Optical fibre modulator based on electrostatic attraction

A fibre-based electrostatic deflector is described that enables modulating the optical signal in fibre systems. A 2.5-cm long fibre length was gold coated and deflected through the application of voltage between the fibre and an external electrode. Static measurements showed that the device is suitable for e-field sensing, and 100% power modulation was obtained for resonant frequencies 1 kHz. A peak voltage as low as 2 V gave a 15% modulation depth with 65 μm diameter fibre, and the maximum frequency measured for a 65 μm fibre was 40 kHz. In a proof-of-principle experiment, a 1.61-μm wavelength Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ fibre laser was Q-switched by placing the electrostatic fibre modulator inside the cavity, generating pulses of 4-μs duration.     

An optical fibre sensor for the measurement of pressure

This paper describes the design, construction and testing of a fibre optic pressure sensor based on a reflecting Fabry-Perot etalon. The etalon comprised one fixed mirror and a second mirror designed to flex under the action of the pressure being monitored. A single multimode fibre was used to connect the passive, remote sensor to the transmitter/receiver section, and dual wavelength referencing was used to eliminate the effects of bending-induced attenuation in the fibre.     

An optical fibre sensor for the measurement of pressure

This paper describes the design, construction and testing of a fibre optic pressure sensor based on a reflecting Fabry-Perot etalon. The etalon comprised one fixed mirror and a second mirror designed to flex under the action of the pressure being monitored. A single multimode fibre was used to connect the passive, remote sensor to the transmitter/receiver section, and dual wavelength referencing was used to eliminate the effects of bending-induced attenuation in the fibre.     

Raman oscillation with intracavity pumping of a fibre laser

We introduce the concept of cascaded resonant Raman pumping of fibre lasers. The pump scheme utilises the relatively large intracavity Stokes field that is generated within a Raman fibre laser to excite a lanthanide ion that is doped within the core of the fibre providing the Raman gain. In order to illustrate the general characteristics of the pump method and, to establish the design parameters necessary for the realisation of the pump scheme, calculations from a theoretical model that is used to simulate the generation of laser output from a fibre laser that is resonantly pumped with first Stokes radiation is presented. Specifically, the 2.1 μm output from a Ho³⁺-doped silica fibre laser that is pumped with 1.15 μm first Stokes radiation is calculated with the use of a relatively simple numerical model. For a launched pump power of 20 W at 1.07 μm, a fibre laser output of 3 W is predicted for a nominal intrinsic loss of 1.5 dB/km at 2.1 μm, however, this low value of the intrinsic loss at 2.1 μm can be significantly relaxed when the length of the Ho³⁺-doped silica fibre laser resonator is made considerably shorter than the Stokes resonator.     

Short-pulse, high-peak-power Q-switched Tm–silica fibre laser at 1.9 m

High-performance Tm–silica fibre lasers operating at 1.9 μm when pumped at 1319 or 1064 nm have been Q-switched using a rotating mirror mounted at an asymmetric angle. Pumping by 1319 nm gives better performance compared with 1064 nm pumping due to greater excited state absorption (ESA) at 1064 nm. A short Q-switched pulse duration of 25 ns and a peak pulse power of about 2.7 kW has been obtained from a 1.8 m fibre for 3.5 W launched pump power at 1.3 μm. The Q-switch performance has been studied for variation of fibre length and shown that the optimum length under these pumping conditions is around 2 m.     

Development of a 4–15 μm infrared GaAs hyperspectral QWIP imager

In the on-going evolution of GaAs quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) we have developed a four band, 640 × 512, 23 μm × 23 μm pixel array which we have subsequently integrated with a linear variable etalon (LVE) filter providing over 200 spectral bands across the 4–15.4 μm wavelength region. This effort was a collaboration between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) sponsored by the Earth Science Technology Office of NASA. The QWIP array was fabricated by graded molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth that was specifically tailored to yield four distinct bands (FWHM): Band 1; 4.5–5.7 μm, Band 2; 8.5–10 μm, Band 3; 10–12 μm and Band 4; 13.3–14.8 μm. Each band occupies a swath that comprises 128 × 640 elements. The addition of the LVE (which is placed directly over the array) further divides the four “broad” bands into 209 separate spectral bands ranging in width from 0.02 μm at 5 μm to 0.05 μm at 15 μm. The detector is cooled by a mechanical cryocooler to 46 K. The camera system is a fully reflective, f/4.2, 3-mirror system with a 21° × 25° field of view. The project goals were: (1) develop the 4 band GaAs QWIP array; (2) develop the LVE and; (3) implement a mechanical cryocooler. This paper will describe the efforts and results of this undertaking with emphasis on the overall system characteristics.     

Optical fibre beam delivery of high-energy laser pulses: beam quality preservation and fibre end-preparation

This paper investigates the extension of optical fibre beam delivery to high-brightness applications, in particular laser percussion drilling, where both a good beam quality and high peak power are required. Beam quality preservation through a number of optical fibres is studied both experimentally and by using a ray propagation model. It is determined that in order to achieve the beam quality required for percussion drilling (M²<30) the largest fibre which can be used is 400 μm diameter. The laser-induced damage threshold is measured for a number of 400 μm fibres, and a CO₂ laser-annealing technique is shown to increase the damage threshold by a factor of 10, allowing 28 J, 1 ms pulses to be transmitted.     

Application of nano-indentation, nano-scratch and single fibre tests in investigation of interphases in composite materials

Three novel experimental techniques were employed in this work in order to investigate the influence of the interphase region in polymer–glass composites on the bulk material properties: (i) the microdroplet test is a single fibre test designed to characterize the fibre–matrix bond (interface region) and to determine the interfacial shear stress in composite material; (ii) the nano-indentation test, a novel nano-hardness technique with ability to produce an indent as low as a few nanometres was employed in order to measure nano-hardness of the fibre–matrix interphase region; and (iii) the nano-scratch test, used in conjunction with the nano-indentation test for measurement of the interphase region width. The microdroplet test (MDT) has been used to characterize the interfacial bond in fibrous composite materials. The specimen consists of a fibre with a drop of cured resin pulled while the drop is being supported by a platinum disc with a hole. A properly tested specimen fails at the droplet’s tip–fibre interface, revealing the ultimate interfacial shear strength. In this study, finite element analysis (FEA) of the MDT has been focused toward simulation of the fibre–matrix interphase region. The influence of several functional variations of the material properties across the interphase layer on the stress distribution at the droplet’s tip was analysed. The results showed that the variation of the interphase properties significantly affects the stress distribution at the fibre–droplet interface, and, therefore, the stress redistribution to composite material. These results led to further experimental investigation of the interphase region, in order to obtain the material properties essential for the interfacial stress analysis. The interphase region in dry and water aged polymer–glass composite materials was investigated by means of the nano-indentation and the nano-scratch techniques. The nano-indentation test involved indentation as small as 30 nm in depth, produced along a 14 μm path between the fibre and the matrix. The distinct properties of the interphase region were revealed by 2–3 indents in dry materials and up to 15 indents in water aged, degraded materials. These results indicated interdiffusion in water aged interphase regions. The nano-scratch test involves moving a sample while being in contact with a diamond tip. The nano-scratch test, used in conjunction with the nano-indentation test, accurately measured the width of the interphase region. The results showed that the harder interphase region dissolved into the softer interphase region (both regions being harder/stronger than the matrix) expanding its width after aging in water.     

High power optical fibre delivery system for the laser generation of ultrasound

A plastic-clad optical fibre system has been examined as a delivery system of pulsed laser energy for the generation of ultrasound. The onset of significant optical damage caused by the laser has been investigated. By using multimode fibres of 1 m length with 600 μm core size, it was found that laser power densities from the fibre were sufficient to produce ultrasonic waveforms corresponding to both the thermoelastic and plasma generation regimes. Out-of-plane acoustic displacements of >250 pm can be achieved through 2.5 cm thick aluminium test samples, showing that fibre optical delivery systems may be considered in systems using laser-generated ultrasound for non-destructive testing applications.     

A laser system for high accuracy measurement of small apertures in mechanical parts

A simple, high accuracy small gap measurement system for rough industrial environments was designed and constructed. The system could detect apertures as small as 60 μm with less than 6 μm error in metallic parts with finite (cm range) depth. The principle is based in the transient analysis of transmitted laser intensity which is focused and swept along the region of the gap. The system is composed of a low power visible laser (semiconductor or He–Ne), focusing system, rotating mirror scanner, detection optics and amplifier, control unit for signal processing, speed control and data delivery to the process control unit.     

Application of high gradient magnetic separation principles to magnetic drug targeting

A hypothetical magnetic drug targeting system, utilizing high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) principles, was studied theoretically using FEMLAB simulations. This new approach uses a ferromagnetic wire placed at a bifurcation point inside a blood vessel and an externally applied magnetic field, to magnetically guide magnetic drug carrier particles (MDCP) through the circulatory system and then to magnetically retain them at a target site. Wire collection (CE) and diversion (DE) efficiencies were defined and used to evaluate the system performance. CE and DE both increase as the strength of the applied magnetic field (0.3–2.0 T), the amount of ferromagnetic material (iron) in the MDCP (20–100%) and the size of the MDCP (1–10 μm radius) increase, and as the average inlet velocity (0.1–0.8 m s⁻¹), the size of the wire (50–250 μm radius) and the ratio (4–10) of the parent vessel radius (0.25–1.25 mm radius) to wire radius decrease. The effect of the applied magnetic field direction (0° and 90°) on CE and DE was minimal. Under these plausible conditions, CEs as high as 70% were obtained, with DEs reaching only 30%; however, when the MDCPs were allowed to agglomerate (4–10 μm radius), CEs and DEs of 100% were indeed achieved. These results reveal that this new magnetic drug targeting approach for magnetically collecting MDCPs at a target site, even in arteries with very high velocities, is feasible and very promising; this new approach for magnetically guiding MDCPs through the circulatory system is also feasible but more limited. Overall, this study shows that magnetic drug targeting, based on HGMS principles, has considerable promise as an effective drug targeting tool with many potential applications.     

Performance improvements of ultraviolet/infrared dual-band detectors

Results are reported on dual-band detectors based on a GaN/AlGaN structure operating in both the ultraviolet–midinfrared (UV–MIR) and ultraviolet–farinfrared (UV–FIR) regions. The UV detection is due to an interband process, while the MIR/FIR detection is from free carrier absorption in the emitter/contact followed by internal photoemission over the barrier at the GaN/AlGaN interface. The UV detection, which was observed from 300 K to 4.2 K, has a threshold of 360 nm with a peak responsivity of 0.6 mA/W at 300 K. The detector shows a free carrier IR response in the 3–7 μm range up to 120 K, and an impurity response around 54 μm up to 30 K. A response in the range 7–13 μm, which is tentatively assigned to transitions from C impurities and N vacancies in the barrier region, was also observed. It should also be possible to develop a detector operating in the UV–visible–IR regions by choosing the appropriate material system. A dual-band detector design, which allows not only to measure the two components of the photocurrent generated by UV and IR radiation simultaneously but also to optimize the UV and IR responses independently, is proposed.     

High efficiency, dual-wavelength fibre Raman pump laser for U-band fibre Raman amplifiers

A dual-wavelength, continuous wave, high efficiency fibre Raman ring laser for pumping U-band (1625–1675 nm) fibre Raman amplifiers is demonstrated. Two fibre Bragg gratings were used as wavelength-selective elements resulting in lasing lines at 1529.7 and 1558.7 nm with respective maximum powers of 209.0 and 390.9 mW. A simple U-band Raman amplifier was constructed to test the dual-wavelength pump laser and on:off gain with a peak of 7.3 dB and a 3-dB bandwidth of 73 nm was obtained.     

Characteristics of single longitudinal mode oscillation of the 2 μm Tm,Ho:YLF microchip laser

The lasing condition and frequency stability of the single longitudinal mode oscillation of a diode laser pumped 2 μm Tm,Ho:YLF microchip laser at room temperature are reported. It is shown that the microchip laser with an output mirror of 99.0% reflectivity had better single longitudinal mode performance than that with an output mirror of 99.5% reflectivity. The frequency tuning rate when varying the crystal temperature was estimated to be 1.9 GHz/°C. Frequency stability of the microchip laser is examined by the self-beating heterodyne detection method for several delay times between 0.48 and 4.8 μs. It is indicated that the spectral fluctuation is in proportion to the delay time and the increasing rate is 2.3 kHz/μs.     

Characteristics of thermal distortions of the laser mirror substrates filled with phase-change materials

Under irradiating of the laser power of 2 kW, the thermal deformations of the silicon mirror substrates with phase change materials are experimentally measured and numerically analyzed by using finite element methods, respectively. The experimental results show that when the absorbed laser power is 120 W and the laser irradiating time gets to three seconds, the thermal distortion of the silicon mirror substrates with paraffin/carbon powder is 0.25 μm, that of the paraffin/aluminum powder 0.33 μm, and that of the paraffin/copper powder 0.37 μm. The numerical calculation coincides with the experimental results.     

Depth dependence of photoluminescence and chemical bonding in porous silicon

Porous silicon (PS) is studied by stepwise peeling of the surface layer to clarify the non-uniformity in the photoluminescence (PL) and correlate it with the in-depth chemical bonding and structure of the 30 μm thick layer. The PL intensity grows by an order of magnitude after the peeling off of the first 10 μm and decreases five times in the next 5 μm while the peak maximum position shifts from 730 to 800 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements show that Si–Si and Si–O bonds are present both on the surface and below, and the preferential oxidation state of silicon changes from 3+ and 4+ on the surface to 1+ and 2+ below 10 μm. Using Raman spectroscopy silicon nanocrystals are shown to exist. Their mean size can be estimated at about 3 nm. These results show that the strongest PL comes from a region in the PS layer where silicon nanocrystallites are surrounded by oxides with a low level of oxidation and not from the strongly oxidized surface layer.     

A CdS-Si photodetector for integrated optics

Photodetectors based on nCdS-pSi heterojunctions and operated in both photovoltaic and photoconductive models, have been integrated with planar optical waveguides. The detector structure consisted of a 7059 glass waveguide which was terminated over the nCd-pSi junction. Prism couplers and directional coupling action between a ribbon fibre and the glass film have been used to launch light into the waveguides. A maximum responsivity of 1mV·μW^-1 was recorded at 633 nm with the diode operating in the photovoltaic mode and 0.06μA·μW^-1, corresponding to a quantum efficiency of 12%, in the photoconductive mode.     

MBE grown type-II MWIR and LWIR superlattice photodiodes

We report on the status of GaSb/InAs type-II superlattice diodes grown and fabricated at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed for infrared absorption 2–5 μm and 8–12 μm bands. Recent LWIR devices have produced detectivities as high as 8 × 10¹⁰ Jones with a differential resistance–area product greater than 6 Ohm cm² at 80 K with a long wavelength cutoff of approximately 12 μm. The measured internal quantum efficiency of these front-side illuminated devices is close to 30% in the 10–11 μm range. MWIR devices have produced detectivities as high as 8 × 10¹³ Jones with a differential resistance–area product greater than 3 × 10⁷ Ohm cm² at 80 K with a long wavelength cutoff of approximately 3.7 μm. The measured internal quantum efficiency of these front-side illuminated MWIR devices is close to 40% in the 2–3 μm range at low temperature and increases to over 60% near room temperature.     

NIR, MWIR and LWIR quantum well infrared photodetector using interband and intersubband transitions

This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a QWIP photodetector capable of detecting simultaneously infrared radiation within near infrared (NIR), mid wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long wavelength infrared (LWIR). The NIR detection was achieved using interband transition while MWIR and LWIR were based on intersubband transition in the conduction band. The quantum well structure was designed using a computational tool developed to solve self-consistently the Schrödinger–Poisson equation with the help of the shooting method. Intersubband absorption in the sample was measured for the MWIR and LWIR using Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and the measured peak positions were found at 5.3 μm and 8.7 μm which agree well with the theoretical values obtained 5.0 μm and 9.0 μm for the two infrared bands which indicates the accuracy of the self-consistent model. The photodetectors were fabricated using a standard photolithography process with exposed middle contacts to allow separate bias and readout of signals from the three wavelength bands. The measured photoresponse gave three peaks at 0.84 μm, 5.0 μm and 8.5 μm wavelengths with approximately 0.5 A/W, 0.03 A/W and 0.13 A/W peak responsivities for NIR, MWIR and LWIR bands, respectively. This work demonstrates the possibility of detection of widely separated wavelength bands using interband and intersubband transitions in quantum wells.     

Single longitudinal mode pulse from a TEA CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser by using a three-mirror resonator with a Fabry–Pérot etalon

We present a single longitudinal mode (SLM) TEA CO₂ laser oscillation by using a three-mirror resonator with a Fabry–Pérot etalon. The etalon was inserted in the optical path taken out from the main resonator of the CO₂ laser for protecting the etalon from damage on the surface. A modified numerical model of the three- mirror resonator was investigated for design the laser. SLM pulse from the TEA CO₂ laser was achieved, and the experimentally measure values were found to have good agreement with the numerical model. The maximum pulse energy of reliable SLM emission is obtained in excess of 200 mJ at 9.57 μm. The reliability of producing SLM pulses was higher than 90%, and there was no damage on the etalon PACS  42.55.Lt; 42.60.Fc