing the grating parameters and input conditions to obtain a large variation range of the spectral bandwidth of the diffracted pulsed beam with an appropriate diffraction efficiency. Our study presents a possibility of using a volume holographic grating recorded in anisotropic materials to shape a broadband ultrashort pulsed beam by modulating its polarization state.     

反射型体全息光栅对超短脉冲激光光束衍射的性质

在光栅记录介质色散效应的影响下,拓展Kogelnik的耦合波理论研究了反射型体全息光栅对偏振方向垂直和平行于入射面的超短脉冲激光光束衍射的性质。结果表明对于记录在LiNbO3光折变晶体中的体全息光栅,在色散效应、光栅参量和入射条件的共同影响下,光栅对偏振方向垂直于入射面的超短脉冲激光光束衍射的光谱带宽大于对偏振方向平行于入射面的超短脉冲激光光束衍射的光谱带宽,在不考虑光栅介质色散效应的影响时,它们都变大。进一步给出了衍射光的光谱带宽及光栅的衍射效率随入射脉冲的光谱带宽与光栅的光谱带宽比值的变化情况。     

Intermediate regime for the diffraction of light on ultrasound in gyrotropic anisotropic crystals

An intermediate regime for the diffraction of light on ultrasound in gyrotropic anisotropic and cubic crystals in an external electric field is considered. A system of equations of the coupled waves, which describes acoustooptic diffraction in gyrotropic anisotropic crystals with consideration of the electrically induced optical anisotropy for a strong interaction between light and ultrasound, is presented. An intermediate regime for the diffraction of light on ultrasound in gyrotropic anisotropic crystals which is close to the Bragg regime for a weak acoustooptic interaction is studied. It is shown that the diffracted light is elliptically polarized and that the ellipticity and polarization azimuth of the diffracted wave depend on the anisotropy of the photoelasticity, the electrically induced anisotropy of the crystal in the external electric field, the gyrotropy, and the asymmetry of the diffraction structure. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 80–82 (September 1997)     

Selective properties of volume phase holograms in photorefractive crystals

The paper deals with the selective properties (both angular and spectral) of volume phase holograms in birefringent and cubic optically active photorefractive crystals. It is shown that in birefringent crystals of LiNbO₃ type, the spectral selectivity of the grating depends remarkably on the type of diffraction (isotropic or anisotropic) and the polarization of the reconstructing plane light wave. In cubic optically active crystals the peculiarities of diffraction reveal themselves in a fine structure of differently polarized peaks in the Bragg maximum that can be easily observed, in particular in Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ samples with a thickness d ≈ 8 mm.     

Coupling of orthogonally polarized waves in BaTiO3

The first observation of anisotropic diffraction (with a 90|Mo change of the polarization of the diffracted wave) in BaTiO₃ from a grating recorded by two orthogonally polarized waves, an ordinary and an extraordinary wave, is reported. Three possible origins of this effect are considered: (i) direct one-step diffraction from a grating recorded anisotropically by spatially oscillating photovoltaic currents, (ii) indirect, sequential diffraction from two gratings, each recorded by one incident wave and an additional wave due to light-induced scattering, (iii) direct one-step diffraction from a grating with the grating vector equal to the difference of the grating vectors of two conjugated noisy gratings. The experimental evidence indicates that the process (iii) contributes most, and process (i) more than 10% to the overall diffraction efficiency, whereas process (ii) seems to be of minor importance.     

Thermal polarization properties of thick anisotropic diffraction holograms recorded in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals

The diffraction and polarization properties of thick anisotropic holographic gratings recorded in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals are studied experimentally and theoretically. Such gratings are anisotropic and sensitive to temperature variations and also exhibit a strong dependence of the diffraction properties on the incident radiation polarization because of the presence of liquid-crystal molecules. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency and diffracted beam polarization orientation on the diffraction grating temperature and incident beam linear polarization are obtained for the case of Bragg incidence. The same dependences are derived using the known experimental temperature curves of the liquid crystal permittivity. The experimental data are in agreement with the theoretical calculations. The feasibility of controlling the diffraction characteristics of the grating in a wide temperature interval is demonstrated.     

记录结构对体光栅各向异性衍射选择特性研究

以静态体光栅各向异性衍射理论分析模型为基础,将与体光栅厚度有关的记录光强调制度引入到各向异性耦合波方程中.利用耦合波理论分析了光折变晶体中体光栅的各向异性衍射性能,研究了在不同初始记录光强比的条件下,记录光入射角的改变对光折变体光栅各向异性布喇格衍射性能的影响.结果表明：记录光入射角和记录光初始光强比均对体光栅的各向异性衍射具有选择性;与此相比,记录光入射角和记录光初始光强比对于体光栅各向同性衍射不具备选择性.     

Self-imaging by a volume grating

The self-image phenomenon by a volume grating is proposed and theoretically analyzed. A theoretical model based on a path integral formulation to describe wave propagation through the grating inhomogeneous medium is applied. A modified version of the scalar diffraction theory Fresnel propagator is obtained which allows calculating the diffracted field amplitude by the grating. The proposed model is applied to amplitude and/or phase volume gratings. Remarkable features appear, in particular at the fractional Talbot distance 0.125z_T. In this case, if an in-phase real and imaginary grating modulation is considered a self-image intensity profile is observed for determined values of the absorptive and refractive parameters. On the other hand, a spatial comb intensity profile for a near half period shift between the real and imaginary grating modulations is found.     

光轴方向任意时光折变晶体中体全息光栅的衍射性质

利用坐标旋转方法和Kogelnik耦合波理论,建立了光轴方向任意时单轴晶体中体光栅布拉格衍射的耦合波方程,分析了Li NbO3晶体的光轴方向对光折变体全息光栅的各向同性和各向异性布拉格衍射性质的影响。模拟计算表明,在给定光栅的结构参量时,通过适当选择光轴方向角可以使得光折变体光栅的各向同性和各向异性布拉格衍射的衍射效率达到最大,给出了相应类型的衍射效率取得最大值时晶体光轴的大致方向。这些理论分析为光折变体全息光学器件的优化设计和进一步广泛应用提供了很好的理论参考依据。     

Grating matrix method to describe a volume transmission diffraction grating

In this work we present a grating matrix method to describe the properties of volume transmission diffraction gratings. The grating matrix will be introduced by using Kogelnik’s coupled wave theory so that the amplitudes of the diffracted and transmitted orders can be obtained at any point of the grating by knowing the values at the input. The use of the grating matrix method will permit predicting the efficiency of the first reflected order which cannot be predicted by only using Kogelnik’s formulation. The results obtained by using this method will be compared to those obtained using the rigorous coupled wave theory and also by the results obtained correcting Kogelnik’s expressions for the transmission and diffraction efficiency to take into account Fresnel losses. As will be seen by using the grating matrix method we will be able to describe the interference pattern created by multiple diffracted waves due to reflections at the boundaries of the diffraction grating, which cannot be predicted using Kogelnik’s coupled wave theory.     

超短脉冲激光光束在一维反射型体全息光栅中的衍射

基于Kogelnik的耦合波理论,研究了在色散效应的影响下,超短脉冲激光光束在反射型体全息光栅中衍射的性质.研究给出了衍射光及透射光在频谱域及时间域的振幅及强度分布、光栅的光谱宽度及衍射效率随光栅参量及入射条件的变化.数值研究的结果表明,在光栅记录介质色散效应的影响下,衍射光束的光谱宽度减小,脉冲展宽,衍射效率降低.通过适当的选取光栅参量及入射条件,可以控制衍射和透射光束的频谱和时间强度分布,得到满意的衍射和透射光束的带宽和波形,从而可以将其应用于脉冲整形等技术中.     

掺杂KNSBN晶体各向异性自衍射的耦合波分析

在晶体光轴垂直于入射面的各向异性实验组态下,对掺杂KNSBN晶体的各向异性自衍射过程进行了理论分析和实验观测,给出了包含空间电荷场前两阶分量作用的各向异性自衍射的耦合波方程及其数值解。理论分析和实验结果都表明各向异性自衍射光来自于两束入射光的共同作用。     

Polarizing diffraction-grating triplicators

We report experimental results with a reflective continuous anisotropic polarizing diffraction-grating beam splitter that produces three diffraction orders. The diffraction efficiencies and polarizations of the diffracted orders are controlled through the incoming polarization state and by use of a wave plate with arbitrary orientation located between the grating and a mirror. In particular, we show experimental evidence of a diffraction triplicator-a 100% efficiency diffractive device that generates three orders with equal power.     

The Bragg Diffraction of Light at Acoustophotorefractive Holographic Gratings in Gyrotropic Cubic Crystals

We investigate diffraction of light at phase holographic-type gratings recorded by a piezoactive ultrasonic wave in gyrotropic cubic photorefractive crystals. We show that the efficiency of diffraction at a holographic grating can be increased substantially by applying a d.c. field to a crystal under the conditions of a longitudinal electrooptical effect; elliptical polarization of diffracted light is determined by electrically induced anisotropy of a crystal in the piezofield of a photorefractive grating, by the external electric field, detuning of phase synchronism, gyrotropy of the crystal, ultrasound frequency, and the time of recombination of charge carriers.     

Digital volume gratings

An optical element constructed by stacking a set of binary-phase grating sheets can simulate the functions of optically recorded volume gratings. Our electromagnetic numerical study also shows that if one of the grating sheets is replaced by another one with different grating period, power spectrum of the diffracted wave changes completely with extra diffraction orders. This property will claim strong advantage in security document applications. Analysis of alignment error reveals interesting phenomena concerning to how misalignment affects diffraction efficiency.     

超声光栅测声速的方法运用到液体表面波波速的测量

理论上分析了超声光栅衍射和液体表面波光栅衍射,得到了表面波光栅衍射图样与表面波参数的解析关系.实验上得到清晰的衍射图样,利用表面波光栅衍射法测量了液体表面波波速,实验结果与理论值误差不超过1%.     

超短脉冲激光光束被局域体全息光栅衍射的性质分析

利用二维耦合波理论,分析了超短脉冲激光光束被完全重叠型的局域体全息光栅衍射的时空变化性质,给出了衍射和透射脉冲激光光束沿光栅出射边界的强度时空分布。以LiNbO3晶体为例,数值研究了衍射光脉冲强度沿光栅出射边界的分布和脉冲波形的变化及光栅的总衍射效率受光栅二维尺寸、入射角度、光栅折射率调制度及入射脉冲的脉冲时域半峰全宽等条件的影响而变化的情况。与一维体全息光栅对超短脉冲激光光束衍射的性质,及此光栅对连续光衍射的性质作比较,给出了合理选择光栅参量及入射条件以在光栅出射边界上得到总衍射效率较大且分布较均匀的衍射光脉冲的方法。     

Boundary effects in the diffraction of light by volume gratings: II. Phase transmission gratings

The two-wave approximation of the method of characteristics modes is used to analyze theoretically the diffraction of light by volume phase transmission gratings for arbitrary proportions between the average refractive index of the grating and the refractive indices of the ambient media. Simple expressions are derived for calculating the amplitudes of the diffracted waves in the case where the angle of incidence of the primary wave coincides with the Bragg angle. The roles of the front and back boundaries of the grating are discussed separately, and a new method for separating the contribution of the boundary diffraction, which is due to the periodic inhomogeneity of the grating boundaries, is proposed. The experimental possibility of selecting partial Bloch waves in the measurements of the diffraction efficiency of gratings that have high reflection coefficients of both boundaries is demonstrated.     

Diffraction properties of ultrashort pulsed beams with arbitrary temporal profiles by a volume holographic grating

In this paper, the diffraction properties of an ultrashort optical pulse with arbitrary profiles in time diffracted by a volume holographic grating are investigated using the modified Kogelnik coupled-wave theory. Simple analytical expressions for the spectrum and spatial profiles of the transmitted and diffracted beams are obtained. The dependences of the diffraction bandwidth, the Bragg selectivity bandwidth and the total diffraction efficiency of the volume grating on the temporal profiles of the input ultrashort pulse are investigated. For three different temporal profiles, numerical results of diffraction properties are given. It is shown that the temporal shapes of the input pulsed beams have been found to be an important factor in the analyses of the propagation characteristics.     

局域体全息光栅的衍射特性

基于三维耦合波理论，研究了两束有限宽度的任意偏振平面波干涉产生的局域体全息光栅的衍射问题。以单位均匀振幅的任意偏振平面波为例，给出了透射波和衍射波振幅的主分量和交叉分量的解析表达式，讨论了记录过程和再现过程中入射的参考光波的偏振角对透射波和衍射波振幅的影响。计算结果表明，记录过程中的偏振角越小，形成的光栅内的耦合越强，衍射效率越高，但光束质量越差；再现过程中不同的偏振角，由于入射波和衍射波的电矢量的不同方向的耦合强弱不同，透射波和衍射波振幅的主分量和交叉分量的振幅变化行为不同。