Nonlinear electric dipole polarizations of centrosymmetric media at the interaction of fundamental and second harmonic waves

Dominant nonlinear electric dipole polarizations at the interaction of fundamental and second harmonic waves in centrosymmetric media without and with memory are treated in this paper. The process of forming a permanent spatially periodic quadratic susceptibility grating in the medium with memory is described from the phenomenological point of view.Dedicated to the Czechoslovak Student Movement '89.     

Continuous-wave photothermal deflection spectroscopy with fundamental and harmonic responses

A diffraction theory of continuous-wave photothermal deflection (PD) spectroscopy with fundamental and harmonic responses is presented. The displacement of the probe beam centroid is found to be a rigorous measurement of PD effect, which leads to a set of analytical solutions to the fundamental and the second-order harmonics. Harmonics are caused by the diffraction of the probe beam in the mirage region, which could not be handled by geometric-optics theory. This theory can be used to study bulk materials, thin films, and layered-structure samples. Experimental results are in good agreement with the theory.     

A study of millimeter wave cusptron

The interaction between electron beam and RF fields of H₈₁₁ -mode in an eighth harmonic cusptron at f₀=35GH_z is studied numerically. The finite thickness and eccentricity of a rotating annular electron beam and the cusp magnetic field in the imbalance case (B_c–B₀) are considered in the mumerical calculation. The results show that these pratical factors have a great influence upon the electron efficieency.     

Comparison of fundamental and wideband harmonic contrast imaging of liver tumors

Wideband harmonic imaging (with phase inversion for improved tissue suppression) was compared to fundamental imaging in vivo. Four woodchucks with naturally occurring liver tumors were injected with Imagent (Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., San Diego, CA). Randomized combinations of dose (0.05, 0.2 and 0.4 ml/kg) and acoustic output power (AO; 5, 25 and 63% or MI < or = 0.9) were imaged in gray scale using a Sonoline Elegra scanner (Siemens Medical Systems, Issaquah, WA). Tumor vascularity, conspicuity and contrast enhancement were rated by three independent observers. Imagent produced marked tumor enhancement and improved depiction of neovascularity at all dosages and AO settings in both modes. Tumor vascularity and enhancement correlated with mode, dose and AO (P < 0.002). Fundamental imaging produced more enhancement (P < 0.05), but tumor vascularity and conspicuity were best appreciated in harmonic mode (P < 0.05). Under the conditions studied here, the best approach was wideband harmonic imaging with 0.2 ml/kg of Imagent at an AO of 25%.     

Investigation of transmit and receive performance at the fundamental and third harmonic resonance frequency of a medical ultrasound transducer

In this study, the phenomenon of higher harmonic thickness resonance of a piezoelectric transducer was used to investigate potentially additional sensitivity at the third harmonic frequency for conventional medical transducers. The motivation for this research is that some applications in medical ultrasound (e.g. third harmonic transmit phasing and contrast imaging) need probes which are sensitive around both the fundamental and third harmonic frequencies, and that these higher harmonic thickness modes, although often considered as undesired, might be used beneficially. The novelty aspect in this study is the presented transmit and receive potential at both the fundamental and third harmonic of a conventional cardiac probe with modified electrical tuning. Elements of an experimental PZT-based phased-array probe (f_c = 3 MHz, 64 elements, element width = 0.3 mm, elevation aperture = 13 mm) were electrically retuned with series inductors around the third harmonic resonance frequency at 10 MHz. Hydrophone measurements with 10-MHz-tuned elements showed that, as compared to a conventionally tuned element, the transmit transfer function at the third harmonic increased more than 23 dB, while the sensitivity at the fundamental frequency was only 6 dB lower. Pulse-echo measurements showed that the two-way transfer function of a 10-MHz-tuned element resulted in 20 dB increased sensitivity around the third harmonic as compared to an untuned element. Simulated transfer functions, from both a 1D KLM and 2D finite element model of an element of the experimental array transducer, confirmed the measured sensitivity peaks at the fundamental and third harmonic. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the effect of changing the electrical tuning on a conventional array transducer which increased the sensitivity around the third harmonic resonance frequency, while maintaining good sensitivity at the fundamental frequency.     

Perceptual learning of fundamental frequency discrimination: effects of fundamental frequency, harmonic number, and component phase

Thresholds (F0DLs) were measured for discrimination of the fundamental frequency (F0) of a group of harmonics (group B) embedded in harmonics with a fixed F0. Miyazono and Moore [(2009). Acoust. Sci. & Tech. 30, 383386] found a large training effect for tones with high harmonics in group B, when the harmonics were added in cosine phase. It is shown here that this effect was due to use of a cue related to pitch pulse asynchrony (PPA). When PPA cues were disrupted by introducing a temporal offset between the envelope peaks of the harmonics in group B and the remaining harmonics, F0DLs increased markedly. Perceptual learning was examined using a training stimulus with cosine-phase harmonics, F0 = 50 Hz, and high harmonics in group B, under conditions where PPA was not useful. Learning occurred, and it transferred to other cosine-phase tones, but not to random-phase tones. A similar experiment with F0 = 100 Hz showed a learning effect which transferred to a cosine-phase tone with mainly high unresolved harmonics, but not to cosine-phase tones with low harmonics, and not to random-phase tones. The learning found here appears to be specific to tones for which F0 discrimination is based on distinct peaks in the temporal envelope.     

Robust and accurate fundamental frequency estimation based on dominant harmonic components

This paper presents a new method for robust and accurate fundamental frequency (F0) estimation in the presence of background noise and spectral distortion. Degree of dominance and dominance spectrum are defined based on instantaneous frequencies. The degree of dominance allows one to evaluate the magnitude of individual harmonic components of the speech signals relative to background noise while reducing the influence of spectral distortion. The fundamental frequency is more accurately estimated from reliable harmonic components which are easy to select given the dominance spectra. Experiments are performed using white and babble background noise with and without spectral distortion as produced by a SRAEN filter. The results show that the present method is better than previously reported methods in terms of both gross and fine F0 errors.     

Study of narrow-band second harmonic generation from a broad-band fundamental pulse

This paper studies the type-I phase-matched second harmonic generation using 25-fs input laser pulses in a thick BBO crystal.The harmonic signal exhibits a narrow spectrum bandwidth,even though the input pulse has a broad bandwidth.The energy transfer efficiency and modulation of the fundamental spectrum are investigated.     

Performance testing of medical ultrasound equipment: fundamental vs. harmonic mode

Assessment of the performance of medical ultrasound equipment is generally based on the image quality in fundamental mode. Recent development of the so-called tissue harmonic imaging (THI) mode induces the need for assessment of differences in the quality of imaging in THI vs. fundamental imaging mode. Quality features to be tested are sensitivity (penetration depth), spatial resolution, contrast resolution, lesion signal-to-noise ratio, and tissue-to-clutter ratio (TCR). These features are explained and examples are shown. The main conclusion from a comparison of the results for the two imaging modes might be that when using THI improvement of TCR, in particular in the near field, is obtained at the expense of a loss in axial resolution. Furthermore, lesion detection is not significantly improved.     

Second harmonic generation: Effects of the multiple reflections of the fundamental and the second harmonic waves on the Maker fringes

The Maker fringes technique is commonly used for the determination of nonlinear optical coefficients. In this article, we present a new formulation of Maker fringes in parallel-surface samples, using boundary conditions taking into account the anisotropy of the crystal, the refractive-index dispersion, and the reflections of the fundamental and the second harmonic waves inside the material. Complete expressions for the generated second harmonic intensity are given for birefringent crystals for the case of no pump depletion. A comparison between theory and experimental results is made, showing the accuracy of our theoretical expressions.     

Comparison of fundamental, second harmonic, and superharmonic imaging: a simulation study

In medical ultrasound, fundamental imaging (FI) uses the reflected echoes from the same spectral band as that of the emitted pulse. The transmission frequency determines the trade-off between penetration depth and spatial resolution. Tissue harmonic imaging (THI) employs the second harmonic of the emitted frequency band to construct images. Recently, superharmonic imaging (SHI) has been introduced, which uses the third to the fifth (super) harmonics. The harmonic level is determined by two competing phenomena: nonlinear propagation and frequency dependent attenuation. Thus, the transmission frequency yielding the optimal trade-off between the spatial resolution and the penetration depth differs for THI and SHI. This paper quantitatively compares the concepts of fundamental, second harmonic, and superharmonic echocardiography at their optimal transmission frequencies. Forward propagation is modeled using a 3D-KZK implementation and the iterative nonlinear contrast source (INCS) method. Backpropagation is assumed to be linear. Results show that the fundamental lateral beamwidth is the narrowest at focus, while the superharmonic one is narrower outside the focus. The lateral superharmonic roll-off exceeds the fundamental and second harmonic roll-off. Also, the axial resolution of SHI exceeds that of FI and THI. The far-field pulse-echo superharmonic pressure is lower than that of the fundamental and second harmonic. SHI appears suited for echocardiography and is expected to improve its image quality at the cost of a slight reduction in depth-of-field.     

Voice segregation by difference in fundamental frequency: evidence for harmonic cancellation

Two experiments investigated listeners' ability to use a difference of two semitones in fundamental frequency (F0) to segregate a target voice from harmonic complex tones, with speech-like spectral profiles. Masker partials were in random phase (experiment 1) or in sine phase (experiment 2) and stimuli were presented over headphones. Target's and masker's harmonicity were each distorted by F0 modulation and reverberation. The F0 of each source was manipulated (monotonized or modulated by 2 semitones at 5 Hz) factorially. In addition, all sources were presented from the same location in a virtual room with controlled reverberation, assigned factorially to each source. In both experiments, speech reception thresholds increased by about 2 dB when the F0 of the masker was modulated and increased by about 6 dB when, in addition to F0 modulation, the masker was reverberant. Masker partial phases did not influence the results. The results suggest that F0-segregation relies upon the masker's harmonicity, which is disrupted by rapid modulation. This effect is compounded by reverberation. In addition, F0-segregation was found to be independent of the depth of masker envelope modulations.     

Second harmonic generation in proustite using a HF laser as the fundamental

Second harmonic generation in proustite is reported for the first time using a HF laser as the fundamental. The angular dependence of the S.H. power has been studied. A conversion efficiency of about 3% has been obtained.     

局域基谐波频谱峰值比的超声图像融合

提出一种局域基谐波频谱峰值比(LFHR)的超声图像融合方法。首先,分离超声射频信号基谐波,计算二者的局域频谱峰值比,确定融合权值;然后,加权平均基谐波成分,得到融合射频信号;最后,经过希尔伯特变换、对数压缩、插值/降采样生成B超融合图像。非均匀囊肿组织模型仿真结果表明,LFHR法获取的融合图像较原始图像的对比度、对比度噪声比、组织杂波比分别提高2.44倍、2.80倍及3.22倍,谐波成分谱能量提高83%。人体颈动脉临床实验结果进一步验证了LFHR法的有效性。综上,LFHR法获得了组织轮廓清晰内部细节丰富的B超融合图像,图像质量显著提高。     

Photoemission and ionization of He+ under simultaneous irradiation of fundamental laser and high-order harmonic pulses

We theoretically study the response of He+ exposed simultaneously to an intense Ti:sapphire laser and its 27th or 13th harmonic pulses. High-order harmonic emission from He+ is enhanced by many orders of magnitude compared with the case of the fundamental pulse alone. Moreover, while an individual 10 fs laser (wavelength lambda(F)=800 nm) or its 27th harmonic pulse with a peak intensity of 3 x 10(14) and 10(13) W/cm(2), respectively, ionizes no more than 5 x 10(-6) of He+, their combined pulse leads to a surprisingly high He2+ yield of 17%.     

Third harmonic generation in layered media in presence of optical bistability of the fundamental

We study third harmonic generation in layered configuration when the fundamental exhibits bistable response. We consider two geometries, namely, a Fabry-Perot cavity with reflection coatings and a distributed feedback structure with alternate nonlinear layers. In both the cases for suitable choice of frequency, the power response at the fundamental frequency is bistable. We show that bistability of the fundamental leads to a multivalued character of the generated third harmonic in both the forward and backward directions. Moreover, we study frequency response in the case of the Fabry-Perot cavity and show that additional structures arise in the generated third harmonic due to frequency bistability of the fundamental. Our calculations suggest the possibility of an all optical switch at third harmonic frequency controlled by the parameters (like intensity, frequency) of the fundamental.     

Interactive length of fundamental wave and second harmonic generated on the surface of anomalous dispersion medium

In this Letter, a new method is presented to calculate the interactive length between the fundamental wave and second harmonic generation(SHG) for the configuration of total internal reflection on the inner surface of a nonlinear crystal. Three independent experiments are designed to measure the bandwidths of this second harmonic wave. The theoretical expression of the intensity of SHG is obtained through a nonlinear coupled wave equation. The interactive length of this phase-matched SHG can be calculated mathematically by utilizing the measured bandwidths and the intensity equation. There is no existing method to obtain the interactive length either from theoretical calculations or by experimental measurement. This method can be applied to estimate the extremely short interactive volume in nonlinear processes.     

Optical harmonic generation in magnetic garnet epitaxial films near the fundamental absorption edge

Spectra of the second and third optical harmonics generated in epitaxial films of magnetic garnets were studied in the ranges 1.7–3.2 and 2.4–4.2 eV, respectively. A large magnetic contrast was revealed in second-optical-harmonic spectra, which reaches 100% at certain photon energies. By contrast, the symmetry-allowed magnetic contribution to spectra of the third optical harmonic was not found. While linear absorption in ferrite-garnet films grows by two orders of magnitude above the fundamental absorption edge at ～3.2 eV, the intensity of nonlinear spectra did not reveal any noticeable increase over this spectral range.     

Enhanced photoemission and ionization of He+ by simultaneous irradiation of fundamental laser and high-order harmonic pulses

We simulate the response of He⁺ exposed simultaneously to fundamental and 27th harmonic pulses from an intense Ti:sapphire laser. High-order harmonic emission from He⁺ is enhanced by 17 orders of magnitude compared with the case of the fundamental pulse alone. Moreover, while an individual 10 fs laser with a fundamental wavelength of 800 nm and a peak intensity of 3×10¹⁴ W/cm², or its 27th harmonic pulse with a peak intensity of 10¹³ W/cm², ionizes no more than 5×10^-6 of He⁺, their combined pulses lead to a surprisingly high He²⁺ yield of 17%. The underlying mechanism is either harmonic generation from a coherent superposition of states or two-color frequency mixing, depending on the laser wavelength. PACS 32.80.Rm; 42.50.Hz; 42.65.Ky     

非线性光波导中基波和二次谐波的模场分布研究

非线性波导是一种重要的光量子器件。采用马卡梯里近似,可以近似描述波导的模场分布特征。针对ee-e准相位匹配的周期极化铌酸锂波导,分析波长为1 064 nm的基波和532 nm的二次谐波的基模模场分布。结果表明:如果波导为嵌入型正方形波导,基波和二次谐波的光斑基本为圆形,基波场分布范围较大;在截面正方形边长为5 μm并且芯区比包层折射率略高0.02时,波导就能将两种光波场基本约束在芯区中,但是这种波导边长为0.5 μm时约束能力就变得很差;如果采用芯区与包层折射率差别较大的波导,芯区边长为0.5 μm就可以将两种场分布基本约束在芯区中。结果对分析其他类型的非线性波导的模场分布具有指导意义。