Ultracompact high-efficiency polarizing beam splitter with a hybrid photonic crystal and conventional waveguide structure

We propose an ultracompact high-efficiency polarizing beam splitter that operates over a wide wavelength range and is based on a hybrid photonic crystal and a conventional waveguide structure. Within a small area (15 microm x 10 microm), this polarizing beam splitter separates TM- and TE-polarized modes into orthogonal output waveguides. Results of simulations with the two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method show that 99.3% of TM-polarized light is deflected by the photonic crystal structure (with a 28.0-dB extinction ratio), whereas 99.0% of TE-polarized light propagates through the structure (with a 32.2-dB extinction ratio). Wave vector diagrams are employed to explain the operation of a polarizing beam splitter. Tolerance analysis reveals a large tolerance to fabrication errors.     

Real-time dual-wavelength digital holographic microscopy based on polarizing separation

We report on a manifold advanced dual-wavelength digital holographic microscopy (DHM) configuration with a real-time measurement capability. The proposed configuration based on a polarizing separation scheme can be used for microscopic imaging polarimetry as well as dual wavelength digital holographic microscopy. In this paper, we show the feasibility of the proposed scheme by conducting the dual wavelength DHM experiments on a sample with a step height of 1.34 μm nominally. An averaging technique is treated and three-dimensional (3D) topographic measurements are presented. The results obtained by the proposed polarization separation based single shot DHM approach shows it can provide a real time solution for measuring 3D profile information of small objects with excellent accuracy.     

Dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes-Raman scattering microscopy

We introduce dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes-Raman scattering (dual-CARS) microscopy. This new technique permits simultaneous imaging of two species characterized by different molecular vibrations, as well as the removal of nonresonant background. This is achieved by using three synchronized laser pulses probing two different vibrations. We demonstrate the virtues of the method by imaging a mixture of nondeuterated and deuterated lipids, clearly distinguishing the individual components and their organization in the mixed arrangement. Further, dual-CARS images of lipid stores in living Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes show that the suppression of the nonresonant background results in significantly enhanced image contrast.     

Heterodyne coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging

We have achieved rapid nonlinear vibrational imaging free of nonresonant background with heterodyne coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) interferometric microscopy. This technique completely separates the real and imaginary responses of nonlinear susceptibility chi(3) and yields a signal that is linear in the concentration of vibrational modes. We show that heterodyne CARS microscopy permits the detection of weak vibrational resonances that are otherwise overshadowed by the strong interference of the nonresonant background.     

Investigations of dynamic photorefractivity regime by optical polarizing microscopy

We present a technique, based on optical polarizing microscopy, and results of direct observation of the optical interference field effect on the transient domains excited by ac electric field in a nematic planar cell with photosensitive aligning layers. The light source used in a microscope operated in DC mode as well as in triggered pulse one. Obtained microscopic snapshots of transient domain structure confirmed our assumption of the transient domains reordering (trapping) by the low intensity optical interference field.     

A comparative study of surface energy data from atomic force microscopy and from contact angle goniometry

Forces of adhesion have been measured for interactions involving self-assembled monolayers or polymer-film structures that had each been deposited onto a gold-coated glass substrate and a probing, gold-coated cantilever. The data have been fitted into mathematical models that allow the calculation of surface energy by considering the work done for the separation of the identically coated contacting surfaces. These values of surface energy are in close agreement with those from corresponding contact angle determinations, highlighting the potential usefulness of the technique for the study of surfaces at a resolution level approaching 1000 atoms. Comparative studies show that the employment of the atomic force microscopy technique may be preferable for the study of samples that are susceptible to penetration by liquids or for investigations under conditions that exceed the useful limits of conventional probing techniques involving liquids.     

有机聚合物薄膜中的横向效应与准晶结构

报道了偶氮苯聚合物薄膜中的斑图形成,横向效应及准晶结构.用简并四波混频实验手段,通过扫描电子显微镜和偏光显微镜观察发现有机薄膜中有许多小岛形成的斑图并形成准晶结构.实验证明通过写入光偏振态的适当组合可以控制有机薄膜中斑图结构.为有机薄膜的纳米结构技术开创了一条新路. 关键词：     

Enhanced Raman Scattering by Quasi-phase-matched Processes in ax^（2） Photonic Crystal

An intense comb-shaped Raman spectra were obtained from a two-dimensional nonlinear x（2） photonic crystal - a hexagonally poled LiTaO3 crystal with lattice parameter 9 micros. The lowest Raman shift was down to 2 cm^-1 and the order of anti-stokes and stokes signals both achieved 11. The novel Raman spectra were mediated first by intense phonon-polariton fields, which were driven through the quasi-phase-matched coupling between the incident dual-beam both from an optical parametric oscillation laser, and further amplified greatly also by such quasi-phasematched nonlinear optical process. The dependence of the Raman spectra character on the wavelength and intensity of incident beams were studied in detail, which accordingly revealed information of the inelastic scattering and the elementary excitation in the nonlinear medium. These results on the other hand suggest technological importance for developing a novel Raman laser with the multi-wavelength output and a tunable frequency interval and for possible applications in quantum optics.     

Very-large-mode-area photonic bandgap Bragg fiber polarizing in a wide spectral range

A design of a polarizing all-glass Bragg fiber with a microstructure core has been proposed for the first time. This design provides suppression of high-order modes and of one of the polarization states of the fundamental mode. The polarizing fiber was fabricated by a new, simple method based on a combination of the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) process and the rod-in-tube technique. The mode field area has been found to be about 870 μm2 near λ=1064 nm. The polarization extinction ratio better than 13 dB has been observed over a 33% wavelength range (from 1 to 1.4 μm) after propagation in a 1.7 m fiber piece bent to a radius of 70 cm.     

Guiding and trapping of electron spin waves in atomic hydrogen gas

We present a high magnetic field study of electron spin waves in atomic hydrogen gas compressed to high densities of ～10(18) cm(-3) at temperatures ranging from 0.26 to 0.6 K. We observed a variety of spin wave modes caused by the identical spin rotation effect with strong dependence on the spatial profile of the polarizing magnetic field. We demonstrate confinement of these modes in regions of strong magnetic field and manipulate their spatial distribution by changing the position of the field maximum.     

Coexistence of localized and delocalized surface plasmon modes in percolating metal films

Near-field intensity statistics in semicontinuous silver films over a wide range of surface coverage are investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy. The variance of intensity fluctuations and the high-order moments of intensity enhancement exhibit local minima at the percolation threshold. This reduction in local field fluctuations results from resonant excitation of delocalized surface plasmon modes. By probing the modification of the critical indices for high-order moments of intensity enhancement caused by the delocalized states, we provide the first experimental evidence for the coexistence of localized and delocalized surface plasmon modes in percolating metal films.     

Fluorescence confocal polarizing microscopy: Three-dimensional imaging of the director

Much of the modern understanding of orientational order in liquid crystals (LCs) is based on polarizing microscopy (PM). A PM image bears only two-dimensional (2D) information, integrating the 3D pattern of optical birefringence over the path of light. Recently, we proposed a technique to image 3D director patterns by fluorescence confocal polarizing microscopy (FCPM). The technique employs the property of LC to orient the fluorescent dye molecules of anisometric shape, added in small quantities to the LC. In LC, smooth director deformations do not alter mass density of the material. Thus the density of dye is also uniform across the sample, except, perhaps, near the surfaces or at the cores of topological defects. In polarized light, the measured fluorescence signal is determined by the spatial orientation of the molecules rather than by dye concentration (as in regular biological samples stained with tissue-specific dyes). The contrast is enhanced when both excitation and detection of fluorescence light are performed in polarized light. This short review describes the essence of FCPM technique and illustrates some of its applications, including imaging of Frederiks electric-field induced effect in a nematic LC and defects such as dislocations in cholesteric LCs.     

Proposal for generating brilliant x-ray beams carrying orbital angular momentum

We consider use of a variable polarizing undulator for generating brilliant x-ray beams carrying orbital angular momentum. We find that higher harmonics of the radiation correspond to Laguerre-Gaussian modes with azimuthal mode indices l equal to one less than the harmonic number when the undulator is operated to produce circularly polarized light. Beams with nonzero l carry orbital angular momentum quantized in units of lvariant Planck's over 2pi per photon. When operated to produce linear polarization, the harmonics correspond to Hermite-Gaussian modes. Selection of these modes with conventional monochromator optics opens the door for new research with x-ray synchrotron and free-electron laser sources.     

En face imaging of single cell layers by differential phase-contrast optical coherence microscopy

Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is capable of imaging the backscattering potential of a sample with high transversal and axial resolution. We report on a combination of OCM with a differential phase-contrast technique that permits imaging of the subwavelength optical path differences that occur between a narrow beam probing a sample and its surrounding. This technique allows small transversal refractive-index variations close to a selected interface to be seen. We report on the method and present first images of a test sample and a single cell layer. The cells act as phase objects; imaging the phase properties improves the contrast compared with that of intensity images.     

微纳光纤环形腔海水温度的谐振光谱分析

微纳光纤环形腔作为传感器件,具有灵敏度高、响应快的优点,因而越来越广泛地应用在传感领域。环形腔的谐振光谱直接反映外界环境的变化,因此谐振光谱分析对探测环境参数至关重要。从理论和实验研究了微纳光纤环形腔谐振光谱与海水温度的关系。首先,数值计算了基模(HE₁₁)两个垂直偏振态的传播常数随光纤直径和探测波长的变化关系,计算结果表明传播常数随光纤直径增大而增大,随波长增大而减小,同时计算了传播常数随海水温度的变化,海水温度越高,传播常数越大,表明海水温度的变化会影响到模式的传播常数,因而可以通过测量谐振光谱的变化得知海水温度的变化。其次,搭建了海水温度传感实验系统,获得了微纳光纤环形腔海水温度的谐振光谱,实验发现同时存在两套谐振峰,分别对应基模的TE模和TM模,两个偏振模式的传感灵敏度分别为5.54和5.24 pm·℃-1。最后,探讨了基模两个偏振态谐振光谱的产生原因,由于结型耦合区的扭曲耦合使得两个偏振态分离,并对两个偏振模式的谐振强度进行了分析。两个模式的谐振强度不同,而且随着波长的增加,一个模的谐振强度不断增强,另一个模的谐振强度逐渐减弱。这是由于不同耦合态的耦合系数和衰减决定的,而且他们随着波长而改变。实验结果与理论计算相吻合。     

Measurement base change for localization encoded dual rail photonic quantum computing

We study behavior of number states in systems of coupled modes. Using an auxiliary mode and linear transformations, we propose a simple method for measuring on orthogonal bases other than 0 and 1 in the case of dual rail photonic computing which may act as a simple filter too. Using two auxiliary modes it is shown that an equivalent polarizing beam splitter can be realized for dual rail encoding. Simple structures based on coupled waveguides are presented for these purposes.     

Reflection Induced Voltage Change of Surface Emitting Laser for Optical Probing

We demonstrate a novel optical probing technique using the reflection-induced change in voltage of a GaAs vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). We present the modeling and experiment of the VCSEL based probing. A two-dimensional image probing is successfully demonstrated.     

Near-field scanning optical microscopy based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We describe a near-field optical microscopy technique based on the interaction of a probe molecule with the sample surface (e.g., with a flat metal surface) in the field of external optical radiation and consider the spontaneous Raman scattering characterized, in the presence of a metal surface, by the effective polarizability of the probe molecule, depending on the frequency and the distance to the sample surface. At certain distances from the probe molecule to the surface, the effective polarizability of this molecule (determined with allowance for the polarizing influence of the surface of a semi-infinite medium) at the Stokes frequency sharply increases in comparison to the quantum polarizability of an isolated molecule, which is indicative of the formation of optical near-field resonances. It is shown that the proposed method of near-field optical microscopy is characterized by high sensitivity and high spatial resolution (on the order of 1 Å).     

Differential two-signal picosecond-pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering imaging microscopy by using a dual-mode optical parametric oscillator

We propose and demonstrate a novel differential two-signal technique of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging microscopy using a picosecond (ps) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). By adjusting a Lyot filter inside the cavity, we operated the OPO oscillating in two stable modes separated by a few nanometers. The CARS images generated by the two modes are separated by a spectrograph behind the microscope setup, and their differential image is directly obtained by balanced lock-in detection. The feasibility of the technique is experimentally verified by imaging micrometer-sized polystyrene beads immersed in water.     

Scanning gate microscopy of a nanostructure where electrons interact

We show that scanning gate microscopy can be used for probing electron-electron interactions inside a nanostructure. We assume a simple model made of two noninteracting strips attached to an interacting nanosystem. In one of the strips, the electrostatic potential can be locally varied by a charged tip. This change induces corrections upon the nanosystem Hartree-Fock self-energies which enhance the fringes spaced by half the Fermi wavelength in the images giving the quantum conductance as a function of the tip position.