Stimulated Raman scattering of light in artificial opal filled by water

We investigate stimulated scattering of light in globular photonic crystals infiltrated by water. Excitation of stimulated scattering of light is realized using powerful ultrashort (70 ps) laser pulses with an energy of 35 mJ and a frequency repetition of 15 Hz. We use the second-harmonic generation (532 nm) of the master oscillator and amplifier with a wavelength of 1064 nm. The photonic crystals under study are artificial opals filled by water or ethanol. We characterize the sample structures employing an electronic microscope along with the fiber-optics reflectance-spectroscopy technique. Photonic crystals have a stop band near the spectral positions of the exciting line (532 nm) and the first satellite of stimulated Raman scattering of light in water (649 nm). We observe a substantial reduction of the threshold of stimulated Raman scattering of light in water-infiltrated artificial-opal matrices in comparison with that of pure water. Such a reduction is explained as the result of a sharp increase in the photonic density of states near the stop-band edges of investigated photonic crystals. The reduction in the threshold of stimulated Raman scattering of light in water-infiltrated artificial-opal matrices opens up the opportunity to observe stimulated Raman scattering in numerous water media, including water solutions, biological and medical samples, heavy waters, and others.     

Stimulated globular scattering of laser radiation in photonic crystals: Temperature dependences

The characteristics of stimulated globular scattering such as the frequency shift, threshold, and conversion efficiency are studied in photonic crystals (synthetic opal matrices and opal nanocomposites) at different temperatures. The results are compared with the study of stimulated Raman scattering in calcite single crystals. In both cases, a decrease in temperature from +20° C to −196° C resulted in an increase in the energy of stimulated scattering energy and its redistribution into the higher-order components.     

Enhanced stimulated Raman scattering in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides

We investigate for the first time, to our knowledge, the enhancement of the stimulated Raman scattering in slow-light silicon-on-insulator (SOI) photonic crystal line defect waveguides. By applying the Bloch-Floquet formalism to the guided modes in a planar photonic crystal, we develop a formalism that relates the intensity of the downshifted Stokes signal to the pump intensity and the modal group velocities. The formalism is then applied to two prospective schemes for enhanced stimulated Raman generation in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides. The results demonstrate a maximum factor of 104(66,000) enhancement with respect to SOI channel waveguides.     

Enhanced compression of femtosecond pulse in hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers

Compression of chirped free femtosecond pulses in hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers is investigated numerically. The results show that intrapulse stimulated Raman scattering can improve the quality of the compressed pulse. Positive third-order dispersion is the main limitation on the compression of the femtosecond pulse. However, the combined effect of the intrapulse stimulated Raman scattering and the negative third-order dispersion can form still shorter pulses than is possible with intrapulse stimulated Raman scattering alone. We also investigate the influence of width and peak power of input pulse on pulse compression.     

一种增益平坦的光子晶体拉曼光纤放大器

为解决传统拉曼放大器增益系数低和增益不平坦的问题,采用级联光子晶体光纤的设计方法设计了一种增益平坦的拉曼光纤放大器.采用受激拉曼散射效应的稳态分析理论,分析了光子晶体光纤的拉曼增益谱,建立了拉曼放大器的理论模型.通过解耦合方程,推导了实现增益平坦的约束条件,发现光纤长度和泵浦功率是影响拉曼光纤放大器增益平坦度的两个参数.仿真结果表明,在1 508～1 544 nm的带宽范围内,实现了一个增益高达21 dB,增益平坦度仅为0.14 dB的光子晶体拉曼光纤放大器,可在光纤通信系统应用中发挥重要作用.     

Nonlinear-optical properties of photonic crystals

The results of the experimental study of nonlinear-optical effects in photonic crystals, i.e., synthetic opal matrices and nanocomposites (matrices with voids filled with different nonlinear liquids) are presented. The following nonlinear-optical effects were observed under experimental conditions: the photonic flame effect (PFE), stimulated globular scattering (SGS), and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). The dependence of these effects on the excitation conditions, nanocomposite refractive index contrast, and sample temperature was studied. PFE lines were detected in the Stokes spectral region. SGS spectra at the temperature of liquid nitrogen were studied.     

Experimental investigation of combined four-wave mixing and Raman effect in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber

We study the effect of stimulated Raman scattering on four-wave mixing sidebands generated by pumping in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber. Q-switch nanosecond pulses at 1064 nm are used to generate signal and idler wavelengths by degenerate four-wave mixing. These three waves generate their own Raman Stokes orders, leading to a broadband supercontinuum.     

Complete experimental characterization of the influence of parametric four-wave mixing on stimulated Raman gain

We present what is to our knowledge the first complete measurement of the dependence of Raman gain on chromatic dispersion, fully revealing the influence of parametric four-wave mixing on stimulated Raman scattering. In particular, a threefold increase of the Raman gain is observed under phase-matching conditions, in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. Our experiments, which were performed in a photonic crystal fiber, demonstrate that these unique fibers can be exploited to boost the performances of fiber Raman amplifiers.     

Stimulated Raman scattering in three-dimensional photonic crystals

The results of experimental studies of stimulated Raman scattering of light (SRS) excited in three-dimensional photonic crystals — synthetic opal matrices infiltrated with Raman active media are presented. It is shown that the SRS threshold in such structures decreases with respect to the SRS threshold in Raman active bulk materials. The influence of the photonic-band structure of the active materials used on the SRS properties is estimated.     

Ultrahigh efficiency laser wavelength conversion in a gas-filled hollow core photonic crystal fiber by pure stimulated rotational Raman scattering in molecular hydrogen

We report on the generation of pure rotational stimulated Raman scattering in a hydrogen gas hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Using the special properties of this low-loss fiber, the normally dominant vibrational stimulated Raman scattering is suppressed, permitting pure conversion to the rotational Stokes frequency in a single-pass configuration pumped by a microchip laser. We report 92% quantum conversion efficiency (40 nJ pulses in 2.9 m fiber) and threshold energies (3 nJ in 35 m) more than 1 x 10(6) times lower than previously reported. The control of the output spectral components by varying only the pump polarization is also shown. The results point to a new generation of highly engineerable and compact laser sources.     

A method for reducing the stimulated Raman scattering threshold in liquids embedded into photonic crystals

We study stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in liquids (water and ethanol) embedded into photonic crystals (artificial opals) under excitation with 60 ps laser pulses at 532 nm. We observe a substantial decrease of the SRS threshold when the focused laser beam excites the crystals near their surface. The spatial distance between the beam center and the surface of the crystals is close to their nanoscale structure. The decrease in the SRS threshold is due to a substantial increase in the photonic-state density near the edges of the photonic crystal stop zones and the so-called Mie resonances in active media near the nanosized globules. This leads to a considerable increase in the local-electric-field intensity, causing the SRS threshold reduction. Such a method of reducing the SRS threshold opens up a way of creating new efficient laser sources based on photonic crystals and their use for different applications in nanotechnologies.     

White-light supercontinuum generation with 60-ps pump pulses in a photonic crystal fiber

The generation of a spatially single-mode white-light supercontinuum has been observed in a photonic crystal fiber pumped with 60-ps pulses of subkilowatt peak power. The spectral broadening is identified as being due to the combined action of stimulated Raman scattering and parametric four-wave-mixing generation, with a negligible contribution from the self-phase modulation of the pump pulses. The experimental results are in good agreement with detailed numerical simulations. These findings demonstrate that ultrafast femtosecond pulses are not needed for efficient supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers.     

Spatial, Spectral, and Temporal Characteristics of Stimulated Light Scattering in Water

Spatial, temporal, and spectral characteristics of stimulated light scattering (SS) in water were investigated in both nano- and picosecond ranges under different experimental conditions and compared with the analogous characteristics of stimulated light scattering in other liquids. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) of light were studied. The results obtained provide useful information on the structure of water, its purity, and additions, which can result in its pollution. The excitation conditions of stimulated light scattering (SS) in one spatial mode and with maximum pulse energy conversion were determined. It is shown that stimulated light scattering can be successfully applied to control water quality (and it can be done very fast) as well as for information processing, i.e., the amplitude–phase structure of complex light fields can be registered in water as a dynamic hologram and reconstructed in real time.     

Ultralow-threshold microcavity Raman laser on a microelectronic chip

Using ultrahigh-Q toroid microcavities on a chip, we demonstrate a monolithic microcavity Raman laser. Cavity photon lifetimes in excess of 100 ns combined with mode volumes typically of less than 1000 (microm)3 significantly reduce the threshold for stimulated Raman scattering. In conjunction with the high ideality of a tapered optical fiber coupling junction, stimulated Raman lasing is observed at an ultralow threshold (as low as 74 microW of fiber-launched power at 1550 nm) with high efficiency (up to 45% at the critical coupling point) in good agreement with theoretical modeling. Equally important, the wafer-scale nature of these devices should permit integration with other photonic, mechanical, or electrical functionality on a chip.     

Stokes amplification regimes in quasi-cw pumped hydrogen-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber

Pure rotational stimulated Raman scattering spectra containing nine strong spectral components were generated from a approximately 11 m long hollow-core photonic crystal fiber filled with hydrogen and pumped with nanosecond pulses having energies around 100-300 nJ. Observation of both transient and steady-state scattering threshold behavior is reported. Passage from the transient to the steady state is observed with a pulse as long as 14 ns. Convenient analytical expressions for energy and power threshold are deduced for the present configuration.     

Raman Scattering in Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystals

The optical properties of three-dimensional photonic crystals associated with the form of reflection spectra from their surface (appearance of a forbidden gap in the energy spectrum) and with the specific features of Raman scattering are analyzed. Idealized models of the energy band structure of photonic crystals are studied. Expressions for the group velocity of photons with energy close to the forbidden gap are derived. Experimental results on the Raman scattering in photonic crystals based on artificial opal as well as in fused silica are discussed. Bands due to quantum-size effects (presence of nanoclusters in fused silica and nanoglobules forming the lattice of globular photonic crystals) were manifested in the spectra of inelastic light scattering. It is proposed to use photonic crystals for the creation of sensitive sensors of organic and inorganic substances using modern Raman techniques.     

Effects of intrapulse stimulated Raman scattering and intermodal dispersion on short pulse propagation in a nonlinear two-core PCF coupler

The switching dynamics of ultrashort pulse under the effects of intrapulse stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS) and intermodal dispersion in a nonlinear two-core photonic crystal fiber coupler is investigated theoretically. A general model is proposed that includes all the significant linear and nonlinear effects. In particular, we demonstrate with numerical examples how the interaction of ISRS and intermodal dispersion affects the pulse shape.     

飞秒光脉冲在光子晶体光纤中的非线性传输和超连续谱产生

采用分步傅里叶方法数值模拟了飞秒光脉冲在光子晶体光纤中非线性传输和超连续谱的产生. 计算和分析了高阶色散和非线性效应对超连续谱形状和带宽的影响. 结果表明在光子晶体光纤中产生了孤子自频移现象. 同时也发现脉冲内拉曼散射和自相位调制的联合作用导致了超连续谱中精细结构的出现. 另外，还发现高阶色散和初始光脉冲的峰值功率对超连续谱的带宽和平滑也有直接影响. 关键词： 光子晶体光纤 孤子自频移 超连续谱     

基于光子晶体光纤中受激布里渊散射的光载波抑制

设计了一种基于光子晶体光纤中受激布里渊散射的载波滤波器.该滤波器利用两个环形器和一段光子晶体光纤构成了一个环形腔,这种腔结构有效地降低了光纤中受激布里渊散射的阈值.理论分析了光子晶体光纤载波滤波器对提高光调制深度和射频增益的影响.利用25 m的高非线性光子晶体光纤作为受激布里渊增益介质,当入射载波功率为70 mW时,微波光子信号的射频增益为5.38 dB,实验结果与理论计算相吻合.