Examining surface and bulk structures using combined nonlinear vibrational spectroscopies

We combined sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy with coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy in one system to examine both surface and bulk structures of materials with the same geometry and without the need to move the sample. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) thin films were tested before and after plasma treatment. The sensitivities of SFG and CARS were tested by varying polymer film thickness and using a lipid monolayer.     

Higher-order cross-correlation-based Doppler optical coherence tomography

A method based on higher-order cross-correlation is proposed to fetch the Doppler information on flow velocity within areas under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. The proposed method is theoretically developed and validated by measurement of a moving mirror with known velocities. Standard deviations of flow velocities of the mirror under different SNRs are determined by the proposed method and compared with those by the modified phase-resolved method. Measurement of flowing particles within a glass capillary is also conducted, and Doppler flow velocity maps of the glass capillary are reconstructed by both methods. All experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can significantly suppress noise, thus rendering it suitable for flow measurement under low SNR cases.     

Dissipative soliton resonance in a passively mode-locked fiber laser

The phenomenon of dissipative soliton resonance (DSR) predicts that an increase of pulse energy by orders of magnitude can be obtained in laser oscillators. Here, we prove that DSR is achievable in a realistic ring laser cavity using nonlinear polarization evolution as the mode-locking mechanism, whose nonlinear transmission function is adjusted through a set of waveplates and a passive polarizer. The governing model accounts explicitly for the arbitrary orientations of the waveplates and the polarizer, as well as the gain saturation in the amplifying medium. It is shown that DSR is achievable with realistic laser settings. Our findings provide an excellent design tool for optimizing the mode-locking performance and the enhancement of energy delivered per pulse by orders of magnitude.     

Dielectric shielded nanoscale patch laser resonators

Dielectric shielded nanoscale patch laser resonators are introduced. Low-index dielectric shield layers surrounding a high-index core are shown to significantly reduce both metal and radiation losses. Structures suitable for both optical and electrical pumping and smaller than the vacuum wavelength in all three dimensions are shown to have a low enough threshold gain to lase at room temperature. Shifting the gain medium core provides control over the radiation pattern of the resonator and enables coupling of the laser light into a waveguide, opening opportunities for chipscale integration.     

Scattering-induced changes in the temporal coherence length and the pulse duration of a partially coherent plane-wave pulse

The scattering of a partially coherent plane-wave pulse on a Gaussian-correlated, quasi-homogeneous random medium is investigated. The analytical expressions for the temporal coherence length and the pulse duration of the scattered field are derived. We demonstrate that the scattering-induced changes in the temporal coherence length and the pulse duration may be used to determine the correlation function of the scattering potential of the medium.     

Accurate method for measuring the thermal coefficient of group birefringence of polarization-maintaining fibers

We present a method to accurately measure the group birefringence variation with temperature in high-birefringence polarization-maintaining (PM) fibers using a distributed polarization analyzer. By analyzing polarization cross-talk peaks purposely induced at both ends of a PM fiber, the temperature coefficient of group birefringence can be accurately obtained. We confirm the theoretical prediction that the group birefringence of PANDA and TIGER PM fibers decrease linearly with temperature from -40 °C to 80 °C, and find that the temperature coefficients are -5.93 × 10(-7) °C(-1) and -5.29 × 10(-7) °C(-1) for two types of PANDA fibers, and -5.36 × 10(-7) °C(-1) for a TIGER fiber.     

Terahertz generation based on parametric conversion: from saturation of conversion efficiency to back conversion

By stacking alternatively rotated gallium phosphide (GaP) plates, the maximum photon conversion efficiency of 40% for the terahertz (THz) generation based on difference-frequency generation has been achieved. The corresponding peak power generated inside the four GaP plates approaches 4 kW. As the number of plates is increased from four to five, the THz output power is significantly decreased, due to back parametric conversion.     

Fabrication of concave microlens arrays using controllable dielectrophoretic force in template holes

This Letter presents a method for fabricating concave microlens arrays of UV-curable polymer by using the dielectrophoresis (DEP) force. The DEP force, generated by a voltage between the patterned conductive template and substrate, acting on the polymer-air interface, can drive the dielectric liquid polymer into the template holes and change the shape of the polymer-air interface. The upper polymer surface of fabricated microlens is super smooth, which can reduce optical noise. The upper surface geometry is measured approximately as parabolic in general, which can lead to a negligible spherical aberration, compared to spherical surfaces.     

A first-principles study of C + O reaction on NiCo(1 1 1) surface

A density-functional theory method has been conducted to investigate the association of C + O on (1 1 1) facets of ordered NiCo alloy and the results have been compared with those obtained on pure Ni(1 1 1) surface. In reaction of C + O, the favorable reaction path is that C adsorbed on HCP-1 site moves to the nearest Ni-Co bridge site, and associates with O migrating from FCC-1 site to result in CO adsorbed on the bridge site of Ni-Co. However, the reaction barrier is higher by 0.35 eV than that on pure Ni(1 1 1), which indicates that the incorporation of Co into the Ni crystal is not in favor of the reaction of carbon delimination.