Optical manifestations of planar chirality

We report that planar chiral structures affect the polarization state of light in a manner similar to three-dimensional chiral (optical active) media. In experiments with artificial metal-on-silicon chiral planar gratings of 442 wallpaper group symmetry, containing millions of chiral elements per square centimeter, we observed rotation of the polarization azimuth in excess of 30 degrees of light diffracted from it. The rotation was found to change its sign for two enantiomeric forms of the media and to have components associated with both the structural arrangement and the chirality of individual structural elements.     

Geometrical confinement effects on the magnetization and polarization response in resonant magneto-optic rotator waveguides

Control of magnetization is central to the performance of magneto-optical switches and isolators. Photonic crystal technology on these devices can yield significant improvements in polarization rotation efficiency and an overall reduction in device dimensions. The optical response and field reversal characteristics of resonant magneto-optic polarization rotators fabricated on chip are presented herein and analyzed by micromagnetic simulation. By introducing domain-strip structures into the resonant cavity of Bragg gratings formed on magnetic garnet films, a bi-stable magnetic state is demonstrated and the enhancement of characteristic saturation field is studied. Domain closure loops between the strips affect the hysteresis response in the resonant cavity. Large magneto-optic rotations exceeding 45° are produced near resonance between 1500 and 1580 nm in the stop-bands, although the presence of linear birefringence in these gyrotropic waveguides strongly suppresses the Faraday rotation outside the stop-bands and degrades the linearity of the output polarization.     

Propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams obtained by use of quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements

Propagation-invariant vectorial Bessel beams with linearly polarized axial symmetry based on quantized Pancharatnam-Berry phase optical elements are described. The geometric phase is formed through the use of discrete computer-generated space-variant subwavelength dielectric gratings. We have verified the polarization properties of our elements for laser radiation at 10.6-microm wavelength and also demonstrated propagation-invariant, controlled rotation of a propeller-shaped intensity pattern through the simple rotation of a polarizer.     

Broadband Terahertz Polarization Converter and Asymmetric Transmission Based on Coupled Dielectric‐Metal Grating

Coupled dielectric‐metal gratings are investigated for broadband terahertz (THz) wave polarization conversion and asymmetric transmission by the experiments and numerical simulations, which are composed of the subwavelength Si grating and metallic wire grating layers. The dielectric grating layer with a large artificial birefringence and low dispersion is employed as a phase engineered waveplate, and the metal wire grating arranged with a 45° angle to the dielectric grating is utilized as a high‐efficiency polarizer. Due to the subwavelength integration, this coupled grating presents a local resonance coupling mechanism between dielectric and metal gratings, which greatly enhances the polarization rotation and expands the bandwidth, not a simple combination with dielectric and metallic gratings. The results demonstrate that a broadband asymmetric transmission with an extinction ratio of 30dB from 0.2 to 1.2 THz is achieved and the highest transmission of 90% can be obtained. It provides a simple way towards practical applications for THz artificial dispersion materials, polarization control and asymmetric transmission.     

Influence of radiation coherence on the effects of polarization nonreciprocity of fiber ring interferometers

In this paper, we consider the effects of polarization nonreciprocity taking into account coherence or partial coherence of radiation at the output of a fiber ring interferometer (FRI) and discuss the possibility of occurrence of additional effects of polarization nonreciprocity at the output of an FRI with a broadband radiation source due to the coherent component of radiation resulting from the coupling of orthogonal modes at the output segments of the fiber. Allowing for the coherence, we estimate the temperature instability of the interferometer signal related to the polarization nonreciprocity. The features of the polarization nonreciprocity effects for a fiber ring interferometer with polarizer or dichroism are considered. It is shown that if the conditions of conventional reciprocity theorem (no rotation) are satisfied for the interferometer, then the polarization nonreciprocity effects become hidden and cannot be detected in the interference signal without a priori information on the character of birefringence and on the orientation of anisotropic elements of the fiber loop of the interferometer and polarizer.     

两种亚波长金属波片的透射特性对比

综合等效介质理论和表面等离子激元(SPP)Bloch模型,对比分析了两种新的亚波长光栅结构:二维矩形金属光栅和二维椭圆柱金属光栅。利用时域有限差分(FDTD)算法,对比分析了两种结构的透射率及其相位延迟与入射光波长及偏振角变化的关系,尤其两种结构实现λ/4波片功能所对应的透射特性。仿真结果表明,当入射光偏振角为75°时,两种结构均可实现λ/4波片功能,此时二维矩形和椭圆柱金属光栅的透射率分别为0.77和0.67,表明二维矩形金属光栅比椭圆柱光栅具有更好的透射效果。对应550～800nm的入射波长,两种光栅在各自允许的入射偏振角范围内均表现了较为平坦的宽带透射特性。     

Transition radiation in a system of two cascaded gratings

Transition radiation that arises when a charged particle passes through two consecutive plane gratings is considered. The gratings are made up of parallel metal wires. The planes of the gratings are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the direction of motion of the particle. The conductors of one of the gratings are perpendicular to the conductors of the other. It is shown that the generated transition radiation has elliptic polarization; the ellipticity and the sign of rotation depend on the angle of radiation, the distance between the gratings, and the velocity of the charged particle.     

Genetic algorithm-based design method for multilevel anisotropic diffraction gratings

We developed a method for the design of multilevel anisotropic diffraction gratings based on a genetic algorithm. The method is used to design the multilevel anisotropic diffraction gratings based on input data that represent the output from the required grating. The validity of the proposed method was evaluated by designing a multilevel anisotropic diffraction grating using the outputs from an orthogonal circular polarization grating. The design results corresponded to the orthogonal circular polarization grating structures that were used to provide outputs to act as the input data for the process. Comparison with existing design methods shows that the proposed method can reduce the number of human processes that are required to design multilevel anisotropic diffraction gratings. Additionally, the method will be able to design complex structures without any requirement for subsequent examination by a human designer. The method can contribute to the development of optical elements by designing multilevel anisotropic diffraction gratings.     

Complex fiber grating structures fabricated by sequential writing with polarization control

We propose a flexible method for fabricating complex fiber grating structures based on sequential writing for fiber gratings with polarization control of the UV source beam. Pure apodized as well as arbitrary phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) can be fabricated in a single scan. Experimental examples of raised-cos2 apodized and dispersionless FBG filters are given to demonstrate the feasibility of this method.     

Optical microscopy of quasi-periodic structures induced upon excitation of waveguide TE and TM modes under irradiation of AgCl-Ag films by a laser beam

This paper reports on the results of analyzing the conditions under which quasi-periodic structures induced in AgCl-Ag photosensitive films by a linearly polarized Gaussian laser beam (λ=633 nm) can be clearly observed with the use of an optical microscope. It is shown that quasi-periodic structures with vectors K ∥ E (where E is the vector of polarization of the inducing beam) and periods d > λ are effectively formed upon excitation of waveguide TM₀ modes at a large angle of incidence (φ=70°) and the p polarization of the inducing beam. Exposure of the film on a 60° glass prism to a p-polarized beam incident on the sample at an angle φ=60° from the side of the glass leads to the effective formation of primary gratings with vectors K⊥E (due to the excitation of waveguide TM₀ modes) and secondary oblique gratings. The specific features of the quasi-periodic structures and the correlation between the primary and secondary gratings are revealed and analyzed.     

Photonic density and nonreciprocal optical properties in chiral liquid crystals

Nonreciprocal optical properties of anisotropic (nano-film) heterostructures made of a cholesteric and nematic liquid crystal (CLC-NLC) layers are studied. Namely, a NLC-CLC (and CLC-NLC) structures are considered in which the NLC layer is a quarter-wave plate. The problem is exactly solvable by Ambartsumians’ modified layer addition and Mullers’ transfer-matrix methods. The peculiarities of the polarization dependent properties, such as the photonic density of states, reflection spectra, the polarization plane rotation and ellipticity spectra are investigated. It is shown that such a system canwork as a light modulator, an element for obtaining linearly polarized light with an electrically tunable polarization plane rotation, or a transformer of non-polarized source into linearly polarized light. The analysis of the optical properties in investigated structures can be used for design of perspective optical diodes, microlasers and multifunctional elements on chiral liquid crystals with electrically tunable polarization plane rotation and field controlled light polarization.     

Polarization gratings in twisted-nematic liquid-crystal composites doped with azobenzene dye

Highly efficient and functionalized polarization gratings have been recorded in azobenzene-containing mesogenic composites with twisted nematic cell configurations. The polarization gratings formed in azobenzene-containing mesogenic composites show a high diffraction efficiency of more than 45% and convert the polarization state of light at the same time. The polarization direction of the diffracted laser beams can be controlled by the twisted angle of the nematic cell. These characteristics of the polarization gratings are well explained by means of Jones calculus.     

Subwavelength gratings fabricated on semiconductor substrates via E-beam lithography and lift-off method

We present results of the fabrication and measurements on reflective polarizers consisting of stacked bi-layer subwavelength metal gratings prepared on GaAs (100) substrates. These linear gratings were fabricated using electron-beam direct-writing lithography and the lift-off method with periods less than the wavelength of light used for measurements. At normal incidence, the polarizer reflects the light polarized perpendicular to the grating lines (transverse magnetic polarization, TM polarized) but absorbs parallel-polarized light (transverse electric polarization, TE polarized). By optimizing structural parameters, the polarization extinction ratio close to 20 has been experimentally achieved at wavelength of 650 nm.     

Magnetic field effects on coherent backscattering of light

We have studied the influence of magneto-optical Faraday rotation on coherent backscattering of light experimentally, theoretically and by computer simulations of Monte-Carlo type. The consistency of these three approaches reveals new aspects of the propagation of vector waves in turbid media with and without Faraday rotation. Experimentally, we have demonstrated that the Faraday rotation may almost completely destroy the reciprocity of light paths. However, as shown by the simulations, the cone of coherent backscattering may not only be destroyed but also shifted off the exact backscattering direction, parallel to the magnetic field, as long as the amount of circular polarization is not completely destroyed by the multiple scattering. The relationship between coherent backscattering, depolarization and Faraday rotation are explained by a simple path model of vector waves. This leads to a new characteristic correlation length required to properly describe the influence of Faraday rotation on multiple light scattering. Received 28 January 2000     

The influence of the polarization effect in Talbot self-imaging of high-density gratings

The Talbot self-imaging of high-density gratings with different period at half Talbot distance for different polarization is analyzed with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The numerical results indicate that the Talbot self-imaging of high-density gratings is obviously different for different polarization when the period d of the grating between 2λ and 3λ, which is verified through experimental results with the scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) technique. Furthermore, the Fourier spectrum (far field) generated by the gratings is also given with the rigorous coupled-wave method, which is in agreement with the near field.     

Reciprocity of Faraday effect in ferrofluid: Comparison with magneto-optical glass

The transmission light intensity method is carried out on a classical platform to study the reciprocity of Faraday effect in water-based Fe₃O₄ ferrofluid and its diluents. Setting the polarization direction of the analyzer at an angle of 45° to that of the polarizer, the switchable DC magnetic field and the alternating magnetic field are imposed to ferrofluid. The ferrofluid film is replaced by magneto-optical glass for contrastive experiments. The results indicate that ferrofluid is different with magneto-optical glass. Even though the direction of magnetic field is reversed, the rotation direction of the polarized light does not change for ferrofluid. The theoretical model of magneto-optical rotation was used to describe the origin of the reciprocity of Faraday effect in ferrofluid and the non-reciprocity in magneto-optical glass. These findings suggest that the magnetic moments of nanoparticles in ferrofluid tend to the same orientation with the magnetic field because of the rotation of particles.     

光纤激光陀螺系统的优化设计

分析研究了光纤激光陀螺系统的工作原理和基本构成,根据系统中各器件的性能指标对光纤激光陀螺的基本结构、性能参数进行了计算机模拟优化设计。采用双向激射双向输出结构保证光路的互易性。利用光纤环形器、掺铒光纤和光纤Bragg光栅实现滤模、选模和压缩线宽功能。针对其输出信号特点,提出利用偏振分束的方式判断陀螺工作转动方向,并最终计算陀螺转动角速度的信号处理方案。     

Polarization holographic gratings in hybrid solgel films doped with Disperse Red 1

Polarization holographic gratings in sp configuration are written at 488 nm in photorefractive organic-inorganic films based on SiO2. The films, prepared by a solgel technique, contain Disperse Red 1, carbazole units, and 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone. The gratings are characterized by their diffraction efficiency for a 632.8-nm probe. The polarization gratings act as a half-wave plate, and the diffraction efficiency is independent of the polarization direction of the probe.     

Power penalty of cascaded Bragg gratings in the presence of PMD and PDL

Considering the presence of birefringence in Bragg gratings, the spectral polarization mode dispersion (PMD) and polarization dependent loss (PDL) induced power penalty of eye opening is examined for a network with cascaded Bragg gratings. It is shown that when the birefringence in the grating is less than 10⁻⁵, the induced power penalty is less than 0.1 dB for a network with up to 30 cascaded Bragg gratings. However, when the grating birefringence is on the order of 10⁻⁴, the induced power penalty can be as high as 5.6 dB for a network with 14 cascaded Bragg gratings.     

Formation of linearly polarized light with axial symmetry by use of space-variant subwavelength gratings

We present a novel method for forming linearly polarized axially symmetric beams with various polarization orders that is based on computer-generated space-variant subwavelength gratings. We introduce and experimentally demonstrate that our space-variant polarization state manipulations are accompanied by a phase modification of a helical structure that results from the Pancharatnam-Berry phase. We have verified the polarization properties of our gratings for laser radiation at 10.6-microm wavelength.