超短脉冲激光光束被局域体全息光栅衍射的性质分析

利用二维耦合波理论,分析了超短脉冲激光光束被完全重叠型的局域体全息光栅衍射的时空变化性质,给出了衍射和透射脉冲激光光束沿光栅出射边界的强度时空分布。以LiNbO3晶体为例,数值研究了衍射光脉冲强度沿光栅出射边界的分布和脉冲波形的变化及光栅的总衍射效率受光栅二维尺寸、入射角度、光栅折射率调制度及入射脉冲的脉冲时域半峰全宽等条件的影响而变化的情况。与一维体全息光栅对超短脉冲激光光束衍射的性质,及此光栅对连续光衍射的性质作比较,给出了合理选择光栅参量及入射条件以在光栅出射边界上得到总衍射效率较大且分布较均匀的衍射光脉冲的方法。     

有机聚合物薄膜激光诱导相位孔衍射的实验和理论

实验发现当一束较强的抽运激光(526nm)与一束较弱的探测激光(6328nm)相交通过非线性 介质薄膜(聚吡咯甲烯/聚乙烯醇薄膜)时,在探测光束的远场产生了中心为亮斑,近场中心 为暗斑的多个同心衍射环.从菲涅耳-基尔霍夫衍射积分公式出发,理论分析了产生这种现象 的原因是抽运光在非线性介质中诱导的相位孔对探测光的衍射效应.通过数值积分,计算结 果与实验结果符合. 关键词： 聚合物非线性光学薄膜 抽运-探测 激光诱导衍射     

Detection of monolayer gratings of adsorbates by linear optical diffractions

We report the detection of linear optical diffraction of a He-Ne laser probe beam from a monolayer grating of molecular adsorbates up to the fifth order with no electronic or electromagnetic enhancement. The advantages of using linear diffraction to probe surface diffusion of adsorbates are discussed.     

Beam Polarization Dependence of Diffraction Efficiency in Photorefractive LiNb03 Crystal

In weak doped photorefractive LiNbO3 crystal, the diffraction efficiency is highly relevant to the writing and reading beam polarizations. In this paper, based on dynamic coupled-wave equations, we theoretically discuss the diffraction efficiency under four writing and reading polarization conditions, then reach the proven conclusion that with o-polarized beams to write and with e-polarized beam to readout, the diffraction is the largest.     

Beam Polarization Dependence of Diffraction Efficiency in Photorefractive LiNb03 Crystal

In weak doped photorefractive LiNbO3 crystal, the diffraction efficiency is highly relevant to the writing and reading beam polarizations. In this paper, based on dynamic coupled-wave equations, we theoretically discuss the diffraction efficiency under four writing and reading polarization conditions, then reach the proven conclusion that with o-polarized beams to write and with e-polarized beam to readout, the diffraction is the largest.     

Investigating the QED vacuum with ultra-intense laser fields

In view of the increasingly stronger available laser fields it is becoming feasible to employ them to probe the nonlinear dielectric properties of the vacuum as predicted by quantum electrodynamics (QED) and to test QED in the presence of intense laser beams. First, we discuss vacuum-polarization effects that arise in the collision of a high-energy proton beam with a strong laser field. In addition, we investigate the process of light-by-light diffraction mediated by the virtual electron-positrons of the vacuum. A strong laser beam “diffracts” a probe laser field due to vacuum polarization effects, and changes its polarization. This change of the polarization is shown to be in principle measurable. Also, the possibility of generating harmonics by exploiting vacuum-polarization effects in the collision in vacuum of two ultra-strong laser beams is discussed. Moreover, when two strong parallel laser beams collide with a probe electromagnetic field, each photon of the probe may interact through the “polarized” quantum vacuum with the photons of the other two fields. Analogously to “ordinary” double-slit set-ups involving matter, the vacuum-scattered probe photons produce a diffraction pattern, which is the envisaged observable to measure the quantum interaction between the probe and strong field photons. We have shown that the diffraction pattern becomes visible in a few operating hours, if the strong fields have an intensity exceeding 10²⁴W/cm².     

Simultaneous diffraction of two finite waves at non-uniform dynamic volume reflection gratings

Based on the two-dimensional coupled-wave theory, the simultaneous diffraction of two finite waves with non-constant amplitude distribution at a finite non-uniform dynamic volume reflection grating is described. A coupled differential equation is derived and solved numerically with the aid of a two-dimensional Runge-Kutta method. The results for the chosen example of a planar volume reflection grating both for pure phase and absorption gratings show the dependence of the fidelity and diffraction efficiency on the normalized parameter grating strength, on the phase shift with respect to the interference pattern of the read-out waves and on the absorption modulation. In contrast to the transmission grating, a high fidelity of the enhanced beam can be achieved for reflection gratings. The numerical results are compared with the solution of the one-dimensional theory.     

Light diffraction by a strong standing electromagnetic wave

The nonlinear quantum interaction of a linearly polarized x-ray probe beam with a focused intense standing laser wave is studied theoretically. Because of the tight focusing of the standing laser pulse, diffraction effects arise for the probe beam as opposed to the corresponding plane wave scenario. A quantitative estimate for realistic experimental conditions of the ellipticity and the rotation of the main polarization plane acquired by the x-ray probe after the interaction shows that the implementation of such vacuum effects is feasible with future X-ray Free Electron Laser light.     

Invertible dark-center diffraction of the metal film induced by femtosecond laser

We found reversible dark-center diffraction of the transmitted probe beam passing through the chromium film, which is induced by the pump femtosecond laser. The dark-center diffraction of the transmitted probe beam appears and disappears with and without the pump beam. A view of diffractive optics with binary phase plate is put forward, which explains the reversible dark-center diffractive optical phenomenon. The pre-ablated hole on the metal film can be regarded as a uniform light filed without phase modulation, the surrounding circular part around the pre-ablated hole can be regarded as “phase modulated”. Therefore, this diffraction optic view might be helpful for us to understand the phase change of the metal film introduced by the femtosecond laser pulse.     

Ce:KNSBN光折变晶体光栅衍射特性研究

研究了Ce:KNSBN光折变晶体两波耦合作用写入体光栅的衍射效率与写入光偏振态和光强比的关系, 分析了写入光偏振态造成光栅衍射效率差别的原因, 并用修正耦合波理论对实验结果进行了拟合。 实验结果为Ce:KNSBN晶体在全息记录和光学信息处理领域的应用提供了依据。     

Thick grating focussing-device-design using poynting-vector-optics

Novel thick grating focussing and de-focussing devices are described which employ uniform phase gratings with special boundary shapes. The analysis used is based upon an eigenmodal approach to Kogelnik's coupled-wave equations, akin to the dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction. The relationship between the direction of phase progression of the coupled-waves at Bragg incidence, and the direction of the Poynting vector is carefully delineated. As a consequence, a new technique-Poynting Vector Optics — is suggested as potentially an important means of designing thick gratings to fulfil certain beam processing roles, especially in integrated optics applications. The two-dimensional coupled-wave equations are briefly employed to illustrate the effectiveness of a particular focussing device.     

Bragg diffraction of gaussian beams by thick gratings: Numerical evaluations by plane-wave decomposition

The validity of 2-D coupled-wave theory is investigated for the case of Bragg diffraction of a Gaussian beam by a thick unslanted phase grating in transmission mode. Fourier plane wave decomposition theory, as presented in a companion article, is used to test 2-D coupled-wave theory under circumstances when its validity is in question, namely when the incident distribution is very narrow or fast-varying, or when the parameterv _o, due to Kogelnik (1969), which is proportional to the product of coupling rate and grating thickness, is very large. Numerical evaluations of the field patterns at output from the grating, obtained using plane-wave decomposition, are used to explore the effect of the gradual violation of the conditions (from the previous article) under which 2-D coupled-wave theory is valid.     

Ultrasonic diffraction of Bessel light beams in uniaxial gyrotropic crystals

Specific features of the acousto-optic diffraction of Bessel light beams propagating in the vicinity of the optical axis of a uniaxial gyrotropic crystal have been investigated. The dependences of the diffraction efficiency on the acousto-optic interaction length, ultrasound power, and polarization state of the incident Bessel light beam have been analyzed using the coupled-wave equations and the overlap-integral method. It is shown that polarization-independent diffraction of Bessel light beams is observed in paratellurite crystals, when the Bragg diffraction efficiency is independent of the polarization state of the incident beam. The physical reason for this diffraction has been established (both theoretically and experimentally) to be simultaneous implementation of two processes of anisotropic scattering, at which the Bragg synchronism conditions are satisfied for orthogonal polarized Bessel beams with elliptical polarization.     

Bragg diffraction of light by rectangular phase gratings

Bragg diffraction of light by rectangular phase gratings is considered, utilizing two-dimensional coupled-wave theory. Diffraction characteristics for two important cases of incident plane waves and Gaussian-profile beams are presented. It is shown that the diffraction properties depend on the following normalized parameters: the grating strength and a geometry parameter, the beam width and a displacement. Values of these parameters for the realization of both nearly transmitting and nearly reflecting regimes of diffraction are determined. The results obtained are used for the choice of the design parameters of integrated optic Bragg-type devices.     

激光衍射法测量表面张力和毛细波波速与温度的关系

利用激光衍射对液体表面张力和毛细波波速与温度的关系进行了研究.当激光斜入射到毛细波上,观察到稳定的、清晰的衍射图样,运用光栅衍射理论对该实验现象进行了分析,测量了不同温度下蒸馏水的表面张力和毛细波波速,用最小二乘法对实验数据进行拟合,给出了表面张力和毛细波波速与温度的解析关系,发现表面张力和毛细波波速随着温度的增加而减小,并和温度呈近似线性关系.根据其机理,建立了激光衍射法实时的和非接触的测量不同温度下液体表面张力和毛细波波速的方法.     

Dynamic thermometry of a solid via optical diffraction method at pulsed irradiation

A method for the fast measurement of the temperature of solids under the action of a high-power light pulse is proposed and demonstrated. This method is based on the application of the Fraunhofer diffraction and is implemented for silicon samples heated to melting temperatures T _melt = 1412°C by a high-power light pulse. The current silicon temperature was determined by measuring the varying diffraction angle of the probing laser beam. The diffraction angle was varied over time because the period of the diffraction grating increased as a result of the dynamic thermal expansion of the crystal. An initial grating was formed on the surface of the silicon plate with a period of d = 4 μm. The radiation beam of a He-Ne laser with λ = 0.6328 μm was used as the probing beam; the measured signal was recorded in the pair of symmetric fifth-order diffraction maxima.     

Laser-generated surface acoustic waves in a ring-shaped waveguide resonator

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) waveguide resonator is formed by a ring-shaped strip of copper 10 μm wide and ∼130 μm in diameter embedded into a 0.8 μm thick layer of silica on a silicon wafer. SAWs are excited at one side of the copper ring by a short laser pulse focused into a spatially periodic pattern and detected via diffraction of the probe laser beam overlapped with the excitation spot. SAW wavepackets with central frequency 460 MHz travel around the ring and are detected each time they make a full circle and pass trough the probe spot. Potential applications of ring resonators for SAWs are discussed.     

Acousto-optic interaction in crystals with large acoustic anisotropy

The Bragg diffraction of light from a sinusoidal phase grating induced in an anisotropic medium by an acoustic wave has been studied theoretically for the case of a large acoustic energy walk-off. Based on the modified coupled-wave equations, the frequency and angular characteristics of an anisotropic diffraction in a paratellurite crystal have been calculated. It is shown that the acoustic beam walk-off significantly changes the angular and frequency ranges of acousto-optic interactions.     

Analysis of lateral-spread photorefractive planar lenses

The photorefractive planar lens for converting a vertical incident plane wave to a lateral-spread spherical wave and vice versa, is suggested. Using the two-beam coupled-wave theory, the coupled wave equations are derived and their half-analytical solutions are also given in terms of an infinite series. The diffraction properties (beam profiles, diffraction efficiency) of the local volume grating in the lens are presented. And the focusing property of the lens is discussed and compared with that of an ideal convergent spherical wave. It is demonstrated that the suggested photorefractive planar lens shows a good focusing effect.     

Spontaneous nano pattern formation under pulsed exposure: relaxation kinetics study

Formation of spontaneous surface relief grating under pulsed exposure on the surface of an azo polymer film has been investigated. We did experiments in different repetition rates and pulse widths by use an electro mechanical chopper and a diode-pumped solid-state laser with wavelength of 532?nm as pump beam. Incidence of pump beam, has been set normal to the surface of azo-polymer film. Spontaneous surface relief grating with grating pitch of ~1,250?nm was formed. For low repetition rate, relaxation due to cis-trans isomerization becomes dominant and growth rate becomes slower. A threshold for spontaneous pattern formation was found. In addition to an increase in the diffraction intensity during illumination, anomalous variation of diffraction intensity by switching on and off the laser was observed. By switching off the recording beam sharp enhancement occurred. By switching on the recording beam, after a sharp decrease in the intensity of diffracted beam, it increased further under illumination. Anomalous variations, strongly depends on polarization of the probe beam and the irradiation time for the formation of spontaneous SRG. Sharp enhancement has been attributed to cis-trans thermal isomerization and sharp decrease has been attributed to isomeration in whole surface under illumination.