Experimental characterization of domain walls dynamics in a photorefractive oscillator

We report on the experimental characterization of domain wall dynamics in a photorefractive resonator in a degenerate four-wave mixing configuration. We show how the non-flat profile of the emitted field affects the velocity of domain walls as well as the variations of intensity and phase gradient during their motion. We find a clear correlation between these two last quantities that allows the experimental determination of the chirality that governs the domain walls’ dynamics. PACS 42.65.Sf; 47.54.+r; 42.65.Hw     

用转移函数方法研究铒离子上转换发光与抽运功率的关系

用转移函数方法分析了铒离子上转换发光与抽运功率的关系.对单掺铒离子的发光材料,对比分析了铒离子为高浓度和低浓度掺杂时上转换发光强度与抽运功率的关系.对稀土离子共掺杂系统,分析了Er3+在铒镱共掺杂的氟氧化物玻璃陶瓷中的上转换发光过程,认为Er3+绿色辐射的上转换发光强度与抽运激光功率的非平方关系是由于Er3+和Yb3+之间的强交叉弛豫过程引起的.讨论了在稀土离子共掺杂的氟氧化物玻璃陶瓷中提高Er3+的上转换发光强度的几种方法. 关键词： 转移函数方法 上转换发光 氟氧化物玻璃陶瓷     

Single-shot dynamics of pulses from a gas-filled hollow fiber

We present measurements of the performance characteristics of few-cycle laser pulses generated by propagation through a gas-filled hollow fiber. The pulses going into the fiber and the compressed pulses after the fiber were simultaneously fully characterized shot-by-shot by using two kHz SPIDER setups and kHz pulse energy measurements. Output-pulse properties were found to be exceptionally stable and pulse characteristics relevant for non-linear applications like high-harmonic generation are discussed. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Sf; 42.65.Jx     

Soliton propagation in a dispersion map with deviation from periodicity

Solitons in dispersion-managed fibers are a particular case of a periodically perturbed nonlinear system. Since in practice random deviations from strict periodicity of the dispersion alternation are unavoidable, we consider such deviations and study their impact on the soliton’s stability with a view to optical telecommunications. We find a range over which solitons remain stable in a specified sense; this range is sufficient for technical application. PACS 42.65.Tg; 42.81.Dp     

Theory and simulation of supercontinuum generation in transparent bulk media

Comprehensive model and computer simulations of the supercontinuum generation in bulk media are presented. Using water and air as representative condensed and gaseous media, the standard model for white-light generation is put to test. It is shown that besides the intensity clamping and plasma-induced frequency blue shift, the linear chromatic dispersion plays an important role. It is the major factor that determines the achievable spectral extent of the supercontinuum. PACS 42.65.-k; 42.65.Hw; 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Sf     

Optimal spectral broadening in hollow-fiber compressor systems

Supercontinuum generation in gas-filled hollow fibers is investigated using numerical simulation of the nonlinear propagation of light pulses in hollow waveguides. The use of the cascading hollow-fiber configuration allows one to significantly enhance the achievable spectral broadening, particularly in the high energy regime. General design criteria for a single- and a double-fiber configuration are presented, which allow the generation of high-energy supercontinua. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.65.-k; 42.65.Jx     

Ultra-fast reconfigurable spatial switching between a quadratic solitary wave and a weak signal

Experimental and numerical investigations of an ultra-fast reconfigurable spatial switch based on the nonlinear interaction between a weak wave (the signal) and a solitary wave (the control) at 1548 nm are reported. The non-collinear interaction in a quadratic nonlinear film waveguide gives birth to a third switched optical beam (the idler). This beam could be steered according to the transverse spatial position of the control beam. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Re; 42.65.Wi     

Semilinear coherent oscillator with reflection-type photorefractive gratings

The saturation intensity, oscillation spectrum, and temporal dynamics of oscillation are studied for a semilinear coherent oscillator with two counterpropagating pump waves and a photorefractive crystal with dominating reflection gratings. The instability of the single-frequency oscillation spectrum is revealed, similar to that known for an oscillator with dominating transmission gratings. The experimental manifestation of this transition in the output characteristics of the oscillator is favourably compared with numerical calculations. PACS 42.65.Hw; 05.45.-a; 42.65.Pc; 42.65.Sf     

Z-scan measurements of the nonlinear refractive indices of novel Yb-doped laser crystal hosts

We report on the z-scan characterization of the nonlinear refractive indices of three borate crystals (GdCOB, YCOB, and BOYS), which are new promising Yb-doped laser hosts. The results indicate the possibility of substantial Kerr-lensing and self-phase modulation effects in femtosecond oscillators and amplifiers. High values of the nonlinear refractive indices suggest possible KLM operation of such lasers. PACS 42.65.An; 42.65.Hw; 42.55.Rz; 42.65.Re     

Flexible all-optical wavelength conversions of 1.57-ps pulses exploiting cascaded sum- and difference frequency generation (cSFG/DFG) in a PPLN waveguide

Flexible all-optical wavelength conversions of ps-pulses based on cascaded sum- and difference frequency generation (cSFG/DFG) are proposed and experimentally demonstrated using a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. The pulsed signal, with a 40 GHz repetition rate and a 1.57 ps pulse width is adopted. Fixed-in variable-out (tunable), variable-in fixed-out and variable-in variable-out wavelength conversions are successfully realized with three proposed tuning schemes. Both wavelength down- and up-conversion are simultaneously observed. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Wi; 42.65.Re     

Investigation of charge effects on poling and stability for corona-poled polymer films

The optimal corona-poling temperature of polymer films was accurately determined by measuring the temperature dependence of the in situ second-harmonic (SH) intensity profile under the applied poling electric field. The in situ SH intensity profile was first measured by probing both the surface voltages and the poling currents induced by surface/space charges for the corona-poled polymer films. Moreover, charge effects on the stability of the chromophore orientation were first studied by using the thermally stimulated discharge-current technique. PACS 72.20.Jv; 42.65.Ky; 73.61.Ph; 81.40.Tv     

Enhanced harmonic conversion efficiency in the self-guided propagation of femtosecond ultraviolet laser pulses in argon

Harmonic generation during the self-guided propagation of femtosecond ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses (248-nm, 450-fs) in argon is investigated. The third (82.7-nm) and fifth (49.6-nm) harmonics are generated in the UV filament. The energy-conversion efficiencies for the harmonics are found to be at least two orders of magnitude higher than those reported in the literature for similar gas pressures. The enhancement is attributed to the quasi-phase matching of the harmonics due to the self-guiding of the driving pulse. PACS 42.25.Bs; 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Re; 42.65.Ky     

A new instability of counter-propagating waves in BaTiO3?

The self-development of a strong reflection grating in a BaTiO₃ sample illuminated with two mutually incoherent counter-propagating light waves is reported. The two transmitted waves diffracted from this grating become partially mutually coherent. PACS 42.65.Hw; 05.45.-a; 42.65.Pc; 42.65.Sf     

One-dimensional incoherently coupled grey solitons in two-photon photorefractive media

We show that grey solitons, grey–grey soliton pairs, and multi-component grey solitons can be realized in two-photon photorefractive media. The results for soliton pairs and multi-component solitons are derived under the assumption that the carrier beams share the same polarization, wavelength, and are mutually incoherent. PACS 42.65.Tg; 42.65.Hw; 42.70.Nq     

Accurate time delay determination for femtosecond X-ray diffraction experiments

Intensity correlations and noise reduction are observed and characterized in the broadband supercontinuum generated by spatio-temporal solitons propagating in air, i.e., in filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses. Large correlations and reduction of the laser noise are observed already at the first steps of the filamentation process, while further propagation results in cascaded χ⁽³⁾ broadening processes and yield complex correlation maps. The spectral range yielding an optimal laser noise reduction of 3.6 dB is found to cover 10 nm around the fundamental wavelength. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Tg; 42.65.Ky; 42.50.Lc     

High-contrast chemical imaging with gated heterodyne coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

A novel method is presented which substantially improves the signal-to-background ratio for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. It exploits the fixed phase relation between pump, Stokes and CARS fields together with the strong phase coherence in supercontinua generated by femtosecond lasers. Three phase-locked optical parametric amplifiers are used for the realisation of heterodyne signal detection. Proper pulse timing yields a gating mechanism which nearly completely suppresses solvent background signals. PACS 42.65.Dr; 42.65.Hw; 42.65.Yj     

Phase diagrams for semilinear photorefractive coherent oscillator

The sequence of optical phase transitions is considered for a photorefractive coherent oscillator with a conventional mirror and a four-wave mixing phase conjugate mirror. Analogous to phase transitions in solids, the phase diagrams are constructed and defined qualitatively as different states of a whole system (light-induced scattering below the threshold of oscillation, single-frequency oscillation, two-frequency oscillation, and multimode mirrorless oscillation). The attempt of experimental mapping of a phase diagram is presented for a coherent oscillator with Co-doped BaTiO₃. PACS 42.65.Hw; 05.45.-a; 42.65.Pc; 42.65.Sf.     

Ultra-fast saturable absorber through spatial self-trapping and filtering in Ti:PPLN film waveguides

Numerical and experimental investigations on ultra-fast all-optical saturable absorber on picosecond optical pulses at 1547 nm using spatial self-trapped propagation in a quadratic nonlinear film waveguide combined with spatial filtering are reported. The influences of phase-mismatch, pulse intensity and spatial filtering on the temporal reshaping mechanism are discussed to derive the optimum parameters. PACS 42.65.Ky, 42.65.Re, 42.65.Wi     

Nonlinear optical characteristics of nanoparticles in suspensions and solid matrices

The study of the nonlinear optical parameters of suspensions and glass matrices doped with various nanoparticles (Ag, Cu, Co, Au, Pt, GaAs, CdS, As₂S₃) are presented. Various techniques for the preparation of nanoparticles in suspensions and solid matrices, in particular laser ablation, chemical methods, and ion implantation are discussed. We present our measurements of the nonlinear refractive indices, nonlinear absorption coefficients, saturation intensities, and nonlinear susceptibilities of nanoparticles-containing media using laser pulses generating in various spectral and temporal ranges. PACS 42.65.An; 42.65.Hw; 42.65.Jx; 61.46.Df; 78.67.Bf     

Femtosecond filament amplification in liquids

We study the femtosecond filamentation in a liquid amplifying medium, sulphorhodamine 640 in a methanol solvent. In the presence of population inversion, the energy of the filament increases while its diameter expands because of peak intensity clamping. PACS 42.25.Bs; 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Re; 42.65.Sf