Measurement of subpicosecond optical waveforms using a resonator-based phase modulator

We propose a method for the measurement of periodic optical waveforms based on the use of an electrooptic phase modulator placed in an optical Fabry-Perot or ring resonator. Significant broadening of the modulation spectrum extends the recently developed method of periodic modulation for pulse characterization into femtosecond scales. We numerically demonstrate the characterization of a 300-fs optical pulse. We also present a technique based on the temporal fractional Talbot effect for restoration of the pulse phase profile. After fast linear processing, subpicosecond pulses will be observed on the screen of a real-time oscilloscope. This complete characterization of optical pulses is entirely linear and therefore highly sensitive and simple in implementation.     

Periodic surface nanostructures on polycrystalline ZnO induced by femtosecond laser pulses

Periodic surface nanostructures induced by femtosecond laser pulses on polycrystalline ZnO are presented. By translating the sample line-by-line under appropriate irradiation conditions, grating-like nanostructures with an average period of 160 nm are fabricated. The dependence of surface morphologies on the processing parameters, such as laser fluence, pulse number and laser polarization, are studied by scanning electronic microscope (SEM). In addition, photoluminescence (PL) analysis at room-temperature indicates that the PL intensity of the irradiated area increases significantly compared with the un-irradiated area. Using femtosecond laser pulses irradiation to fabricate periodic surface nanostructures on polycrystalline ZnO is efficient, simple and low cost, which shows great potential applications in ZnO-based optoelectronic devices.     

基于自衍射效应的自参考光谱干涉方法的研究

研究一种基于非线性透明光学介质中的自衍射和自参考光谱干涉的新方法来进行飞秒激光脉冲测量. 实验中, 基于此新方法设计一种简单装置, 对800 nm 中心波长, 约40 fs 近无啁啾飞秒激光脉冲进行测量, 并与自参考光谱相干电场重建法测量结果进行比较, 得到了一致的结果. 此新方法与相应的装置结构简单, 可以对深紫外到中红外光谱范围的飞秒脉冲进行测量. 关键词： 飞秒激光脉冲 自参考光谱干涉 自衍射 脉冲测量     

Shaping of few-cycle laser pulses via a subwavelength structure

We theoretically investigate the propagation of few-cycle laser pulses in resonant two-level dense media with a sub- wavelength structure, which is described by the full Maxwell-Bloch equations without the frame of slowly varying envelope and rotating wave approximations. The input pulses can be shaped into shorter ones with a single or less than one optical cycle. The effect of the parameters of the subwavelength structure and laser pulses is studied. Our study shows that the media with a subwavelength structure can significantly shape the few-cycle pulses into a subcycle pulse, even for the case of chirp pulses as input fields. This suggests that such subwavelength structures have potential application in the shaping of few-cycle laser pulses.     

Dissipative solitons with energy and matter flows: Fundamental building blocks for the world of living organisms

We consider a combined model of dissipative solitons that are generated due to the balance between gain and loss of energy as well as to the balance between input and output of matter. The system is governed by the generic complex Ginzburg–Landau equation, which is coupled to a common reaction–diffusion (RD) system. Such a composite dynamical system may describe nerve pulses with a significant part of electromagnetic energy involved. We present examples of such composite dissipative solitons and analyse their internal balances between energy and matter generation and dissipation.     

Sensitivity-enhanced IPAP-SOFAST-HMQC for fast-pulsing 2D NMR with reduced radiofrequency load

The SOFAST-HMQC experiment [P. Schanda, B. Brutscher, Very fast two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy for real-time investigation of dynamic events in proteins on the time scale of seconds, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127 (2005) 8014-8015] allows recording two-dimensional correlation spectra of macromolecules such as proteins in only a few seconds acquisition time. To achieve the highest possible sensitivity, SOFAST-HMQC experiments are preferably performed on high-field NMR spectrometers equipped with cryogenically cooled probes. The duty cycle of over 80% in fast-pulsing SOFAST-HMQC experiments, however, may cause problems when using a cryogenic probe. Here we introduce SE-IPAP-SOFAST-HMQC, a new pulse sequence that provides comparable sensitivity to standard SOFAST-HMQC, while avoiding heteronuclear decoupling during (1)H detection, and thus significantly reducing the radiofrequency load of the probe during the experiment. The experiment is also attractive for fast and sensitive measurement of heteronuclear one-bond spin coupling constants.     

Sensitivity enhancement in natural-abundance solid-state 33S MAS NMR spectroscopy employing adiabatic inversion pulses to the satellite transitions

The WURST (wideband uniform rate smooth truncation) and hyperbolic secant (HS) pulse elements have each been employed as pairs of inversion pulses to induce population transfer (PT) between the four energy levels in natural abundance solid-state (33)S (spin I=3/2) MAS NMR, thereby leading to a significant gain in intensity for the central transition (CT). The pair of inversion pulses are applied to the satellite transitions for a series of inorganic sulfates, the sulfate ions in the two cementitious materials ettringite and thaumasite, and the two tetrathiometallates (NH(4))(2)WS(4) and (NH(4))(2)MoS(4). These materials all exhibit (33)S quadrupole coupling constants (C(Q)) in the range 0.1-1.0 MHz, with precise C(Q) values being determined from analysis of the PT enhanced (33)S MAS NMR spectra. The enhancement factors for the WURST and HS elements are quite similar and are all in the range 1.74-2.25 for the studied samples, in excellent agreement with earlier reports on HS enhancement factors (1.6-2.4) observed for other spin I=3/2 nuclei with similar C(Q) values (0.3-1.2 MHz). Thus, a time saving in instrument time by a factor up to five has been achieved in natural abundance (33)S MAS NMR, a time saving which is extremely welcome for this important low-gamma nucleus.     

Population transfer by femtosecond laser pulses in a ladder-type atomic system

The population transfer in a ladder-type atomic system driven by linearly polarized sech-shape femtosecond laser pulses is investigated by numerically solving Schr6dinger equation without including the rotating wave approximation （RWA）. It is shown that population transfer is mainly determined by the Rabi frequency （strength） of the driving laser field and the chirp rate, and that the ratio of the dipole moments and the pulse width also have a prominent effect on the population transfer. By choosing appropriate values of the above parameters, complete population transfer can be realized.     

Phase matching limitation of high-efficiency second-harmonic generation in both phase- and group-velocity-matched structures

In this paper, we studied efficient second-harmonic generation (SHG) of femtosecond pulses in both phase- and group-velocity-matched structures. Obtained results show that phase matching becomes more critical under conditions required for high levels of conversion efficiency. And the imperfect phase mismatch caused by mismatched group-velocity dispersion (GVD) will limit conversion efficiency as well as bandwidth of generated second-harmonic (SH) pulses. The spectral characteristics of the generated SH pulses and its conversion efficiency in the strong pump regime are investigated in detail. The acceptance bandwidth of nonlinear crystal in the high-efficiency SHG is redefined in the paper, and the definition is much closer to the practical application of design.     

Improved pulse schemes for separated local field spectroscopy for static and spinning samples

An improved pulse sequence for SLF experiments based on the magic sandwich (MS) scheme for homo-nuclear dipolar decoupling is proposed. The sequence incorporates a double MS, both on I and S spins and has been named as EXE-MS2. The proposed scheme which has a scaling factor of 1 is observed to be free from low intensity artifacts and provides better line-widths particularly for S spins labeled at multiple sites. The pulse sequence which has been applied on static oriented samples incorporates the EXE scheme where direct polarization of the S spin in the B(0) field is utilized in the place of polarization inversion and is observed to perform well without any loss of sensitivity while ensuring considerable reduction in rf power input into the sample. The EXE scheme has also been tested for solid samples under MAS.