Numerical aperture limits on efficient ball lens coupling of laser diodes to single-mode fibers with defocus to balance spherical aberration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, R. Gale

1994-01-01

The potential capabilities and limitations of single ball lenses for coupling laser diode radiation to single-mode optical fibers have been analyzed; parameters important to optical communications were specifically considered. These parameters included coupling efficiency, effective numerical apertures, lens radius, lens refractive index, wavelength, magnification in imaging the laser diode on the fiber, and defocus to counterbalance spherical aberration of the lens. Limiting numerical apertures in object and image space were determined under the constraint that the lens perform to the Rayleigh criterion of 0.25-wavelength (Strehl ratio = 0.80). The spherical aberration-defocus balance to provide an optical path difference of 0.25 wavelength units was shown to define a constant coupling efficiency (i.e., 0.56). The relative numerical aperture capabilities of the ball lens were determined for a set of wavelengths and associated fiber-core diameters of particular interest for single-mode fiber-optic communication. The results support general continuing efforts in the optical fiber communications industry to improve coupling links within such systems with emphasis on manufacturing simplicity, system packaging flexibility, relaxation of assembly alignment tolerances, cost reduction of opto-electronic components and long term reliability and stability.

Light coupling for on-chip optical interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Xumin; Yuan, Jialei; Yang, Yongchao; Li, Yuanhang; Cai, Wei; Li, Xin; Wang, Yongjin

2017-12-01

An on-chip optical interconnect of a light emitter, waveguide and photodetector based on p-n junction InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) is fabricated to investigate the light coupling efficiency of suspended waveguides connecting the light emitter and photodetector. Optical characterizations indicate that the photocurrent of the photodetector is mainly induced by the emitted light that is transmitted through the waveguides. Suspended waveguides with and without air gaps are reported in this paper. A 1 mA current injection into the light emitter induces a photocurrent of 17.3 nA and 205.5 nA for the photodetector connected to the waveguides that with 10 μm air gaps and without air gaps, respectively. Finite-difference time-domain simulations are performed to analyze the gap effect on the coupling efficiency of the light transmission. Both the gap distance and the index variation of the gap materials are analyzed to verify the potential optical sensing functions of the on-chip optical interconnect. A possible strategy for increasing the light coupling efficiency is proven by simulations.

Methods and apparatus for vertical coupling from dielectric waveguides

DOEpatents

Yaacobi, Ami; Cordova, Brad Gilbert

2014-06-17

A frequency-chirped nano-antenna provides efficient sub-wavelength vertical emission from a dielectric waveguide. In one example, this nano-antenna includes a set of plasmonic dipoles on the opposite side of a SiYV.sub.4 waveguide from a ground plane. The resulting structure, which is less than half a wavelength long, emits a broadband beam (e.g., >300 nm) that can be coupled into an optical fiber. In some embodiments, a diffractive optical element with unevenly shaped regions of high- and low-index dielectric material collimates the broadband beam for higher coupling efficiency. In some cases, a negative lens element between the nano-antenna and the diffractive optical element accelerates the emitted beam's divergence (and improves coupling efficiency), allowing for more compact packaging. Like the diffractive optical element, the negative lens element includes unevenly shaped regions of high- and low-index dielectric material that can be designed to compensate for aberrations in the beam emitted by the nano-antenna.

On-Chip Strong Coupling and Efficient Frequency Conversion between Telecom and Visible Optical Modes.

PubMed

Guo, Xiang; Zou, Chang-Ling; Jung, Hojoong; Tang, Hong X

2016-09-16

While the frequency conversion of photons has been realized with various approaches, the realization of strong coupling between optical modes of different colors has never been reported. Here, we present an experimental demonstration of strong coupling between telecom (1550 nm) and visible (775 nm) optical modes on an aluminum nitride photonic chip. The nonreciprocal normal-mode splitting is demonstrated as a result of the coherent interference between photons with different colors. Furthermore, a wideband, bidirectional frequency conversion with 0.14 on-chip conversion efficiency and a bandwidth up to 1.2 GHz is demonstrated.

Microfiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detector for near-infrared wavelengths.

PubMed

You, Lixing; Wu, Junjie; Xu, Yingxin; Hou, Xintong; Fang, Wei; Li, Hao; Zhang, Weijun; Zhang, Lu; Liu, Xiaoyu; Tong, Limin; Wang, Zhen; Xie, Xiaoming

2017-12-11

High-performance superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) have facilitated numerous experiments and applications, particularly in the fields of modern quantum optics and quantum communication. Two kinds of optical coupling methods have thus far been developed for SNSPDs: one produces standard fiber-coupled SNSPDs in which the fibers vertically illuminate the meandered nanowires; the other produces waveguide-coupled SNSPDs in which nanowires are fabricated on the surface of a waveguide that guides photons, and the fibers are coupled to the waveguide. In this paper, we report on first experimental demonstration of a new type of SNSPD that is coupled with a microfiber (MF). Photons are guided by the MF and are evanescently absorbed by the nanowires of the SNSPD when the MF is placed on top of superconducting NbN nanowires. Room-temperature optical experiments indicated that this device has a coupling efficiency of up to 90% when a 1.3 μm-diameter MF is used for light with wavelength of 1550 nm. We were also able to demonstrate that our MF-coupled detector achieved system detection efficiencies of 50% and 20% at incident wavelengths of 1064 and 1550 nm, respectively, for a 2 μm-diameter MF at 2.2K. We expect that MF-coupled SNSPDs may show both high efficiency and broadband characteristics upon optimization and will be used for various novel applications, such as micro/nano-fiber optics.

Theoretical and experimental investigations of efficient light coupling with spatially varied all dielectric striped waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilmaz, Y. A.; Tandogan, S. E.; Hayran, Z.; Giden, I. H.; Turduev, M.; Kurt, H.

2017-07-01

Integrated photonic systems require efficient, compact, and broadband solutions for strong light coupling into and out of optical waveguides. The present work investigates an efficient optical power transferring the problem between optical waveguides having different widths of in/out terminals. We propose a considerably practical and feasible concept to implement and design an optical coupler by introducing gradually index modulation to the coupler section. The index profile of the coupler section is modulated with a Gaussian function by the help of striped waveguides. The effective medium theory is used to replace the original spatially varying index profile with dielectric stripes of a finite length/width having a constant effective refractive index. 2D and 3D finite-difference time-domain analyzes are utilized to investigate the sampling effect of the designed optical coupler and to determine the parameters that play a crucial role in enhancing the optical power transfer performance. Comparing the coupling performance of conventional benchmark adiabatic and butt couplers with the designed striped waveguide coupler, the corresponding coupling efficiency increases from approximately 30% to 95% over a wide frequency interval. In addition, to realize the realistic optical coupler appropriate to integrated photonic applications, the proposed structure is numerically designed on a silicon-on-insulator wafer. The implemented SOI platform based optical coupler operates in the telecom wavelength regime (λ = 1.55 μm), and the dimensions of the striped coupler are kept as 9.77 μm (along the transverse to propagation direction) and 7.69 μm (along the propagation direction) where the unit distance is fixed to be 465 nm. Finally, to demonstrate the operating design principle, the microwave experiments are conducted and the spot size conversion ratio as high as 7.1:1 is measured, whereas a coupling efficiency over 60% in the frequency range of 5.0-16.0 GHz has been also demonstrated.

Fabrication and performance analysis of a high-coupling-efficiency and convenient-integration optical transceiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Hui-min; Liu, Feng-man; Xue, Hai-yun; Wu, Peng; Song, Man-gu; Sun, Yu; Cao, Li-qiang

2017-07-01

An optical transceiver with a novel optical subassembly structure is proposed in this paper, which achieves high coupling efficiency and low assembly difficulty. The proposed optical transceiver consumes 0.9 W power and retains a small size of 28 mm×16 mm×3 mm. The fabrication process of the silicon substrate and the assembly process of the optical transceiver are demonstrated in details. Moreover, the optical transceiver is measured in order to verify its transmission performance. The clear eye diagrams and the low bit error rate ( BER) less than 10-13 at 10 Gbit/s per channel show good transmission characteristics of the designed optical transceiver.

Inverted Ultrathin Organic Solar Cells with a Quasi-Grating Structure for Efficient Carrier Collection and Dip-less Visible Optical Absorption.

PubMed

In, Sungjun; Park, Namkyoo

2016-02-23

We propose a metallic-particle-based two-dimensional quasi-grating structure for application to an organic solar cell. With the use of oblate spheroidal nanoparticles in contact with an anode of inverted, ultrathin organic solar cells (OSCs), the quasi-grating structure offers strong hybridization between localized surface plasmons and plasmonic gap modes leading to broadband (300~800 nm) and uniform (average ~90%) optical absorption spectra. Both strong optical enhancement in extreme confinement within the active layer (90 nm) and improved hole collection are thus realized. A coupled optical-electrical multi-physics optimization shows a large (~33%) enhancement in the optical absorption (corresponding to an absorption efficiency of ~47%, AM1.5G weighted, visible) when compared to a control OSC without the quasi-grating structure. That translates into a significant electrical performance gain of ~22% in short circuit current and ~15% in the power conversion efficiency (PCE), leading to an energy conversion efficiency (~6%) which is comparable to that of optically-thick inverted OSCs (3-7%). Detailed analysis on the influences of mode hybridization to optical field distributions, exciton generation rate, charge carrier collection efficiency and electrical conversion efficiency is provided, to offer an integrated understanding on the coupled optical-electrical optimization of ultrathin OSCs.

A grating coupler with a trapezoidal hole array for perfectly vertical light coupling between optical fibers and waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizutani, Akio; Eto, Yohei; Kikuta, Hisao

2017-12-01

A grating coupler with a trapezoidal hole array was designed and fabricated for perfectly vertical light coupling between a single-mode optical fiber and a silicon waveguide on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The grating coupler with an efficiency of 53% was computationally designed at a 1.1-µm-thick buried oxide (BOX) layer. The grating coupler and silicon waveguide were fabricated on the SOI substrate with a 3.0-µm-thick BOX layer by a single full-etch process. The measured coupling efficiency was 24% for TE-polarized light at 1528 nm wavelength, which was 0.69 times of the calculated coupling efficiency for the 3.0-µm-thick BOX layer.

Hyperbola-parabola primary mirror in Cassegrain optical antenna to improve transmission efficiency.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Chen, Lu; Yang, HuaJun; Jiang, Ping; Mao, Shengqian; Caiyang, Weinan

2015-08-20

An optical model with a hyperbola-parabola primary mirror added in the Cassegrain optical antenna, which can effectively improve the transmission efficiency, is proposed in this paper. The optimum parameters of a hyperbola-parabola primary mirror and a secondary mirror for the optical antenna system have been designed and analyzed in detail. The parabola-hyperbola primary structure optical antenna is obtained to improve the transmission efficiency of 10.60% in theory, and the simulation efficiency changed 9.359%. For different deflection angles to the receiving antenna with the emit antenna, the coupling efficiency curve of the optical antenna has been obtained.

Beam collimation and focusing and error analysis of LD and fiber coupling system based on ZEMAX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Lvlin; Zhou, Dejian; Xiao, Lei

2017-10-01

Laser diodde has many advantages, such as high efficiency, small volume, low cost and easy integration, so it is widely used. Because of its poor beam quality, the application of semiconductor laser has also been seriously hampered. In view of the poor beam quality, the ZEMAX optical design software is used to simulate the far field characteristics of the semiconductor laser beam, and the coupling module of the semiconductor laser and the optical fiber is designed and optimized. And the beam is coupled into the fiber core diameter d=200µm, the numerical aperture NA=0.22 optical fiber, the output power can reach 95%. Finally, the influence of the three docking errors on the coupling efficiency during the installation process is analyzed.

An analysis of the surface-normal coupling efficiency of a metal grating coupler embedded in a Scotch tape optical waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrios, Carlos Angulo; Canalejas-Tejero, Víctor

2017-01-01

The coupling efficiency at normal incidence of recently demonstrated aluminum grating couplers integrated in flexible Scotch tape waveguides has been analyzed theoretically and experimentally. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) and rigorously coupled wave analysis (RCWA) methods have been used to optimize the dimensions (duty cycle and metal thickness) of Scotch tape-embedded 1D Al gratings for maximum coupling at 635 nm wavelength. Good dimension and tape refractive index tolerances are predicted. FDTD simulations reveal the incident beam width and impinging position (alignment) values that avoid rediffraction and thus maximize the coupling efficiency. A 1D Al diffraction grating integrated into a Scotch tape optical waveguide has been fabricated and characterized. The fabrication process, based on pattern transfer, has been optimized to allow complete Al grating transfer onto the Scotch tape waveguide. A maximum coupling efficiency of 20% for TM-polarized normal incidence has been measured, which is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The measured coupling efficiency is further increased up to 28% for TM polarization under oblique incidence. Temperature dependence measurements have been also achieved and related to the simulations results and fabrication procedure.

Optical loss analysis and parameter optimization for fan-shaped single-polarization grating coupler at wavelength of 1.3 µm band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ushida, Jun; Tokushima, Masatoshi; Sobu, Yohei; Shimura, Daisuke; Yashiki, Kenichiro; Takahashi, Shigeki; Kurata, Kazuhiko

2018-05-01

Fan-shaped grating couplers (F-GCs) can be smaller than straight ones but are less efficient in general in coupling to single-mode fibers. To find a small F-GC with sufficiently high fiber-coupling characteristics, we numerically compared the dependencies of coupling efficiencies on wavelengths, the starting width of gratings, and misalignment distances among 25, 45, and 60° tapered angles of fan shape by using the three-dimensional finite-difference time domain method. A F-GC with a tapered angle of 25° exhibited the highest performances for all dependencies. The optical loss origins of F-GCs were discussed in terms of the electric field structures in them and scattering at the joint between the fan-shaped slab and channel waveguide. We fabricated an optimized 25° F-GC by using ArF photolithography, which almost exactly reproduced the optical coupling efficiency and radiation angle characteristics that were numerically expected.

Milestones Toward 50% Efficient Solar Cell Modules

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

efficiency, both at solar cells and module level. The optical system consists of a tiled nonimaging concentrating system, coupled with a spectral...which combines a nonimaging optical concentrator (which does not require tracking and is called a static concentrator) with spectral splitting...DESIGN AND RESULTS The optical design is based on non-symmetric, nonimaging optics, tiled into an array. The central issues in the optical system

Fiber-optical switch controlled by a single atom.

PubMed

O'Shea, Danny; Junge, Christian; Volz, Jürgen; Rauschenbeutel, Arno

2013-11-08

We demonstrate highly efficient switching of optical signals between two optical fibers controlled by a single atom. The key element of our experiment is a whispering-gallery-mode bottle microresonator, which is coupled to a single atom and interfaced by two tapered fiber couplers. This system reaches the strong coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics, leading to a vacuum Rabi splitting in the excitation spectrum. We systematically investigate the switching efficiency of our system, i.e., the probability that the fiber-optical switch redirects the light into the desired output. We obtain a large redirection efficiency reaching a raw fidelity of more than 60% without postselection. Moreover, by measuring the second-order correlation functions of the output fields, we show that our switch exhibits a photon-number-dependent routing capability.

Printed freeform lens arrays on multi-core fibers for highly efficient coupling in astrophotonic systems.

PubMed

Dietrich, Philipp-Immanuel; Harris, Robert J; Blaicher, Matthias; Corrigan, Mark K; Morris, Tim M; Freude, Wolfgang; Quirrenbach, Andreas; Koos, Christian

2017-07-24

Coupling of light into multi-core fibers (MCF) for spatially resolved spectroscopy is of great importance to astronomical instrumentation. To achieve high coupling efficiencies along with fill-fractions close to unity, micro-optical elements are required to concentrate the incoming light to the individual cores of the MCF. In this paper we demonstrate facet-attached lens arrays (LA) fabricated by two-photon polymerization. The LA provide close to 100% fill-fraction along with efficiencies of up to 73% (down to 1.4 dB loss) for coupling of light from free space into an MCF core. We show the viability of the concept for astrophotonic applications by integrating an MCF-LA assembly in an adaptive-optics test bed and by assessing its performance as a tip/tilt sensor.

Improved out-coupling efficiency of organic light emitting diodes fabricated on a TiO2 planarization layer with embedded Si oxide nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sung, Young Hoon; Jung, Pil-Hoon; Han, Kyung-Hoon; Kim, Yang Doo; Kim, Jang-Joo; Lee, Heon

2017-10-01

In order to increase the out-coupling efficiency of organic light emitting diodes, conical Si oxide nanostructures were formed on a glass substrate using nanoimprint lithography with hydrogen silsesquioxane. Then, the substrate was planarized with TiO2 nanoparticles. Since TiO2 nanoparticles have a higher refractive index than Si oxide, the surface of substrate is physically flat, but optically undulated in a manner that enables optical scattering and suppression of total internal reflection. Subsequently, OLEDs formed on a substrate with nanostructured Si oxide and a TiO2 planarization layer exhibit a 25% increase in out-coupling efficiency by suppressing total internal reflection.

Coupling efficiency of laser beam to multimode fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Jinfu; Xu, Jianqiu

2007-06-01

The coupling efficiency of laser beam to multimode fiber is given by geometrical optics, and the relation between the maximum coupling efficiency and the beam propagation factor M2 is analyzed. An equivalent factor MF2 for the multimode fiber is introduced to characterize the fiber coupling capability. The coupling efficiency of laser beam to multimode fiber is calculated in respect of the ratio M2/MF2 by the overlapping integral theory. The optimal coupling efficiency can be roughly estimated by the ratio of M2 to MF2 but with a large error range. The deviation comes from the lacks of information on the detail of phase and intensity profile in the beam factor M2.

Optical microscope and tapered fiber coupling apparatus for a dilution refrigerator.

PubMed

MacDonald, A J R; Popowich, G G; Hauer, B D; Kim, P H; Fredrick, A; Rojas, X; Doolin, P; Davis, J P

2015-01-01

We have developed a system for tapered fiber measurements of optomechanical resonators inside a dilution refrigerator, which is compatible with both on- and off-chip devices. Our apparatus features full three-dimensional control of the taper-resonator coupling conditions enabling critical coupling, with an overall fiber transmission efficiency of up to 70%. Notably, our design incorporates an optical microscope system consisting of a coherent bundle of 37,000 optical fibers for real-time imaging of the experiment at a resolution of ∼1 μm. We present cryogenic optical and optomechanical measurements of resonators coupled to tapered fibers at temperatures as low as 9 mK.

Optical-microwave interactions in semiconductor devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueroa, L.; Slayman, C.; Yen, H. W.

1980-02-01

GaAs FETs with built-in optical waveguides are being developed. The purpose is to allow optical signals to be coupled into the active region of the devices efficiently. These FETs will be useful for optical mixing, optical injection locking, and optical detection purposes.

Initial Test Bed for Very High Efficiency Solar Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

efficiency, both at the solar cell and module levels. The optical system consists of a tiled nonimaging concentrating system, coupled with a spectral...Benítez, P. (2005). Nonimaging Optics . Boston: Elsevier Academic Press. [6] Luque, A.L. & Andreev, V.M. (2007). Concentrator Photovoltaics. New York: Springer. ...lateral optical concentrating system, which splits the incident solar spectrum into several bands and allows different optical and photovoltaic

Optical coupling between atomically thin black phosphorus and a two dimensional photonic crystal nanocavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ota, Yasutomo; Moriya, Rai; Yabuki, Naoto; Arai, Miho; Kakuda, Masahiro; Iwamoto, Satoshi; Machida, Tomoki; Arakawa, Yasuhiko

2017-05-01

Atomically thin black phosphorus (BP) is an emerging two dimensional (2D) material exhibiting bright photoluminescence in the near infrared region. Coupling its radiation to photonic nanostructures will be an important step toward the realization of 2D material based nanophotonic devices that operate efficiently in the near infrared region, which includes the technologically important optical telecommunication wavelength bands. In this letter, we demonstrate the optical coupling between atomically thin BP and a 2D photonic crystal nanocavity. We employed a home-build dry transfer apparatus for placing a thin BP flake on the surface of the nanocavity. Their optical coupling was analyzed through measuring cavity mode emission under optical carrier injection at room temperature.

Chaos-assisted broadband momentum transformation in optical microresonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Xuefeng; Shao, Linbo; Zhang, Shu-Xin; Yi, Xu; Wiersig, Jan; Wang, Li; Gong, Qihuang; Lončar, Marko; Yang, Lan; Xiao, Yun-Feng

2017-10-01

The law of momentum conservation rules out many desired processes in optical microresonators. We report broadband momentum transformations of light in asymmetric whispering gallery microresonators. Assisted by chaotic motions, broadband light can travel between optical modes with different angular momenta within a few picoseconds. Efficient coupling from visible to near-infrared bands is demonstrated between a nanowaveguide and whispering gallery modes with quality factors exceeding 10 million. The broadband momentum transformation enhances the device conversion efficiency of the third-harmonic generation by greater than three orders of magnitude over the conventional evanescent-wave coupling. The observed broadband and fast momentum transformation could promote applications such as multicolor lasers, broadband memories, and multiwavelength optical networks.

Acousto-optic modulation and opto-acoustic gating in piezo-optomechanical circuits

PubMed Central

Balram, Krishna C.; Davanço, Marcelo I.; Ilic, B. Robert; Kyhm, Ji-Hoon; Song, Jin Dong; Srinivasan, Kartik

2017-01-01

Acoustic wave devices provide a promising chip-scale platform for efficiently coupling radio frequency (RF) and optical fields. Here, we use an integrated piezo-optomechanical circuit platform that exploits both the piezoelectric and photoelastic coupling mechanisms to link 2.4 GHz RF waves to 194 THz (1550 nm) optical waves, through coupling to propagating and localized 2.4 GHz acoustic waves. We demonstrate acousto-optic modulation, resonant in both the optical and mechanical domains, in which waveforms encoded on the RF carrier are mapped to the optical field. We also show opto-acoustic gating, in which the application of modulated optical pulses interferometrically gates the transmission of propagating acoustic pulses. The time-domain characteristics of this system under both pulsed RF and pulsed optical excitation are considered in the context of the different physical pathways involved in driving the acoustic waves, and modelled through the coupled mode equations of cavity optomechanics. PMID:28580373

Inverse design of near unity efficiency perfectly vertical grating couplers.

PubMed

Michaels, Andrew; Yablonovitch, Eli

2018-02-19

Efficient coupling between integrated optical waveguides and optical fibers is essential to the success of silicon photonics. While many solutions exist, perfectly vertical grating couplers that scatter light out of a waveguide in the direction normal to the waveguide's top surface are an ideal candidate due to their potential to reduce packaging complexity. Designing such couplers with high efficiencies, however, has proven difficult. In this paper, we use inverse electromagnetic design techniques to optimize a high efficiency two-layer perfectly vertical silicon grating coupler. Our base design achieves a chip-to-fiber coupling efficiency of 99.2% (-0.035 dB) at 1550 nm. Using this base design as a starting point, we run subsequent constrained optimizations to realize vertical couplers with coupling efficiencies over 96% and back reflections of less than -40 dB which can be fabricated using 65 nm-resolution lithography. These results demonstrate a new path forward for designing fabrication-tolerant ultra high efficiency grating couplers.

Tapered optical fiber waveguide coupling to whispering gallery modes of liquid crystal microdroplet for thermal sensing application.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Li, Hanyang; Zhao, Liyuan; Liu, Yongjun; Liu, Shuangqiang; Yang, Jun

2017-01-23

We demonstrate efficient coupling to the optical whispering gallery modes (WGMs) of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) microdroplets immersed in an immiscible aqueous environment. An individual NLC microdroplet, confined at the tip of a microcapillary, was coupled via a tapered optical fiber waveguide positioned correctly within its vicinity. Critical coupling of the taper-microdroplet system was facilitated by adjusting the gap between the taper and the microdroplet to change the overlap of the evanescent electromagnetic fields; efficient and controlled power transfer from the taper waveguide to the NLC microdroplet is indeed possible via the proposed technique. We also found that NLC microdroplets can function as highly sensitive thermal sensors: A maximum temperature sensitivity of 267.6 pm/°C and resolution of 7.5 × 10^-2 °C were achieved in a 78-μm-diameter NLC microdroplet.

Improving the fiber coupling efficiency for DARWIN by loss-less shaping of the receive beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voland, Ch.; Weigel, Th.; Dreischer, Th.; Wallner, O.; Ergenzinger, K.; Ries, H.; Jetter, R.; Vosteen, A.

2017-11-01

For the DARWIN mission the extremely low planet signal levels require an optical instrument design with utmost efficiency to guarantee the required science performance. By shaping the transverse amplitude and phase distributions of the receive beams, the singlemode fibre coupling efficiency can be increased to almost 100%, thus allowing for a gain of more than 20% compared to conventional designs. We show that the use of "tailored freeform surfaces" for purpose of beam shaping dramatically reduces the coupling degradations, which otherwise result from mode mismatch between the Airy pattern of the image and the fibre mode, and therefore allows for achieving a performance close to the physical limitations. We present an application of tailored surfaces for building a beam shaping optics that shall enhance fibre coupling performance as core part of a space based interferometer in the future DARWIN mission and present performance predictions by wave-optical simulations. We assess the feasibility of manufacturing the corresponding tailored surfaces and describe the proof of concept demonstrator we use for experimental performance verification.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nam, Y. B., E-mail: southub@postech.ac.kr; Yun, G. S.; Lee, D. J.

Electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) diagnostic on Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research utilizes quasi-optical heterodyne-detection method to measure 2D (vertical and radial) T{sub e} fluctuations from two toroidally separated poloidal cross section of the plasma. A cylindrical lens local oscillator (LO) optics with optical path length (OPL) 2–2.5 m has been used in the current ECEI system to couple the LO source to the 24 vertically aligned array of ECE detectors. For efficient and compact LO optics employing the Powell lens is proposed so that the OPL of the LO source is significantly reduced from ∼2.0 m to 0.4 mmore » with new optics. The coupling efficiency of the LO source is expected to be improved especially at the edge channels. Results from the optical simulation together with the laboratory test of the prototype optics will be discussed in this paper.« less

Effective way of reducing coupling loss between rectangular microwaveguide and fiber.

PubMed

Zhou, Hang; Chen, Zilun; Xi, Xiaoming; Hou, Jing; Chen, Jinbao

2012-01-20

We introduce an anamorphic photonic crystal fiber (PCF) produced by postprocessing techniques to improve the coupling loss between a conventional single-mode fiber and rectangular microwaveguide. One end of the round core is connected with the conventional fiber, and the other end of the rectangular core is connected with the rectangular microwaveguide, then the PCF is tapered pro rata. In this way, the loss of mode mismatch between the output of the conventional fiber and the input of the waveguide would be reduced, which results in enhanced coupling efficiency. The conclusion was confirmed by numerical simulation: the new method is better than straight coupling between the optical fiber and the rectangular microwaveguide, and more than 2.8 dB improvement of coupling efficiency is achieved. © 2012 Optical Society of America

High-efficiency power transfer for silicon-based photonic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Gyeongho; Yu, Kyoungsik

2018-02-01

We demonstrate an efficient coupling of guided light of 1550 nm from a standard single-mode optical fiber to a silicon waveguide using the finite-difference time-domain method and propose a fabrication method of tapered optical fibers for efficient power transfer to silicon-based photonic integrated circuits. Adiabatically-varying fiber core diameters with a small tapering angle can be obtained using the tube etching method with hydrofluoric acid and standard single-mode fibers covered by plastic jackets. The optical power transmission of the fundamental HE11 and TE-like modes between the fiber tapers and the inversely-tapered silicon waveguides was calculated with the finite-difference time-domain method to be more than 99% at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The proposed method for adiabatic fiber tapering can be applied in quantum optics, silicon-based photonic integrated circuits, and nanophotonics. Furthermore, efficient coupling within the telecommunication C-band is a promising approach for quantum networks in the future.

Metal–Dielectric Waveguides for High Efficiency Fluorescence Imaging

PubMed Central

Zhu, Liangfu; Zhang, Douguo; Wang, Ruxue; Wang, Pei; Ming, Hai; Badugu, Ramachandram; Du, Luping; Yuan, Xiaocong; Lakowicz, Joseph R.

2015-01-01

We demonstrate that Metal–Dielectric Waveguide structures (MDWs) with high efficiency of fluorescence coupling can be suitable as substrates for fluorescence imaging. This hybrid MDWs consists of a continuous metal film and a dielectric top layer. The optical modes sustaining inside this structure can be excited with a high numerical aperture (N.A) objective, and then focused into a virtual optical probe with high intensity, leading to efficient excitation of fluorophores deposited on top of the MDWs. The emitted fluorophores couple with the optical modes thus enabling the directional emission, which is verified by the back focal plane (BFP) imaging. These unique properties of MDWs have been adopted in a scanning laser confocal optical microscopy, and show the merit of high efficiency fluorescence imaging. MDWs can be easily fabricated by vapor deposition and/or spin coating, the silica surface of the MDWs is suitable for biomolecule tethering, and will offer new opportunities for cell biology and biophysics research. PMID:26525494

Free-space-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for infrared optical communications.

PubMed

Bellei, Francesco; Cartwright, Alyssa P; McCaughan, Adam N; Dane, Andrew E; Najafi, Faraz; Zhao, Qingyuan; Berggren, Karl K

2016-02-22

This paper describes the construction of a cryostat and an optical system with a free-space coupling efficiency of 56.5% ± 3.4% to a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) for infrared quantum communication and spectrum analysis. A 1K pot decreases the base temperature to T = 1.7 K from the 2.9 K reached by the cold head cooled by a pulse-tube cryocooler. The minimum spot size coupled to the detector chip was 6.6 ± 0.11 µm starting from a fiber source at wavelength, λ = 1.55 µm. We demonstrated photon counting on a detector with an 8 × 7.3 µm2 area. We measured a dark count rate of 95 ± 3.35 kcps and a system detection efficiency of 1.64% ± 0.13%. We explain the key steps that are required to improve further the coupling efficiency.

Nano-stepper-driven optical shutter for applications in free-space micro-optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawadzka, Justyna; Li, Lijie; Unamuno, Anartz; Uttamchandani, Deepak G.

2002-09-01

In this paper we report a simple design of a micro-optical shutter/attenuator. The standard MUMPS process was used to fabricate the device. A vertically erected, gold-coated, 200x300 mm side length micro-mirror was precisely placed between the end faces of two closely spaced optical fibers. The position of the micro-mirror with respect to the optical fiber end face was controlled by a nano-stepping motor array. Optical and mechanical tests were performed on the device. A 1.55 mm laser beam was sent along the optical fiber. When the micro-mirror was removed from the front of the fiber, the coupling efficiency between two fibers was -10 dBm. Once the micro-mirror was placed in the optical path the coupling efficiency dropped to -51.5 dBm. The best attenuation was obtained when the micro-mirror blocked the whole cross-section of the laser beam diameter. It is evident that the device can operate as a high precision fiber optic attenuator or shutter.

Ultra-compact and wide-spectrum-range thermo-optic switch based on silicon coupled photonic crystal microcavities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xingyu, E-mail: xzhang@utexas.edu, E-mail: swapnajit.chakravarty@omegaoptics.com, E-mail: chenrt@austin.utexas.edu; Chung, Chi-Jui; Pan, Zeyu

2015-11-30

We design, fabricate, and experimentally demonstrate a compact thermo-optic gate switch comprising a 3.78 μm-long coupled L0-type photonic crystal microcavities on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. A nanohole is inserted in the center of each individual L0 photonic crystal microcavity. Coupling between identical microcavities gives rise to bonding and anti-bonding states of the coupled photonic molecules. The coupled photonic crystal microcavities are numerically simulated and experimentally verified with a 6 nm-wide flat-bottom resonance in its transmission spectrum, which enables wider operational spectrum range than microring resonators. An integrated micro-heater is in direct contact with the silicon core to efficiently drive the device. The thermo-opticmore » switch is measured with an optical extinction ratio of 20 dB, an on-off switching power of 18.2 mW, a thermo-optic tuning efficiency of 0.63 nm/mW, a rise time of 14.8 μs, and a fall time of 18.5 μs. The measured on-chip loss on the transmission band is as low as 1 dB.« less

Inverse design of near unity efficiency perfectly vertical grating couplers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaels, Andrew; Yablonovitch, Eli

2018-02-01

Efficient coupling between integrated optical waveguides and optical fibers is essential to the success of integrated photonics. While many solutions exist, perfectly vertical grating couplers which scatter light out of a waveguide in the direction normal to the waveguide's top surface are an ideal candidate due to their potential to reduce packaging complexity. Designing such couplers with high efficiency, however, has proven difficult. In this paper, we use electromagnetic inverse design techniques to optimize a high efficiency two-layer perfectly vertical silicon grating coupler. Our base design achieves a chip-to-fiber coupling efficiency of over 99% (-0.04 dB) at 1550 nm. Using this base design, we apply subsequent constrained optimizations to achieve vertical couplers with over 96% efficiency which are fabricable using a 65 nm process.

Fiber optic coupling of a microlens conditioned, stacked semiconductor laser diode array

DOEpatents

Beach, Raymond J.; Benett, William J.; Mills, Steven T.

1997-01-01

The output radiation from the two-dimensional aperture of a semiconductor laser diode array is efficiently coupled into an optical fiber. The two-dimensional aperture is formed by stacking individual laser diode bars on top of another in a "rack and stack" configuration. Coupling into the fiber is then accomplished using individual microlenses to condition the output radiation of the laser diode bars. A lens that matches the divergence properties and wavefront characteristics of the laser light to the fiber optic is used to focus this conditioned radiation into the fiber.

Polymer taper bridge for silicon waveguide to single mode waveguide coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, Kevin; Middlebrook, Christopher T.

2016-03-01

Coupling of optical power from high-density silicon waveguides to silica optical fibers for signal routing can incur high losses and often requires complex end-face preparation/processing. Novel coupling device taper structures are proposed for low coupling loss between silicon photonic waveguides and single mode fibers are proposed and devices are fabricated and measured in terms of performance. Theoretical mode conversion models for waveguide tapers are derived for optimal device structure design and performance. Commercially viable vertical and multi-layer taper designs using polymer waveguide materials are proposed as innovative, cost-efficient, and mass-manufacturable optical coupling devices. The coupling efficiency for both designs is determined to evaluate optimal device dimensions and alignment tolerances with both silicon rib waveguides and silicon nanowire waveguides. Propagation loss as a function of waveguide roughness and metallic loss are determined and correlated to waveguide dimensions to obtain total insertion loss for the proposed taper designs. Multi-layer tapers on gold-sputtered substrates are fabricated through photolithography as proof-of-concept devices and evaluated for device loss optimization. Tapered waveguide coupling loss with Si WGs (2.74 dB) was experimentally measured with high correlation to theoretical results.

Direct optical measurement of light coupling into planar waveguide by plasmonic nanoparticles.

PubMed

Pennanen, Antti M; Toppari, J Jussi

2013-01-14

Coupling of light into a thin layer of high refractive index material by plasmonic nanoparticles has been widely studied for application in photovoltaic devices, such as thin-film solar cells. In numerous studies this coupling has been investigated through measurement of e.g. quantum efficiency or photocurrent enhancement. Here we present a direct optical measurement of light coupling into a waveguide by plasmonic nanoparticles. We investigate the coupling efficiency into the guided modes within the waveguide by illuminating the surface of a sample, consisting of a glass slide coated with a high refractive index planar waveguide and plasmonic nanoparticles, while directly measuring the intensity of the light emitted out of the waveguide edge. These experiments were complemented by transmittance and reflectance measurements. We show that the light coupling is strongly affected by thin-film interference, localized surface plasmon resonances of the nanoparticles and the illumination direction (front or rear).

Scalable Light Module for Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Light- Emitting Diode Luminaires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tarsa, Eric

2015-08-31

During this two-year program Cree developed a scalable, modular optical architecture for low-cost, high-efficacy light emitting diode (LED) luminaires. Stated simply, the goal of this architecture was to efficiently and cost-effectively convey light from LEDs (point sources) to broad luminaire surfaces (area sources). By simultaneously developing warm-white LED components and low-cost, scalable optical elements, a high system optical efficiency resulted. To meet program goals, Cree evaluated novel approaches to improve LED component efficacy at high color quality while not sacrificing LED optical efficiency relative to conventional packages. Meanwhile, efficiently coupling light from LEDs into modular optical elements, followed by optimallymore » distributing and extracting this light, were challenges that were addressed via novel optical design coupled with frequent experimental evaluations. Minimizing luminaire bill of materials and assembly costs were two guiding principles for all design work, in the effort to achieve luminaires with significantly lower normalized cost ($/klm) than existing LED fixtures. Chief project accomplishments included the achievement of >150 lm/W warm-white LEDs having primary optics compatible with low-cost modular optical elements. In addition, a prototype Light Module optical efficiency of over 90% was measured, demonstrating the potential of this scalable architecture for ultra-high-efficacy LED luminaires. Since the project ended, Cree has continued to evaluate optical element fabrication and assembly methods in an effort to rapidly transfer this scalable, cost-effective technology to Cree production development groups. The Light Module concept is likely to make a strong contribution to the development of new cost-effective, high-efficacy luminaries, thereby accelerating widespread adoption of energy-saving SSL in the U.S.« less

Application of photonic crystal defects in constructing all-optical switches, optical delay lines and low-cross-talk waveguide intersections for ultrashort optical pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, Sheng; Sugimoto, Yoshimasa; Nishikawa, Satoshi; Ikeda, Naoki; Yang, Tao; Kanamoto, Kozyo; Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Asakawa, Kiyoshi

2002-07-01

We present a systematic study of coupled defects in photonic crystals (PCs) and explore their applications in constructing optical components and devices for ultrafast all-optical signal processing. First, we find that very deep band gaps can be generated in the impurity bands of coupled cavity waveguides (CCWs) by a small periodic modulation of defect modes. This phenomenon implies a high-efficiency all-optical switching mechanism. The switching mechanism can be easily extended from one-dimensional (1D) to two-dimensional and three-dimensional PC structures by utilizing the coupling of defect pairs which are generally present in PCs. Second, we suggest that CCWs with quasiflat and narrow impurity bands can be employed as efficient delay lines for ultrashort pulses. Criteria for designing such kind of CCWs have been derived from the analysis of defect coupling and the investigation of pulse transmission through various CCWs. It is found that the availability of quasiflat impurity bands depends not only on the intrinsic properties of the constituting defects but also on the detailed configuration of CCWs. In experiments, optical delay lines based on 1D monorail CCWs have been successfully fabricated and characterized. Finally, we have proposed a new mechanism for constructing waveguide intersections with broad bandwidth and low cross-talk.

Free-space to few-mode-fiber coupling under atmospheric turbulence.

PubMed

Zheng, Donghao; Li, Yan; Chen, Erhu; Li, Beibei; Kong, Deming; Li, Wei; Wu, Jian

2016-08-08

High speed free space optical communication (FSOC) has taken advantages of components developed for fiber-optic communication systems. Recently, with the rapid development of few-mode-fiber based fiber communication systems, few-mode-fiber components might further promote their applications in FSOC system. The coupling efficiency between free space optical beam and few-mode fibers under atmospheric turbulence effect are investigated in this paper. Both simulation and experimental results show that, compared with single-mode fiber, the coupling efficiencies for a 2-mode fiber and a 4-mode fiber are improved by ~4 dB and ~7 dB respectively in the presence of medium moderate and strong turbulence. Compared with single-mode fiber, the relative standard deviation of received power is restrained by 51% and 66% respectively with a 4-mode and 2-mode fiber.

Side-detecting optical fiber coated with Zn(OH)2 nanorods for ultraviolet sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azad, S.; Parvizi, R.; Sadeghi, E.

2017-09-01

This paper presents an improved coupling efficiency and side detecting of UV radiation induced by light scattering and luminescent features of Zn(OH)2 nanorods coated multimode optical fibers. Uniform and high density Zn(OH)2 nanorods were grown hydrothermally on the core of chemically etched multimode optical fibers. The prepared samples were characterized through x-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The detecting technique was based on the intensity modulation of the side coupled light through the Zn(OH)2 nanorods. A simple and cost-effective UV radiation detecting setup has been designed. Experimentally estimated coupling efficiency of the proposed setup was obtained near 11%. The proposed device exhibited stable and reversible responses with a fast rising and decaying time of about 1.4 s and 0.85 s, respectively.

Study of imaging fiber bundle coupling technique in IR system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Guoqing; Yang, Jianfeng; Yan, Xingtao; Song, Yansong

2017-02-01

Due to its advantageous imaging characteristic and banding flexibility, imaging fiber bundle can be used for line-plane-switching push-broom infrared imaging. How to precisely couple the fiber bundle in the optics system is the key to get excellent image for transmission. After introducing the basic system composition and structural characteristics of the infrared systems coupled with imaging fiber bundle, this article analysis the coupling efficiency and the design requirements of its relay lenses with the angle of the numerical aperture selecting in the system and cold stop matching of the refrigerant infrared detector. For an actual need, one relay coupling system has been designed with the magnification is -0.6, field of objective height is 4mm, objective numerical aperture is 0.15, which has excellent image quality and enough coupling efficiency. In the end, the push broom imaging experiment is carried out. The results show that the design meets the requirements of light energy efficiency and image quality. This design has a certain reference value for the design of the infrared fiber optical system.

Dember effect photodetectors and the effects of turbulence on free-space optical communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikmelik, Yamac

High-speed free-space optical communication systems have recently utilized components that have been developed for fiber-optic communication systems. The received laser beam in such a system must be coupled into a single-mode fiber at the input of a commercially available receiver module or a wavelength division demultiplexer. However, one effect of propagation through atmospheric turbulence is that the spatial coherence of a laser beam is degraded and the percentage of the available power that can be coupled into the single-mode fiber is limited. This dissertation presents a numerical evaluation of fiber coupling efficiency for laser light distorted by atmospheric turbulence. The results for weak fluctuation conditions provide the level of coupling efficiency that can be expected for a given turbulence strength. In addition, the results show that the link distance must be limited to 400 m under moderate turbulence conditions if the link budget requires a coupling efficiency of 0.1. We also investigate the use of a coherent fiber array as a receiver structure to improve the fiber coupling efficiency of a free-space optical communication system. Our numerical results show that a coherent fiber array that consists of seven subapertures would increase fiber coupling efficiency by a significant amount for representative turbulence conditions and link distances. The use of photo-emf detectors as elements of a wavefront sensor for an adaptive optics system is also considered as an alternative method of reducing the effects of turbulence on a free-space optical communication system. Dember and photo-emf currents are investigated in silicon photoconductive detectors both theoretically and experimentally. Our results show that Dember photocurrents dominate the response of high-purity silicon samples with top surface electrodes to a moving interference pattern. The use of surface electrodes leads to shadowed regions beneath the electrodes and Dember photocurrents appear under short circuit conditions. The dependence of the Dember photocurrent on the number and the position of the interference fringes between the electrodes is described by a single charge carrier model of the Dember effect under plane-wave illumination. The predicted Dember photocurrent is in good qualitative agreement with experimental results but the quantitative agreement is not very accurate. The latter can be improved by using a more complicated two-sign charge carrier model for the Dember photocurrent and by taking into account the Gaussian spatial profile of the illuminating beams. We also show theoretically that the photo-emf effect in silicon is weak compared to other semiconductors because of its relatively high intrinsic conductivity.

Laser-To-Fibre Couplers In Optical Recording Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ophey, W. G.; Benschop, J. P. H.

1988-02-01

In optical recording, the use of single-mode fibres can considerably increase the coupling efficiency of the laser light into the light path. Important here is the performance of the laser-to-fibre coupler used. A mathematical treatment of different kinds of laser-to-fibre couplers is presented using scalar diffraction theory in order to obtain the field incident on the front end of the fibre. In this case the coupling efficiency of a laser-to-fibre coupler, using an aberrated light source (astigmatism) with an asymmetric far-field pattern, can easily be calculated.

High coupling efficiency of foam spherical hohlraum driven by 2ω laser light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yao-Hua; Lan, Ke; Zheng, Wanguo; Campbell, E. M.

2018-02-01

The majority of solid state laser facilities built for laser fusion research irradiate targets with third harmonic light (0.35 μm) up-converted from the fundamental Nd wavelength at 1.05 μm. The motivation for this choice of wavelength is improved laser-plasma coupling. Significant disadvantages to this choice of wavelength are the reduced damage threshold of optical components and the efficiency of energy conversion to third harmonic light. Both these issues are significantly improved if second harmonic (0.53 μm) radiation is used, but theory and experiments have shown lower optical to x-ray energy conversion efficiency and increased levels of laser-plasma instabilities, resulting in reduced laser-target coupling. In this letter, we propose to use a 0.53 μm laser for the laser ignition facilities and use a low density foam wall to increase the coupling efficiency from the laser to the capsule and present two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of 0.53 μm laser light irradiating an octahedral-spherical hohlraum with a low density foam wall. The simulations show that the reduced optical depth of the foam wall leads to an increased laser-light conversion into thermal x-rays and about 10% higher radiation flux on the capsule than that achieved with 0.35 μm light irradiating a solid density wall commonly used in laser indirect drive fusion research. The details of the simulations and their implications and suggestions for wavelength scaling coupled with innovative hohlraum designs will be discussed.

Influence of vibration on the coupling efficiency in spatial receiver and its compensation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Qinggui; Mu, Yining

2018-04-01

In order to analyze the loss of the free-space optical receiver caused by the vibration, we set up the coordinate systems on both the receiving lens surface and the receiving fiber surface, respectively. Then, with Gauss optics theory, the coupling efficiency equation is obtained. And the solution is calculated with MATLAB® software. To lower the impact of the vibration, the directional tapered communication fiber receiver is proposed. In the next step, the sample was produced and two experiments were done. The first experiment shows that the coupling efficiency of the receiver is higher than that of the traditional one. The second experiment shows the bit error rate of the new receiver is lower. Both of the experiments show the new receiver could improve the receiving system's tolerance with the vibration.

Fiber optic coupling of a microlens conditioned, stacked semiconductor laser diode array

DOEpatents

Beach, R.J.; Benett, W.J.; Mills, S.T.

1997-04-01

The output radiation from the two-dimensional aperture of a semiconductor laser diode array is efficiently coupled into an optical fiber. The two-dimensional aperture is formed by stacking individual laser diode bars on top of another in a ``rack and stack`` configuration. Coupling into the fiber is then accomplished using individual microlenses to condition the output radiation of the laser diode bars. A lens that matches the divergence properties and wavefront characteristics of the laser light to the fiber optic is used to focus this conditioned radiation into the fiber. 3 figs.

Scalable ion-photon quantum interface based on integrated diffractive mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghadimi, Moji; Blūms, Valdis; Norton, Benjamin G.; Fisher, Paul M.; Connell, Steven C.; Amini, Jason M.; Volin, Curtis; Hayden, Harley; Pai, Chien-Shing; Kielpinski, David; Lobino, Mirko; Streed, Erik W.

2017-12-01

Quantum networking links quantum processors through remote entanglement for distributed quantum information processing and secure long-range communication. Trapped ions are a leading quantum information processing platform, having demonstrated universal small-scale processors and roadmaps for large-scale implementation. Overall rates of ion-photon entanglement generation, essential for remote trapped ion entanglement, are limited by coupling efficiency into single mode fibers and scaling to many ions. Here, we show a microfabricated trap with integrated diffractive mirrors that couples 4.1(6)% of the fluorescence from a 174Yb+ ion into a single mode fiber, nearly triple the demonstrated bulk optics efficiency. The integrated optic collects 5.8(8)% of the π transition fluorescence, images the ion with sub-wavelength resolution, and couples 71(5)% of the collected light into the fiber. Our technology is suitable for entangling multiple ions in parallel and overcomes mode quality limitations of existing integrated optical interconnects.

Adaptive beam shaping for improving the power coupling of a two-Cassegrain-telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Haotong; Hu, Haojun; Xie, Wenke; Zhao, Haichuan; Xu, Xiaojun; Chen, Jinbao

2013-08-01

We demonstrate the adaptive beam shaping for improving the power coupling of a two-Cassegrain-telescope based on the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm and dual phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs). Adaptive pre-compensation the wavefront of projected laser beam at the transmitter telescope is chosen to improve the power coupling efficiency. One phase only LC-SLM adaptively optimizes phase distribution of the projected laser beam and the other generates turbulence phase screen. The intensity distributions of the dark hollow beam after passing through the turbulent atmosphere with and without adaptive beam shaping are analyzed in detail. The influence of propagation distance and aperture size of the Cassegrain-telescope on coupling efficiency are investigated theoretically and experimentally. These studies show that the power coupling can be significantly improved by adaptive beam shaping. The technique can be used in optical communication, deep space optical communication and relay mirror.

Coupled opto-electronic oscillator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yao, X. Steve (Inventor); Maleki, Lute (Inventor)

1999-01-01

A coupled opto-electronic oscillator that directly couples a laser oscillation with an electronic oscillation to simultaneously achieve a stable RF oscillation at a high frequency and ultra-short optical pulsation by mode locking with a high repetition rate and stability. Single-mode selection can be achieved even with a very long opto-electronic loop. A multimode laser can be used to pump the electronic oscillation, resulting in a high operation efficiency. The optical and the RF oscillations are correlated to each other.

Comparison of fiber lasers based on distributed side-coupled cladding-pumped fibers and double-cladding fibers.

PubMed

Huang, Zhihe; Cao, Jianqiu; Guo, Shaofeng; Chen, Jinbao; Xu, Xiaojun

2014-04-01

We compare both analytically and numerically the distributed side-coupled cladding-pumped (DSCCP) fiber lasers and double cladding fiber (DCF) lasers. We show that, through optimization of the coupling and absorbing coefficients, the optical-to-optical efficiency of DSCCP fiber lasers can be made as high as that of DCF lasers. At the same time, DSCCP fiber lasers are better than the DCF lasers in terms of thermal management.

Miniature Incandescent Lamps as Fiber-Optic Light Sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuma, Margaret; Collura, Joe; Helvajian, Henry; Pocha, Michael; Meyer, Glenn; McConaghy, Charles F.; Olsen, Barry L.

2008-01-01

Miniature incandescent lamps of a special type have been invented to satisfy a need for compact, rapid-response, rugged, broadband, power-efficient, fiber-optic-coupled light sources for diverse purposes that could include calibrating spectrometers, interrogating optical sensors, spot illumination, and spot heating.

Optical Characterization of the SPT-3G Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Z.; Ade, P. A. R.; Ahmed, Z.; Anderson, A. J.; Austermann, J. E.; Avva, J. S.; Thakur, R. Basu; Bender, A. N.; Benson, B. A.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Carter, F. W.; Cecil, T.; Chang, C. L.; Cliche, J. F.; Cukierman, A.; Denison, E. V.; de Haan, T.; Ding, J.; Dobbs, M. A.; Dutcher, D.; Everett, W.; Foster, A.; Gannon, R. N.; Gilbert, A.; Groh, J. C.; Halverson, N. W.; Harke-Hosemann, A. H.; Harrington, N. L.; Henning, J. W.; Hilton, G. C.; Holzapfel, W. L.; Huang, N.; Irwin, K. D.; Jeong, O. B.; Jonas, M.; Khaire, T.; Kofman, A. M.; Korman, M.; Kubik, D.; Kuhlmann, S.; Kuo, C. L.; Lee, A. T.; Lowitz, A. E.; Meyer, S. S.; Michalik, D.; Montgomery, J.; Nadolski, A.; Natoli, T.; Nguyen, H.; Noble, G. I.; Novosad, V.; Padin, S.; Pearson, J.; Posada, C. M.; Rahlin, A.; Ruhl, J. E.; Saunders, L. J.; Sayre, J. T.; Shirley, I.; Shirokoff, E.; Smecher, G.; Sobrin, J. A.; Stark, A. A.; Story, K. T.; Suzuki, A.; Tang, Q. Y.; Thompson, K. L.; Tucker, C.; Vale, L. R.; Vanderlinde, K.; Vieira, J. D.; Wang, G.; Whitehorn, N.; Yefremenko, V.; Yoon, K. W.; Young, M. R.

2018-05-01

The third-generation South Pole Telescope camera is designed to measure the cosmic microwave background across three frequency bands (centered at 95, 150 and 220 GHz) with ˜ 16,000 transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers. Each multichroic array element on a detector wafer has a broadband sinuous antenna that couples power to six TESs, one for each of the three observing bands and both polarizations, via lumped element filters. Ten detector wafers populate the detector array, which is coupled to the sky via a large-aperture optical system. Here we present the frequency band characterization with Fourier transform spectroscopy, measurements of optical time constants, beam properties, and optical and polarization efficiencies of the detector array. The detectors have frequency bands consistent with our simulations and have high average optical efficiency which is 86, 77 and 66% for the 95, 150 and 220 GHz detectors. The time constants of the detectors are mostly between 0.5 and 5 ms. The beam is round with the correct size, and the polarization efficiency is more than 90% for most of the bolometers.

GaN Nanowire Arrays for Efficient Optical Read-Out and Optoelectronic Control of NV Centers in Diamond.

PubMed

Hetzl, Martin; Wierzbowski, Jakob; Hoffmann, Theresa; Kraut, Max; Zuerbig, Verena; Nebel, Christoph E; Müller, Kai; Finley, Jonathan J; Stutzmann, Martin

2018-06-13

Solid-state quantum emitters embedded in a semiconductor crystal environment are potentially scalable platforms for quantum optical networks operated at room temperature. Prominent representatives are nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond showing coherent entanglement and interference with each other. However, these emitters suffer from inefficient optical outcoupling from the diamond and from fluctuations of their charge state. Here, we demonstrate the implementation of regular n-type gallium nitride nanowire arrays on diamond as photonic waveguides to tailor the emission direction of surface-near NV centers and to electrically control their charge state in a p-i-n nanodiode. We show that the electrical excitation of single NV centers in such a diode can efficiently replace optical pumping. By the engineering of the array parameters, we find an optical read-out efficiency enhanced by a factor of 10 and predict a lateral NV-NV coupling 3 orders of magnitude stronger through evanescently coupled nanowire antennas compared to planar diamond not covered by nanowires, which opens up new possibilities for large-scale on-chip quantum-computing applications.

Optical Characterization of the SPT-3G Focal Plane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan, Z.; et al.

The third-generation South Pole Telescope camera is designed to measure the cosmic microwave background across three frequency bands (95, 150 and 220 GHz) with ~16,000 transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers. Each multichroic pixel on a detector wafer has a broadband sinuous antenna that couples power to six TESs, one for each of the three observing bands and both polarization directions, via lumped element filters. Ten detector wafers populate the focal plane, which is coupled to the sky via a large-aperture optical system. Here we present the frequency band characterization with Fourier transform spectroscopy, measurements of optical time constants, beam properties, andmore » optical and polarization efficiencies of the focal plane. The detectors have frequency bands consistent with our simulations, and have high average optical efficiency which is 86%, 77% and 66% for the 95, 150 and 220 GHz detectors. The time constants of the detectors are mostly between 0.5 ms and 5 ms. The beam is round with the correct size, and the polarization efficiency is more than 90% for most of the bolometers« less

Photovoltaic efficiency of intermediate band solar cells based on CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prado, Silvio J.; Marques, Gilmar E.; Alcalde, Augusto M.

2017-11-01

In this work we show the calculation of optimized efficiencies of intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) based on Mn-doped II-VI CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dot (QD) structures. We focus our attention on the combined effects of geometrical and Mn-doping parameters on optical properties and solar cell efficiency. In the framework of {k \\cdot p} theory, we accomplish detailed calculations of electronic structure, transition energies, optical selection rules and their corresponding intra- and interband oscillator strengths. With these results and by following the intermediate band model, we have developed a strategy which allows us to find optimal photovoltaic efficiency values. We also show that the effects of band admixture which can lead to degradation of optical transitions and reduction of efficiency can be partly minimized by a careful selection of the structural parameters and Mn-concentration. Thus, the improvement of band engineering is mandatory for any practical implementation of QD systems as IBSC hardware. Finally, our calculations show that it is possible to reach significant efficiency, up to  ∼26%, by selecting a restricted space of parameters such as quantum dot size and shape and Mn-concentration effects, to improve the modulation of optical absorption in the structures.

Photovoltaic efficiency of intermediate band solar cells based on CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dots.

PubMed

Prado, Silvio J; Marques, Gilmar E; Alcalde, Augusto M

2017-11-08

In this work we show the calculation of optimized efficiencies of intermediate band solar cells (IBSCs) based on Mn-doped II-VI CdTe/CdMnTe coupled quantum dot (QD) structures. We focus our attention on the combined effects of geometrical and Mn-doping parameters on optical properties and solar cell efficiency. In the framework of [Formula: see text] theory, we accomplish detailed calculations of electronic structure, transition energies, optical selection rules and their corresponding intra- and interband oscillator strengths. With these results and by following the intermediate band model, we have developed a strategy which allows us to find optimal photovoltaic efficiency values. We also show that the effects of band admixture which can lead to degradation of optical transitions and reduction of efficiency can be partly minimized by a careful selection of the structural parameters and Mn-concentration. Thus, the improvement of band engineering is mandatory for any practical implementation of QD systems as IBSC hardware. Finally, our calculations show that it is possible to reach significant efficiency, up to  ∼26%, by selecting a restricted space of parameters such as quantum dot size and shape and Mn-concentration effects, to improve the modulation of optical absorption in the structures.

Enhancement of coupling ratios in SOI based asymmetrical optical directional couplers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pendam, Nagaraju; Vardhani, Chunduru Parvatha

2017-11-01

A novel design of slab structured asymmetrical optical directional coupler with S-bend waveguides on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform has been designed by using R-Soft CAD tool. Beam propagation method (BPM) is used for light propagation analysis. The simulation results of asymmetrical optical directional couplers are reported. We find that the asymmetrical directional coupler has lower coupling ratios and higher extinction ratios with waveguide parameters such as width, wavelength, waveguide spacing, and coupling length. Simulation results designate that the coupling efficiency for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes can reach about more than 95% and extinction ratio about 6 dB when the coupling length is 6 mm for both the polarization modes and insertion loss is 17 dB with same coupling length 6 mm at central wavelength 1550 nm.

Fabrication of polymer microlenses on single mode optical fibers for light coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaboub, Monsef; Guessoum, Assia; Demagh, Nacer-Eddine; Guermat, Abdelhak

2016-05-01

In this paper, we present a technique for producing fibers optics micro-collimators composed of polydimethylsiloxane PDMS microlenses of different radii of curvature. The waist and working distance values obtained enable the optimization of optical coupling between optical fibers, fibers and optical sources, and fibers and detectors. The principal is based on the injection of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) into a conical micro-cavity chemically etched at the end of optical fibers. A spherical microlens is then formed that is self-centered with respect to the axis of the fiber. Typically, an optimal radius of curvature of 10.08 μm is obtained. This optimized micro-collimator is characterized by a working distance of 19.27 μm and a waist equal to 2.28 μm for an SMF 9/125 μm fiber. The simulation and experimental results reveal an optical coupling efficiency that can reach a value of 99.75%.

Chaos-assisted broadband momentum transformation in optical microresonators.

PubMed

Jiang, Xuefeng; Shao, Linbo; Zhang, Shu-Xin; Yi, Xu; Wiersig, Jan; Wang, Li; Gong, Qihuang; Lončar, Marko; Yang, Lan; Xiao, Yun-Feng

2017-10-20

The law of momentum conservation rules out many desired processes in optical microresonators. We report broadband momentum transformations of light in asymmetric whispering gallery microresonators. Assisted by chaotic motions, broadband light can travel between optical modes with different angular momenta within a few picoseconds. Efficient coupling from visible to near-infrared bands is demonstrated between a nanowaveguide and whispering gallery modes with quality factors exceeding 10 million. The broadband momentum transformation enhances the device conversion efficiency of the third-harmonic generation by greater than three orders of magnitude over the conventional evanescent-wave coupling. The observed broadband and fast momentum transformation could promote applications such as multicolor lasers, broadband memories, and multiwavelength optical networks. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Design of compact surface optical coupler based on vertically curved silicon waveguide for high-numerical-aperture single-mode optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atsumi, Yuki; Yoshida, Tomoya; Omoda, Emiko; Sakakibara, Youichi

2017-09-01

A surface optical coupler based on a vertically curved Si waveguide was designed for coupling with high-numerical aperture single-mode optical fibers with a mode-field diameter of 5 µm. This coupler has a quite small device size, with a height of approximately 12 µm, achieved by introducing an effective spot-size converter configured with the combination of an extremely short Si exponential-inverse taper and a dome-structured SiO2 lens formed on the coupler top. The designed coupler shows high-efficiency optical coupling, with a loss of 0.8 dB for TE polarized light, as well as broad-band coupling with a 0.5-dB-loss band of 420 nm.

Simulation studies on the effect of positioning tolerances on optical coupling efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pamidighantam, Ramana V.; Yeo, Yongkee; Sudharsanam, Krishnamachari; Lee, Sik Pong; Iyer, Mahadevan K.

2002-08-01

The development of Optoelectronic components for communications is converging towards access networks where device cost makes a significant impact on the market acceptance. Thus, the device design engineer needs to input assembly, fabrication and process constraints into the design at an early stage. The present study is part of a Project on Packaging of Optical Components that IME, Singapore has initiated as part of an ongoing Electronics Packaging Research Consortium with industry partnership. In the present study, the coupling of optical radiation from a laser diode to optical fiber is simulated for a fiber optic transmitter component development project. Different optical configurations based on direct coupling, spherical ball lenses, integral lensed fibers and thermally expanded fibers are created within the commercially available transmitter package space. The effect of optical element variables on the placement tolerance is analyzed and will be reported. The effect of alignment tolerances on the optical coupling is analyzed. Simulation results are presented recommending realizable alignment and placement tolerances to develop a low cost short range link distance transmitter.

Light Extraction From Solution-Based Processable Electrophosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krummacher, Benjamin C.; Mathai, Mathew; So, Franky; Choulis, Stelios; Choong, And-En, Vi

2007-06-01

Molecular dye dispersed solution processable blue emitting organic light-emitting devices have been fabricated and the resulting devices exhibit efficiency as high as 25 cd/A. With down-conversion phosphors, white emitting devices have been demonstrated with peak efficiency of 38 cd/A and luminous efficiency of 25 lm/W. The high efficiencies have been a product of proper tuning of carrier transport, optimization of the location of the carrier recombination zone and, hence, microcavity effect, efficient down-conversion from blue to white light, and scattering/isotropic remission due to phosphor particles. An optical model has been developed to investigate all these effects. In contrast to the common misunderstanding that light out-coupling efficiency is about 22% and independent of device architecture, our device data and optical modeling results clearly demonstrated that the light out-coupling efficiency is strongly dependent on the exact location of the recombination zone. Estimating the device internal quantum efficiencies based on external quantum efficiencies without considering the device architecture could lead to erroneous conclusions.

High efficiency and good beam quality of electro-optic, cavity-dumped and double-end pumped Nd:YLF laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, X. X.; Fan, Z. W.; Qiu, J. S.; Lian, F. Q.; Zhang, X. L.

2012-06-01

In this paper, we describe a Nd:YLF laser based on high-speed RTP electro-optical cavity dumping technique. Two home-made 150 W fiber pump modules are used from both sides to pump Nd:YLF crystal. Coupling systems are the key elements in end-pumped solid-state lasers, the aberrations of which greatly affect the efficiency of the lasers. In order to get high efficient and good quality laser output, the optical software ZEMAX is used to design a four-piece coupling system. When the pumped energy is 32 mJ at the repetition rate of 1 Hz, the output energy is 6.5 mJ with 2.5 ns pulse width. When the pumped energy is 13.1 W at the repetition rate of 200 Hz, the output energy is 2.2 W with small M 2 factor where M {/x 2} is 1.04, and M {/y 2} is 1.05, and the light-light conversion efficiency is up to 16.8%.

Quantum-coherent coupling of a mechanical oscillator to an optical cavity mode.

PubMed

Verhagen, E; Deléglise, S; Weis, S; Schliesser, A; Kippenberg, T J

2012-02-01

Optical laser fields have been widely used to achieve quantum control over the motional and internal degrees of freedom of atoms and ions, molecules and atomic gases. A route to controlling the quantum states of macroscopic mechanical oscillators in a similar fashion is to exploit the parametric coupling between optical and mechanical degrees of freedom through radiation pressure in suitably engineered optical cavities. If the optomechanical coupling is 'quantum coherent'--that is, if the coherent coupling rate exceeds both the optical and the mechanical decoherence rate--quantum states are transferred from the optical field to the mechanical oscillator and vice versa. This transfer allows control of the mechanical oscillator state using the wide range of available quantum optical techniques. So far, however, quantum-coherent coupling of micromechanical oscillators has only been achieved using microwave fields at millikelvin temperatures. Optical experiments have not attained this regime owing to the large mechanical decoherence rates and the difficulty of overcoming optical dissipation. Here we achieve quantum-coherent coupling between optical photons and a micromechanical oscillator. Simultaneously, coupling to the cold photon bath cools the mechanical oscillator to an average occupancy of 1.7 ± 0.1 motional quanta. Excitation with weak classical light pulses reveals the exchange of energy between the optical light field and the micromechanical oscillator in the time domain at the level of less than one quantum on average. This optomechanical system establishes an efficient quantum interface between mechanical oscillators and optical photons, which can provide decoherence-free transport of quantum states through optical fibres. Our results offer a route towards the use of mechanical oscillators as quantum transducers or in microwave-to-optical quantum links.

Surface normal coupling to multiple-slot and cover-slotted silicon nanocrystalline waveguides and ring resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covey, John; Chen, Ray T.

2014-03-01

Grating couplers are ideal for coupling into the tightly confined propagation modes of semiconductor waveguides. In addition, nonlinear optics has benefited from the sub-diffraction limit confinement of horizontal slot waveguides. By combining these two advancements, slot-based nonlinear optics with mode areas less than 0.02 μm2 can become as routine as twisting fiber connectors together. Surface normal fiber alignment to a chip is also highly desirable from time, cost, and manufacturing considerations. To meet these considerable design challenges, a custom genetic algorithm is created which, starting from purely random designs, creates a unique four stage grating coupler for two novel horizontal slot waveguide platforms. For horizontal multiple-slot waveguides filled with silicon nanocrystal, a theoretical fiber-towaveguide coupling efficiency of 68% is obtained. For thin silicon waveguides clad with optically active silicon nanocrystal, known as cover-slot waveguides, a theoretical fiber-to-waveguide coupling efficiency of 47% is obtained, and 1 dB and 3 dB theoretical bandwidths of 70 nm and 150 nm are obtained, respectively. Both waveguide platforms are fabricated from scratch, and their respective on-chip grating couplers are experimentally measured from a standard single mode fiber array that is mounted surface normally. The horizontal multiple-slot grating coupler achieved an experimental 60% coupling efficiency, and the horizontal cover-slot grating coupler achieved an experimental 38.7% coupling efficiency, with an extrapolated 1 dB bandwidth of 66 nm. This report demonstrates the promise of genetic algorithm-based design by reducing to practice the first large bandwidth vertical grating coupler to a novel silicon nanocrystal horizontal cover-slot waveguide.

Coupling a single nitrogen-vacancy center with a superconducting qubit via the electro-optic effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chang-Hao; Li, Peng-Bo

2018-05-01

We propose an efficient scheme for transferring quantum states and generating entangled states between two qubits of different nature. The hybrid system consists of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center and a superconducting (SC) qubit, which couple to an optical cavity and a microwave resonator, respectively. Meanwhile, the optical cavity and the microwave resonator are coupled via the electro-optic effect. By adjusting the relative parameters, we can achieve high-fidelity quantum state transfer as well as highly entangled states between the NV center and the SC qubit. This protocol is within the reach of currently available techniques, and may provide interesting applications in quantum communication and computation with single NV centers and SC qubits.

High Efficiency Coupling of Optical Fibres with SU8 Micro-droplet Using Laser Welding Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yardi, Seema; Gupta, Ankur; Sundriyal, Poonam; Bhatt, Geeta; Kant, Rishi; Boolchandani, D.; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

2016-09-01

Apart from micro- structure fabrication, ablation, lithography etc., lasers find a lot of utility in various areas like precision joining, device fabrication, local heat delivery for surface texturing and local change of microstructure fabrication of standalone optical micro-devices (like microspheres, micro-prisms, micro-scale ring resonators, optical switches etc). There is a wide utility of such systems in chemical/ biochemical diagnostics and also communications where the standalone optical devices exist at a commercial scale but chip based devices with printed optics are necessary due to coupling issues between printed structures and external optics. This paper demonstrates a novel fabrication strategy used to join standalone optical fibres to microchip based printed optics using a simple SU8 drop. The fabrication process is deployed for fiber to fiber optical coupling and coupling between fiber and printed SU-8 waveguides. A CO2 laser is used to locally heat the coupling made up of SU8 material. Optimization of various dimensional parameters using design of experiments (DOE) on the bonded assembly has been performed as a function of laser power, speed, cycle control, spot size so on so forth. Exclusive optical [RF] modelling has been performed to estimate the transmissibility of the optical fibers bonded to each other on a surface with SU8. Our studies indicate the formation of a Whispering gallery mode (WGM) across the micro-droplet leading to high transmissibility of the signal. Through this work we have thus been able to develop a method of fabrication for optical coupling of standalone fibers or coupling of on-chip optics with off-chip illumination/detection.

Single photon sources with single semiconductor quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Guang-Cun; Yin, Zhang-Qi; Shek, Chan Hung; Huang, Wei

2014-04-01

In this contribution, we briefly recall the basic concepts of quantum optics and properties of semiconductor quantum dot (QD) which are necessary to the understanding of the physics of single-photon generation with single QDs. Firstly, we address the theory of quantum emitter-cavity system, the fluorescence and optical properties of semiconductor QDs, and the photon statistics as well as optical properties of the QDs. We then review the localization of single semiconductor QDs in quantum confined optical microcavity systems to achieve their overall optical properties and performances in terms of strong coupling regime, efficiency, directionality, and polarization control. Furthermore, we will discuss the recent progress on the fabrication of single photon sources, and various approaches for embedding single QDs into microcavities or photonic crystal nanocavities and show how to extend the wavelength range. We focus in particular on new generations of electrically driven QD single photon source leading to high repetition rates, strong coupling regime, and high collection efficiencies at elevated temperature operation. Besides, new developments of room temperature single photon emission in the strong coupling regime are reviewed. The generation of indistinguishable photons and remaining challenges for practical single-photon sources are also discussed.

Mismatch Considerations in Excitation of Single-Mode Circular Core Parabolic Index Fiber by Laser Diode via Upside Down Tapered Hemispherical Microlens on the Tip of the Fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Bishuddhananda; Middya, Tapas Ranjan; Gangopadhyay, Sankar

2017-12-01

We report the theoretical investigation of the coupling optics involving laser diode to single-mode circular core parabolic index fiber via upside down tapered hemispherical microlens on the tip of the fiber in the presence of possible transverse and angular mismatches. Using the relevant ABCD matrix for such tapered hemispherical microlens, we formulate analytical expressions for the coupling efficiencies in the presence of the said two mismatches. Further, the transmitted spot size of the source via the hemispherical lens and the tapered region should match with the spot size of the fiber for obtaining maximum coupling. The investigations have been made for two practical wavelengths, namely 1.3 and 1.5 μm in order to find the tolerance of this coupling device with respect to the said kinds of mismatches at the concerned wavelengths. Although our simple method predicts the concerned coupling optics excellently, the evaluation of the concerned efficiencies and associated losses involve little computations. Thus this user-friendly technique and also the results found thereof will benefit the designers and packagers who are working in the field of optical technology.

Efficient On-chip Optical Microresonator for Optical Comb Generation: Design and Fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Kyunghun

An optical frequency comb is a series of equally spaced frequency components. It has gained much attention since Nobel physics prize was awarded John L. Hall and Theodor W. Hansch for their contribution to the optical frequency comb technique in 2005. The optical frequency comb has been extensively studied because of its precision as a tool for spectroscopy, and is now widely used in bio- and chemical sensors, optical clocks, mode-locked dark pulse generation, soliton generation, and optical communication. Recently, thanks to the developments in nanotechnology, the optical frequency comb generation is made possible at a chip-scale level with microresonators. However, because the threshold power of the optical frequency comb generation is beyond the capability of the on-chip laser source, efficient microresonator is required. Here, we demonstrate an ultra-compact and highly efficient strip-slot direct mode coupler, aiming to achieve slotted silicon microresonator cladded with nonlinear polymer Poly-DDMEBT in SOI platform. As an application of the strip-slot direct mode coupling, a double slot fiber-to-chip edge coupler is demonstrated showing 2 dB insertion loss reduction compared to the conventional single tip edge coupler. For silicon nitride platform, we investigated evanescent wave coupling of microresonator, focusing on bus waveguide geometry optimization. The optimized waveguide width offers an efficient excitation of a fundamental mode in the resonator waveguide. This investigation can benefit low threshold comb generation by enhancing the extinction ratio. We experimentally demonstrated the high Q-factor micro-ring resonator with intrinsic Q of 12.6 million as well as the single FSR comb generation with 63 mW.

Acousto-optic resonant coupling of three spatial modes in an optical fiber.

PubMed

Park, Hee Su; Song, Kwang Yong

2014-01-27

A fiber-optic analogue to an externally driven three-level quantum state is demonstrated by acousto-optic coupling of the spatial modes in a few-mode fiber. Under the condition analogous to electromagnetically induced transparency, a narrow-bandwidth transmission within an absorption band for the fundamental mode is demonstrated. The presented structure is an efficient converter between the fundamental mode and the higher-order modes that cannot be easily addressed by previous techniques, therefore can play a significant role in the next-generation space-division multiplexing communications as an arbitrarily mode-selectable router.

Head-mounted LED for optogenetic experiments of freely-behaving animal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Ki Yong; Gnade, Andrew G.; Rush, Alexander D.; Patten, Craig D.

2016-03-01

Recent developments in optogenetics have demonstrated the ability to target specific types of neurons with sub-millisecond temporal precision via direct optical stimulation of genetically modified neurons in the brain. In most applications, the beam of a laser is coupled to an optical fiber, which guides and delivers the optical power to the region of interest. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are an alternative light source for optogenetics and they provide many advantages over a laser based system including cost, size, illumination stability, and fast modulation. Their compact size and low power consumption make LEDs suitable light sources for a wireless optogenetic stimulation system. However, the coupling efficiency of an LED's output light into an optical fiber is lower than a laser due to its noncollimated output light. In typical chronic optogenetic experiment, the output of the light source is transmitted to the brain through a patch cable and a fiber stub implant, and this configuration requires two fiber-to-fiber couplings. Attenuation within the patch cable is potential source of optical power loss. In this study, we report and characterize a recently developed light delivery method for freely-behaving animal experiments. We have developed a head-mounted light source that maximizes the coupling efficiency of an LED light source by eliminating the need for a fiber optic cable. This miniaturized LED is designed to couple directly to the fiber stub implant. Depending on the desired optical power output, the head-mounted LED can be controlled by either a tethered (high power) or battery-powered wireless (moderate power) controller. In the tethered system, the LED is controlled through 40 gauge micro coaxial cable which is thinner, more flexible, and more durable than a fiber optic cable. The battery-powered wireless system uses either infrared or radio frequency transmission to achieve real-time control. Optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of the head-mounted LED were evaluated.

Imaging slit-coupled surface plasmon polaritons using conventional optical microscopy.

PubMed

Mehfuz, R; Chowdhury, F A; Chau, K J

2012-05-07

We develop a technique that now enables surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) coupled by nano-patterned slits in a metal film to be detected using conventional optical microscopy with standard objective lenses. The crux of this method is an ultra-thin polymer layer on the metal surface, whose thickness can be varied over a nanoscale range to enable controllable tuning of the SPP momentum. At an optimal layer thickness for which the SPP momentum matches the momentum of light emerging from the slit, the SPP coupling efficiency is enhanced about six times relative to that without the layer. The enhanced efficiency results in distinctive and bright plasmonic signatures near the slit visible by naked eye under an optical microscope. We demonstrate how this capability can be used for parallel measurement through a simple experiment in which the SPP propagation distance is extracted from a single microscope image of an illuminated array of nano-patterned slits on a metal surface. We also use optical microscopy to image the focal region of a plasmonic lens and obtain results consistent with a previously-reported results using near-field optical microscopy. Measurement of SPPs near a nano-slit using conventional and widely-available optical microscopy is an important step towards making nano-plasmonic device technology highly accessible and easy-to-use.

Highly efficient coupler for dielectric slot waveguides and hybrid plasmonic waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jiyao; Ohtera, Yasuo; Yamada, Hirohito

2018-05-01

A compact, highly efficient optical coupler for dielectric slot waveguides and hybrid plasmonic waveguides based on transition layers (air slot grooves) was investigated. The power-coupling efficiency of 75% for the direct coupling case increased to 90% following the insertion of an intermediate section. By performing time-averaged Poynting vector analysis, we successfully separated the factors of transmission, reflection, and radiation at the coupler interface. We found that the insertion of optimal air grooves into the coupler structure contributed to the improvement of coupling performance. The proposed compact structure is characterized by a high transmission efficiency, low reflection, small length, and broad-band spectrum response.

Coupled optical and electrical study of thin-film InGaAs photodetector integrated with surface InP Mie resonators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Dong; Song, Jiakun; Yu, Hailong

2016-03-14

High-index dielectric and semiconductor nanostructures with characteristics of low absorption loss and artificially controlled scattering properties have grasped an increasing attention for improving the performance of thin-film photovoltaic devices. In this work, combined optical and electrical simulations were performed for thin-film InP/In{sub 0.53}Ga{sub 0.47}As/InP hetero-junction photodetector with periodically arranged InP nano-cylinders in the in-coupling configuration. It is found that the carefully designed InP nano-cylinders possess strongly substrate-coupled Mie resonances and can effectively couple incident light into the guided mode, both of which significantly increase optical absorption. Further study from the electrical aspects shows that enhancement of external quantum efficiency ismore » as high as 82% and 83% in the configurations with the optimized nano-cylinders and the optimized period, respectively. Moreover, we demonstrate that the integration of InP nano-cylinders does not degrade the electrical performance, since the surface recombination is effectively suppressed by separating the absorber layer where carriers generate and the air/semiconductor interface. The comprehensive modeling including optical and electrical perspectives provides a more practical description for device performance than the optical-only simulation and is expected to advance the design of thin-film absorber layer based optoelectronic devices for fast response and high efficiency.« less

Light funnel concentrator panel for solar power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The solar concentrator design concept provides a theoretical concentration efficiency of 96 percent with power-to-weight ratios as high as 50 W/kg. Further, it eliminates the need for fragile reflective coatings and is very tolerant to pointing inaccuracies. The concept differs from conventional reflective mirrors and lens design in that is uses the principle of total internal reflection in order to funnel incident sunlight into a concentrator photovoltaic cell. The feasibility of the light funnel concentrator concept was determined through a balanced approach of analysis, development, and fabrication of prototypes, and testing of components. A three-dimensional optical model of the light funnel concentrator and photovoltaic cell was developed in order to assess the ultimate performance of such systems. In addition, a thermal and structural analysis of a typical unit was made. Techniques of fabricating the light funnel cones, optically coupling them to GaAs concentrator cells, bonding the funnels to GaAs cells, making electrical interconnects, and bonding substrates was explored and a prototype light funnel concentrator unit was fabricated and tested. Testing of the system included measurements of optical concentrating efficiency, optical concentrator to cell coupling efficiency, and electrical efficiency.

Light manipulation for organic optoelectronics using bio-inspired moth's eye nanostructures.

PubMed

Zhou, Lei; Ou, Qing-Dong; Chen, Jing-De; Shen, Su; Tang, Jian-Xin; Li, Yan-Qing; Lee, Shuit-Tong

2014-02-10

Organic-based optoelectronic devices, including light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and solar cells (OSCs) hold great promise as low-cost and large-area electro-optical devices and renewable energy sources. However, further improvement in efficiency remains a daunting challenge due to limited light extraction or absorption in conventional device architectures. Here we report a universal method of optical manipulation of light by integrating a dual-side bio-inspired moth's eye nanostructure with broadband anti-reflective and quasi-omnidirectional properties. Light out-coupling efficiency of OLEDs with stacked triple emission units is over 2 times that of a conventional device, resulting in drastic increase in external quantum efficiency and current efficiency to 119.7% and 366 cd A(-1) without introducing spectral distortion and directionality. Similarly, the light in-coupling efficiency of OSCs is increased 20%, yielding an enhanced power conversion efficiency of 9.33%. We anticipate this method would offer a convenient and scalable way for inexpensive and high-efficiency organic optoelectronic designs.

Quasi-optical grids with thin rectangular patch/aperture elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Te-Kao

1993-01-01

Theoretical analysis is presented for an efficient and accurate performance evaluation of quasi-optical grids comprised of thin rectangular patch/aperture elements with/without a dielectric substrate/superstrate. The convergence rate of this efficient technique is improved by an order of magnitude with the approximate edge conditions incorporated in the basis functions of the integral equation solution. Also presented are the interesting applications of this efficient analytical technique to the design and performance evaluation of the coupling grids and beam splitters in the optical systems as well as thermal protection sunshields used in the communication systems of satellites and spacecrafts.

Fiber distributed feedback laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elachi, C.; Evans, G. A.; Yeh, C. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

Utilizing round optical fibers as communication channels in optical communication networks presents the problem of obtaining a high efficiency coupling between the optical fiber and the laser. A laser is made an integral part of the optical fiber channel by either diffusing active material into the optical fiber or surrounding the optical fiber with the active material. Oscillation within the active medium to produce lasing action is established by grating the optical fiber so that distributed feedback occurs.

Electronically tunable extraordinary optical transmission in graphene plasmonic ribbons coupled to subwavelength metallic slit arrays

DOE PAGES

Kim, Seyoon; Jang, Min Seok; Brar, Victor W.; ...

2016-08-08

In this paper, subwavelength metallic slit arrays have been shown to exhibit extraordinary optical transmission, whereby tunneling surface plasmonic waves constructively interfere to create large forward light propagation. The intricate balancing needed for this interference to occur allows for resonant transmission to be highly sensitive to changes in the environment. Here we demonstrate that extraordinary optical transmission resonance can be coupled to electrostatically tunable graphene plasmonic ribbons to create electrostatic modulation of mid-infrared light. Absorption in graphene plasmonic ribbons situated inside metallic slits can efficiently block the coupling channel for resonant transmission, leading to a suppression of transmission. Full-wave simulationsmore » predict a transmission modulation of 95.7% via this mechanism. Experimental measurements reveal a modulation efficiency of 28.6% in transmission at 1,397 cm –1, corresponding to a 2.67-fold improvement over transmission without a metallic slit array. This work paves the way for enhancing light modulation in graphene plasmonics by employing noble metal plasmonic structures.« less

Microwave-optical two-photon excitation of Rydberg states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tate, D. A.; Gallagher, T. F.

2018-03-01

We report efficient microwave-optical two photon excitation of Rb Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap. This approach allows the excitation of normally inaccessible states and provides a path toward excitation of high-angular-momentum states. The efficiency stems from the elimination of the Doppler width, the use of a narrow-band pulsed laser, and the enormous electric-dipole matrix element connecting the intermediate and final states of the transition. The excitation is efficient in spite of the low optical and microwave powers, of order 1 kW and 1 mW, respectively. This is an application of the large dipole coupling strengths between Rydberg states to achieve two-photon excitation of Rydberg atoms.

Intracavity double diode structures with GaInP barrier layers for thermophotonic cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiira, Jonna; Radevici, Ivan; Haggren, Tuomas; Hakkarainen, Teemu; Kivisaari, Pyry; Lyytikäinen, Jari; Aho, Arto; Tukiainen, Antti; Guina, Mircea; Oksanen, Jani

2017-02-01

Optical cooling of semiconductors has recently been demonstrated both for optically pumped CdS nanobelts and for electrically injected GaInAsSb LEDs at very low powers. To enable cooling at larger power and to understand and overcome the main obstacles in optical cooling of conventional semiconductor structures, we study thermophotonic (TPX) heat transport in cavity coupled light emitters. Our structures consist of a double heterojunction (DHJ) LED with a GaAs active layer and a corresponding DHJ or a p-n-homojunction photodiode, enclosed within a single semiconductor cavity to eliminate the light extraction challenges. Our presently studied double diode structures (DDS) use GaInP barriers around the GaAs active layer instead of the AlGaAs barriers used in our previous structures. We characterize our updated double diode structures by four point probe IV- measurements and measure how the material modifications affect the recombination parameters and coupling quantum efficiencies in the structures. The coupling quantum efficiency of the new devices with InGaP barrier layers is found to be approximately 10 % larger than for the structures with AlGaAs barriers at the point of maximum efficiency.

Single-mode fibers to single-mode waveguides coupling with minimum Fresnel back-reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sneh, Anat; Ruschin, Shlomo; Marom, Emanuel

1991-04-01

Slantly polished fibers and waveguides coupling as a means for achieving both low optical power reflection and efficient power transmission is proposed. Return losses exceeding -70 dB can be obtained in fiber-to-Lithium Niobate waveguides operating at ) = 0.633 jm and ) = 1.3 pm by polishing the fiber at an angle of 6°. A phase matching condition between the propagation constants ,8 and the polishing angles in the fiber and the waveguide: fl(fiber)sincx(fiber) = fl(waveguide)sina(waveguide) must be fulifiled in order to enable efficient power coupling. Polishing angle tolerances of approximately lO are allowed for a maximum of 1 dB decrease in the coupling efficiency.

Optical coupling elements for coherent optical multiport receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langenhorst, Ralf

1992-05-01

Three by three (3 by 3) and four by four (4 by 4) port coupling elements and receivers for heterodyne multiport systems are realized. Commercial (3 by 3) fiber coupling elements were used to achieve a usual (3 by 3) port receiver and a (3 by 3) port receiver in pushpull switching, whose concept was theoretically and experimentally analyzed. It is established that intensity oscillations of laser sources are suppressed by pushpull switching. The influence of thermal noise of opto-electronic input levels is shown to be weaker than in usual (3 by 3) port and (4 by 4) port receivers. Thermal noise effect in pushpull switching is similar to this one in heterodyne receivers. An integrated optical coupling element in LiNbO3 was made with bridge circuit from four waveguide coupling elements and two phase converters, which are electro-optically tunable so that a continuous regulation of intermediate frequency phase can be compensated by temperature variations of the element. To obtain fiber-to-fiber losses lower than a dB, a compact crystal optical coupling element was developed with reference to polarization properties of optical waves. This element supplied the eight necessary intermediate frequency output signals. A direct experimental comparison of bandwidth efficiency of multiport and heterodyne receivers shows a factor two in optical area and a factor three in electrical frequency area.

Two-dimensional Ag/SiO2 and Cu/SiO2 nanocomposite surface-relief grating couplers and their vertical input coupling properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Mu, Xiaoyu; Wang, Gang; Liu, Changlong

2017-11-01

By etching two SiO2 optical waveguide slabs separately implanted with 90 keV Ag ions and 60 keV Cu ions at the same dose of 6 × 1016 cm-2, two-dimensional Ag/SiO2 and Cu/SiO2 nanocomposite surface-relief grating couplers with 600-nm periodicity and 100-nm thickness were fabricated, and their structural and vertical input coupling properties were investigated. Experimental results revealed that the two couplers could convert light beams at wavelengths of 620-880 nm into guided waves with different efficiencies, highlighting the special importance of metal nanoparticles (NPs). Further discussions also revealed that owing to the introduction of periodically distributed metal NPs, the periodical phase modification of the transmitted beam was enhanced drastically, and the nanocomposite veins could behave as efficient light scatterers. As a result, the two couplers were much larger in coupling efficiency than the NP-free one with identical morphological parameters. The above findings may be useful to construct thin and short but efficient surface-relief grating couplers on glass optical waveguides.

Corrugated Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector Focal Plane Array Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldberg, A.; Choi, K. K.; Das, N. C.; La, A.; Jhabvala, M.

1999-01-01

The corrugated quantum-well infrared photodetector (C-QWIP) uses total internal reflection to couple normal incident light into the optically active quantum wells. The coupling efficiency has been shown to be relatively independent of the pixel size and wavelength thus making the C-QWIP a candidate for detectors over the entire infrared spectrum. The broadband coupling efficiency of the C-QWIP makes it an ideal candidate for multiwavelength detectors. We fabricated and tested C-QWIP focal plane arrays (FPAs) with cutoff wavelengths of 11.2 and 16.2 micrometers. Each FPA has 256 x 256 pixels that are bump-bonded to a direct injection readout circuit. Both FPAs provided infrared imagery with good aesthetic attributes. For the 11.2-micrometers FPA, background-limited performance (BLIP) was observed at 60 K with f/3 optics. For the 16.2-micrometers FPA, BLIP was observed at 38 K. Besides the reduction of dark current in C-QWIP structures, the measured internal quantum efficiency (eta) remains to be high. The values for responsivity and quantum efficiency obtained from the FPA results agree well with those measured for single devices.

Fiber-based free-space optical coherent receiver with vibration compensation mechanism.

PubMed

Zhang, Ruochi; Wang, Jianmin; Zhao, Guang; Lv, Junyi

2013-07-29

We propose a novel fiber-based free-space optical (FSO) coherent receiver for inter-satellite communication. The receiver takes advantage of established fiber-optic components and utilizes the fine-pointing subsystem installed in FSO terminals to minimize the influence of satellite platform vibrations. The received beam is coupled to a single-mode fiber, and the coupling efficiency of the system is investigated both analytically and experimentally. A receiving sensitivity of -38 dBm is obtained at the forward error correction limit with a transmission rate of 22.4 Gbit/s. The proposed receiver is shown to be a promising component for inter-satellite optical communication.

Ultrafast spin exchange-coupling torque via photo-excited charge-transfer processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, X.; Fang, F.; Li, Q.; Zhu, J.; Yang, Y.; Wu, Y. Z.; Zhao, H. B.; Lüpke, G.

2015-10-01

Optical control of spin is of central importance in the research of ultrafast spintronic devices utilizing spin dynamics at short time scales. Recently developed optical approaches such as ultrafast demagnetization, spin-transfer and spin-orbit torques open new pathways to manipulate spin through its interaction with photon, orbit, charge or phonon. However, these processes are limited by either the long thermal recovery time or the low-temperature requirement. Here we experimentally demonstrate ultrafast coherent spin precession via optical charge-transfer processes in the exchange-coupled Fe/CoO system at room temperature. The efficiency of spin precession excitation is significantly higher and the recovery time of the exchange-coupling torque is much shorter than for the demagnetization procedure, which is desirable for fast switching. The exchange coupling is a key issue in spin valves and tunnelling junctions, and hence our findings will help promote the development of exchange-coupled device concepts for ultrafast coherent spin manipulation.

Orientation-Dependent Exciton-Plasmon Coupling in Embedded Organic/Metal Nanowire Heterostructures.

PubMed

Li, Yong Jun; Hong, Yan; Peng, Qian; Yao, Jiannian; Zhao, Yong Sheng

2017-10-24

The excitation of surface plasmons by optical emitters based on exciton-plasmon coupling is important for plasmonic devices with active optical properties. It has been theoretically demonstrated that the orientation of exciton dipole can significantly influence the coupling strength, yet systematic study of the coupling process in nanostructures is still hindered by the lack of proper material systems. In this work, we have experimentally investigated the orientation-dependent exciton-plasmon coupling in a rationally designed organic/metal nanowire heterostructure system. The heterostructures were prepared by inserting silver nanowires into crystalline organic waveguides during the self-assembly of dye molecules. Structures with different exciton orientations exhibited varying coupling efficiencies. The near-field exciton-plasmon coupling facilitates the design of nanophotonic devices based on the directional surface plasmon polariton propagations.

Efficiency for preforming molecules from mixtures of light Fermi and heavy Bose atoms in optical lattices: The strong-coupling-expansion method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Anzi; Freericks, J. K.; Maśka, M. M.; Williams, C. J.

2011-04-01

We discuss the application of a strong-coupling expansion (perturbation theory in the hopping) for studying light-Fermi-heavy-Bose (like K40-Rb87) mixtures in optical lattices. We use the strong-coupling method to evaluate the efficiency for preforming molecules, the entropy per particle, and the thermal fluctuations. We show that within the strong interaction regime (and at high temperature), the strong-coupling expansion is an economical way to study this problem. In some cases, it remains valid even down to low temperatures. Because the computational effort is minimal, the strong-coupling approach allows us to work with much larger system sizes, where boundary effects can be eliminated, which is particularly important at higher temperatures. Since the strong-coupling approach is so efficient and accurate, it allows one to rapidly scan through parameter space in order to optimize the preforming of molecules on a lattice (by choosing the lattice depth and interspecies attraction). Based on the strong-coupling calculations, we test the thermometry scheme based on the fluctuation-dissipation theorem and find the scheme gives accurate temperature estimation even at very low temperature. We believe this approach and the calculation results will be useful in the design of the next generation of experiments and will hopefully lead to the ability to form dipolar matter in the quantum degenerate regime.

Studies on low-loss coupling of non-node anti-resonant hollow-core fiber and tapered fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Naiqian; Wang, Zefeng; Liu, Wenbo; Xi, Xiaoming

2017-10-01

Up to now, near almost optical fiber gas lasers employ/adopt the scheme of free-space coupling, which increases the difficulty to adjust the optical path, and has poor stability. All-fiber structure fiber-gas lasers are important development directions in the future. We established the numerical model of SMF-28 type tapered single-mode fiber and non-node hollow-core fiber. When the SMF-28 type single-mode fiber has a waist diameter of 40μm when the light source is LP01 fundamental mode with 1550nm wavelength, the mode field diameter is the largest. Meanwhile, we simulated that the equivalent mode field diameter of non-node anti-resonant hollow-core fiber is about 75μm at the same 1550nm wavelength light source. Then, we use different waist diameters of SMF-28 type tapered fibers injected to the non-node anti-resonant hollow-core fiber in simulation and experiments. In the scheme of the single-ended low-loss coupling, the simulation results indicate that the best waist diameter of tapered fiber is 40μm, and the calculated maximum coupling efficiency is 83.55%. Meanwhile, the experimental result of maximum coupling efficiency is 80.74% when the best waist diameter of tapered fiber is also 40μm. As for the double-ended low-loss coupling, the calculated maximum coupling efficiency is near 83.38%.

High efficiency all-optical plasmonic diode based on a nonlinear side-coupled waveguide-cavity structure with broken symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Hong-Qin; Liu, Bin; Hu, Jin-Feng; He, Xing-Dao

2018-05-01

An all-optical plasmonic diode, comprising a metal-insulator-metal waveguide coupled with a stub cavity, is proposed based on a nonlinear Fano structure. The key technique used is to break structural spatial symmetry by a simple reflector layer in the waveguide. The spatial asymmetry of the structure gives rise to the nonreciprocity of coupling efficiencies between the Fano cavity and waveguides on both sides of the reflector layer, leading to a nonreciprocal nonlinear response. Transmission properties and dynamic responses are numerically simulated and investigated by the nonlinear finite-difference time-domain method. In the proposed structure, high-efficiency nonreciprocal transmission can be achieved with a low power threshold and an ultrafast response time (subpicosecond level). A high maximum transmittance of 89.3% and an ultra-high transmission contrast ratio of 99.6% can also be obtained. The device can be flexibly adjusted for working wavebands by altering the stub cavity length.

Design of ultra-broadband terahertz polymer waveguide emitters for telecom wavelengths using coupled mode theory.

PubMed

Vallejo, Felipe A; Hayden, L Michael

2013-03-11

We use coupled mode theory, adequately incorporating optical losses, to model ultra-broadband terahertz (THz) waveguide emitters (0.1-20 THz) based on difference frequency generation of femtosecond infrared (IR) optical pulses. We apply the model to a generic, symmetric, five-layer, metal/cladding/core waveguide structure using transfer matrix theory. We provide a design strategy for an efficient ultra-broadband THz emitter and apply it to polymer waveguides with a nonlinear core composed of a poled guest-host electro-optic polymer composite and pumped by a pulsed fiber laser system operating at 1567 nm. The predicted bandwidths are greater than 15 THz and we find a high conversion efficiency of 1.2 × 10(-4) W(-1) by balancing both the modal phase-matching and effective mode attenuation.

Silicon-based highly-efficient fiber-to-waveguide coupler for high index contrast systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Victor; Montalbo, Trisha; Manolatou, Christina; Agarwal, Anu; Hong, Ching-yin; Yasaitis, John; Kimerling, L. C.; Michel, Jurgen

2006-02-01

A coupler to efficiently transfer broadband light from a single-mode optical fiber to a single-mode high-index contrast waveguide has been fabricated on a silicon substrate. We utilized a novel coupling scheme, with a vertically asymmetric design consisting of a stepwise parabolic graded index profile combined with a horizontal taper, to simultaneously confine light in both directions. Coupling efficiency has been measured as a function of the device dimensions. The optimal coupling efficiency is achieved for structures whose length equals the focal distance of the graded index and whose input width is close to the mode field diameter of the fiber. The fabricated structure is compact, robust and highly efficient, with an insertion loss of 2.2dB at 1550nm. The coupler exhibits less than 1dB variation in coupling efficiency in the measured spectral range from 1520nmto1620nm. The lowest insertion loss of 1.9dB is measured at 1540nm. The coupler design offers highly efficient coupling for single mode waveguides of core indices up to 2.2.

Widely tunable asymmetric long-period fiber grating with high sensitivity using optical polymer on laser-ablated cladding.

PubMed

Chen, Nan-Kuang; Hsu, Der-Yi; Chi, Sien

2007-08-01

We demonstrate high-efficiency, wideband-tunable, laser-ablated long-period fiber gratings that use an optical polymer overlay. Portions of the fiber cladding are periodically removed by CO(2) laser pulses to induce periodic index changes for coupling the core mode into cladding modes. An optical polymer with a high thermo-optic coefficient with a dispersion distinct from that of silica is used on a deep-ablated cladding structure so that the effective indices of cladding modes become dispersive and the resonant wavelengths can be efficiently tuned. The tuning efficiency can be as high as 15.8 nm/ degrees C, and the tuning range can be wider than 105 nm (1545-1650 nm).

Excitation of photonic atoms (dielectric microspheres) on optical fibers: application to room-temperature persistent spectral hole burning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serpenguzel, Ali; Arnold, Stephen; Griffel, Giora

1995-05-01

Recently, photonic atoms (dielectric microspheres) have enjoyed the attention of the optical spectroscopy community. A variety of linear and nonlinear optical processes have been observed in liquid microdroplets. But solid state photonic devices using these properties are scarce. A first of these applications is the room temperature microparticle hole-burning memory. New applications can be envisioned if microparticle resonances can be coupled to traveling waves in optical fibers. In this paper we demonstrate the excitation of narrow morphology dependent resonances of microparticles placed on an optical fiber. Furthermore we reveal a model for this process which describes the coupling efficiency in terms of the geometrical and material properties of the microparticle-fiber system.

2000W high beam quality diode laser for direct materials processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Wen-bin; Liu, You-qiang; Cao, Yin-hua; Gao, Jing; Pan, Fei; Wang, Zhi-yong

2011-11-01

This article describes high beam quality and kilowatt-class diode laser system for direct materials processing, using optical design software ZEMAX® to simulate the diode laser optical path, including the beam shaping, collimation, coupling, focus, etc.. In the experiment, the diode laser stack of 808nm and the diode laser stack of 915nm were used for the wavelength coupling, which were built vertical stacks up to 16 bars. The threshold current of the stack is 6.4A, the operating current is 85A and the output power is 1280W. Through experiments, after collimating the diode laser beam with micro-lenses, the fast axis BPP of the stack is less than 60mm.mrad, and the slow-axis BPP of the stack is less than 75mm.mrad. After shaping the laser beam and improving the beam quality, the fast axis BPP of the stack is still 60mm.mrad, and the slow-axis BPP of the stack is less than 19mm.mrad. After wavelength coupling and focusing, ultimately the power of 2150W was obtained, focal spot size of 1.5mm * 1.2mm with focal length 300mm. The laser power density is 1.2×105W/cm2, and that can be used for metal remelting, alloying, cladding and welding. The total optical coupling conversion efficiency is 84%, and the total electrical - optical conversion efficiency is 50%.

Theoretical analysis of a new class of optical bistability due to noncoherent coupling within a twin-laser system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuszelewicz, R.; Oudar, J.L.

1987-04-01

A new class of optical bistable devices, relying on the mutual quenching of two identical lasers, is theoretically analyzed. Conditions for achieving adequate competition between an external injected beam and the intracavity field through a noncoherent coupling (NCC) are discussed. Steady-state and transient behaviours are analyzed and lead to fast electrical or optical switching ( <100 ps ) and low commutation energy ( <10 pH). High efficiency, compactness, and technological compatibility with other integrated devices are expected. In addition, the emissive properties of these devices should considerably simplify their use in cascaded configurations.

Efficient fiber-coupled single-photon source based on quantum dots in a photonic-crystal waveguide

PubMed Central

DAVEAU, RAPHAËL S.; BALRAM, KRISHNA C.; PREGNOLATO, TOMMASO; LIU, JIN; LEE, EUN H.; SONG, JIN D.; VERMA, VARUN; MIRIN, RICHARD; NAM, SAE WOO; MIDOLO, LEONARDO; STOBBE, SØREN; SRINIVASAN, KARTIK; LODAHL, PETER

2017-01-01

Many photonic quantum information processing applications would benefit from a high brightness, fiber-coupled source of triggered single photons. Here, we present a fiber-coupled photonic-crystal waveguide single-photon source relying on evanescent coupling of the light field from a tapered out-coupler to an optical fiber. A two-step approach is taken where the performance of the tapered out-coupler is recorded first on an independent device containing an on-chip reflector. Reflection measurements establish that the chip-to-fiber coupling efficiency exceeds 80 %. The detailed characterization of a high-efficiency photonic-crystal waveguide extended with a tapered out-coupling section is then performed. The corresponding overall single-photon source efficiency is 10.9 % ± 2.3 %, which quantifies the success probability to prepare an exciton in the quantum dot, couple it out as a photon in the waveguide, and subsequently transfer it to the fiber. The applied out-coupling method is robust, stable over time, and broadband over several tens of nanometers, which makes it a highly promising pathway to increase the efficiency and reliability of planar chip-based single-photon sources. PMID:28584859

Effects of underwater turbulence on laser beam propagation and coupling into single-mode optical fiber.

PubMed

Hanson, Frank; Lasher, Mark

2010-06-01

We characterize and compare the effects of turbulence on underwater laser propagation with theory. Measurements of the coupling efficiency of the focused beam into a single-mode fiber are reported. A simple tip-tilt control system, based on the position of the image centroid in the focal plane, was shown to maintain good coupling efficiency for a beam radius equal to the transverse coherence length, r(0). These results are relevant to high bandwidth communication technology that requires good spatial mode quality.

Tunable Resonance Coupling in Single Si Nanoparticle-Monolayer WS2 Structures.

PubMed

Lepeshov, Sergey; Wang, Mingsong; Krasnok, Alex; Kotov, Oleg; Zhang, Tianyi; Liu, He; Jiang, Taizhi; Korgel, Brian; Terrones, Mauricio; Zheng, Yuebing; Alú, Andrea

2018-05-16

Two-dimensional semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are extremely attractive materials for optoelectronic applications in the visible and near-infrared range. Coupling these materials to optical nanocavities enables advanced quantum optics and nanophotonic devices. Here, we address the issue of resonance coupling in hybrid exciton-polariton structures based on single Si nanoparticles (NPs) coupled to monolayer (1L)-WS 2 . We predict a strong coupling regime with a Rabi splitting energy exceeding 110 meV for a Si NP covered by 1L-WS 2 at the magnetic optical Mie resonance because of the symmetry of the mode. Further, we achieve a large enhancement in the Rabi splitting energy up to 208 meV by changing the surrounding dielectric material from air to water. The prediction is based on the experimental estimation of TMDC dipole moment variation obtained from the measured photoluminescence spectra of 1L-WS 2 in different solvents. An ability of such a system to tune the resonance coupling is realized experimentally for optically resonant spherical Si NPs placed on 1L-WS 2 . The Rabi splitting energy obtained for this scenario increases from 49.6 to 86.6 meV after replacing air by water. Our findings pave the way to develop high-efficiency optoelectronic, nanophotonic, and quantum optical devices.

Study of ground state optical transfer for ultracold alkali dimers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouloufa-Maafa, Nadia; Londono, Beatriz; Borsalino, Dimitri; Vexiau, Romain; Mahecha, Jorge; Dulieu, Olivier; Luc-Koenig, Eliane

2013-05-01

Control of molecular states by laser pulses offer promising potential applications. The manipulation of molecules by external fields requires precise knowledge of the molecular structure. Our motivation is to perform a detailed analysis of the spectroscopic properties of alkali dimers, with the aim to determine efficient optical paths to form molecules in the absolute ground state and to determine the optimal parameters of the optical lattices where those molecules are manipulated to avoid losses by collisions. To this end, we use state of the art molecular potentials, R-dependent spin-orbit coupling and transition dipole moment to perform our calculations. R-dependent SO coupling are of crucial importance because the transitions occur at internuclear distances where they are affected by this R-dependence. Efficient schemes to transfer RbCs, KRb and KCs to the absolute ground state as well as the optimal parameters of the optical lattices will be presented. This work was supported in part by ``Triangle de la Physique'' under contract 2008-007T-QCCM (Quantum Control of Cold Molecules).

High-brightness 9xxnm fiber coupled diode lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Rui; Jiang, Xiaochen; Yang, Thomas; He, Xiaoguang; Gao, Yanyan; Zhu, Jing; Zhang, Tujia; Guo, Weirong; Wang, Baohua; Guo, Zhijie; Zhang, Luyan; Chen, Louisa

2015-03-01

We developed a high brightness fiber coupled diode laser module providing more than 140W output power from a 105μm NA 0.15 fiber at the wavelength of 915nm.The high brightness module has an electrical to optical efficiency better than 45% and power enclosure more than 90% within NA 0.13. It is based on multi-single emitters using optical and polarization beam combining and fiber coupling technique. With the similar technology, over 100W of optical power into a 105μm NA 0.15 fiber at 976nm is also achieved which can be compatible with the volume Bragg gratings to receive narrow and stabilized spectral linewidth. The light within NA 0.12 is approximately 92%. The reliability test data of single and multiple single emitter laser module under high optical load are also presented and analyzed using a reliability model with an emitting aperture optimized for coupling into 105μm core fiber. The total MTTF shows exceeding 100,000 hours within 60% confidence level. The packaging processes and optical design are ready for commercial volume production.

Efficient high-power frequency doubling of distributed Bragg reflector tapered laser radiation in a periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate planar waveguide.

PubMed

Jedrzejczyk, Daniel; Güther, Reiner; Paschke, Katrin; Jeong, Woo-Jin; Lee, Han-Young; Erbert, Götz

2011-02-01

We report on efficient single-pass, high-power second-harmonic generation in a periodically poled MgO-doped LiNbO3 planar waveguide using a distributed Bragg reflector tapered diode laser as a pump source. A coupling efficiency into the planar waveguide of 73% was realized, and 1.07 W of visible laser light at 532 nm was generated. Corresponding optical and electro-optical conversion efficiencies of 26% and 8.4%, respectively, were achieved. Good agreement between the experimental data and the theoretical predictions was observed.

Quantum Optical Transistor and Other Devices Based on Nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jin-Jin; Zhu, Ka-Di

Laser and strong coupling can coexist in a single quantum dot (QD) coupled to nanostructures. This provides an important clue toward the realization of quantum optical devices, such as quantum optical transistor, slow light device, fast light device, or light storage device. In contrast to conventional electronic transistor, a quantum optical transistor uses photons as signal carriers rather than electrons, which has a faster and more powerful transfer efficiency. Under the radiation of a strong pump laser, a signal laser can be amplified or attenuated via passing through a single quantum dot coupled to a photonic crystal (PC) nanocavity system. Such a switching and amplifying behavior can really implement the quantum optical transistor. By simply turning on or off the input pump laser, the amplified or attenuated signal laser can be obtained immediately. Based on this transistor, we further propose a method to measure the vacuum Rabi splitting of exciton in all-optical domain. Besides, we study the light propagation in a coupled QD and nanomechanical resonator (NR) system. We demonstrate that it is possible to achieve the slow light, fast light, and quantum memory for light on demand, which is based on the mechanically induced coherent population oscillation (MICPO) and exciton polaritons. These QD devices offer a route toward the use of all-optical technique to investigate the coupled QD systems and will make contributions to quantum internets and quantum computers.

Modeling of the gain distribution for diode pumping of a solid-state laser rod with nonimaging optics.

PubMed

Koshel, R J; Walmsley, I A

1993-03-20

We investigate the absorption distribution in a cylindrical gain medium that is pumped by a source of distributed laser diodes by means of a pump cavity developed from the edge-ray principle of nonimaging optics. The performance of this pumping arrangement is studied by using a nonsequential, numerical, three-dimensional ray-tracing scheme. A figure of merit is defined for the pump cavities that takes into account the coupling efficiency and uniformity of the absorption distribution. It is found that the nonimaging pump cavity maintains a high coupling efficiency with extended two-dimensional diode arrays and obtains a fairly uniform absorption distribution. The nonimaging cavity is compared with two other designs: a close-coupled side-pumped cavity and an imaging design in the form of a elliptical cavity. The nonimaging cavity has a better figure of merit per diode than these two designs. It also permits the use of an extended, sparse, two-dimensional diode array, which reduces thermal loading of the source and eliminates all cavity optics other than the main reflector.

Traveling wave electrode design of electro-optically modulated coupled-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

PubMed

Zujewski, Mateusz; Thienpont, Hugo; Panajotov, Krassimir

2012-11-19

We present a novel design of an electro-optically modulated coupled-cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (CC-VCSEL) with traveling wave electrodes of the modulator cavity, which allows to overcome the RC time constant of a traditional lumped electrode structures. The CC-VCSEL optical design is based on longitudinal mode switching which has recently experimentally demonstrated a record modulation speed. We carry out segmented transmission line electrical design of the modulator cavity in order to compensate for the low impedance of the modulator section and to match the 50 Ω electrical network. We have optimized two types of highly efficient modulator structures reaching -3 dB electrical cut-off frequency of f(cut-off) = 330 GHz with maximum reflection of -22 dB in the range from f(LF) = 100 MHz to f(cut-off) and 77 - 89% modulation efficiency.

Total internal reflection-based planar waveguide solar concentrator with symmetric air prisms as couplers.

PubMed

Xie, Peng; Lin, Huichuan; Liu, Yong; Li, Baojun

2014-10-20

We present a waveguide coupling approach for planar waveguide solar concentrator. In this approach, total internal reflection (TIR)-based symmetric air prisms are used as couplers to increase the coupler reflectivity and to maximize the optical efficiency. The proposed concentrator consists of a line focusing cylindrical lens array over a planar waveguide. The TIR-based couplers are located at the focal line of each lens to couple the focused sunlight into the waveguide. The optical system was modeled and simulated with a commercial ray tracing software (Zemax). Results show that the system used with optimized TIR-based couplers can achieve 70% optical efficiency at 50 × geometrical concentration ratio, resulting in a flux concentration ratio of 35 without additional secondary concentrator. An acceptance angle of ± 7.5° is achieved in the x-z plane due to the use of cylindrical lens array as the primary concentrator.

Small slot waveguide rings for on-chip quantum optical circuits.

PubMed

Rotenberg, Nir; Türschmann, Pierre; Haakh, Harald R; Martin-Cano, Diego; Götzinger, Stephan; Sandoghdar, Vahid

2017-03-06

Nanophotonic interfaces between single emitters and light promise to enable new quantum optical technologies. Here, we use a combination of finite element simulations and analytic quantum theory to investigate the interaction of various quantum emitters with slot-waveguide rings. We predict that for rings with radii as small as 1.44 μm, with a Q-factor of 27,900, near-unity emitter-waveguide coupling efficiencies and emission enhancements on the order of 1300 can be achieved. By tuning the ring geometry or introducing losses, we show that realistic emitter-ring systems can be made to be either weakly or strongly coupled, so that we can observe Rabi oscillations in the decay dynamics even for micron-sized rings. Moreover, we demonstrate that slot waveguide rings can be used to directionally couple emission, again with near-unity efficiency. Our results pave the way for integrated solid-state quantum circuits involving various emitters.

Ultra-low-noise transition edge sensors for the SAFARI L-band on SPICA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldie, D. J.; Gao, J. R.; Glowacka, D. M.; Griffin, D. K.; Hijmering, R.; Khosropanah, P.; Jackson, B. D.; Mauskopf, P. D.; Morozov, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Ridder, M.; Trappe, N.; O'Sullivan, C.; Withington, S.

2012-09-01

The Far-Infrared Fourier transform spectrometer instrument SAFARI-SPICA which will operate with cooled optics in a low-background space environment requires ultra-sensitive detector arrays with high optical coupling efficiencies over extremely wide bandwidths. In earlier papers we described the design, fabrication and performance of ultra-low-noise Transition Edge Sensors (TESs) operated close to 100mk having dark Noise Equivalent Powers (NEPs) of order 4 × 10-19W/√Hz close to the phonon noise limit and an improvement of two orders of magnitude over TESs for ground-based applications. Here we describe the design, fabrication and testing of 388-element arrays of MoAu TESs integrated with far-infrared absorbers and optical coupling structures in a geometry appropriate for the SAFARI L-band (110 - 210 μm). The measured performance shows intrinsic response time τ ~ 11ms and saturation powers of order 10 fW, and a dark noise equivalent powers of order 7 × 10-19W/√Hz. The 100 × 100μm2 MoAu TESs have transition temperatures of order 110mK and are coupled to 320×320μm2 thin-film β-phase Ta absorbers to provide impedance matching to the incoming fields. We describe results of dark tests (i.e without optical power) to determine intrinsic pixel characteristics and their uniformity, and measurements of the optical performance of representative pixels operated with flat back-shorts coupled to pyramidal horn arrays. The measured and modeled optical efficiency is dominated by the 95Ω sheet resistance of the Ta absorbers, indicating a clear route to achieve the required performance in these ultra-sensitive detectors.

Impact of one-dimensional photonic crystal back reflector in thin-film c-Si solar cells on efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalali, Tahmineh

2018-05-01

In this work, the effect of one-dimensional photonic crystal on optical absorption, which is implemented at the back side of thin-film crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, is extensively discussed. The proposed structure acts as a Bragg reflector which reflects back light to the active layer as well as nanograting which couples the incident light to enhance optical absorption. To understand the optical mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of optical absorption, quantum efficiency and current density for all structures are calculated and the effect of influential parameters, such as grating period is investigated. The results confirm that our proposed structure have a great deal for substantial efficiency enhancement in a broad range from 400 to 1100 nm.

Bidirectional microwave-mechanical-optical transducer in a dilution refrigerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Peter S.; Higginbotham, Andrew P.; Peterson, Robert W.; Urmey, Maxwell D.; Kampel, Nir S.; Menke, Timothy; Cicak, Katarina; Simmonds, Raymond. W.; Regal, Cindy A.; Lehnert, Konrad W.

Transferring quantum states between microwave and optical networks would be a powerful resource for quantum communication and computation. Our approach is to simultaneously couple one mode of a micromechanical oscillator to a resonant microwave circuit and a high-finesse optical cavity. Building on previous work demonstrating bidirectional and efficient classical conversion at 4 K, a new microwave-to-optical transducer is operated at 0.1 K and preparations are underway to operate it in the quantum regime. To improve transfer efficiency, we characterize and implement wireless microwave access to the converter chip. Transfer efficiency of the device is measured, and loss in the LC circuit due to laser light is characterized. We acknowledge support from AFOSR MURI Grant FA9550-15-1-0015 and PFC National Science Foundation Grant 1125844.

Plasmonic nanopatch array for optical integrated circuit applications.

PubMed

Qu, Shi-Wei; Nie, Zai-Ping

2013-11-08

Future plasmonic integrated circuits with the capability of extremely high-speed data processing at optical frequencies will be dominated by the efficient optical emission (excitation) from (of) plasmonic waveguides. Towards this goal, plasmonic nanoantennas, currently a hot topic in the field of plasmonics, have potential to bridge the mismatch between the wave vector of free-space photonics and that of the guided plasmonics. To manipulate light at will, plasmonic nanoantenna arrays will definitely be more efficient than isolated nanoantennas. In this article, the concepts of microwave antenna arrays are applied to efficiently convert plasmonic waves in the plasmonic waveguides into free-space optical waves or vice versa. The proposed plasmonic nanoantenna array, with nanopatch antennas and a coupled wedge plasmon waveguide, can also act as an efficient spectrometer to project different wavelengths into different directions, or as a spatial filter to absorb a specific wavelength at a specified incident angle.

Optical coupling of bare optoelectronic components and flexographically printed polymer waveguides in planar optronic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yixiao; Wolfer, Tim; Lange, Alex; Overmeyer, Ludger

2016-05-01

Large scale, planar optronic systems allowing spatially distributed functionalities can be well used in diverse sensor networks, such as for monitoring the environment by measuring various physical quantities in medicine or aeronautics. In these systems, mechanically flexible and optically transparent polymeric foils, e.g. polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are employed as carrier materials. A benefit of using these materials is their low cost. The optical interconnections from light sources to light transmission structures in planar optronic systems occupy a pivotal position for the sensing functions. As light sources, we employ the optoelectronic components, such as edgeemitting laser diodes, in form of bare chips, since their extremely small structures facilitate a high integration compactness and ensure sufficient system flexibility. Flexographically printed polymer optical waveguides are deployed as light guiding structures for short-distance communication in planar optronic systems. Printing processes are utilized for this generation of waveguides to achieve a cost-efficient large scale and high-throughput production. In order to attain a high-functional optronic system for sensing applications, one of the most essential prerequisites is the high coupling efficiency between the light sources and the waveguides. Therefore, in this work, we focus on the multimode polymer waveguide with a parabolic cross-section and investigate its optical coupling with the bare laser diode. We establish the geometrical model of the alignment based on the previous works on the optodic bonding of bare laser diodes and the fabrication process of polymer waveguides with consideration of various parameters, such as the beam profile of the laser diode, the employed polymer properties of the waveguides as well as the carrier substrates etc. Accordingly, the optical coupling of the bare laser diodes and the polymer waveguides was simulated. Additionally, we demonstrate optical links by adopting the aforementioned processes used for defining the simulation. We verify the feasibility of the developed processes for planar optronic systems by using an active alignment and conduct discussions for further improvements of optical alignment.

Femtosecond laser inscription of optical circuits in the cladding of optical fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grenier, Jason R.

The aim of this dissertation was to address the question of whether the cladding of single-mode fibers (SMFs) could be modified to enable optical fibers to serve as a more integrated, highly functional platform for optical circuit devices that can efficiently interconnect with the pre-existing fiber core waveguide. The approach adopted in this dissertation was to employ femtosecond laser direct writing (FLDW), an inherently 3D fabrication technique that harnesses non-linear laser-material interactions to modify the fused silica fiber cladding. A fiber mounting and alignment technique was developed along with oil-immersion focusing to address the strong aberrations caused by the cylindrical fiber shape. The development of real-time device monitoring during the FLDW was instrumental to overcome the acute coupling sensitivity to laser alignment errors of +/-1 ?m positional uncertainty, and thereby opened a new practical direction for the precise fabrication of optical devices inside optical fibers. These powerful and flexible laser fabrication and characterization techniques were successfully employed to optimize optical waveguiding devices positioned within the core and cladding of optical fibers. X-, S-Bend, and directional couplers were developed to enable efficient coupling between the laser-formed cladding devices and the pre-existing core waveguide, enabling up to 62% power transfer over bandwidths up to 300 nm at telecommunication wavelengths. Precise alignment of femtosecond laser modification tracks were positioned inside or near the core waveguide of SMFs was further shown to enable a flexible reshaping of the optical properties to create multimode guiding sections arbitrarily along the fiber length. This core waveguide modification facilitated the precise formation of multimode interferometers along the core waveguide to precisely tailor the modal profiles, and control the spectral and polarization response. In-fiber multimode interference (MMI) splitters and couplers were fabricated with coupling ratios from 2% to 50% over a broad 350 nm bandwidth across the telecommunication band. Laser-induced birefringence was harnessed to generate polarization dependent MMI devices for strong polarization filtering (24 dB isolation), or polarization selective taps with up to 50% tapping efficiency over a 25 nm bandwidth. This dissertation is therefore the first demonstration of femtosecond laser direct writing as a flexible and monolithic means of embedding and integrating highly functional optical circuit devices within the cladding of optical fibers that can interconnect efficiently with the pre-existing fiber core waveguide. These developments represent a significant technological advancement for creating new 3D photonic integrated microsystems within the cladding of optical fibers and underpins a new technological platform of fiber cladding photonics.

Ultrafast spin exchange-coupling torque via photo-excited charge-transfer processes

DOE PAGES

Ma, X.; Fang, F.; Li, Q.; ...

2015-10-28

In this study, optical control of spin is of central importance in the research of ultrafast spintronic devices utilizing spin dynamics at short time scales. Recently developed optical approaches such as ultrafast demagnetization, spin-transfer and spin-orbit torques open new pathways to manipulate spin through its interaction with photon, orbit, charge or phonon. However, these processes are limited by either the long thermal recovery time or the low-temperature requirement. Here we experimentally demonstrate ultrafast coherent spin precession via optical charge-transfer processes in the exchange-coupled Fe/CoO system at room temperature. The efficiency of spin precession excitation is significantly higher and the recoverymore » time of the exchange-coupling torque is much shorter than for the demagnetization procedure, which is desirable for fast switching. The exchange coupling is a key issue in spin valves and tunnelling junctions, and hence our findings will help promote the development of exchange-coupled device concepts for ultrafast coherent spin manipulation.« less

Efficient quantum microwave-to-optical conversion using electro-optic nanophotonic coupled resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltani, Mohammad; Zhang, Mian; Ryan, Colm; Ribeill, Guilhem J.; Wang, Cheng; Loncar, Marko

2017-10-01

We propose a low-noise, triply resonant, electro-optic (EO) scheme for quantum microwave-to-optical conversion based on coupled nanophotonics resonators integrated with a superconducting qubit. Our optical system features a split resonance—a doublet—with a tunable frequency splitting that matches the microwave resonance frequency of the superconducting qubit. This is in contrast to conventional approaches, where large optical resonators with free-spectral range comparable to the qubit microwave frequency are used. In our system, EO mixing between the optical pump coupled into the low-frequency doublet mode and a resonance microwave photon results in an up-converted optical photon on resonance with high-frequency doublet mode. Importantly, the down-conversion process, which is the source of noise, is suppressed in our scheme as the coupled-resonator system does not support modes at that frequency. Our device has at least an order of magnitude smaller footprint than conventional devices, resulting in large overlap between optical and microwave fields and a large photon conversion rate (g /2 π ) in the range of ˜5 -15 kHz. Owing to a large g factor and doubly resonant nature of our device, microwave-to-optical frequency conversion can be achieved with optical pump powers in the range of tens of microwatts, even with moderate values for optical Q (˜106 ) and microwave Q (˜104 ). The performance metrics of our device, with substantial improvement over the previous EO-based approaches, promise a scalable quantum microwave-to-optical conversion and networking of superconducting processors via optical fiber communication.

Free-space microwave-to-optical conversion via six-wave mixing in Rydberg atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jingshan; Vogt, Thibault; Gross, Christian; Jaksch, Dieter; Kiffner, Martin; Li, Wenhui

2017-04-01

The interconversion of millimeter waves and optical fields is an important and highly topical subject for classical and quantum technologies. In this talk, we report an experimental demonstration of coherent and efficient microwave-to-optical conversion in free space via six-wave mixing in Rydberg atoms. Our scheme utilizes the strong coupling of millimeter waves to Rydberg atoms as well as the frequency mixing based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) that greatly enhances the nonlinearity for the conversion process. We achieve a free-space conversion efficiency of 0.25% with a bandwidth of about 4 MHz in our experiment. Optimized geometry and energy level configurations should enable the broadband interconversion of microwave and optical fields with near-unity efficiency. These results indicate the tremendous potential of Rydberg atoms for the efficient conversion between microwave and optical fields, and thus paves the way to many applications. This work is supported by Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (Grant No. MOE2015-T2-1-085).

Advanced Silicon Photonic Device Architectures for Optical Communications: Proposals and Demonstrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacher, Wesley David

Photonic integrated circuits implemented on silicon (Si) hold the potential for densely integrated electro-optic and passive devices manufactured by the high-volume fabrication and sophisticated assembly processes used for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronics. However, high index contrast Si photonics has a number of functional limitations. In this thesis, several devices are proposed, designed, and experimentally demonstrated to overcome challenges in the areas of resonant modulation, waveguide loss, fiber-to-chip coupling, and polarization control. The devices were fabricated using foundry services at IBM and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME). First, we describe coupling modulated microrings, in which the coupler between a microring and the bus waveguide is modulated. The device circumvents the modulation bandwidth vs. resonator linewidth trade-off of conventional intracavity modulated microrings. We demonstrate a Si coupling modulated microring with a small-signal modulation response free of the parasitic resonator linewidth limitations at frequencies up to about 6x the linewidth. Comparisons of eye diagrams show that coupling modulation achieved data rates > 2x the rate attainable with intracavity modulation. Second, we demonstrate a silicon nitride (Si3N4)-on-Si photonic platform with independent Si3N4 and Si waveguides and taper transitions to couple light between the layers. The platform combines the excellent passive waveguide properties of Si3N4 and the compatibility of Si waveguides with electro-optic devices. Within the platform, we propose and demonstrate dual-level, Si3N 4-on-Si, fiber-to-chip grating couplers that simultaneously have wide bandwidths and high coupling efficiencies. Conventional Si and Si3N 4 grating couplers suffer from a trade-off between bandwidth and coupling efficiency. The dual-level grating coupler achieved a peak coupling efficiency of -1.3 dB and a 1-dB bandwidth of 80 nm, a record for the coupling efficiency-bandwidth product. Finally, we describe polarization rotator-splitters and controllers based on mode conversion between the fundamental transverse magnetic polarized mode and a high order transverse electric polarized mode in vertically asymmetric waveguides. We demonstrate the first polarization rotator-splitters and controllers that are fully compatible with standard active Si photonic platforms and extend the concept to our Si3N4-on-Si photonic platform.

Efficient light collection from crystal scintillators using a compound parabolic concentrator coupled to an avalanche photodiode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenke, P. A.; Briggs, M. S.; Bhat, P. N.; Reardon, P.; Connaughton, V.; Wilson-Hodge, C.

2013-09-01

In support of improved gamma-ray detectors for astrophysics and observations of Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs), we have designed a new approach for the collection and detection of optical photons from scintillators such as Sodium Iodide and Lanthanum Bromide using a light concentrator coupled to an Avalanche photodiode (APD). The APD has many advantages over traditional photomultiplier tubes such as their low power consumption, their compact size, their durability, and their very high quantum efficiency. The difficulty in using these devices in gamma-ray astronomy has been coupling their relatively small active area to the large scintillators necessary for gamma-ray science. Our solution is to use an acrylic Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) to match the large output area of the scintillation crystal to the smaller photodiode. These non-imaging light concentrators exceed the light concentration of focused optics and are light and inexpensive to produce. We present our results from the analysis and testing of such a system including gains in light collecting efficiency, energy resolution of nuclear decay lines, as well as our design for a new, fast TGF detector.

CMOS-compatible spot-size converter for optical fiber to sub-μm silicon waveguide coupling with low-loss low-wavelength dependence and high tolerance to misalignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picard, Marie-Josée.; Latrasse, Christine; Larouche, Carl; Painchaud, Yves; Poulin, Michel; Pelletier, François; Guy, Martin

2016-03-01

One of the biggest challenges of silicon photonics is the efficient coupling of light between the sub-micron SiP waveguides and a standard optical fiber (SMF-28). We recently proposed a novel approach based on a spot-size converter (SSC) that fulfills this need. The SSC integrates a tapered silicon waveguide and a superimposed structure made of a plurality of rods of high index material, disposed in an array-like configuration and embedded in a cladding of lower index material. This superimposed structure defines a waveguide designed to provide an efficient adiabatic transfer, through evanescent coupling, to a 220 nm thick Si waveguide tapered down to a narrow tip on one side, while providing a large mode overlap to the optical fiber on the other side. An initial demonstration was made using a SSC fabricated with post-processing steps. Great coupling to a SMF-28 fiber with a loss of 0.6 dB was obtained for TEpolarized light at 1550 nm with minimum wavelength dependence. In this paper, SSCs designed for operation at 1310 and 1550 nm for TE/TM polarizations and entirely fabricated in a CMOS fab are presented.

Multijunction Solar Cell Efficiencies: Effect of Spectral Window, Optical Environment and Radiative Coupling

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-04

Multijunction solar cell efficiencies: effect of spectral window, optical environment and radiative coupling† Carissa N. Eisler ,a Ze’ev R. Abrams,b...SC0001293. C. N. Eisler was supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG...Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Tampa, FL, 2013. 20 E. M. Ellion, World Pat., 8,701,512, 1987 . 21 B. Mitchell, G. Peharz, G. Siefer, M. Peters, T

Low-cost optical interconnect module for parallel optical data links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noddings, Chad; Hirsch, Tom J.; Olla, M.; Spooner, C.; Yu, Jason J.

1995-04-01

We have designed, fabricated, and tested a prototype parallel ten-channel unidirectional optical data link. When scaled to production, we project that this technology will satisfy the following market penetration requirements: (1) up to 70 meters transmission distance, (2) at least 1 gigabyte/second data rate, and (3) 0.35 to 0.50 MByte/second volume selling price. These goals can be achieved by means of the assembly innovations described in this paper: a novel alignment method that is integrated with low-cost, few chip module packaging techniques, yielding high coupling and reducing the component count. Furthermore, high coupling efficiency increases projected reliability reducing the driver's power requirements.

MEMS Integrated Submount Alignment for Optoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakespeare, W. Jeffrey; Pearson, Raymond A.; Grenestedt, Joachim L.; Hutapea, Parsaoran; Gupta, Vikas

2005-02-01

One of the most expensive and time-consuming production processes for single-mode fiber-optic components is the alignment of the photonic chip or waveguide to the fiber. The alignment equipment is capital intensive and usually requires trained technicians to achieve desired results. Current technology requires active alignment since tolerances are only ~0.2 μ m or less for a typical laser diode. This is accomplished using piezoelectric actuated stages and active optical feedback. Joining technologies such as soldering, epoxy bonding, or laser welding may contribute significant postbond shift, and final coupling efficiencies are often less than 80%. This paper presents a method of adaptive optical alignment to freeze in place directly on an optical submount using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation technology. Postbond shift is eliminated since the phase change is the alignment actuation. This technology is not limited to optical alignment but can be applied to a variety of MEMS actuations, including nano-actuation and nano-alignment for biomedical applications. Experimental proof-of-concept results are discussed, and a simple analytical model is proposed to predict the stress strain behavior of the optical submount. Optical coupling efficiencies and alignment times are compared with traditional processes. The feasibility of this technique in high-volume production is discussed.

Low-loss and energy efficient modulation in silicon photonic waveguides by adiabatic elimination scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mrejen, Michael; Suchowski, Haim; Bachelard, Nicolas; Wang, Yuan; Zhang, Xiang

2017-07-01

High-speed Silicon Photonics calls for solutions providing a small footprint, high density, and minimum crosstalk, as exemplified by the recent development of integrated optical modulators. Yet, the performances of such modulators are hindered by intrinsic material losses, which results in low energy efficiency. Using the concept of Adiabatic Elimination, here, we introduce a scheme allowing for the low-loss modulation in densely packed waveguides. Our system is composed of two waveguides, whose coupling is mediated by an intermediate third waveguide. The signal is carried by the two outer modes, while the active control of their coupling is achieved via the intermediate dark mode. The modulation is performed by the manipulation of the central-waveguide mode index, leaving the signal-carrying waveguides unaffected by the loss. We discuss how Adiabatic Elimination provides a solution for mitigating signal losses and designing relatively compact, broadband, and energy-efficient integrated optical modulators.

Quantitative Analysis of the Efficiency of OLEDs.

PubMed

Sim, Bomi; Moon, Chang-Ki; Kim, Kwon-Hyeon; Kim, Jang-Joo

2016-12-07

We present a comprehensive model for the quantitative analysis of factors influencing the efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) as a function of the current density. The model takes into account the contribution made by the charge carrier imbalance, quenching processes, and optical design loss of the device arising from various optical effects including the cavity structure, location and profile of the excitons, effective radiative quantum efficiency, and out-coupling efficiency. Quantitative analysis of the efficiency can be performed with an optical simulation using material parameters and experimental measurements of the exciton profile in the emission layer and the lifetime of the exciton as a function of the current density. This method was applied to three phosphorescent OLEDs based on a single host, mixed host, and exciplex-forming cohost. The three factors (charge carrier imbalance, quenching processes, and optical design loss) were influential in different ways, depending on the device. The proposed model can potentially be used to optimize OLED configurations on the basis of an analysis of the underlying physical processes.

Large-aperture, tapered fiber-coupled, 10-kHz particle-image velocimetry.

PubMed

Hsu, Paul S; Roy, Sukesh; Jiang, Naibo; Gord, James R

2013-02-11

We demonstrate the design and implementation of a fiber-optic beam-delivery system using a large-aperture, tapered step-index fiber for high-speed particle-image velocimetry (PIV) in turbulent combustion flows. The tapered fiber in conjunction with a diffractive-optical-element (DOE) fiber-optic coupler significantly increases the damage threshold of the fiber, enabling fiber-optic beam delivery of sufficient nanosecond, 532-nm, laser pulse energy for high-speed PIV measurements. The fiber successfully transmits 1-kHz and 10-kHz laser pulses with energies of 5.3 mJ and 2 mJ, respectively, for more than 25 min without any indication of damage. It is experimentally demonstrated that the tapered fiber possesses the high coupling efficiency (~80%) and moderate beam quality for PIV. Additionally, the nearly uniform output-beam profile exiting the fiber is ideal for PIV applications. Comparative PIV measurements are made using a conventionally (bulk-optic) delivered light sheet, and a similar order of measurement accuracy is obtained with and without fiber coupling. Effective use of fiber-coupled, 10-kHz PIV is demonstrated for instantaneous 2D velocity-field measurements in turbulent reacting flows. Proof-of-concept measurements show significant promise for the performance of fiber-coupled, high-speed PIV using a tapered optical fiber in harsh laser-diagnostic environments such as those encountered in gas-turbine test beds and the cylinder of a combustion engine.

Grating-assisted coupling to nanophotonic circuits in microcrystalline diamond thin films.

PubMed

Rath, Patrik; Khasminskaya, Svetlana; Nebel, Christoph; Wild, Christoph; Pernice, Wolfram Hp

2013-01-01

Synthetic diamond films can be prepared on a waferscale by using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on suitable substrates such as silicon or silicon dioxide. While such films find a wealth of applications in thermal management, in X-ray and terahertz window design, and in gyrotron tubes and microwave transmission lines, their use for nanoscale optical components remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate that CVD diamond provides a high-quality template for realizing nanophotonic integrated optical circuits. Using efficient grating coupling devices prepared from partially etched diamond thin films, we investigate millimetre-sized optical circuits and achieve single-mode waveguiding at telecoms wavelengths. Our results pave the way towards broadband optical applications for sensing in harsh environments and visible photonic devices.

Monolithic integration of elliptic-symmetry diffractive optical element on silicon-based 45 degrees micro-reflector.

PubMed

Lan, Hsiao-Chin; Hsiao, Hsu-Liang; Chang, Chia-Chi; Hsu, Chih-Hung; Wang, Chih-Ming; Wu, Mount-Learn

2009-11-09

A monolithically integrated micro-optical element consisting of a diffractive optical element (DOE) and a silicon-based 45 degrees micro-reflector is experimentally demonstrated to facilitate the optical alignment of non-coplanar fiber-to-fiber coupling. The slanted 45 degrees reflector with a depth of 216 microm is fabricated on a (100) silicon wafer by anisotropic wet etching. The DOE with a diameter of 174.2 microm and a focal length of 150 microm is formed by means of dry etching. Such a compact device is suitable for the optical micro-system to deflect the incident light by 90 degrees and to focus it on the image plane simultaneously. The measured light pattern with a spot size of 15 microm has a good agreement with the simulated result of the elliptic-symmetry DOE with an off-axis design for eliminating the strongly astigmatic aberration. The coupling efficiency is enhanced over 10-folds of the case without a DOE on the 45 degrees micro-reflector. This device would facilitate the optical alignment of non-coplanar light coupling and further miniaturize the volume of microsystem.

Spatial Combining of Laser-Diode Beams for Pumping an NPRO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelsinger, Paul; Liu, Duncan; Mulder, Jerry; Aguayo, Francisco

2008-01-01

A free-space optical beam combiner now undergoing development makes it possible to use the outputs of multiple multimode laser diodes to pump a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) non-planar ring oscillator (NPRO) laser while ensuring that the laser operates at only a single desired frequency. Heretofore, a Nd:YAG NPRO like the present one has been pumped by a single multimode laser-diode beam delivered via an optical fiber. It would be desirable to use multiple pump laser diodes to increase reliability beyond that obtainable from a single pump laser diode. However, as explained in this article, simplistically coupling multiple multimode laser-diode beams through a fiber-optic combiner would entail a significant reduction in coupling efficiency, and lasing would occur at one or more other frequencies in addition to the single desired frequency. To minimize coupling loss, one must ensure that the NA (approximately equal to 0.3) of the combined laser-diode beams is less than the NA of the fiber. The A(Omega) of the laser-diode beam in the slow-axis plane is 1/1.3 as large as that of the fiber. This A(Omega) is small enough to enable efficient coupling of light into the optical fiber, but too large for combining of beams in the slow-axis plane. Therefore, a pair of cylindrical lenses is used to cancel the slow-axis plane magnification introduced by the on-cylindrical lenses used to effect magnification in the fast-axis plane.

Integrated optical components in thin films of polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sarkisov, Sergey; Abdeldayem, Hossin; Venkateswarlu, Putcha; Teague, Zedric

1995-01-01

The results will be reported on the study of integrated optical components based on nonlinear optical polymeric films. Polymers poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polyimide (PI) doped with organic laser dyes 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-p dimethylaminostyryl-4H pyran (DCM) and 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 - pentamethyl-2,6 -diethyl-pyrromethene -BF2-complex (Pyrommethene 567, PM-567) were selected as materials for light guiding films. Additionally, UV polymerized polydiacetylene (PDA) on glass substrate was used as a waveguide material. Optical waveguides were fabricated using spin coating of preoxidized silicon wafers (1.5 micrometer silicon oxide layer) with organic dye/polymer solution followed by soft baking. the modes in slab waveguides were studied using prism coupling techniques. Measured values of mode coupling angles in multimode waveguides were used to calculate film thickness and refractive index for different polarizations. Refractive index anisotropy was found in PDA waveguide. The optimal conditions of spin coating for single mode waveguide fabrication were estimated. Propagation losses were measured by collecting the light scattered from the trace of a propagating mode either by scanning photo detector or by CCD camera. Different types of light coupling techniques were used including end-dire coupling, prism and grating coupling. Mechanical printing technique was developed for coupling grating fabrication resulting in gratings with 4% diffraction efficiency. The gratings demonstrated good stability with diffraction efficiency relaxation rate 2.4 dB/hour at a temperature approximately 15-20 C below glass transition point. Dye doped waveguides were transversally pumped with frequency doubled Nd:YAG Q-switched laser producing intensive light emission with apparent 6 kW/sq cm pump threshold and spectrum narrowing near 617 nm peak in the case of DCM doped waveguide. PM-567 doped waveguide pumped with CW Ar(+) laser (514 nm wavelength) far below threshold (0.1 W/sq.cm pump power) demonstrated emission spectrum narrowing near 616 nm peak with 18% power conversion slope efficiency. In this case emission spectrum modification was caused by the enhanced light absorption along the direction of propagating waveguide modes. Changing length, thickness, and other morphlogical waveguide parameters one can modify emission spectrum in predictable direction. The results show that polymeric waveguides, especially based on high temperature polymers such as Pl, can be used to produce a varietiy of active and passive silicon compatible integrated optical components for aerospace applications.

High efficiency solar cells combining a perovskite and a silicon heterojunction solar cells via an optical splitting system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uzu, Hisashi, E-mail: Hisashi.Uzu@kaneka.co.jp, E-mail: npark@skku.edu; Ichikawa, Mitsuru; Hino, Masashi

2015-01-05

We have applied an optical splitting system in order to achieve very high conversion efficiency for a full spectrum multi-junction solar cell. This system consists of multiple solar cells with different band gap optically coupled via an “optical splitter.” An optical splitter is a multi-layered beam splitter with very high reflection in the shorter-wave-length range and very high transmission in the longer-wave-length range. By splitting the incident solar spectrum and distributing it to each solar cell, the solar energy can be managed more efficiently. We have fabricated optical splitters and used them with a wide-gap amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cellmore » or a CH{sub 3}NH{sub 3}PbI{sub 3} perovskite solar cell as top cells, combined with mono-crystalline silicon heterojunction (HJ) solar cells as bottom cells. We have achieved with a 550 nm cutoff splitter an active area conversion efficiency of over 25% using a-Si and HJ solar cells and 28% using perovskite and HJ solar cells.« less

Compact Efficient Lidar Receiver for Measuring Atmospheric Aerosols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gili, Christopher; De Young, Russell

2006-01-01

A small, light weight, and efficient aerosol lidar receiver was constructed and tested. Weight and space savings were realized by using rigid optic tubes and mounting cubes to package the steering optics and detectors in a compact assembly. The receiver had a 1064nm channel using an APD detector. The 532nm channel was split (90/10) into an analog channel (90%) and a photon counting channel (10%). The efficiency of the 1064nm channel with optical filter was 44.0%. The efficiency of the analog 532nm channel was 61.4% with the optical filter, and the efficiency of the 532nm photon counting channel was 7.6% with the optical filter. The results of the atmospheric tests show that the detectors were able to consistently return accurate results. The lidar receiver was able to detect distinct cloud layers, and the lidar returns also agreed across the different detectors. The use of a light weight fiber-coupled telescope reduced weight and allowed great latitude in detector assembly positioning due to the flexibility enabled by the use of fiber optics. The receiver is now ready to be deployed for aircraft or ground based aerosol lidar measurements.

Rigorous coupled wave analysis of acousto-optics with relativistic considerations.

PubMed

Xia, Guoqiang; Zheng, Weijian; Lei, Zhenggang; Zhang, Ruolan

2015-09-01

A relativistic analysis of acousto-optics is presented, and a rigorous coupled wave analysis is generalized for the diffraction of the acousto-optical effect. An acoustic wave generates a grating with temporally and spatially modulated permittivity, hindering direct applications of the rigorous coupled wave analysis for the acousto-optical effect. In a reference frame which moves with the acoustic wave, the grating is static, the medium moves, and the coupled wave equations for the static grating may be derived. Floquet's theorem is then applied to cast these equations into an eigenproblem. Using a Lorentz transformation, the electromagnetic fields in the grating region are transformed to the lab frame where the medium is at rest, and relativistic Doppler frequency shifts are introduced into various diffraction orders. In the lab frame, the boundary conditions are considered and the diffraction efficiencies of various orders are determined. This method is rigorous and general, and the plane waves in the resulting expansion satisfy the dispersion relation of the medium and are propagation modes. Properties of various Bragg diffractions are results, rather than preconditions, of this method. Simulations of an acousto-optical tunable filter made by paratellurite, TeO(2), are given as examples.

Method and system for compact efficient laser architecture

DOEpatents

Bayramian, Andrew James; Erlandson, Alvin Charles; Manes, Kenneth Rene; Spaeth, Mary Louis; Caird, John Allyn; Deri, Robert J.

2015-09-15

A laser amplifier module having an enclosure includes an input window, a mirror optically coupled to the input window and disposed in a first plane, and a first amplifier head disposed along an optical amplification path adjacent a first end of the enclosure. The laser amplifier module also includes a second amplifier head disposed along the optical amplification path adjacent a second end of the enclosure and a cavity mirror disposed along the optical amplification path.

Electro-Optic Modulator.

DTIC Science & Technology

An electro - optic modulator is used to modulate coherent light beams by the application of an electric potential. It combines a Fabry-Perot etalon and...a diffraction grating in a single unit. An etalon is constructed with an electro - optic material between reflecting surfaces. A voltage applied...between alternate, spaced-apart electrodes of a metal grid attached to one reflecting surface induces a diffraction grating in the electro optic material. Light entering the etalon is diffracted, reflected and efficiently coupled out.

A 980 nm pseudomorphic single quantum well laser for pumping erbium-doped optical fiber amplifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsson, A.; Forouhar, S.; Cody, J.; Lang, R. J.; Andrekson, P. A.

1990-01-01

The authors have fabricated ridge waveguide pseudomorphic InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs GRIN-SCH SQW (graded-index separate-confinement-heterostructure single-quantum-well) lasers, emitting at 980 nm, with a maximum output power of 240 mW from one facet and a 22 percent coupling efficiency into a 1.55-micron single-mode optical fiber. These lasers satisfy the requirements on efficient and compact pump sources for Er3+-doped fiber amplifiers.

A nanowaveguide platform for collective atom-light interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Y.; Lee, J.; Dagenais, M.; Rolston, S. L.

2015-08-01

We propose a nanowaveguide platform for collective atom-light interaction through evanescent field coupling. We have developed a 1 cm-long silicon nitride nanowaveguide can use evanescent fields to trap and probe an ensemble of 87Rb atoms. The waveguide has a sub-micrometer square mode area and was designed with tapers for high fiber-to-waveguide coupling efficiencies at near-infrared wavelengths (750 nm to 1100 nm). Inverse tapers in the platform adiabatically transfer a weakly guided mode of fiber-coupled light into a strongly guided mode with an evanescent field to trap atoms and then back to a weakly guided mode at the other end of the waveguide. The coupling loss is -1 dB per facet (˜80% coupling efficiency) at 760 nm and 1064 nm, which is estimated by a propagation loss measurement with waveguides of different lengths. The proposed platform has good thermal conductance and can guide high optical powers for trapping atoms in ultra-high vacuum. As an intermediate step, we have observed thermal atom absorption of the evanescent component of a nanowaveguide and have demonstrated the U-wire mirror magneto-optical trap that can transfer atoms to the proximity of the surface.

A novel method for real-time edge-enhancement and its application to pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Huayong; Bai, Enjian; Fan, Hong

2010-11-01

The coupling gain coefficient g is redefined and deduced based on coupling theory, the variant of coupling gain coefficient g for different ΓL and r is analyzed. A new optical system is proposed for image edge-enhancement. It recycles the back signal to amplify the edge signal, which has the advantages of high throughput efficiency and brightness. The optical system is designed and built, and the edge-enhanced image of hand bone is captured electronically by CCD camera. The principle of optical correlation is demonstrated, 3-D correlation distribution of letter H with and without edge-enhancement is simulated, the discrimination capability Iac and the full-width at half maximum intensity (FWHM) are compared for two kinds of correlators. The analysis shows that edge-enhancement preprocessing can improve the performance of correlator effectively.

A Novel, Real-Time, In Vivo Mouse Retinal Imaging System.

PubMed

Butler, Mark C; Sullivan, Jack M

2015-11-01

To develop an efficient, low-cost instrument for robust real-time imaging of the mouse retina in vivo, and assess system capabilities by evaluating various animal models. Following multiple disappointing attempts to visualize the mouse retina during a subretinal injection using commercially available systems, we identified the key limitation to be inadequate illumination due to off axis illumination and poor optical train optimization. Therefore, we designed a paraxial illumination system for Greenough-type stereo dissecting microscope incorporating an optimized optical launch and an efficiently coupled fiber optic delivery system. Excitation and emission filters control spectral bandwidth. A color coupled-charged device (CCD) camera is coupled to the microscope for image capture. Although, field of view (FOV) is constrained by the small pupil aperture, the high optical power of the mouse eye, and the long working distance (needed for surgical manipulations), these limitations can be compensated by eye positioning in order to observe the entire retina. The retinal imaging system delivers an adjustable narrow beam to the dilated pupil with minimal vignetting. The optic nerve, vasculature, and posterior pole are crisply visualized and the entire retina can be observed through eye positioning. Normal and degenerative retinal phenotypes can be followed over time. Subretinal or intraocular injection procedures are followed in real time. Real-time, intravenous fluorescein angiography for the live mouse has been achieved. A novel device is established for real-time viewing and image capture of the small animal retina during subretinal injections for preclinical gene therapy studies.

Acousto-optic modulation of a photonic crystal nanocavity with Lamb waves in microwave K band

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tadesse, Semere A.; School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Li, Huan

2015-11-16

Integrating nanoscale electromechanical transducers and nanophotonic devices potentially can enable acousto-optic devices to reach unprecedented high frequencies and modulation efficiency. Here, we demonstrate acousto-optic modulation of a photonic crystal nanocavity using Lamb waves with frequency up to 19 GHz, reaching the microwave K band. The devices are fabricated in suspended aluminum nitride membrane. Excitation of acoustic waves is achieved with interdigital transducers with period as small as 300 nm. Confining both acoustic wave and optical wave within the thickness of the membrane leads to improved acousto-optic modulation efficiency in these devices than that obtained in previous surface acoustic wave devices. Ourmore » system demonstrates a scalable optomechanical platform where strong acousto-optic coupling between cavity-confined photons and high frequency traveling phonons can be explored.« less

Holographic optical system for aberration corrections in laser Doppler velocimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, R. C.; Case, S. K.; Schock, H. J.

1985-01-01

An optical system containing multifaceted holographic optical elements (HOEs) has been developed to correct for aberrations introduced by nonflat windows in laser Doppler velocimetry. The multifacet aberration correction approach makes it possible to record on one plate many sets of adjacent HOEs that address different measurement volume locations. By using 5-mm-diameter facets, it is practical to place 10-20 sets of holograms on one 10 x 12.5-cm plate, so that the procedure of moving the entire optical system to examine different locations may not be necessary. The holograms are recorded in dichromated gelatin and therefore are nonabsorptive and suitable for use with high-power argon laser beams. Low f-number optics coupled with a 90-percent efficient distortion-correcting hologram in the collection side of the system yield high optical efficiency.

Grating-flanked plasmonic coaxial apertures for efficient fiber optical tweezers.

PubMed

Saleh, Amr A E; Sheikhoelislami, Sassan; Gastelum, Steven; Dionne, Jennifer A

2016-09-05

Subwavelength plasmonic apertures have been foundational for direct optical manipulation of nanoscale specimens including sub-100 nm polymeric beads, metallic nanoparticles and proteins. While most plasmonic traps result in two-dimensional localization, three-dimensional manipulation has been demonstrated by integrating a plasmonic aperture on an optical fiber tip. However, such 3D traps are usually inefficient since the optical mode of the fiber and the subwavelength aperture only weakly couple. In this paper we design more efficient optical-fiber-based plasmonic tweezers combining a coaxial plasmonic aperture with a plasmonic grating coupler at the fiber tip facet. Using full-field finite difference time domain analysis, we optimize the grating design for both gold and silver fiber-based coaxial tweezers such that the optical transmission through the apertures is maximized. With the optimized grating, we show that the maximum transmission efficiency increases from 2.5% to 19.6% and from 1.48% to 16.7% for the gold and silver structures respectively. To evaluate their performance as optical tweezers, we calculate the optical forces and the corresponding trapping potential on dielectric particles interacting with the apertures. We demonstrate that the enahncement in the transmission translates into an equivalent increase in the optical forces. Consequently, the optical power required to achieve stable optical trapping is significantly reduced allowing for efficient localization and 3D manipulation of sub-30 nm dielectric particles.

Performance analysis and material dependence of micro holographic optical elements as couplers for fiber optic communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambadiyil, Sajan; Prasannan, G.; Sathyan, Jithesh; Ajith Kumar, P. T.

2005-01-01

Holographic Optical Elements (HOEs) are gaining much importance and finding newer and better applications in areas of optical fiber communication and optical information processing systems. In contrast to conventional HOEs, optical communication and information systems require smaller and efficient elements of desired characteristics and transfer functions. Such Micro Holographic Optical Elements (MHOEs) can either be an HOE, recorded with two narrow beams of laser light or a segment cut from a larger HOE (SHOEs), and recorded in the conventional manner. In this study, micro holographic couplers, having specific focusing and diffraction characteristics were recorded in different holographic recording media such as silver halide and dichromated gelatin. Wavelength response of the elements was tested at 633 nm and 442 nm. Variation in diffraction efficiency/coupling factor, and insertion loss of the elements were studied. The paper reports in detail about the above results and related design considerations.

Characteristic analysis of a polarization output coupling Porro prism resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hailong; Meng, Junqing; Chen, Weibiao

2015-02-01

An Electro-optical Q-switched Nd:YAG slab laser with a crossed misalignment Porro prism resonator for space applications has been theoretically and experimentally investigated. The phase shift induced by the combination of different wave plates and Porro prism azimuth angles have been studied for creating high loss condition prior to Q-switching. The relationship of the effective output coupling reflectivity and the employed Q-switch driving voltage is explored by using Jones matrix optics. In the experiment, the maximum output pulse energy of 93 mJ with 14-ns pulse duration is obtained at the repetition rate of 20 Hz and the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is 16.8%. The beam quality factors are M 2 x = 2.5 and M 2y = 2.2, respectively.

A compact and high efficiency GAGG well counter for radiocesium concentration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Ogata, Yoshimune

2014-07-01

After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, social concern about radiocesium (137Cs and 134Cs) contamination in food increased. However, highly efficient instruments that can measure low level radioactivity are quite expensive and heavy. A compact, lightweight, and reliable radiation detector that can inexpensively monitor low level radiocesium is highly desired. We developed a compact and highly efficient radiocesium detector to detect ~32 keV X-rays from radiocesium instead of high energy gamma photons. A 1-mm thick GAGG scintillator was selected to effectively detect ~32 keV X-rays from 137Cs to reduce the influence of ambient radiation. Four sets of 25 mm×25 mm×1 mm GAGG plates, each of which was optically coupled to a triangular-shaped light guide, were optically coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to form a square-shaped well counter. Another GAGG plate was directly optically coupled to the PMT to form its bottom detector. The energy resolution of the GAGG well counter was 22.3% FWHM for 122 keV gamma rays and 32% FWHM for ~32 keV X-rays. The counting efficiency for the X-rays from radiocesium (mixture of 137Cs and 134Cs) was 4.5%. In measurements of the low level radiocesium mixture, a photo-peak of ~32 keV X-rays can clearly be distinguished from the background. The minimum detectable activity (MDA) was estimated to be ~100 Bq/kg for 1000 s measurement. The results show that our developed GAGG well counter is promising for the detection of radiocesium in food.

Silicon nanowires: where mechanics and optics meet at the nanoscale.

PubMed

Ramos, Daniel; Gil-Santos, Eduardo; Malvar, Oscar; Llorens, Jose M; Pini, Valerio; San Paulo, Alvaro; Calleja, Montserrat; Tamayo, Javier

2013-12-06

Mechanical transducers based on nanowires promise revolutionary advances in biological sensing and force microscopy/spectroscopy. A crucial step is the development of simple and non-invasive techniques able to detect displacements with subpicometer sensitivity per unit bandwidth. Here, we design suspended tapered silicon nanowires supporting a range of optical resonances that confine and efficiently scatter light in the visible range. Then, we develop an optical method for efficiently coupling the evanescent field to the regular interference pattern generated by an incoming laser beam and the reflected beam from the substrate underneath the nanowire. This optomechanical coupling is here applied to measure the displacement of 50 nm wide nanowires with sensitivity on the verge of 1 fm/Hz(1/2) at room temperature with a simple laser interferometry set-up. This method opens the door to the measurement of the Brownian motion of ultrashort nanowires for the detection of single biomolecular recognition events in liquids, and single molecule spectroscopy in vacuum.

Demonstration of pulse controlled all-optical switch/modulator.

PubMed

Akin, Osman; Dinleyici, M S

2014-03-15

An all-optical pulse controlled switch/modulator based on evanescent coupling between a polymer slab waveguide and a single mode fiber is demonstrated. Very fast all-optical modulation/switching is achieved via Kerr effect of the nonlinear polymer placed in the evanescent region of the optical fiber. Local refractive index perturbation (Δn=-1.45612×10(-5)) on the thin film leads to 0.374 nW power modulation at the fiber output, which results in a switching efficiency of ≈1.5%.

100-W 105-μm 0.15NA fiber coupled laser diode module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlsen, Scott R.; Price, R. Kirk; Reynolds, Mitch; Brown, Aaron; Mehl, Ron; Patterson, Steve; Martinsen, Robert J.

2009-02-01

We report on the development of a high brightness laser diode module capable of coupling over 100W of optical power into a 105 μm 0.15 NA fiber at 976 nm. This module, based on nLIGHT's Pearl product architecture, utilizes hard soldered single emitters packaged into a compact and passively-cooled package. In this system each diode is individually collimated in the fast and slow axes and free-space coupled into a single fiber. The high brightness module has an optical excitation under 0.13 NA, is virtually free of cladding modes, and has an electrical to optical efficiency greater than 40%. Additionally, this module is compatible with high power 7:1 fused fiber combiners, and initial experiments demonstrated 500W coupled into a 220 μm, 0.22 NA fiber. These modules address the need in the market for higher brightness diode lasers for pumping fiber lasers and direct material processing.

Observation of Tunable Charged Exciton Polaritons in Hybrid Monolayer WS2-Plasmonic Nanoantenna System.

PubMed

Cuadra, Jorge; Baranov, Denis G; Wersäll, Martin; Verre, Ruggero; Antosiewicz, Tomasz J; Shegai, Timur

2018-03-14

Formation of dressed light-matter states in optical structures, manifested as Rabi splitting of the eigen energies of a coupled system, is one of the key effects in quantum optics. In pursuing this regime with semiconductors, light is usually made to interact with excitons, electrically neutral quasiparticles of semiconductors; meanwhile interactions with charged three-particle states, trions, have received little attention. Here, we report on strong interaction between localized surface plasmons in silver nanoprisms and excitons and trions in monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS 2 ). We show that the plasmon-exciton interactions in this system can be efficiently tuned by controlling the charged versus neutral exciton contribution to the coupling process. In particular, we show that a stable trion state emerges and couples efficiently to the plasmon resonance at low temperature by forming three bright intermixed plasmon-exciton-trion polariton states. Our findings open up a possibility to exploit electrically charged polaritons at the single nanoparticle level.

Coherent Exciton Dynamics in the Presence of Underdamped Vibrations

DOE PAGES

Dijkstra, Arend G.; Wang, Chen; Cao, Jianshu; ...

2015-01-22

Recent ultrafast optical experiments show that excitons in large biological light-harvesting complexes are coupled to molecular vibration modes. These high-frequency vibrations will not only affect the optical response, but also drive the exciton transport. Here, using a model dimer system, the frequency of the underdamped vibration is shown to have a strong effect on the exciton dynamics such that quantum coherent oscillations in the system can be present even in the case of strong noise. Two mechanisms are identified to be responsible for the enhanced transport efficiency: critical damping due to the tunable effective strength of the coupling to themore » bath, and resonance coupling where the vibrational frequency coincides with the energy gap in the system. The interplay of these two mechanisms determines parameters responsible for the most efficient transport, and these optimal control parameters are comparable to those in realistic light-harvesting complexes. Interestingly, oscillations in the excitonic coherence at resonance are suppressed in comparison to the case of an off-resonant vibration.« less

Tunable in-line fiber optic comb filter using a side-polished single-mode fiber coupler with LiNbO 3 overlay and intermediate coupling layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Kyung-Rak; Song, Jae-Won

2002-03-01

Using a side-polished single-mode fiber covered with a polished LiNbO 3 overlay and an intermediate coupling layer, tunable fiber-optic comb filters are demonstrated. The device behaviors based on the modal properties of the fiber and the planar LiNbO 3 waveguide are analyzed by two dimensional beam propagation methods (2-D BPM) and discussed the role of an intermediate coupling layer in terms of coupling efficiency. We also show that the thermo-optic effects of this layer can be utilized to tune the comb filter. When the polished x-cut LiNbO 3 with 200 μm thickness is used as a multimode overlay waveguide, the comb output spectra with free spectral range of 4 nm are measured in 1550 nm wavelength range. The tuning rate as a function of the refractive index of an intermediate coupling layer, Δλ/ Δnb, is about -0.129 nm/-0.001. The experimental results are in good agreement with the calculated results.

Electro-optical line cards with multimode polymer waveguides for chip-to-chip interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Long Xiu; Immonen, Marika; Wu, Jinhua; Yan, Hui Juan; Shi, Ruizhi; Chen, Peifeng; Rapala-Virtanen, Tarja

2014-10-01

In this paper, we report developments of electro-optical PCBs (EO-PCB) with low-loss (<0.05dB/cm) polymer waveguides. Our results shows successful fabrication of complex waveguide structures part of hybrid EO-PCBs utilizing production scale process on standard board panels. Test patterns include 90° bends of varying radii (40mm - 2mm), waveguide crossing with varied crossing angles (90°-20°), cascaded bends with varying radii, splitters and tapered waveguides. Full ranges of geometric configurations are required to meet practical optical routing functions and layouts. Moreover, we report results obtained to realize structures to integrate optical connectors with waveguides. Experimental results are shown for MT in-plane and 90° out-of-plane optical connectors realized with coupling loss < 2dB and < 2.5 dB, respectively. These connectors are crucial to realize efficient light coupling from/to TX/RX chip-to-waveguide and within waveguide-to-fiber connections in practical optical PCBs. Furthermore, we show results for fabricating electrical interconnect structures e.g. tracing layers, vias, plated vias top/bottom and through optical layers. Process compatibility with accepted practices and production scale up for high volumes are key concerns to meet the yield target and cost efficiency. Results include waveguide characterization, transmission loss, misalignment tolerance, and effect of lamination. Critical link metrics are reported.

Design of a solar collector system formed by a Fresnel lens and a CEC coupled to plastic fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viera-González, Perla M.; Sánchez-Guerrero, Guillermo E.; Ceballos-Herrera, Daniel E.; Selvas-Aguilar, Romeo

2015-08-01

Among the main challenges for systems based in solar concentrators and plastic optical fibers (POF) the accuracy needed for the solar tracking is founded. One approach to overcome these requirements is increasing acceptance angle of the components, usually by secondary optical elements (SOE), however this technique is effective for photovoltaic applications but it has not been analyzed for systems coupled to POFs for indoor illumination. On this subject, it is presented a numerical analysis of a solar collector assembled by a Fresnel lens as primary optical element (POE) combined with a compound elliptical concentrator (CEC) coupled to POF in order to compare its performance under incidence angle direction and also to show a trade-off analysis for two different Fresnel lens shapes, imaging and nonimaging, used in the collector system. The description of the Fresnel lenses and its designs are included, in addition to the focal areas with space and angular distribution profiles considering the optimal alignment with the source and maximum permissible incident angle for each case. For both systems the coupling between the optical components is analyzed and the total performance is calculated, having as result its comparison for indoor illumination. In both cases, the systems have better performance increasing the final output power, but the angular tolerance only was improved for the system with nonimaging concentrator that had an efficiency over 80% with acceptance angles 𝜃𝑖 ≤ 2° and, the system integrated by the imaging lens, presented an efficiency ratio over 75% for acceptance angles 𝜃𝑖 ≤ 0.7°.

Optimized coupling of cold atoms into a fiber using a blue-detuned hollow-beam funnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulin, Jerome; Light, Philip S.; Kashyap, Raman; Luiten, Andre N.

2011-11-01

We theoretically investigate the process of coupling cold atoms into the core of a hollow-core photonic-crystal optical fiber using a blue-detuned Laguerre-Gaussian beam. In contrast to the use of a red-detuned Gaussian beam to couple the atoms, the blue-detuned hollow beam can confine cold atoms to the darkest regions of the beam, thereby minimizing shifts in the internal states and making the guide highly robust to heating effects. This single optical beam is used as both a funnel and a guide to maximize the number of atoms into the fiber. In the proposed experiment, Rb atoms are loaded into a magneto-optical trap (MOT) above a vertically oriented optical fiber. We observe a gravito-optical trapping effect for atoms with high orbital momentum around the trap axis, which prevents atoms from coupling to the fiber: these atoms lack the kinetic energy to escape the potential and are thus trapped in the laser funnel indefinitely. We find that by reducing the dipolar force to the point at which the trapping effect just vanishes, it is possible to optimize the coupling of atoms into the fiber. Our simulations predict that by using a low-power (2.5 mW) and far-detuned (300 GHz) Laguerre-Gaussian beam with a 20-μm-radius core hollow fiber, it is possible to couple 11% of the atoms from a MOT 9 mm away from the fiber. When the MOT is positioned farther away, coupling efficiencies over 50% can be achieved with larger core fibers.

Tailoring the Spectroscopic Properties of Semiconductor Nanowires via Surface-Plasmon-Based Optical Engineering

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Semiconductor nanowires, due to their unique electronic, optical, and chemical properties, are firmly placed at the forefront of nanotechnology research. The rich physics of semiconductor nanowire optics arises due to the enhanced light–matter interactions at the nanoscale and coupling of optical modes to electronic resonances. Furthermore, confinement of light can be taken to new extremes via coupling to the surface plasmon modes of metal nanostructures integrated with nanowires, leading to interesting physical phenomena. This Perspective will examine how the optical properties of semiconductor nanowires can be altered via their integration with highly confined plasmonic nanocavities that have resulted in properties such as orders of magnitude faster and more efficient light emission and lasing. The use of plasmonic nanocavities for tailored optical absorption will also be discussed in order to understand and engineer fundamental optical properties of these hybrid systems along with their potential for novel applications, which may not be possible with purely dielectric cavities. PMID:25396030

Electromagnetic plasmon propagation and coupling through gold nanoring heptamers: a route to design optimized telecommunication photonic nanostructures.

PubMed

Ahmadivand, Arash; Golmohammadi, Saeed

2014-06-20

In this work, a configuration of bulk gold nanorings with certain geometrical sizes has been utilized for designing efficient photonic subwavelength nanostructures. We verify that adjacent heptamers based on gold nanorings are able to couple and transport magnetic plasmon resonance along a nanoring array in chrysene and triphenylene molecule orientations. This magnetic resonance transmission is caused by an antiphase circular current through the heptamer arrays. An orientation model of nanoring heptamers helps us to provide efficient optical structures with a remarkable decay length and a trivial ratio of destructive interferences. Exploiting the robust magnetic plasmon resonance coupling effect between heptamers arrays, we would be able to propose a practical plasmonic waveguide, a Y-shaped optical power divider (splitter), and an ON/OFF router that is operating based on destructive and constructive interferences. The quality of power splitting has been discussed comprehensively and also, the effect of undesirable occasions on the functioning performance of the proposed router has been investigated numerically. Ultimately, we verify that employing heptamers based on gold nanorings leads us to propose efficient plasmonic nanostructures and devices that are able to work in the telecommunication spectrum.

Alpha-fetoprotein detection by using a localized surface plasmon coupled fluorescence fiber-optic biosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ying-Feng; Chen, Ran-Chou; Li, Ying-Chang; Yu, Chih-Jen; Hsieh, Bao-Yu; Chou, Chien

2007-11-01

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) detection by using a localized surface plasmon coupled fluorescence (LSPCF) fiber-optic biosensor is setup and experimentally demonstrated. It is based on gold nanoparticle (GNP) and coupled with localized surface plasmon wave on the surface of GNP. In this experiment, the fluorophores are labeled on anti-AFP which are bound to protein A conjugated GNP. Thus, LSPCF is excited with high efficiency in the near field of localized surface plasmon wave. Therefore, not only the sensitivity of LSPCF biosensor is enhanced but also the specific selectivity of AFP is improved. Experimentally, the ability of real time measurement in the range of AFP concentration from 0.1ng/ml to 100ng/ml was detected. To compare with conventional methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or radioimmunoassay (RIA), the LSPCF fiber-optic biosensor performs higher or comparable detection sensitivity, respectively.

Investigative study of a diode-pumped continuous-wave Tm:YAP laser as an efficient 1.94 μm pump source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatkowski, Jacek; Zendzian, Waldemar; Jabczynski, Jan K.

2016-12-01

A detailed study of a Tm:YAP laser in continuous-wave (CW), single-pass end-pumped by a 793 nm diode laser is presented. The laser based on c-cut 3 at. % Tm:YAP crystal was experimentally examined and presented in the dependence on transmittance and radius of curvature of output coupling mirrors. A detailed spectral analysis was presented. The influence of a heat-sink cooling water temperature on the laser performance was studied. At room temperature, for an output coupling transmission of 19.5%, the maximum CW output power of 4.53 W was achieved, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 41.5% and an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 25.7% with respect to the incident pump power, respectively. We have shown that the output spectrum at a certain wavelength (e.g. 1940 nm) for a given pump power can be realized via the change of resonator parameters (OC transmittance, mode size).

Engineering a Robust Photovoltaic Device with Quantum Dots and Bacteriorhodopsin

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We present a route toward a radical improvement in solar cell efficiency using resonant energy transfer and sensitization of semiconductor metal oxides with a light-harvesting quantum dot (QD)/bacteriorhodopsin (bR) layer designed by protein engineering. The specific aims of our approach are (1) controlled engineering of highly ordered bR/QD complexes; (2) replacement of the liquid electrolyte by a thin layer of gold; (3) highly oriented deposition of bR/QD complexes on a gold layer; and (4) use of the Forster resonance energy transfer coupling between bR and QDs to achieve an efficient absorbing layer for dye-sensitized solar cells. This proposed approach is based on the unique optical characteristics of QDs, on the photovoltaic properties of bR, and on state-of-the-art nanobioengineering technologies. It permits spatial and optical coupling together with control of hybrid material components on the bionanoscale. This method paves the way to the development of the solid-state photovoltaic device with the efficiency increased to practical levels. PMID:25383133

100W high-brightness multi-emitter laser pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duesterberg, Richard; Xu, Lei; Skidmore, Jay A.; Guo, James; Cheng, Jane; Du, Jihua; Johnson, Brad; Vecht, David L.; Guerin, Nicolas; Huang, Benlih; Yin, Dongliang; Cheng, Peter; Raju, Reddy; Lee, Kong Weng; Cai, Jason; Rossin, Victor; Zucker, Erik P.

2011-03-01

We report results of a spatially-multiplexed broad area laser diode platform designed for efficient pumping of fiber lasers or direct-diode systems. Optical output power in excess of 100W from a 105μm core, 0.15NA fiber is demonstrated with high coupling efficiency. The compact form factor and low thermal resistance enable tight packing densities needed for kW-class fiber laser systems. Broad area laser diodes have been optimized to reduce near- and far-field performance and prevent blooming without sacrificing other electro-optic parameters. With proper lens optimization this produces ~5% increase in coupling / wall plug efficiency for our design. In addition to performance characteristics, an update on long term reliability testing of 9XX nm broad area laser diode is provided that continues to show no wear out under high acceleration. Under nominal operating conditions of 12W ex-facet power at 25C, the diode mean time to failure (MTTF) is forecast to be ~ 480 kh.

Towards co-packaging of photonics and microelectronics in existing manufacturing facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janta-Polczynski, Alexander; Cyr, Elaine; Bougie, Jerome; Drouin, Alain; Langlois, Richard; Childers, Darrell; Takenobu, Shotaro; Taira, Yoichi; Lichoulas, Ted W.; Kamlapurkar, Swetha; Engelmann, Sebastian; Fortier, Paul; Boyer, Nicolas; Barwicz, Tymon

2018-02-01

The impact of integrated photonics on optical interconnects is currently muted by challenges in photonic packaging and in the dense integration of photonic modules with microelectronic components on printed circuit boards. Single mode optics requires tight alignment tolerance for optical coupling and maintaining this alignment in a cost-efficient package can be challenging during thermal excursions arising from downstream microelectronic assembly processes. In addition, the form factor of typical fiber connectors is incompatible with the dense module integration expected on printed circuit boards. We have implemented novel approaches to interfacing photonic chips to standard optical fibers. These leverage standard high throughput microelectronic assembly tooling and self-alignment techniques resulting in photonic packaging that is scalable in manufacturing volume and in the number of optical IOs per chip. In addition, using dense optical fiber connectors with space-efficient latching of fiber patch cables results in compact module size and efficient board integration, bringing the optics closer to the logic chip to alleviate bandwidth bottlenecks. This packaging direction is also well suited for embedding optics in multi-chip modules, including both photonic and microelectronic chips. We discuss the challenges and rewards in this type of configuration such as thermal management and signal integrity.

Deterministic quantum nonlinear optics with single atoms and virtual photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kockum, Anton Frisk; Miranowicz, Adam; Macrı, Vincenzo; Savasta, Salvatore; Nori, Franco

2017-06-01

We show how analogs of a large number of well-known nonlinear-optics phenomena can be realized with one or more two-level atoms coupled to one or more resonator modes. Through higher-order processes, where virtual photons are created and annihilated, an effective deterministic coupling between two states of such a system can be created. In this way, analogs of three-wave mixing, four-wave mixing, higher-harmonic and -subharmonic generation (i.e., up- and down-conversion), multiphoton absorption, parametric amplification, Raman and hyper-Raman scattering, the Kerr effect, and other nonlinear processes can be realized. In contrast to most conventional implementations of nonlinear optics, these analogs can reach unit efficiency, only use a minimal number of photons (they do not require any strong external drive), and do not require more than two atomic levels. The strength of the effective coupling in our proposed setups becomes weaker the more intermediate transition steps are needed. However, given the recent experimental progress in ultrastrong light-matter coupling and improvement of coherence times for engineered quantum systems, especially in the field of circuit quantum electrodynamics, we estimate that many of these nonlinear-optics analogs can be realized with currently available technology.

Improved Resolution Optical Time Stretch Imaging Based on High Efficiency In-Fiber Diffraction.

PubMed

Wang, Guoqing; Yan, Zhijun; Yang, Lei; Zhang, Lin; Wang, Chao

2018-01-12

Most overlooked challenges in ultrafast optical time stretch imaging (OTSI) are sacrificed spatial resolution and higher optical loss. These challenges are originated from optical diffraction devices used in OTSI, which encode image into spectra of ultrashort optical pulses. Conventional free-space diffraction gratings, as widely used in existing OTSI systems, suffer from several inherent drawbacks: limited diffraction efficiency in a non-Littrow configuration due to inherent zeroth-order reflection, high coupling loss between free-space gratings and optical fibers, bulky footprint, and more importantly, sacrificed imaging resolution due to non-full-aperture illumination for individual wavelengths. Here we report resolution-improved and diffraction-efficient OTSI using in-fiber diffraction for the first time to our knowledge. The key to overcome the existing challenges is a 45° tilted fiber grating (TFG), which serves as a compact in-fiber diffraction device offering improved diffraction efficiency (up to 97%), inherent compatibility with optical fibers, and improved imaging resolution owning to almost full-aperture illumination for all illumination wavelengths. 50 million frames per second imaging of fast moving object at 46 m/s with improved imaging resolution has been demonstrated. This conceptually new in-fiber diffraction design opens the way towards cost-effective, compact and high-resolution OTSI systems for image-based high-throughput detection and measurement.

Exploiting One-Dimensional Exciton-Phonon Coupling for Tunable and Efficient Single-Photon Generation with a Carbon Nanotube.

PubMed

Jeantet, A; Chassagneux, Y; Claude, T; Roussignol, P; Lauret, J S; Reichel, J; Voisin, C

2017-07-12

Condensed-matter emitters offer enriched cavity quantum electrodynamical effects due to the coupling to external degrees of freedom. In the case of carbon nanotubes, a very peculiar coupling between localized excitons and the one-dimensional acoustic phonon modes can be achieved, which gives rise to pronounced phonon wings in the luminescence spectrum. By coupling an individual nanotube to a tunable optical microcavity, we show that this peculiar exciton-phonon coupling is a valuable resource to enlarge the tuning range of the single-photon source while keeping an excellent exciton-photon coupling efficiency and spectral purity. Using the unique flexibility of our scanning fiber cavity, we are able to measure the efficiency spectrum of the very same nanotube in the Purcell regime for several mode volumes. Whereas this efficiency spectrum looks very much like the free-space luminescence spectrum when the Purcell factor is small (large mode volume), we show that the deformation of this spectrum at lower mode volumes can be traced back to the strength of the exciton-photon coupling. It shows an enhanced efficiency on the red wing that arises from the asymmetry of the incoherent energy exchange processes between the exciton and the cavity. This allows us to obtain a tuning range up to several hundred times the spectral width of the source.

Novel bidirectional optical subassembly with embedded filter, 45-degree angle polished fiber cladding and etched fiber core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seihyoung; Lim, Kwon-Seob; Lee, Jong Jin; Kang, Hyun Seo

2009-10-01

The optical wavelength-division-multiplex filter for bidirectional optical subassembly (BOSA) is embedded to the fiber core, which results in simplicity of the BOSA module. The fiber cladding is 45-deg angle polished to receive a downstream signal. The core is etched by a femtosecond laser to have a normal core facet and to transmit an upstream signal. The downstream signal, which is core mode, is coupled to the cladding mode by the long-period fiber grating and then detected by a photodiode by means of the total internal reflection effect at the 45-deg angle polished cladding facet. The measured transmitted and received coupling efficiencies are 27.3 and 43.8%, respectively.

Metal slit array Fresnel lens for wavelength-scale optical coupling to nanophotonic waveguides.

PubMed

Jung, Young Jin; Park, Dongwon; Koo, Sukmo; Yu, Sunkyu; Park, Namkyoo

2009-10-12

We propose a novel metal slit array Fresnel lens for wavelength-scale optical coupling into a nanophotonic waveguide. Using the plasmonic waveguide structure in Fresnel lens form, a much wider beam acceptance angle and wavelength-scale working distance of the lens was realized compared to a conventional dielectric Fresnel lens. By applying the plasmon waveguide dispersion relation to a phased antenna array model, we also develop and analyze design rules and parameters for the suggested metal slit Fresnel lens. Numerical assessment of the suggested structure shows excellent coupling efficiency (up to 59%) of the 10 mum free-space Gaussian beam to the 0.36 mum Si waveguide within a working distance of a few mum.

Hybrid unidirectional meta-coupler for vertical incidence to a high-refractive-index waveguide in telecom wavelength.

PubMed

Gong, Chensheng; Zhang, Jianhao; He, Sailing

2017-12-15

Unidirectional optical manipulation, especially the coupling from a vertical light beam to a waveguide unidirectionally, is desirable in photonic integration. We first propose a hybrid unidirectional meta-coupler for vertical incidence to a high-refractive-index waveguide in telecom wavelength, a periodic plasmonic metasurface composed of metal-insulator-metal unit cells is used for phase matching. Three designs are given for devices working around wavelengths 0.85, 1.31, and 1.55 μm. The simulated coupling efficiencies are all around 70%, and the 1 dB coupling bandwidths are 29, 82, and 105 nm, respectively. Our approach paves the way for the applications of optical metasurfaces to planar lightwave circuits.

Critical Coupling Between Optical Fibers and WGM Resonators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matsko, Andrey; Maleki, Lute; Itchenko, Vladimir; Savchenkov, Anatoliy

2009-01-01

Two recipes for ensuring critical coupling between a single-mode optical fiber and a whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonator have been devised. The recipes provide for phase matching and aperture matching, both of which are necessary for efficient coupling. There is also a provision for suppressing intermodal coupling, which is detrimental because it drains energy from desired modes into undesired ones. According to one recipe, the tip of the single-mode optical fiber is either tapered in diameter or tapered in effective diameter by virtue of being cleaved at an oblique angle. The effective index of refraction and the phase velocity at a given position along the taper depend on the diameter (or effective diameter) and the index of refraction of the bulk fiber material. As the diameter (or effective diameter) decreases with decreasing distance from the tip, the effective index of refraction also decreases. Critical coupling and phase matching can be achieved by placing the optical fiber and the resonator in contact at the proper point along the taper. This recipe is subject to the limitation that the attainable effective index of refraction lies between the indices of refraction of the bulk fiber material and the atmosphere or vacuum to which the resonator and fiber are exposed. The other recipe involves a refinement of the previously developed technique of prism coupling, in which the light beam from the optical fiber is collimated and focused onto one surface of a prism that has an index of refraction greater than that of the resonator. Another surface of the prism is placed in contact with the resonator. The various components are arranged so that the collimated beam is focused at the prism/resonator contact spot. The recipe includes the following additional provisions:

Optimizing plasmonic nanoantennas via coordinated multiple coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Linhan; Zheng, Yuebing

2015-10-01

Plasmonic nanoantennas, which can efficiently convert light from free space into sub-wavelength scale with the local field enhancement, are fundamental building blocks for nanophotonic systems. Predominant design methods, which exploit a single type of near- or far-field coupling in pairs or arrays of plasmonic nanostructures, have limited the tunability of spectral response and the local field enhancement. To overcome this limit, we are developing a general strategy towards exploiting the coordinated effects of multiple coupling. Using Au bowtie nanoantenna arrays with metal-insulator-metal configuration as examples, we numerically demonstrate that coordinated design and implementation of various optical coupling effects leads to both the increased tunability in the spectral response and the significantly enhanced electromagnetic field. Furthermore, we design and analyze a refractive index sensor with an ultra-high figure-of-merit (254), a high signal-to-noise ratio and a wide working range of refractive indices, and a narrow-band near-infrared plasmonic absorber with 100% absorption efficiency, high quality factor of up to 114 and a wide range of tunable wavelength from 800 nm to 1,500 nm. The plasmonic nanoantennas that exploit coordinated multiple coupling will benefit a broad range of applications, including label-free bio-chemical detection, reflective filter, optical trapping, hot-electron generation, and heat-assisted magnetic recording.

A Novel, Real-Time, In Vivo Mouse Retinal Imaging System

PubMed Central

Butler, Mark C.; Sullivan, Jack M.

2015-01-01

Purpose To develop an efficient, low-cost instrument for robust real-time imaging of the mouse retina in vivo, and assess system capabilities by evaluating various animal models. Methods Following multiple disappointing attempts to visualize the mouse retina during a subretinal injection using commercially available systems, we identified the key limitation to be inadequate illumination due to off axis illumination and poor optical train optimization. Therefore, we designed a paraxial illumination system for Greenough-type stereo dissecting microscope incorporating an optimized optical launch and an efficiently coupled fiber optic delivery system. Excitation and emission filters control spectral bandwidth. A color coupled-charged device (CCD) camera is coupled to the microscope for image capture. Although, field of view (FOV) is constrained by the small pupil aperture, the high optical power of the mouse eye, and the long working distance (needed for surgical manipulations), these limitations can be compensated by eye positioning in order to observe the entire retina. Results The retinal imaging system delivers an adjustable narrow beam to the dilated pupil with minimal vignetting. The optic nerve, vasculature, and posterior pole are crisply visualized and the entire retina can be observed through eye positioning. Normal and degenerative retinal phenotypes can be followed over time. Subretinal or intraocular injection procedures are followed in real time. Real-time, intravenous fluorescein angiography for the live mouse has been achieved. Conclusions A novel device is established for real-time viewing and image capture of the small animal retina during subretinal injections for preclinical gene therapy studies. PMID:26551329

A rapid excitation-emission matrix fluorometer utilizing supercontinuum white light and acousto-optic tunable filters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Wenbo; Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, 835 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E8; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, KAIS 5500, 2332 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4

Scanning speed and coupling efficiency of excitation light to optic fibres are two major technical challenges that limit the potential of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectrometer for on-line applications and in vivo studies. In this paper, a novel EEM system, utilizing a supercontinuum white light source and acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs), was introduced and evaluated. The supercontinuum white light, generated by pumping a nonlinear photonic crystal fiber with an 800 nm femtosecond laser, was efficiently coupled into a bifurcated optic fiber bundle. High speed EEM spectral scanning was achieved using AOTFs both for selecting excitation wavelength and scanning emission spectra.more » Using calibration lamps (neon and mercury argon), wavelength deviations were determined to vary from 0.18 nm to −0.70 nm within the spectral range of 500–850 nm. Spectral bandwidth for filtered excitation light broadened by twofold compared to that measured with monochromatic light between 650 nm and 750 nm. The EEM spectra for methanol solutions of laser dyes were successfully acquired with this rapid fluorometer using an integration time of 5 s.« less

Coherent Microwave-to-Optical Conversion via Six-Wave Mixing in Rydberg Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jingshan; Vogt, Thibault; Gross, Christian; Jaksch, Dieter; Kiffner, Martin; Li, Wenhui

2018-03-01

We present an experimental demonstration of converting a microwave field to an optical field via frequency mixing in a cloud of cold 87Rb atoms, where the microwave field strongly couples to an electric dipole transition between Rydberg states. We show that the conversion allows the phase information of the microwave field to be coherently transferred to the optical field. With the current energy level scheme and experimental geometry, we achieve a photon-conversion efficiency of ˜0.3 % at low microwave intensities and a broad conversion bandwidth of more than 4 MHz. Theoretical simulations agree well with the experimental data, and they indicate that near-unit efficiency is possible in future experiments.

Characterization of a 3D optrode array for infrared neural stimulation

PubMed Central

Abaya, T.V.F.; Diwekar, M.; Blair, S.; Tathireddy, P.; Rieth, L.; Clark, G.A.; Solzbacher, F.

2012-01-01

This paper characterizes the Utah Slant Optrode Array (USOA) as a means to deliver infrared light deep into tissue. An undoped crystalline silicon (100) substrate was used to fabricate 10 × 10 arrays of optrodes with rows of varying lengths from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm on a 400-μm pitch. Light delivery from optical fibers and loss mechanisms through these Si optrodes were characterized, with the primary loss mechanisms being Fresnel reflection, coupling, radiation losses from the tapered shank and total internal reflection in the tips. Transmission at the optrode tips with different optical fiber core diameters and light in-coupling interfaces was investigated. At λ = 1.55μm, the highest optrode transmittance of 34.7%, relative to the optical fiber output power, was obtained with a 50-μm multi-mode fiber butt-coupled to the optrode through an intervening medium of index n = 1.66. Maximum power is directed into the optrodes when using fibers with core diameters of 200 μm or less. In addition, the output power varied with the optrode length/taper such that longer and less tapered optrodes exhibited higher light transmission efficiency. Output beam profiles and potential impacts on physiological tests were also examined. Future work is expected to improve USOA efficiency to greater than 64%. PMID:23024914

Characterization of a 3D optrode array for infrared neural stimulation.

PubMed

Abaya, T V F; Diwekar, M; Blair, S; Tathireddy, P; Rieth, L; Clark, G A; Solzbacher, F

2012-09-01

This paper characterizes the Utah Slant Optrode Array (USOA) as a means to deliver infrared light deep into tissue. An undoped crystalline silicon (100) substrate was used to fabricate 10 × 10 arrays of optrodes with rows of varying lengths from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm on a 400-μm pitch. Light delivery from optical fibers and loss mechanisms through these Si optrodes were characterized, with the primary loss mechanisms being Fresnel reflection, coupling, radiation losses from the tapered shank and total internal reflection in the tips. Transmission at the optrode tips with different optical fiber core diameters and light in-coupling interfaces was investigated. At λ = 1.55μm, the highest optrode transmittance of 34.7%, relative to the optical fiber output power, was obtained with a 50-μm multi-mode fiber butt-coupled to the optrode through an intervening medium of index n = 1.66. Maximum power is directed into the optrodes when using fibers with core diameters of 200 μm or less. In addition, the output power varied with the optrode length/taper such that longer and less tapered optrodes exhibited higher light transmission efficiency. Output beam profiles and potential impacts on physiological tests were also examined. Future work is expected to improve USOA efficiency to greater than 64%.

Feedback effects in optical communication systems: characteristic curve for single-mode InGaAsP lasers.

PubMed

Brivio, F; Reverdito, C; Sacchi, G; Chiaretti, G; Milani, M

1992-08-20

An experimental analysis of InGaAsP injection lasers shows an unexpected decrease of the differential quantum efficiency as a function of injected current when optical power is fed back into the active cavity of a diode inserted into a long transmission line. To investigate the response of laser diodes to optical feedback, we base our analysis on a microscopic model, resulting in a set of coupled equations that include the microscopic parameters that characterize the material and the device. This description takes into account the nonlinear dependence of the interband carrier lifetime on the level of optical feedback. Good agreement between the analytical description and experimental data is obtained for threshold current and differential quantum efficiency as functions of the feedback ratio.

12W laser amplification at 1427nm on the 4F 3/2 to 4I 13/2 spectral line in an Nd 3+ doped fused silica optical fiber

DOE PAGES

Dawson, Jay W.; Pax, Paul H.; Allen, Graham S.; ...

2016-12-08

A 9.3dB improvement in optical gain and a 100x improvement in total optical power over prior published experimental results from the 4F 3/2 to 4I 13/2 transition in an Nd 3+ doped fused silica optical fiber is demonstrated. This is enabled via an optical fiber waveguide design that creates high spectral attenuation in the 1050-1120nm-wavelength range, a continuous spectral filter for the primary 4F 3/2 to 4I 11/2 optical transition. A maximum output power at 1427nm of 1.2W was attained for 43mW coupled seed laser power and 22.2W of coupled pump diode laser power at 880nm a net optical gainmore » of 14.5dB. Reducing the coupled seed laser power to 2.5mW enabled the system to attain 19.3dB of gain for 16.5W of coupled pump power. Four issues limited results; non-optimal seed laser wavelength, amplified spontaneous emission on the 4F 3/2 to 4I 9/2 optical transition, low absorption of pump light from the cladding and high spectral attenuation in the 1350-1450nm range. Lastly, future fibers that mitigate these issues should lead to significant improvements in the efficiency of the laser amplifier, though the shorter wavelength region of the transition from 1310nm to >1350nm is still expected to be limited by excited state absorption.« less

12W laser amplification at 1427nm on the 4F 3/2 to 4I 13/2 spectral line in an Nd 3+ doped fused silica optical fiber

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dawson, Jay W.; Pax, Paul H.; Allen, Graham S.

A 9.3dB improvement in optical gain and a 100x improvement in total optical power over prior published experimental results from the 4F 3/2 to 4I 13/2 transition in an Nd 3+ doped fused silica optical fiber is demonstrated. This is enabled via an optical fiber waveguide design that creates high spectral attenuation in the 1050-1120nm-wavelength range, a continuous spectral filter for the primary 4F 3/2 to 4I 11/2 optical transition. A maximum output power at 1427nm of 1.2W was attained for 43mW coupled seed laser power and 22.2W of coupled pump diode laser power at 880nm a net optical gainmore » of 14.5dB. Reducing the coupled seed laser power to 2.5mW enabled the system to attain 19.3dB of gain for 16.5W of coupled pump power. Four issues limited results; non-optimal seed laser wavelength, amplified spontaneous emission on the 4F 3/2 to 4I 9/2 optical transition, low absorption of pump light from the cladding and high spectral attenuation in the 1350-1450nm range. Lastly, future fibers that mitigate these issues should lead to significant improvements in the efficiency of the laser amplifier, though the shorter wavelength region of the transition from 1310nm to >1350nm is still expected to be limited by excited state absorption.« less

Performance Predictions for the Adaptive Optics System at LCRD's Ground Station 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Lewis C., Jr.; Burruss, Rick; Roberts, Jennifer E.; Piazzolla, Sabino; Dew, Sharon; Truong, Tuan; Fregoso, Santos; Page, Norm

2015-01-01

NASA's LCRD mission will lay the foundation for future laser communication systems. We show the design of the Table Mountain ground station's AO system and time series of predicted coupling efficiency.

All-fiber hybrid photon-plasmon circuits: integrating nanowire plasmonics with fiber optics.

PubMed

Li, Xiyuan; Li, Wei; Guo, Xin; Lou, Jingyi; Tong, Limin

2013-07-01

We demonstrate all-fiber hybrid photon-plasmon circuits by integrating Ag nanowires with optical fibers. Relying on near-field coupling, we realize a photon-to-plasmon conversion efficiency up to 92% in a fiber-based nanowire plasmonic probe. Around optical communication band, we assemble an all-fiber resonator and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with Q-factor of 6 × 10(6) and extinction ratio up to 30 dB, respectively. Using the MZI, we demonstrate fiber-compatible plasmonic sensing with high sensitivity and low optical power.

A lithium niobate electro-optic tunable Bragg filter fabricated by electron beam lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierno, L.; Dispenza, M.; Secchi, A.; Fiorello, A.; Foglietti, V.

2008-06-01

We have designed and fabricated a lithium niobate tunable Bragg filter patterned by electron beam lithography and etched by reactive ion etching. Devices with 1 mm, 2 mm and 4 mm length and 360 and 1080 nm Bragg period, with 5 pm V-1 tuning efficiency, have been characterized. Some applications were identified. Optical simulation based on finite element model (FEM) software showing the optical filtering curve and the coupling factor dependence on the manufacturing parameter is reported. The tuning of the filter window position is electro-optically controlled.

Light-propagation management in coupled waveguide arrays: Quantitative experimental and theoretical assessment from band structures to functional patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moison, Jean-Marie; Belabas, Nadia; Levenson, Juan Ariel; Minot, Christophe

2012-09-01

We assess the band structure of arrays of coupled optical waveguides both by ab initio calculations and by experiments, with an excellent quantitative agreement without any adjustable physical parameter. The band structures we obtain can deviate strongly from the expectations of the standard coupled mode theory approximation, but we describe them efficiently by a few parameters within an extended coupled mode theory. We also demonstrate that this description is in turn a firm and simple basis for accurate beam management in functional patterns of coupled waveguides, in full accordance with their design.

AGN outflows and feedback twenty years on

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, C. M.; Costa, T.; Tadhunter, C. N.; Flütsch, A.; Kakkad, D.; Perna, M.; Vietri, G.

2018-03-01

It is twenty years since the seminal works by Magorrian and co-authors and by Silk and Rees, which, along with other related work, ignited an explosion of publications connecting active galactic nucleus (AGN)-driven outflows to galaxy evolution. With a surge in observations of AGN outflows, studies are attempting to test AGN feedback models directly using the outflow properties. With a focus on outflows traced by optical and CO emission lines, we discuss significant challenges that greatly complicate this task, from both an observational and theoretical perspective. We highlight the observational uncertainties involved and the assumptions required when deriving kinetic coupling efficiencies (that is, outflow kinetic power as a fraction of AGN luminosity) from typical observations. Based on recent models we demonstrate that extreme caution should be taken when comparing observationally derived kinetic coupling efficiencies to coupling efficiencies from fiducial feedback models.

Bidirectional optical coupler for plastic optical fibers.

PubMed

Sugita, Tatsuya; Abe, Tomiya; Hirano, Kouki; Itoh, Yuzo

2005-05-20

We have developed a low-loss bidirectional optical coupler for high-speed optical communication with plastic optical fibers (POFs). The coupler, which is fabricated by an injection molding method that uses poly (methyl methacrylate), has an antisymmetric tapered shape. We show that the coupler has low insertion and branching losses. The tapered shape of the receiving branch reduces beam diameter and increases detection efficiency coupling to a photodetector, whose area is smaller than that of the plastic optical fiber. The possibility of more than 15-m bidirectional transmission with a signaling bit rate up to 500 Mbits/s for simplex step-index POFs is demonstrated.

Optical fingerprint of non-covalently functionalized transition metal dichalcogenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feierabend, Maja; Malic, Ermin; Knorr, Andreas; Berghäuser, Gunnar

2017-09-01

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) hold promising potential for applications in optoelectronics. Due to their direct band gap and the extraordinarily strong Coulomb interaction, TMDs exhibit efficient light-matter coupling and tightly bound excitons. Moreover, large spin orbit coupling in combination with circular dichroism allows for spin and valley selective optical excitation. As atomically thin materials, they are very sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment. This motivates a functionalization approach, where external molecules are adsorbed to the materials surface to tailor its optical properties. Here, we apply the density matrix theory to investigate the potential of non-covalently functionalized monolayer TMDs. Considering exemplary molecules with a strong dipole moment, we predict spectral redshifts and the appearance of an additional side peak in the absorption spectrum of functionalized TMDs. We show that the molecular characteristics, e.g. coverage, orientation and dipole moment, crucially influence the optical properties of TMDs, leaving a unique optical fingerprint in the absorption spectrum. Furthermore, we find that the molecular dipole moments open a channel for coherent intervalley coupling between the high-symmetry K and K\\prime points which may create new possibilities for spin-valleytronics application.

Polarization-selective optical resonance with extremely narrow linewidth in Si dimers array for application in ultra-sensitive refractive sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Dong; Zhang, Zuyin; Li, Jian; Wu, Haoyue; Wang, Wenbo; Wei, Xin

2017-05-01

By exploiting the radiative coupling between the electromagnetic field scattered by individual Si dimer and the collective wave diffracted (Rayleigh Anomalies) in the plane of Si dimers array, optical resonance with extremely narrow linewidth is achieved, accompanied with dramatic enhancement of electric field in the gap of the dimer. We analyze the optical properties of Si dimers array by decomposing it into three fundamental sub-systems. Theoretical investigation employing the coupled dipole approximation is complemented with numerical simulations. The result shows that polarization angle has significant influence on the orientation of the field scattered by individual Si dimer, which determines the efficiency of radiative coupling and further impacts on the electric field enhancement. Moreover, we explore the feasibility of application in refractive sensing. It is shown that the figure of merit value for the proposed system of Si dimers array is as high as 306. The Si dimers array that takes advantage of multiple coupling creates new possibility to implement field-enhanced spectroscopy and refractive sensing with ultra-high sensitivity.

Fast Electron Spectroscopy of Enhanced Plasmonic N anoantenna Resonances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Jared K.

Surface plasmons are elementary excitations of the collective and coherent oscillations of conductive band electrons coupled with photons at the surface of metals. Surface plasmons of metallic nanostructures can efficiently couple to light making them a new class of optical antennas that can confine and control light at nanometer scale dimensions. Nanoscale optical antennas can be used to enhance the energy transfer between nanoscale systems and freely-propagating radiation. Plasmonic nanoantennas have already been used to enhance single molecule detection, diagnosis and treat cancer, harvest solar energy, to create metamaterials with new optical properties and to enhance photo-chemical reactions. The applications for plasmonic nanoantennas are only limited by the fundamental understanding of their unique optical properties and the rational design of new coupled antenna systems. It is therefore necessary to interrogate and image the local electromagnetic response of nanoantenna systems to establish intuition between near-field coupling dynamics and far-field optical properties. This thesis focuses on the characterization and enhancement of the longitudinal multipolar plasmonic resonances of Au nanorod nanoantennas. To better understand these resonances fast electron spectroscopy is used to both visualize and probe the near- and far-field properties of multipolar resonances of individual nanorods and more complex nanorod systems through cathodoluminescence (CL). CL intensity maps show that coupled nanorod systems enhance and alter nanorod resonances away from ideal resonant behavior creating hybridized longitudinal modes that expand and relax at controllable locations along the nanorod. These measurements show that complex geometries can strengthen and alter the local density of optical states for nanoantenna designs with more functionality and better control of localized electromagnetic fields. Finally, the electron excitations are compared to plane wave optical stimulation both experimentally and through Finite Difference Time Domain simulations to begin to develop a qualitative picture of how the local density of optical states affects the far-field optical scattering properties of plasmonic nanoantennas.

Anapole nanolasers for mode-locking and ultrafast pulse generation

PubMed Central

Totero Gongora, Juan S.; Miroshnichenko, Andrey E.; Kivshar, Yuri S.; Fratalocchi, Andrea

2017-01-01

Nanophotonics is a rapidly developing field of research with many suggestions for a design of nanoantennas, sensors and miniature metadevices. Despite many proposals for passive nanophotonic devices, the efficient coupling of light to nanoscale optical structures remains a major challenge. In this article, we propose a nanoscale laser based on a tightly confined anapole mode. By harnessing the non-radiating nature of the anapole state, we show how to engineer nanolasers based on InGaAs nanodisks as on-chip sources with unique optical properties. Leveraging on the near-field character of anapole modes, we demonstrate a spontaneously polarized nanolaser able to couple light into waveguide channels with four orders of magnitude intensity than classical nanolasers, as well as the generation of ultrafast (of 100 fs) pulses via spontaneous mode locking of several anapoles. Anapole nanolasers offer an attractive platform for monolithically integrated, silicon photonics sources for advanced and efficient nanoscale circuitry. PMID:28561017

Broadband multiresonator quantum memory-interface.

PubMed

Moiseev, S A; Gerasimov, K I; Latypov, R R; Perminov, N S; Petrovnin, K V; Sherstyukov, O N

2018-03-05

In this paper we experimentally demonstrated a broadband scheme of the multiresonator quantum memory-interface. The microwave photonic scheme consists of the system of mini-resonators strongly interacting with a common broadband resonator coupled with the external waveguide. We have implemented the impedance matched quantum storage in this scheme via controllable tuning of the mini-resonator frequencies and coupling of the common resonator with the external waveguide. Proof-of-principal experiment has been demonstrated for broadband microwave pulses when the quantum efficiency of 16.3% was achieved at room temperature. By using the obtained experimental spectroscopic data, the dynamics of the signal retrieval has been simulated and promising results were found for high-Q mini-resonators in microwave and optical frequency ranges. The results pave the way for the experimental implementation of broadband quantum memory-interface with quite high efficiency η > 0.99 on the basis of modern technologies, including optical quantum memory at room temperature.

Improvements in Fabrication of 3D SU-8 Prisms for Low-Coupling-Loss Interconnections Between Fibers and Waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Minh-Hang; Chu, Thi-Xuan; Nguyen, Long; Nguyen, Hai-Binh; Lee, Chun-Wei; Tseng, Fan-Gang; Chen, Te-Chang; Lee, Ming-Chang

2016-11-01

Fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) SU-8 (an epoxy-based negative photoresist from MicroChem) prisms as low-loss couplers for interconnection between optical components, particularly optical fibers and silicon-on-isolator waveguides (SOI WGs), which have mismatched mode sizes, has been investigated. With an interfacial structure formed by a 3D SU-8 prism partly overlaying an SOI WG end with a portion of buried oxide (BOX) removed under the interface, low-loss coupling is ensured and the transmission efficiency can reach 70%. To fabricate these 3D SU-8 prisms, a simple method with two photolithography steps was used for SU-8 hinges and CYTOP (an amorphous fluoropolymer from AGC Chemicals) prism windows, with mild soft and hard bakes, to define the prism profiles with diluted SU-8 filled in the CYTOP prism windows. A buffered oxide etchant is used to remove BOX parts under the interfaces. Some of the fabricated structures were tested, demonstrating the contribution of overlaying SU-8 prisms to the transmission efficiency of optical interconnections between fibers and SOI WGs.

Far infrared pump injection using an alumina waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedvidek, F. J.; Kucerovsky, Z.; Brannen, Eric

1987-01-01

An alumina waveguide extension is employed to channel infrared radiation from a CO2 waveguide laser into an optically pumped far IR waveguide laser resonator in order to obtain far IR lasing with methyl alcohol and other media. Low pump transmission losses and efficient free space coupling are possible with proper choice of waveguide bore. The technique compares favorably with other injection schemes using refractive optics, and it offers greater flexibility, easier alignment, and less expense than optical arrangements using lenses.

L-shaped fiber-chip grating couplers with high directionality and low reflectivity fabricated with deep-UV lithography.

PubMed

Benedikovic, Daniel; Alonso-Ramos, Carlos; Pérez-Galacho, Diego; Guerber, Sylvain; Vakarin, Vladyslav; Marcaud, Guillaume; Le Roux, Xavier; Cassan, Eric; Marris-Morini, Delphine; Cheben, Pavel; Boeuf, Frédéric; Baudot, Charles; Vivien, Laurent

2017-09-01

Grating couplers enable position-friendly interfacing of silicon chips by optical fibers. The conventional coupler designs call upon comparatively complex architectures to afford efficient light coupling to sub-micron silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides. Conversely, the blazing effect in double-etched gratings provides high coupling efficiency with reduced fabrication intricacy. In this Letter, we demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the realization of an ultra-directional L-shaped grating coupler, seamlessly fabricated by using 193 nm deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) lithography. We also include a subwavelength index engineered waveguide-to-grating transition that provides an eight-fold reduction of the grating reflectivity, down to 1% (-20  dB). A measured coupling efficiency of -2.7  dB (54%) is achieved, with a bandwidth of 62 nm. These results open promising prospects for the implementation of efficient, robust, and cost-effective coupling interfaces for sub-micrometric SOI waveguides, as desired for large-volume applications in silicon photonics.

Directional radiation of Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with plasmonic waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jineun; Roh, Young-Geun; Cheon, Sangmo; Jeong Kim, Un; Hwang, Sung Woo; Park, Yeonsang; Lee, Chang-Won

2015-07-01

We present a Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with a plasmonic waveguide. Using an integrated nanoantenna, we can couple the plasmon guide mode in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure into the resonant antenna feed directly. The resonantly excited feed slot then radiates to free space and generates a magnetic dipole-like far-field pattern. The coupling efficiency of the integrated nanoantenna is calculated as being approximately 19% using a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D FDTD) simulation. By adding an auxiliary groove structure along with the feed, the radiation direction can be controlled similar to an optical Yagi-Uda antenna. We also determine, both theoretically and experimentally, that groove depth plays a significant role to function groove structure as a reflector or a director. The demonstrated Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with a plasmonic waveguide can be used as a “plasmonic via” in plasmonic nanocircuits.

Directional radiation of Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with plasmonic waveguide.

PubMed

Kim, Jineun; Roh, Young-Geun; Cheon, Sangmo; Kim, Un Jeong; Hwang, Sung Woo; Park, Yeonsang; Lee, Chang-Won

2015-07-02

We present a Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with a plasmonic waveguide. Using an integrated nanoantenna, we can couple the plasmon guide mode in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure into the resonant antenna feed directly. The resonantly excited feed slot then radiates to free space and generates a magnetic dipole-like far-field pattern. The coupling efficiency of the integrated nanoantenna is calculated as being approximately 19% using a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D FDTD) simulation. By adding an auxiliary groove structure along with the feed, the radiation direction can be controlled similar to an optical Yagi-Uda antenna. We also determine, both theoretically and experimentally, that groove depth plays a significant role to function groove structure as a reflector or a director. The demonstrated Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with a plasmonic waveguide can be used as a "plasmonic via" in plasmonic nanocircuits.

Directional radiation of Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with plasmonic waveguide

PubMed Central

Kim, Jineun; Roh, Young-Geun; Cheon, Sangmo; Jeong Kim, Un; Hwang, Sung Woo; Park, Yeonsang; Lee, Chang-Won

2015-01-01

We present a Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with a plasmonic waveguide. Using an integrated nanoantenna, we can couple the plasmon guide mode in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure into the resonant antenna feed directly. The resonantly excited feed slot then radiates to free space and generates a magnetic dipole-like far-field pattern. The coupling efficiency of the integrated nanoantenna is calculated as being approximately 19% using a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (3D FDTD) simulation. By adding an auxiliary groove structure along with the feed, the radiation direction can be controlled similar to an optical Yagi-Uda antenna. We also determine, both theoretically and experimentally, that groove depth plays a significant role to function groove structure as a reflector or a director. The demonstrated Babinet-inverted optical nanoantenna integrated with a plasmonic waveguide can be used as a “plasmonic via” in plasmonic nanocircuits. PMID:26135115

Hybrid integrated single-wavelength laser with silicon micro-ring reflector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Min; Pu, Jing; Krishnamurthy, Vivek; Xu, Zhengji; Lee, Chee-Wei; Li, Dongdong; Gonzaga, Leonard; Toh, Yeow T.; Tjiptoharsono, Febi; Wang, Qian

2018-02-01

A hybrid integrated single-wavelength laser with silicon micro-ring reflector is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. It consists of a heterogeneously integrated III-V section for optical gain, an adiabatic taper for light coupling, and a silicon micro-ring reflector for both wavelength selection and light reflection. Heterogeneous integration processes for multiple III-V chips bonded to an 8-inch Si wafer have been developed, which is promising for massive production of hybrid lasers on Si. The III-V layer is introduced on top of a 220-nm thick SOI layer through low-temperature wafer-boning technology. The optical coupling efficiency of >85% between III-V and Si waveguide has been achieved. The silicon micro-ring reflector, as the key element of the hybrid laser, is studied, with its maximized reflectivity of 85.6% demonstrated experimentally. The compact single-wavelength laser enables fully monolithic integration on silicon wafer for optical communication and optical sensing application.

Optical Absorbance Enhancement in PbS QD/Cinnamate Ligand Complexes.

PubMed

Kroupa, Daniel M; Vörös, Márton; Brawand, Nicholas P; Bronstein, Noah; McNichols, Brett W; Castaneda, Chloe V; Nozik, Arthur J; Sellinger, Alan; Galli, Giulia; Beard, Matthew C

2018-06-08

We studied the optical absorption enhancement in colloidal suspensions of PbS quantum dots (QD) upon ligand exchange from oleate to a series of cinnamate ligands. By combining experiments and ab initio simulations, we elucidate physical parameters that govern the optical absorption enhancement. We find that, within the cinnamate/PbS QD system, the optical absorption enhancement scales linearly with the electronic gap of the ligand, indicating that the ligand/QD coupling occurs equally efficient between the QD and ligand HOMO and their respective LUMO levels. Disruption of the conjugation that connects the aromatic ring and its substituents to the QD core causes a reduction of the electronic coupling. Our results further support the notion that the ligand/QD complex should be considered as a distinct chemical system with emergent behavior rather than a QD core with ligands whose sole purpose is to passivate surface dangling bonds and prevent agglomeration.

InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device: The 20 element linear imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thom, R. D.; Koch, T. L.; Parrish, W. J.; Langan, J. D.; Chase, S. C.

1980-01-01

The design and fabrication of the 8585 InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device (CCIRID) chip are reported. The InSb material characteristics are described along with mask and process modifications. Test results for the 2- and 20-element CCIRID's are discussed, including gate oxide characteristics, charge transfer efficiency, optical mode of operation, and development of the surface potential diagram.

Enabling High Efficiency Nanoplasmonics with Novel Nanoantenna Architectures

PubMed Central

Cohen, Moshik; Shavit, Reuven; Zalevsky, Zeev

2015-01-01

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are propagating excitations that arise from coupling of light with collective electron oscillations. Characterized by high field intensity and nanometric dimensions, SPPs fashion rapid expansion of interest from fundamental and applicative perspectives. However, high metallic losses at optical frequencies still make nanoplasmonics impractical when high absolute efficiency is paramount, with major challenge is efficient plasmon generation in deep nanoscale. Here we introduce the Plantenna, the first reported nanodevice with the potential of addressing these limitations utilizing novel plasmonic architecture. The Plantenna has simple 2D structure, ultracompact dimensions and is fabricated on Silicon chip for future CMOS integration. We design the Plantenna to feed channel (20 nm × 20 nm) nanoplasmonic waveguides, achieving 52% coupling efficiency with Plantenna dimensions of λ3/17,000. We theoretically and experimentally show that the Plantenna enormously outperforms dipole couplers, achieving 28 dB higher efficiency with broad polarization diversity and huge local field enhancement. Our findings confirm the Plantenna as enabling device for high efficiency plasmonic technologies such as quantum nanoplasmonics, molecular strong coupling and plasmon nanolasers. PMID:26620270

The effects of inter-cavity separation on optical coupling in dielectric bispheres.

PubMed

Ashili, Shashanka P; Astratov, Vasily N; Sykes, E Charles H

2006-10-02

The optical coupling between two size-mismatched spheres was studied by using one sphere as a local source of light with whispering gallery modes (WGMs) and detecting the intensity of the light scattered by a second sphere playing the part of a receiver of electromagnetic energy. We developed techniques to control inter-cavity gap sizes between microspheres with ~30nm accuracy. We demonstrate high efficiencies (up to 0.2-0.3) of coupling between two separated cavities with strongly detuned eigenstates. At small separations (<1 microm) between the spheres, the mechanism of coupling is interpreted in terms of the Fano resonance between discrete level (true WGMs excited in a source sphere) and a continuum of "quasi"-WGMs with distorted shape which can be induced in the receiving sphere. At larger separations the spectra detected from the receiving sphere originate from scattering of the radiative modes.

High efficiency and high-energy intra-cavity beam shaping laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hailong; Meng, Junqing; Chen, Weibiao

2015-09-01

We present a technology of intra-cavity laser beam shaping with theory and experiment to obtain a flat-top-like beam with high-pulse energy. A radial birefringent element (RBE) was used in a crossed Porro prism polarization output coupling resonator to modulate the phase delay radially. The reflectively of a polarizer used as an output mirror was variable radially. A flat-top-like beam with 72.5 mJ, 11 ns at 20 Hz was achieved by a side-pumped Nd:YAG zigzag slab laser, and the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was 17.3%.

Two-dimensional photonic crystal slab nanocavities on bulk single-crystal diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Noel H.; Mouradian, Sara; Englund, Dirk

2018-04-01

Color centers in diamond are promising spin qubits for quantum computing and quantum networking. In photon-mediated entanglement distribution schemes, the efficiency of the optical interface ultimately determines the scalability of such systems. Nano-scale optical cavities coupled to emitters constitute a robust spin-photon interface that can increase spontaneous emission rates and photon extraction efficiencies. In this work, we introduce the fabrication of 2D photonic crystal slab nanocavities with high quality factors and cubic wavelength mode volumes—directly in bulk diamond. This planar platform offers scalability and considerably expands the toolkit for classical and quantum nanophotonics in diamond.

Deflecting light into resonant cavities for spectroscopy

DOEpatents

Zare, R.N.; Martin, J.; Paldus, B.A.

1998-09-29

Light is coupled into a cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) resonant cavity using an acousto-optic modulator. The AOM allows in-coupling efficiencies in excess of 40%, which is two to three orders of magnitude higher than in conventional systems using a cavity mirror for in-coupling. The AOM shutoff time is shorter than the roundtrip time of the cavity. The higher light intensities lead to a reduction in shot noise, and allow the use of relatively insensitive but fast-responding detectors such as photovoltaic detectors. Other deflection devices such as electro-optic modulators or elements used in conventional Q-switching may be used instead of the AOM. The method is particularly useful in the mid-infrared, far-infrared, and ultraviolet wavelength ranges, for which moderately reflecting input mirrors are not widely available. 5 figs.

Deflecting light into resonant cavities for spectroscopy

DOEpatents

Zare, Richard N.; Martin, Juergen; Paldus, Barbara A.

1998-01-01

Light is coupled into a cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) resonant cavity using an acousto-optic modulator. The AOM allows in-coupling efficiencies in excess of 40%, which is two to three orders of magnitude higher than in conventional systems using a cavity mirror for in-coupling. The AOM shutoff time is shorter than the roundtrip time of the cavity. The higher light intensities lead to a reduction in shot noise, and allow the use of relatively insensitive but fast-responding detectors such as photovoltaic detectors. Other deflection devices such as electro-optic modulators or elements used in conventional Q-switching may be used instead of the AOM. The method is particularly useful in the mid-infrared, far-infrared, and ultraviolet wavelength ranges, for which moderately reflecting input mirrors are not widely available.

Quasi-distributed and wavelength selective addressing of optical micro-resonators based on long period fiber gratings.

PubMed

Farnesi, D; Chiavaioli, F; Baldini, F; Righini, G C; Soria, S; Trono, C; Conti, G Nunzi

2015-08-10

A novel all-in-fiber method for coupling light to high-Q silica whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical micro-resonators is presented, which is based on a pair of long period fiber gratings (LPGs) written in the same silica fiber, along with a thick fiber taper (15-18 μm in waist) in between the LPGs. The proposed coupling structure is robust and can be replicated many times along the same fiber simply cascading LPGs with different bands. Typical Q-factors of the order of 10(8) and total coupling efficiency up to 60% were measured collecting the resonances of microspheres or microbubbles at the fiber end. This approach uniquely allows quasi-distributed and wavelength selective addressing of different micro-resonators along the same fiber.

All-optical optoacoustic microscopy based on probe beam deflection technique.

PubMed

Maswadi, Saher M; Ibey, Bennett L; Roth, Caleb C; Tsyboulski, Dmitri A; Beier, Hope T; Glickman, Randolph D; Oraevsky, Alexander A

2016-09-01

Optoacoustic (OA) microscopy using an all-optical system based on the probe beam deflection technique (PBDT) for detection of laser-induced acoustic signals was investigated as an alternative to conventional piezoelectric transducers. PBDT provides a number of advantages for OA microscopy including (i) efficient coupling of laser excitation energy to the samples being imaged through the probing laser beam, (ii) undistorted coupling of acoustic waves to the detector without the need for separation of the optical and acoustic paths, (iii) high sensitivity and (iv) ultrawide bandwidth. Because of the unimpeded optical path in PBDT, diffraction-limited lateral resolution can be readily achieved. The sensitivity of the current PBDT sensor of 22 μV/Pa and its noise equivalent pressure (NEP) of 11.4 Pa are comparable with these parameters of the optical micro-ring resonator and commercial piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers. Benefits of the present prototype OA microscope were demonstrated by successfully resolving micron-size details in histological sections of cardiac muscle.

Enhanced coupling of light into a turbid medium through microscopic interface engineering

PubMed Central

Thompson, Jonathan V.; Hokr, Brett H.; Kim, Wihan; Ballmann, Charles W.; Applegate, Brian E.; Jo, Javier; Yamilov, Alexey; Cao, Hui; Scully, Marlan O.; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.

2017-01-01

There are many optical detection and sensing methods used today that provide powerful ways to diagnose, characterize, and study materials. For example, the measurement of spontaneous Raman scattering allows for remote detection and identification of chemicals. Many other optical techniques provide unique solutions to learn about biological, chemical, and even structural systems. However, when these systems exist in a highly scattering or turbid medium, the optical scattering effects reduce the effectiveness of these methods. In this article, we demonstrate a method to engineer the geometry of the optical interface of a turbid medium, thereby drastically enhancing the coupling efficiency of light into the material. This enhanced optical coupling means that light incident on the material will penetrate deeper into (and through) the medium. It also means that light thus injected into the material will have an enhanced interaction time with particles contained within the material. These results show that, by using the multiple scattering of light in a turbid medium, enhanced light–matter interaction can be achieved; this has a direct impact on spectroscopic methods such as Raman scattering and fluorescence detection in highly scattering regimes. Furthermore, the enhanced penetration depth achieved by this method will directly impact optical techniques that have previously been limited by the inability to deposit sufficient amounts of optical energy below or through highly scattering layers. PMID:28701381

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pocha, Michael D.; Carey, Kent

The information age was maturing, and photonics was emerging as a significant technology with important'national security and commercial implications at the time of the CRADA. This was largely due to the vast information carrying capacity of optical beams and the availability of cheap.and effective optical fiber waveguides to guide the light. However, a major limitation to the widespread deployment of photonic systems was the high-cost (in an economic and performance sense) associated with coupling optical power between optoelectronic waveguide devices or between a device and an optical fiber. The problem was critical in the case of single-mode waveguide devices. Mitigatingmore » these costs would be a significant and pervasive enabler of the technology for a wide variety of applications that would have crucial defense and economic impact. The partners worked together to develop optical mode size converters on silicon substrates. Silicon was chosen because of its compatibility with the required photolithographic and micromachining techniques. By choosing silicon, these techniques could enable the close coupling of high-speed, high density silicon electronic circuitry to efficient low-cost photonics. The efficient coupling of electronics and photonics technologies would be important for many information age technologies. The joint nature of this project was intended to allow HP to benefit from some unique LLNL capabilities, and LLNL would be in a position to learn from HP and enhance its value to fundamental DP missions. Although the CRADA began as a hardware development project to develop the mode converter, it evolved into a software development venture. LLNL and HP researchers examined literature, performed some preliminary calculations, and evaluated production trade-offs of several known techniques to determine the best candidates for an integrated system.« less

Coupling of lithium niobate disk resonators to integrated waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berneschi, S.; Cosi, F.; Nunzi Conti, G.; Pelli, S.; Soria, S.; Righini, G. C.; Dispenza, M.; Secchi, A.

2011-01-01

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) disk resonators fabricated in single crystals can have high Q factors within their transparency bandwidth and may have application both in fundamental and applied optics. Lithium niobate (LN) resonators thanks to their electro-optical properties may be used in particular as tunable filters, modulators, and delay lines. A critical step toward the actual application of these devices is the implementation of a robust and efficient coupling system. High index prisms are typically used for this purpose. In this work we demonstrate coupling to high-Q WGM LN disks from an integrated optical LN waveguide. The waveguides are made by proton exchange in X-cut LN. The disks with diameters of about 5 mm and thickness of 1 mm are made from commercial Z-cut LN wafers by core drilling a cylinder and thereafter polishing the edges into a spheroidal profile. Both resonance linewidth and cavity photon lifetime measurements were performed to calculate the Q factor of the resonator, which is in excess of 108.

Comparison of efficiency and feedback characteristics of techniques of coupling semiconductor lasers into single-mode fiber.

PubMed

Wenke, G; Zhu, Y

1983-12-01

The coupling of CSP lasers to single-mode fibers with different coupling structures made on the fiber face is investigated. In this case easy to make coupling arrangements such as tapers and microlenses, result in a high launching efficiency (approximately 2-dB loss), in contrast to launching from gain-guided lasers with strong astigmatism and a broader far-field pattern. Index-guiding lasers exhibit, however, a higher sensitivity to optical feedback. Laser output power and wavelength are changed due to reflections from the fiber tip. Critical distances exist which lead to a highly unstable laser spectrum. A comparison of the influence of various fiber faces on laser power and wavelength stability is presented. It is concluded that a tapered fiber end with a large working distance reduces the influence on the laser's performance.

Direct observation of mode-specific phonon-band gap coupling in methylammonium lead halide perovskites.

PubMed

Kim, Heejae; Hunger, Johannes; Cánovas, Enrique; Karakus, Melike; Mics, Zoltán; Grechko, Maksim; Turchinovich, Dmitry; Parekh, Sapun H; Bonn, Mischa

2017-09-25

Methylammonium lead iodide perovskite is an outstanding semiconductor for photovoltaics. One of its intriguing peculiarities is that the band gap of this perovskite increases with increasing lattice temperature. Despite the presence of various thermally accessible phonon modes in this soft material, the understanding of how precisely these phonons affect macroscopic material properties and lead to the peculiar temperature dependence of the band gap has remained elusive. Here, we report a strong coupling of a single phonon mode at the frequency of ~ 1 THz to the optical band gap by monitoring the transient band edge absorption after ultrafast resonant THz phonon excitation. Excitation of the 1 THz phonon causes a blue shift of the band gap over the temperature range of 185 ~ 300 K. Our results uncover the mode-specific coupling between one phonon and the optical properties, which contributes to the temperature dependence of the gap in the tetragonal phase.Methylammonium lead iodide perovskite, a promising material for efficient photovoltaics, shows a unique temperature dependence of its optical properties. Kim et al. quantify the coupling between the optical gap and a lattice phonon at 1 THz, which favorably contributes to the thermal variation of the gap.

Partial microwave-assisted wet digestion of animal tissue using a baby-bottle sterilizer for analyte determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matos, Wladiana O.; Menezes, Eveline A.; Gonzalez, Mário H.; Costa, Letícia M.; Trevizan, Lilian C.; Nogueira, Ana Rita A.

2009-06-01

A procedure for partial digestion of bovine tissue is proposed using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micro-vessels inside a baby-bottle sterilizer under microwave radiation for multi-element determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Samples were directly weighed in laboratory-made polytetrafluoroethylene vessels. Nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide were added to the uncovered vessels, which were positioned inside the baby-bottle sterilizer, containing 500 mL of water. The hydrogen peroxide volume was fixed at 100 µL. The system was placed in a domestic microwave oven and partial digestion was carried out for the determination of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The single-vessel approach was used in the entire procedure, to minimize contamination in trace analysis. Better recoveries and lower residual carbon content (RCC) levels were obtained under the conditions established through a 2 4-1 fractional factorial design: 650 W microwave power, 7 min digestion time, 50 µL nitric acid and 50 mg sample mass. The digestion efficiency was ascertained according to the residual carbon content determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The accuracy of the proposed procedure was checked against two certified reference materials.

Widely tunable long-period waveguide grating couplers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Y.; Liu, Q.; Lor, K. P.; Chiang, K. S.

2006-12-01

We demonstrate experimentally two widely tunable optical couplers formed with parallel long-period polymer waveguide gratings. One of the couplers consists of two parallel gratings and shows a peak coupling efficiency of ~34%. The resonance wavelength of the coupler can be tuned thermally with a sensitivity of 4.7 nm/°C. The experimental results agree well with the coupled-mode analysis. The other coupler consists of an array of ten widely separated gratings. A peak coupling efficiency of ~11% is obtained between the two best matched gratings in the array and the resonance wavelength can be tuned thermally with a sensitivity of -3.8 nm/°C. These couplers have the potential to be further developed into practical broadband add/drop multiplexers and signal dividers.

Electrical and Optical Enhancement in Internally Nanopatterned Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fina, Michael Dane

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have made tremendous technological progress in the past two decades and have emerged as a top competitor for next generation light-emitting displays and lighting. State-of-the-art OLEDs have been reported in literature to approach, and even surpass, white fluorescent tube efficiency. However, despite rapid technological progress, efficiency metrics must be improved to compete with traditional inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) technology. Organic materials possess specialized traits that permit manipulations to the light-emitting cavity. Overall, as demonstrated within, these modifications can be used to improve electrical and optical device efficiencies. This work is focused at analyzing the effects that nanopatterned geometric modifications to the organic active layers play on device efficiency. In general, OLED efficiency is complicated by the complex, coupled processes which contribute to spontaneous dipole emission. A composite of three sub-systems (electrical, exciton and optical) ultimately dictate the OLED device efficiency. OLED electrical operation is believed to take place via a low-mobility-modified Schottky injection process. In the injection-limited regime, geometric effects are expected to modify the local electric field leading to device current enhancement. It is shown that the patterning effect can be used to enhance charge carrier parity, thereby enhancing overall recombination. Current density and luminance characteristics are shown to be improved by OLED nanopatterning from both the model developed within and experimental techniques. Next, the optical enhancement effects produced by the nanopatterned array are considered. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations are used to determine positional, spectral optical enhancement for the nanopatterned device. The results show beneficial effects to the device performance. The optical enhancements are related to the reduction in internal radiative quenching (improved internal quantum efficiency) and improvement in light extraction (improved outcoupling efficiency). Furthermore, the electrical model is used to construct a positional radiative efficiency map that when combined with the optical enhancement reveals the overall external quantum efficiency enhancement.

Multiscale Modeling of Plasmon-Enhanced Power Conversion Efficiency in Nanostructured Solar Cells.

PubMed

Meng, Lingyi; Yam, ChiYung; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Rulin; Chen, GuanHua

2015-11-05

The unique optical properties of nanometallic structures can be exploited to confine light at subwavelength scales. This excellent light trapping is critical to improve light absorption efficiency in nanoscale photovoltaic devices. Here, we apply a multiscale quantum mechanics/electromagnetics (QM/EM) method to model the current-voltage characteristics and optical properties of plasmonic nanowire-based solar cells. The QM/EM method features a combination of first-principles quantum mechanical treatment of the photoactive component and classical description of electromagnetic environment. The coupled optical-electrical QM/EM simulations demonstrate a dramatic enhancement for power conversion efficiency of nanowire solar cells due to the surface plasmon effect of nanometallic structures. The improvement is attributed to the enhanced scattering of light into the photoactive layer. We further investigate the optimal configuration of the nanostructured solar cell. Our QM/EM simulation result demonstrates that a further increase of internal quantum efficiency can be achieved by scattering light into the n-doped region of the device.

Polymer optical fiber compound parabolic concentrator tip for enhanced coupling efficiency for fluorescence based glucose sensors

PubMed Central

Hassan, Hafeez Ul; Nielsen, Kristian; Aasmul, Soren; Bang, Ole

2015-01-01

We demonstrate that the light excitation and capturing efficiency of fluorescence based fiber-optical sensors can be significantly increased by using a CPC (Compound Parabolic Concentrator) tip instead of the standard plane-cut tip. We use Zemax modelling to find the optimum CPC tip profile and fiber length of a polymer optical fiber diabetes sensor for continuous monitoring of glucose levels. We experimentally verify the improved performance of the CPC tipped sensor and the predicted production tolerances. Due to physical size requirements when the sensor has to be inserted into the body a non-optimal fiber length of 35 mm is chosen. For this length an average improvement in efficiency of a factor of 1.7 is experimentally demonstrated and critically compared to the predicted ideal factor of 3 in terms of parameters that should be improved through production optimization. PMID:26713213

Polymer optical fiber compound parabolic concentrator tip for enhanced coupling efficiency for fluorescence based glucose sensors.

PubMed

Hassan, Hafeez Ul; Nielsen, Kristian; Aasmul, Soren; Bang, Ole

2015-12-01

We demonstrate that the light excitation and capturing efficiency of fluorescence based fiber-optical sensors can be significantly increased by using a CPC (Compound Parabolic Concentrator) tip instead of the standard plane-cut tip. We use Zemax modelling to find the optimum CPC tip profile and fiber length of a polymer optical fiber diabetes sensor for continuous monitoring of glucose levels. We experimentally verify the improved performance of the CPC tipped sensor and the predicted production tolerances. Due to physical size requirements when the sensor has to be inserted into the body a non-optimal fiber length of 35 mm is chosen. For this length an average improvement in efficiency of a factor of 1.7 is experimentally demonstrated and critically compared to the predicted ideal factor of 3 in terms of parameters that should be improved through production optimization.

Ultra-thin high-efficiency mid-infrared transmissive Huygens meta-optics.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Ding, Jun; Zheng, Hanyu; An, Sensong; Lin, Hongtao; Zheng, Bowen; Du, Qingyang; Yin, Gufan; Michon, Jerome; Zhang, Yifei; Fang, Zhuoran; Shalaginov, Mikhail Y; Deng, Longjiang; Gu, Tian; Zhang, Hualiang; Hu, Juejun

2018-04-16

The mid-infrared (mid-IR) is a strategically important band for numerous applications ranging from night vision to biochemical sensing. Here we theoretically analyzed and experimentally realized a Huygens metasurface platform capable of fulfilling a diverse cross-section of optical functions in the mid-IR. The meta-optical elements were constructed using high-index chalcogenide films deposited on fluoride substrates: the choices of wide-band transparent materials allow the design to be scaled across a broad infrared spectrum. Capitalizing on a two-component Huygens' meta-atom design, the meta-optical devices feature an ultra-thin profile (λ 0 /8 in thickness) and measured optical efficiencies up to 75% in transmissive mode for linearly polarized light, representing major improvements over state-of-the-art. We have also demonstrated mid-IR transmissive meta-lenses with diffraction-limited focusing and imaging performance. The projected size, weight and power advantages, coupled with the manufacturing scalability leveraging standard microfabrication technologies, make the Huygens meta-optical devices promising for next-generation mid-IR system applications.

Tunable high-refractive index hybrid for solution-processed light management devices (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachevillier, Stefan

2016-10-01

After the use of highly efficient but expensive inorganic optical materials, solution-processable polymers and hybrids have drawn more and more interest. Our group have recently developed a novel polymer-based hybrid optical material from titanium oxide hydrate exhibiting an outstanding set of optical and material properties. Firstly, their low cost, processability and cross-linked states are particularly attractive for many applications. Moreover, a high refractive index can be repeatedly achieved while optical losses stays considerably low over the entire visible and near-infrared wavelength regime. Indeed, the formation of inorganic nanoparticles, usually present in nanocomposites, is avoided by a specific formulation process. Even more remarkably, the refractive index can be tuned by either changing the inorganic content, using different titanium precursors or via a low-temperature curing process. A part of our work is focused on the reliable optical characterization of these properties, in particular a microscope-based setup allowing in-situ measurement and sample mapping has been developed. Our efforts are also concentrated on various applications of these exceptional properties. This hybrid material is tailored for photonic devices, with a specific emphasis on the production of highly efficient solution processable Distributed Bragg Reflectors (DBR) and anti-reflection coatings. Furthermore, waveguides can be fabricated from thin films along with in-coupling and out-coupling structures. These light managements structures are particularly adapted to organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and light emitting diodes (OLEDs).

Fiber-optical switch using cam-micromotor driven by scratch drive actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanamori, Y.; Aoki, Y.; Sasaki, M.; Hosoya, H.; Wada, A.; Hane, K.

2005-01-01

We fabricated a 1 × 1 fiber-optic switch using a cam-micromotor driven by scratch drive actuators (SDAs). Using the cam-micromotor, mechanical translation and precise positioning of an optical fiber were performed. An optical fiber of diameter 50 µm was bent and pushed out with a cam-mechanism driven by the SDAs fabricated by surface micromachining. The maximum rotation speed of the cam-micromotor was 7.5 rpm at a driving frequency of 1.5 kHz. The transient time of the switch to attenuate coupling efficiency less than -40 dB was around 10 ms.

Cavity-Enhanced Optical Readout of a Single Solid-State Spin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shuo; Kim, Hyochul; Solomon, Glenn S.; Waks, Edo

2018-05-01

We demonstrate optical readout of a single spin using cavity quantum electrodynamics. The spin is based on a single trapped electron in a quantum dot that has a poor branching ratio of 0.43. Selectively coupling one of the optical transitions of the quantum dot to the cavity mode results in a spin-dependent cavity reflectivity that enables spin readout by monitoring the reflected intensity of an incident optical field. Using this approach, we demonstrate spin-readout fidelity of 0.61. Achieving this fidelity using resonance fluorescence from a bare dot would require 43 times improvement in photon collection efficiency.

High-temperature optically activated GaAs power switching for aircraft digital electronic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berak, J. M.; Grantham, D. H.; Swindal, J. L.; Black, J. F.; Allen, L. B.

1983-01-01

Gallium arsenide high-temperature devices were fabricated and assembled into an optically activated pulse-width-modulated power control for a torque motor typical of the kinds used in jet engine actuators. A bipolar heterojunction phototransistor with gallium aluminum arsenide emitter/window, a gallium arsenide junction field-effect power transistor and a gallium arsenide transient protection diode were designed and fabricated. A high-temperature fiber optic/phototransistor coupling scheme was implemented. The devices assembled into the demonstrator were successfully tested at 250 C, proving the feasibility of actuator-located switching of control power using optical signals transmitted by fibers. Assessments of the efficiency and technical merits were made for extension of this high-temperature technology to local conversion of optical power to electrical power and its control at levels useful for driving actuators. Optical power sources included in the comparisons were an infrared light-emitting diode, an injection laser diode, tungsten-halogen lamps and arc lamps. Optical-to-electrical power conversion was limited to photovoltaics located at the actuator. Impedance matching of the photovoltaic array to the load was considered over the full temperature range, -55 C to 260 C. Loss of photovoltaic efficiency at higher temperatures was taken into account. Serious losses in efficiency are: (1) in the optical source and the cooling which they may require in the assumed 125 C ambient, (2) in the decreased conversion efficiency of the gallium arsenide photovoltaic at 260 C, and (3) in impedance matching. Practical systems require improvements in these areas.

FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS. OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Fiber-optic interferometers: control of spectral composition of the radiation and formation of high-intensity optical pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulushev, A. G.; Dianov, Evgenii M.; Kuznetsov, A. V.; Okhotnikov, O. G.; Paramonov, Vladimir M.; Tsarev, Vladimir A.

1990-05-01

A study was made of the use of single-mode fiber ring interferometers in narrowing the emission lines of semiconductor lasers and increasing the optical radiation power. Efficient coupling of radiation, emitted by a multifrequency injection laser with an external resonator, into a fiber ring interferometer was achieved both under cw and mode-locking conditions. Matching of the optical lengths of the external resonator and the fiber interferometer made it possible to determine the mode width for this laser. A method for generation of optical pulses in a fiber ring interferometer from cw frequency modulated radiation was developed.

Design and Development of a Package for a Diluted Waveguide Electro-Absorption Modulator

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

the coupling efficiency. A design including mechanical, optical and RF elements was developed. A Newport Laser Welding system was utilized for...results, a design including mechanical, optical and RF elements was developed. A Newport Laser Welding system was utilized for fiber placement and...fixation. The laser welding techniques were customized in order to meet the needs of the EAM package design. Keywords: Electroabsorption

Integrated Approach to Free Space Optical Communications in Strong Turbulence

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

fades at the receiver caused by atmospheric turbulence . In an attempt to mitigate the impact of intensity fades, the use of various modulation schemes... turbulence . Additionally, adaptive optics can be used to maximize fiber coupling efficiency [64]. The research in Chapters IV–VI attempts to minimize...the effect of atmospheric turbulence through signal diversity without the use of complicated higher-order wavefront control schemes. 40 3.4 Modulation

4 channel × 10 Gb/s bidirectional optical subassembly using silicon optical bench with precise passive optical alignment.

PubMed

Kang, Eun Kyu; Lee, Yong Woo; Ravindran, Sooraj; Lee, Jun Ki; Choi, Hee Ju; Ju, Gun Wu; Min, Jung Wook; Song, Young Min; Sohn, Ik-Bu; Lee, Yong Tak

2016-05-16

We demonstrate an advanced structure for optical interconnect consisting of 4 channel × 10 Gb/s bidirectional optical subassembly (BOSA) formed using silicon optical bench (SiOB) with tapered fiber guiding holes (TFGHs) for precise and passive optical alignment of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-to-multi mode fiber (MMF) and MMF-to-photodiode (PD). The co-planar waveguide (CPW) transmission line (Tline) was formed on the backside of silicon substrate to reduce the insertion loss of electrical data signal. The 4 channel VCSEL and PD array are attached at the end of CPW Tline using a flip-chip bonder and solder pad. The 12-channel ribbon fiber is simply inserted into the TFGHs of SiOB and is passively aligned to the VCSEL and PD in which no additional coupling optics are required. The fabricated BOSA shows high coupling efficiency and good performance with the clearly open eye patterns and a very low bit error rate of less than 10^-12 order at a data rate of 10 Gb/s with a PRBS pattern of 2³¹-1.

Influence of photo-generated carriers on current spreading in double diode structures for electroluminescent cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radevici, Ivan; Tiira, Jonna; Sadi, Toufik; Oksanen, Jani

2018-05-01

Current crowding close to electrical contacts is a common challenge in all optoelectronic devices containing thin current spreading layers (CSLs). We analyze the effects of current spreading on the operation of the so-called double diode structure (DDS), consisting of a light emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode (PD) fabricated within the same epitaxial growth process, and providing an attractive platform for studying electroluminescent (EL) cooling under high bias conditions. We show that current spreading in the common n-type layer between the LED and the PD can be dramatically improved by the strong optical coupling between the diodes, as the coupling enables a photo-generated current through the PD. This reduces the current in the DDS CSL and enables the study of EL cooling using structures that are not limited by the conventional light extraction challenges encountered in normal LEDs. The current spreading in the structures is studied using optical imaging techniques, electrical measurements, simulations, as well as simple equivalent circuit models developed for this purpose. The improved current spreading leads further to a mutual dependence with the coupling efficiency, which is expected to facilitate the process of optimizing the DDS. We also report a new improved value of 63% for the DDS coupling quantum efficiency.

Enhancement of photovoltaic cell performance using periodic triangular gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordatchev, Evgueni; Tauhiduzzaman, Mohammed; Dey, Rajat

2014-01-01

The solar energy industry strives to produce more efficient and yet cost effective solar panels each consisting of an array of photovoltaic (PV) cells. The goal of this study was to enhance the performance of PV cells through increasing the cells' optical efficiency defined as a percentage of surface incident light that reaches the PV material. This was achieved through the reduction of waveguide decoupling loss and Fresnel reflection losses by integrating specific nonimaging micro-optical structures on the top surface of existing PV cells. Due to this integration, optical efficiency and performance were increased through the enhancement of light trapping, light guiding, and in-coupling functionalities. Periodic triangular gratings (PTGs) were designed, nonsequentially modeled, optimized, and fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane as proposed micro-optical structures. Then the performance of PV cells with and without integrated PTGs was evaluated and compared. Initial optical simulation results show that an original PV cell (without PTG) exhibits an average optical efficiency of 32.7% over a range of incident light angles between 15 and 90 deg. Integration of the PTG allows the capture of incoming sunlight by total internal reflection (TIR), whence it is reflected back onto the PV cell for multiple consecutive chances for absorption and PV conversion. Geometry of the PTG was optimized with respect to an angle of light incidence of {15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90} deg. Optical efficiency of the geometrically optimized PTGs was then analyzed under the same set of incident light angles and a maximum optical efficiency of 54.1% was observed for a PV cell with integrated PTG optimized at 90 deg. This is a 53.3% relative improvement in optical performance when compared to an original PV cell. Functional PTG prototypes were then fabricated with optical surface quality (below 10 nm Ra) and integrated with PV cells demonstrating an increase in maximum power by 1.08 mW/cm (7.6% improvement in PV performance) and in short circuit current by 2.39 mA/cm (6.4% improvement).

Highly scalable, resonantly cladding-pumped, Er-doped fiber laser with record efficiency.

PubMed

Dubinskii, M; Zhang, J; Ter-Mikirtychev, V

2009-05-15

We report the performance of a resonantly cladding-pumped, Yb-free, Er-doped fiber laser. We believe this is the first reported resonantly cladding-pumped fiber-Bragg-grating-based, Er-doped, large-mode-area (LMA) fiber laser. The laser, pumped by fiber-coupled InGaAsP/InP laser diode modules at 1,532.5 nm, delivers approximately 48 W of cw output at 1,590 nm. It is believed to be the highest power ever reported from a Yb-free Er-doped LMA fiber. This fully integrated laser also has the optical-to-optical efficiency of approximately 57%, to the best of our knowledge, the highest efficiency reported for cladding-pumped unidirectionally emitting Er-doped laser.

Design and fabrication of embedded micro-mirror inserts for out-of-plane coupling in PCB-level optical interconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Erps, Jurgen; Hendrickx, Nina; Bosman, Erwin; Van Daele, Peter; Debaes, Christof; Thienpont, Hugo

2010-05-01

Optical interconnections have gained interest over the last years, and several approaches have been presented for the integration of optics to the printed circuit board (PCB)-level. The use of a polymer optical waveguide layer appears to be the prevailing solution to route optical signals on the PCB. The most difficult issue is the efficient out-of-plane coupling of light between surface-normal optoelectronic devices (lasers and photodetectors) and PCB-integrated waveguides. The most common approach consists of using 45° reflecting micro-mirrors. The micro-mirror performance significantly affects the total insertion loss of the optical interconnect system, and hence has a crucial role on the system's bit error rate (BER) characteristics. Several technologies have been proposed for the fabrication of 45° reflector micro-mirrors directly into waveguides. Alternatively, it is possible to make use of discrete coupling components which have to be inserted into cavities formed in the PCB-integrated waveguides. In this paper, we present a hybrid approach where we try to combine the advantages of integrated and discrete coupling mirrors, i.e. low coupling loss and maintenance of the planararity of the top surface of the optical layer, allowing the lamination of additional layers or the mounting of optoelectronic devices. The micro-mirror inserts are designed through non-sequential ray tracing simulations, including a tolerance analysis, and subsequently prototyped with Deep Proton Writing (DPW). The DPW prototypes are compatible with mass fabrication at low cost in a wide variety of high-tech plastics. The DPW micro-mirror insert is metallized and inserted in a laser ablated cavity in the optical layer and in a next step covered with cladding material. Surface roughness measurements confirm the excellent quality of the mirror facet. An average mirror loss of 0.35-dB was measured in a receiver scheme, which is the most stringent configuration. Finally, the configuration is robust, since the mirror is embedded and thus protected from environmental contamination, like dust or moisture adsorption, which makes them interesting candidates for out-of-plane coupling in high-end boards.

Realization of 10 GHz minus 30dB on-chip micro-optical links with Si-Ge RF bi-polar technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogudo, Kingsley A.; Snyman, Lukas W.; Polleux, Jean-Luc; Viana, Carlos; Tegegne, Zerihun

2014-06-01

Si Avalanche based LEDs technology has been developed in the 650 -850nm wavelength regime [1, 2]. Correspondingly, small micro-dimensioned detectors with pW/μm2 sensitivity have been developed for the same wavelength range utilizing Si-Ge detector technology with detection efficiencies of up to 0.85, and with a transition frequencies of up to 80 GHz [3] A series of on-chip optical links of 50 micron length, utilizing 650 - 850 nm propagation wavelength have been designed and realized, utilizing a Si Ge radio frequency bipolar process. Micron dimensioned optical sources, waveguides and detectors were all integrated on the same chip to form a complete optical link on-chip. Avalanche based Si LEDs (Si Av LEDs), Schottky contacting, TEOS densification strategies, silicon nitride based waveguides, and state of the art Si-Ge bipolar detector technologies were used as key design strategies. Best performances show optical coupling from source to detector of up to 10GHz and - 40dBm total optical link budget loss with a potential transition frequency coupling of up to 40GHz utilizing Si Ge based LEDs. The technology is particularly suitable for application as on-chip optical links, optical MEMS and MOEMS, as well as for optical interconnects utilizing low loss, side surface, waveguide- to-optical fiber coupling. Most particularly is one of our designed waveguide which have a good core axis alignment with the optical source and yield 10GHz -30dB on-chip micro-optical links as shown in Fig 9 (c). The technology as developed has been appropriately IP protected.

Induced high-order resonance linewidth shrinking with multiple coupled resonators in silicon-organic hybrid slotted two-dimensional photonic crystals for reduced optical switching power in bistable devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoang, Thu Trang; Ngo, Quang Minh; Vu, Dinh Lam; Le, Khai Q.; Nguyen, Truong Khang; Nguyen, Hieu P. T.

2018-01-01

Shrinking the linewidth of resonances induced by multiple coupled resonators is comprehensively analyzed using the coupled-mode theory (CMT) in time. Two types of coupled resonators under investigation are coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) and side-coupled resonators with waveguide (SCREW). We examine the main parameters influencing on the spectral response such as the number of resonators (n) and the phase shift (φ) between two adjacent resonators. For the CROWs geometry consisting of n coupled resonators, we observe the quality (Q) factor of the right- and left-most resonant lineshapes increases n times larger than that of a single resonator. For the SCREW geometry, relying on the phase shift, sharp, and asymmetric resonant lineshape of the high Q factor a narrow linewidth of the spectral response could be achieved. We employ the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to design and simulate two proposed resonators for practical applications. The proposed coupled resonators in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) slotted two-dimensional (2-D) photonic crystals (PhCs) filled and covered with a low refractive index organic material. Slotted PhC waveguides and cavities are designed to enhance the electromagnetic intensity and to confine the light into small cross-sectional area with low refractive index so that efficient optical devices could be achieved. A good agreement between the theoretical CMT analysis and the FDTD simulation is shown as an evidence for our accurate investigation. All-optical switches based on the CROWs in the SOI slotted 2-D PhC waveguide that are filled and covered by a nonlinear organic cladding to overcome the limitations of its well-known intrinsic properties are also presented. From the calculations, we introduce a dependency of the normalized linewidth of the right-most resonance and its switching power of the all-optical switches on number of resonator, n. This result might provide a guideline for all-optical signal processing on a silicon PhC chip design.

Three-dimensional ideal theta(1)/theta(2) angular transformer and its uses in fiber optics.

PubMed

Ning, X

1988-10-01

A 3-D ideal theta(1)/theta(2) angular transformer in nonimaging optics is introduced. The axially symmetric transformer, combining a portion of a hyperbolic concentrator with two lenses, transforms an input limited Lambertian over an angle theta(1) to an output limited Lambertian over an angle theta(2) without losing throughput. This is the first known transformer with such ideal properties. Results of computer simulations of a transformer with planospherical lenses are presented. Because of its ideal angular transforming property, the transformer offers an excellent solution for power launching and fiber-fiber coupling in optical fiber systems. In principle, the theoretical maximum coupling efficiency based on radiance conservation can be achieved with this transformer. Several conceptual designs of source-fiber and fiber-fiber couplers using the transformer are given.

A submillimeter tripler using a quasi-waveguide structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Neal R.; Cortes-Medellin, German

1992-01-01

A new type of frequency multiplier structure is being developed which is suitable for application at frequencies above 1 THz. This structure preserves some of the properties of waveguide for mode control, yet is not truly single mode. The device resembles a sectoral horn, with a varactor diode mounted near the throat. Input and output coupling are through the same aperture, requiring a quasi-optical diplexer. Initial tests are directed at building a tripler at 500 GHz, for comparison with waveguide structures. The diplexer is a blazed diffraction grating with appropriate focusing optics. Model studies show that the impedance match to a varactor should be good, and initial tests of the beam patterns of the prototype indicate that optical coupling efficiency should be very high. The structure also has the potential for use as a fundamental mixer, or as a third harmonic mixer.

Researching the 915 nm high-power and high-brightness semiconductor laser single chip coupling module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xin; Wang, Cuiluan; Wu, Xia; Zhu, Lingni; Jing, Hongqi; Ma, Xiaoyu; Liu, Suping

2017-02-01

Based on the high-speed development of the fiber laser in recent years, the development of researching 915 nm semiconductor laser as main pumping sources of the fiber laser is at a high speed. Because the beam quality of the laser diode is very poor, the 915 nm laser diode is generally based on optical fiber coupling module to output the laser. Using the beam-shaping and fiber-coupling technology to improve the quality of output beam light, we present a kind of high-power and high-brightness semiconductor laser module, which can output 13.22 W through the optical fiber. Based on 915 nm GaAs semiconductor laser diode which has output power of 13.91 W, we describe a thoroughly detailed procedure for reshaping the beam output from the semiconductor laser diode and coupling the beam into the optical fiber of which the core diameter is 105 μm and the numerical aperture is 0.18. We get 13.22 W from the output fiber of the module at 14.5 A, the coupling efficiency of the whole module is 95.03% and the brightness is 1.5 MW/cm2 -str. The output power of the single chip semiconductor laser module achieves the advanced level in the domestic use.

120W, NA_0.15 fiber coupled LD module with 125-μm clad/NA 0.22 fiber by spatial coupling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishige, Yuta; Kaji, Eisaku; Katayama, Etsuji; Ohki, Yutaka; Gajdátsy, Gábor; Cserteg, András.

2018-02-01

We have fabricated a fiber coupled semiconductor laser diode module by means of spatial beam combining of single emitter broad area semiconductor laser diode chips in the 9xx nm band. In the spatial beam multiplexing method, the numerical aperture of the output light from the optical fiber increases by increasing the number of laser diodes coupled into the fiber. To reduce it, we have tried the approach to improving assembly process technology. As a result, we could fabricate laser diode modules having a light output power of 120W or more and 95% power within NA of 0.15 or less from a single optical fiber with 125-μm cladding diameter. Furthermore, we have obtained that the laser diode module maintaining high coupling efficiency can be realized even around the fill factor of 0.95. This has been achieved by improving the optical alignment method regarding the fast axis stack pitch of the laser diodes in the laser diode module. Therefore, without using techniques such as polarization combining and wavelength combining, high output power was realized while keeping small numerical aperture. This contributes to a reduction in unit price per light output power of the pumping laser diode module.

Plasmon enhanced heterogeneous electron transfer with continuous band energy model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Dandan; Niu, Lu; Wang, Luxia

2017-08-01

Photoinduced charge injection from a perylene dye molecule into the conduction band of a TiO2 system decorated by a metal nanoparticles (MNP) is studied theoretically. Utilizing the density matrix theory the charge transfer dynamics is analyzed. The continuous behavior of the TiO2 conduction band is accounted for by a Legendre polynomials expansion. The simulations consider optical excitation of the dye molecule coupled to the MNP and the subsequent electron injection into the TiO2 semiconductor. Due to the energy transfer coupling between the molecule and the MNP optical excitation and subsequent charge injection into semiconductor is strongly enhanced. The respective enhancement factor can reach values larger than 103. Effects of pulse duration, coupling strength and energetic resonances are also analyzed. The whole approach offers an efficient way to increase charge injection in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Direct optical state preparation of the dark exciton in a quantum dot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüker, S.; Kuhn, T.; Reiter, D. E.

2015-11-01

Because of their weak coupling to the electromagnetic field, dark excitons in semiconductor quantum dots possess extremely long lifetimes, which makes them attractive candidates for quantum information processing. On the other hand, the preparation and manipulation of dark states is challenging, because commonly used optical excitation mechanisms are not applicable. We propose an efficient mechanism for the deterministic preparation of the dark exciton exploiting the application of a tilted magnetic field and the optical excitation with a chirped, i.e., frequency modulated, laser pulse.

Bi-wavelength two dimensional chirped grating couplers for low cost WDM PON transceivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lin; Chen, Xia; Li, Chao; Tsang, Hon Ki

2011-04-01

We propose and demonstrate a bi-wavelength two dimensional (2D) waveguide grating coupler on silicon-on-insulator which has efficient coupling of optical light with two-wavelength bands independently between standard optical single mode fibers and nanophotonic waveguides. The details of design are described and the measurement results as well as system performance are experimentally characterized. The bi-wavelength grating coupler can be used as wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) splitter/combiner for monolithically silicon integrated transceivers, potentially meeting the low cost requirements for future WDM passive optical network (PON).

Optical transmission through a polarization preserving single mode optical fiber at two Ar(+) laser wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedjojuwono, Ken K.; Hunter, William W., Jr.

1989-01-01

The transmission characteristics of two Ar(+) laser wavelengths through a twenty meter Panda type Polarization Preserving Single Mode Optical Fiber (PPSMOF) were measured. The measurements were done with both single and multi-longitudinal mode radiation. In the single longitudinal mode case, a degrading Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) is observed as a backward scattering loss. By choosing an optimum coupling system and manipulating the input polarization, the threshold of the SBS onset can be raised and the transmission efficiency can be increased.

The dressed atom as binary phase modulator: towards attojoule/edge optical phase-shift keying.

PubMed

Kerckhoff, Joseph; Armen, Michael A; Pavlichin, Dmitri S; Mabuchi, Hideo

2011-03-28

We use a single 133Cs atom strongly coupled to an optical resonator to induce random binary phase modulation of a near infra-red, ∼ 500 pW laser beam, with each modulation edge caused by the dissipation of a single photon (≈ 0.23 aJ) by the atom. While our ability to deterministically induce phase edges with an additional optical control beam is limited thus far, theoretical analysis of an analogous, solid-state system indicates that efficient external control should be achievable in demonstrated nanophotonic systems.

Phosphate-core silica-clad Er/Yb-doped optical fiber and cladding pumped laser.

PubMed

Egorova, O N; Semjonov, S L; Velmiskin, V V; Yatsenko, Yu P; Sverchkov, S E; Galagan, B I; Denker, B I; Dianov, E M

2014-04-07

We present a composite optical fiber with a Er/Yb co-doped phosphate-glass core in a silica glass cladding as well as cladding pumped laser. The fabrication process, optical properties, and lasing parameters are described. The slope efficiency under 980 nm cladding pumping reached 39% with respect to the absorbed pump power and 28% with respect to the coupled pump power. Due to high doping level of the phosphate core optimal length was several times shorter than that of silica core fibers.

Light trapping structures in wing scales of butterfly Trogonoptera brookiana.

PubMed

Han, Zhiwu; Niu, Shichao; Shang, Chunhui; Liu, Zhenning; Ren, Luquan

2012-04-28

The fine optical structures in wing scales of Trogonoptera brookiana, a tropical butterfly exhibiting efficient light trapping effect, were carefully examined and the reflectivity was measured using reflectance spectrometry. The optimized 3D configuration of the coupling structure was determined using SEM and TEM data, and the light trapping mechanism of butterfly scales was studied. It is found that the front and back sides of butterfly wings possess different light trapping structures, but both can significantly increase the optical path and thus result in almost total absorption of all incident light. An optical model was created to check the properties of this light trapping structure. The simulated reflectance spectra are in concordance with the experimental ones. The results reliably confirm that these structures induce efficient light trapping effect. This functional "biomimetic structure" would have a potential value in wide engineering and optical applications. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

On-Chip Photonic Circuits for Atom-Light Interaction in Quantum Information and Integrated Optical Spectrometer for Astrophotonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Yang

Photonic circuits are becoming very promising in many different applications, such as optical amplification, optical switching and wavelength division multiplexing optical networks, lab-on-chip in bioengineering, atom-light interaction in quantum information processing, wavelength selecting and filtering in astronomy, etc. Thanks to major developments in the nanofabrication technology, smaller but more powerful photonic circuits can be made to realize more complex applications. Here we propose two on-chip photonic circuits: one is for atom-light interaction in quantum information, and the other is for an optical spectrometer in astronomy. Part I. The atom-light interaction can be used for a number of quantum based application, such as quantum information processing and atomic sensing. These significant applications make atom-light interaction a strong candidate for next-generation quantum computers and ultraprecise magnetic or navigation sensors. People have proposed various types of atom-photon interaction, and enhancing the interaction by using a small mode area has also been demonstrated in several platforms such as a hollow-core fiber, a hollow-core waveguide, a tapered fiber, and a nanowaveguide. In our work, we propose a nanowaveguide platform for collective atom-light interaction through the evanescent optical field coupling. We have demonstrated a centimeter-long silicon nitride nanowaveguide that has a sub-micrometer mode area and high fiber-to-waveguide coupling efficiencies for near-infrared wavelengths, working as evanescent field atom trapping/probing of an ensemble of 87Rb atoms. Inverse tapers are made at both ends of the waveguide that adiabatically transfer the weakly guided fiber-coupled mode to a strongly guided mode with an evanescent field for a better fiber-waveguide coupling efficiency. The coupling efficiency improves from around 2% to around 80% for both wavelengths. Trapping atoms by nanowaveguide modes is challenging because the small mode area generates high heat flux at the waveguide in an ultra-high vacuum. This platform has good thermal conductance and could transfer high enough optical powers to trap atoms in an ultra-high vacuum compared to a standalone photonic crystal waveguide with no substrate or an evanescent field coupled with a nanofiber. We have experimentally measured the optical absorption of thermal 87Rb atoms through the guided waveguide mode. We have also demonstrated an atom-chip mirror MOT with the same dimension of the platform that can be transferred to the proximity of the surface by magnetic field controls. Part II. In astronomical applications, wavelength analysis is very important especially for the wavelength selecting and filtering. Here we focus on the wavelength range from 1microm to 1.7microm. There are many valuable applications that make this near infrared wavelength range so important. For example, the Lyman-alpha line of hydrogen is one of the very important emission lines of hydrogen for understanding the origin and creation of the universe. Since the universe has expanded for more than 10 billion years after the big bang, the Lyman-alpha line of hydrogen has redshifted from 121.5nm to the 1microm-to-1.7microm wavelength range according to Hubble's Law. In addition, analysis of this wavelength range can also help us understand many other cosmic phenomena such as quasars, Gamma-ray bursts, etc. Therefore, a good spectrometer is needed to achieve this. Here we present an echelle grating which is based on an on-chip spectrometer that covers the near infrared wavelength range from 1.45um to 1.7um. To begin with, we use optical waveguides as the input and output channels. We have successfully achieved a reliable fabrication process to make the on-chip echelle-grating spectrometer. We have also achieved high fiber-waveguide coupling efficiency (94% per facet at 1550nm) and low propagation loss (-0.975dB/cm at 1550nm) for the input and output waveguides. In addition, we have characterized the bending loss of the waveguide. Finally, we have successfully measured the output spectrum of the echelle grating we designed and found it to be in good agreement with our simulation.

Laser beam coupling into nerve fiber myelin allows one to assess its structural membrane properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutuzov, Nikolay P.; Brazhe, Alexey R.; Lyaskovskiy, Vladimir L.; Maksimov, Georgy V.

2015-05-01

We show that myelin, the insulation wrap of nerve fibers, can couple laser light, thus behaving as a single-cell optical device. The effect was employed to map distinct myelin regions based on the coupling efficiency. Raman spectra acquisition allowed us to simultaneously understand the underlying microscopic differences in the membrane lipid ordering degree. The described method potentially provides new capabilities in myelin-associated disease studies and can be used as a handy tool for myelin structure investigation in combination with other methods.

Partial Wave Analysis of Coupled Photonic Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, Kirk A.; Smith, David D.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The very high quality factors sustained by microcavity optical resonators are relevant to applications in wavelength filtering, routing, switching, modulation, and multiplexing/demultiplexing. Increases in the density of photonic elements require that attention be paid to how electromagnetic (EM) coupling modifies their optical properties. This is especially true when cavity resonances are involved, in which case, their characteristics may be fundamentally altered. Understanding the optical properties of microcavities that are near or in contact with photonic elements---such as other microcavities, nanostructures, couplers, and substrates---can be expected to advance our understanding of the roles that these structures may play in VLSI photonics, biosensors and similar device technologies. Wc present results from recent theoretical studies of the effects of inter- and intracavity coupling on optical resonances in compound spherical particles. Concentrically stratified spheres and bispheres constituted from homogeneous and stratified spheres are subjects of this investigation. A new formulation is introduced for the absorption of light in an arbitrary layer of a multilayered sphere, which is based on multiple reflections of the spherical partial waves of the Lorenz-Mie solution for scattering by a sphere. Absorption efficiencies, which can be used to profile cavity resonances and to infer fluorescence yields or the onset of nonlinear optical processes in the microcavities, are presented. Splitting of resonances in these multisphere systems is paid particular attention, and consequences for photonic device development and possible performance enhancements through carefully designed architectures that exploit EM coupling are considered.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, Chun-Han; Su, Chia-Ying; Chen, Chung-Hui

Further reduction of the efficiency droop effect and further enhancements of internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and output intensity of a surface plasmon coupled, blue-emitting light-emitting diode (LED) by inserting a dielectric interlayer (DI) of a lower refractive index between p-GaN and surface Ag nanoparticles are demonstrated. The insertion of a DI leads to a blue shift of the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance spectrum and increases the LSP coupling strength at the quantum well emitting wavelength in the blue range. With SiO{sub 2} as the DI, a thinner DI leads to a stronger LSP coupling effect, when compared with themore » case of a thicker DI. By using GaZnO, which is a dielectric in the optical range and a good conductor under direct-current operation, as the DI, the LSP coupling results in the highest IQE, highest LED output intensity, and weakest droop effect.« less

Single-mode laser studies: Design and performance of a fixed-wave length source and coupling of lasers to thin-film optical waveguides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ladany, I.; Hammer, J. M.

1980-01-01

A module developed for the generation of a stable single wavelength to be used for a fiber optic multiplexing scheme is described. The laser is driven with RZ pulses, and the temperature is stabilized thermoelectrically. The unit is capable of maintaining a fixed wavelength within about 6 A as the pulse duty cycle is changed between 0 and 100 percent. This is considered the most severe case, and much tighter tolerances are obtainable for constant input power coding schemes. Using a constricted double heterostructure laser, a wavelength shift of 0.083 A mA is obtained due to laser self-heating by a dc driving current. The thermoelectric unit is capable of maintaining a constant laser heat-sink temperature within 0.02 C. In addition, miniature lenses and couplers are described which allow efficient coupling of single wavelength modes of junction lasers to thin film optical waveguides. The design of the miniature cylinder lenses and the prism coupling techniques allow 2 mW of single wavelength mode junction laser light to b coupled into thin film waveguides using compact assemblies. Selective grating couplers are also studied.

Optimized mounting of a polyethylene naphthalate scintillation material in a radiation detector.

PubMed

Nakamura, Hidehito; Yamada, Tatsuya; Shirakawa, Yoshiyuki; Kitamura, Hisashi; Shidara, Zenichiro; Yokozuka, Takayuki; Nguyen, Philip; Kanayama, Masaya; Takahashi, Sentaro

2013-10-01

Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) has great potential as a scintillation material for radiation detection. Here the optimum mounting conditions to maximize the light collection efficiency from PEN in a radiation detector are discussed. To this end, we have determined light yields emitted from irradiated PEN for various optical couplings between the substrate and the photodetector, and for various substrate surface treatments. The results demonstrate that light extraction from PEN is more sensitive to the optical couplings due to its high refractive index. We also assessed the extent of radioactive impurities in PEN as background sources and found that the impurities are equivalent to the environmental background level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precision Atomic Beam Laser Spectroscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-02-20

optical efficiency with a new coupled- cavity scheme. We have locked a MISER Nd:YAG laser to a finesse 50,000 cavity with a...sensitivity of optical heterodyne detection is preserved with ZERO sensitivity to small laser / cavity frequency noises. The new method is called Noise-Immune...1996), P. Dube, L.- S. Ma, J. Ye, and J.L.Hall. 9 . "Free-induction decay in molecular iodine measured with an extended - cavity diode laser ,"

A novel optical waveguide LP01/LP02 mode converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Dongya; Wang, Changhui; Ma, Chuan; Mellah, Hakim; Zhang, Xiupu; Yuan, Hong; Ren, Wenping

2018-07-01

A novel optical waveguide LP01 /LP02 mode converter is proposed using combination of bicone structure based on the coupled-mode theory. It is composed of a cladding, a tapered core and combined bicone structure. It is found that this mode converter can have operating bandwidth of 1350-1700 nm, i.e. 350 nm, with a conversion efficiency of ∼90% (∼0.5 dB) and low crosstalk from other modes

The formation and optical properties of planar waveguide in laser crystal Nd:YGG by carbon ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jin-Hua; Qin, Xi-Feng; Wang, Feng-Xiang; Jiao, Yang; Guan, Jing; Fu, Gang

2017-10-01

As one kind of prominent laser crystal, Nd:Y3Ga5O12 (Nd:YGG) crystal has outstanding performance on laser excitation at multi-wavelength which have shown promising applications in optical communication field. In addition, Nd:YGG crystal has potential applications in medical field due to its ability of emit the laser at 1110 nm. Optical waveguide structure with high quality could improve the efficiency of laser emission. In this work, we fabricated the optical planar waveguide on Nd:YGG crystal by medium mass ion implantation which was convinced an effective method to realize a waveguide structure with superior optical properties. The sample is implanted by C ions at energy of 5.0 MeV with the fluence of 1 × 1015 ions/cm2. We researched the optical propagation properties in the Nd:YGG waveguide by end-face coupling and prism coupling method. The Nd ions fluorescent properties are obtained by a confocal micro-luminescence measurement. The fluorescent properties of Nd ions obtained good reservation after C ion implantation. Our work has reference value for the application of Nd:YGG crystal in the field of optical communication.

Vertically-tapered optical waveguide and optical spot transformer formed therefrom

DOEpatents

Bakke, Thor; Sullivan, Charles T.

2004-07-27

An optical waveguide is disclosed in which a section of the waveguide core is vertically tapered during formation by spin coating by controlling the width of an underlying mesa structure. The optical waveguide can be formed from spin-coatable materials such as polymers, sol-gels and spin-on glasses. The vertically-tapered waveguide section can be used to provide a vertical expansion of an optical mode of light within the optical waveguide. A laterally-tapered section can be added adjacent to the vertically-tapered section to provide for a lateral expansion of the optical mode, thereby forming an optical spot-size transformer for efficient coupling of light between the optical waveguide and a single-mode optical fiber. Such a spot-size transformer can also be added to a III-V semiconductor device by post processing.

Dynamics and manipulation of entanglement in coupled harmonic systems with many degrees of freedom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plenio, M. B.; Hartley, J.; Eisert, J.

2004-03-01

We study the entanglement dynamics of a system consisting of a large number of coupled harmonic oscillators in various configurations and for different types of nearest-neighbour interactions. For a one-dimensional chain, we provide compact analytical solutions and approximations to the dynamical evolution of the entanglement between spatially separated oscillators. Key properties such as the speed of entanglement propagation, the maximum amount of transferred entanglement and the efficiency for the entanglement transfer are computed. For harmonic oscillators coupled by springs, corresponding to a phonon model, we observe a non-monotonic transfer efficiency in the initially prepared amount of entanglement, i.e. an intermediate amount of initial entanglement is transferred with the highest efficiency. In contrast, within the framework of the rotating-wave approximation (as appropriate, e.g. in quantum optical settings) one finds a monotonic behaviour. We also study geometrical configurations that are analogous to quantum optical devices (such as beamsplitters and interferometers) and observe characteristic differences when initially thermal or squeezed states are entering these devices. We show that these devices may be switched on and off by changing the properties of an individual oscillator. They may therefore be used as building blocks of large fixed and pre-fabricated but programmable structures in which quantum information is manipulated through propagation. We discuss briefly possible experimental realizations of systems of interacting harmonic oscillators in which these effects may be confirmed experimentally.

4MOST optical system: presentation and design details

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azaïs, Nicolas; Frey, Steffen; Bellido, Olga; Winkler, Roland

2017-09-01

The 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) is a wide-field, high-multiplex spectroscopic survey facility under development for the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) 4 meter telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) at Cerro Paranal. The objective of 4MOST is to enable the simultaneous spectroscopy of a significant number of targets within a 2.5° diameter field of view, to allow high-efficiency all-sky spectroscopic surveys. A wide field corrector (WFC) is needed to couple targets across the 2.5° field diameter with the exit pupil concentric with the spherical focal surface where 2400 fibres are configured by a fibre positioner (AESOP). For optimal fibre optic coupling and active optics wavefront sensing the WFC will correct optical aberrations of the primary (M1) and secondary (M2) VISTA optics across the full field of view and provide a well-defined and stable focal surface to which the acquisition/guiding sensors, wavefront sensors, and fibre positioner are interfaced. It will also compensate for the effects of atmospheric dispersion, allowing good chromatic coupling of stellar images with the fibre apertures over a wide range of telescope zenith angles (ZD). The fibres feed three spectrographs; two thirds of the fibres will feed two low resolution spectrographs and the remaining 812 fibres will feed a high-resolution spectrograph. The three spectrographs are fixed-configuration with three channels each. We present the 4MOST optical system together with optical simulation of subsystems.

3D hybrid integrated lasers for silicon photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, B.; Pinna, S.; Liu, Y.; Megalini, L.; Klamkin, J.

2018-02-01

A novel 3D hybrid integration platform combines group III-V materials and silicon photonics to yield high-performance lasers is presented. This platform is based on flip-chip bonding and vertical optical coupling integration. In this work, indium phosphide (InP) devices with monolithic vertical total internal reflection turning mirrors were bonded to active silicon photonic circuits containing vertical grating couplers. Greater than 2 mW of optical power was coupled into a silicon waveguide from an InP laser. The InP devices can also be bonded directly to the silicon substrate, providing an efficient path for heat dissipation owing to the higher thermal conductance of silicon compared to InP. Lasers realized with this technique demonstrated a thermal impedance as low as 6.2°C/W, allowing for high efficiency and operation at high temperature. InP reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers were also integrated with 3D hybrid integration to form integrated external cavity lasers. These lasers demonstrated a wavelength tuning range of 30 nm, relative intensity noise lower than -135 dB/Hz and laser linewidth of 1.5 MHz. This platform is promising for integration of InP lasers and photonic integrated circuits on silicon photonics.

Single-mode annular chirally-coupled core fibers for fiber lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haitao; Hao, He; He, Linlu; Gong, Mali

2018-03-01

Chirally-coupled core (CCC) fiber can transmit single fundamental mode and effectively suppresses higher-order mode (HOM) propagation, thus improve the beam quality. However, the manufacture of CCC fiber is complicated due to its small side core. To decrease the manufacture difficulty in China, a novel fiber structure is presented, defined as annular chirally-coupled core (ACCC) fiber, replacing the small side core by a larger side annulus. In this paper, we designed the fiber parameters of this new structure, and demonstrated that the new structure has a similar property of single mode with traditional CCC fiber. Helical coordinate system was introduced into the finite element method (FEM) to analyze the mode field in the fiber, and the beam propagation method (BPM) was employed to analyze the influence of the fiber parameters on the mode loss. Based on the result above, the fiber structure was optimized for efficient single-mode transmission, in which the core diameter is 35 μm with beam quality M2 value of 1.04 and an optical to optical conversion efficiency of 84%. In this fiber, fundamental mode propagates in an acceptable loss, while the HOMs decay rapidly.

Theoretical Analysis of Two Novel Hybrid Thermoelectric-Photovoltaic Systems Based on Cu₂ZnSnS₄ Solar Cells.

PubMed

Lorenzi, Bruno; Contento, Gaetano; Sabatelli, Vincenzo; Rizzo, Antonella; Narducci, Dario

2017-03-01

The development and commercialization of Photovoltaic (PV) cells with good cost-efficiency trade-off not using critical raw materials (CRMs) is one of the strategies chosen by the European Community (EC) to address the Energy Roadmap 2050. In this context Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cells are attracting a major interest since they have the potential to combine low price with relatively high conversion efficiencies. Although a ≈9% lab scale efficiency has already been reported for CZTS this technology is still far from being competitive in terms of cost per peak-power (€/Wp) with other common materials. One possible near-future solution to increase the CZTS competiveness comes from thermoelectrics. Actually it has already been shown that Hybrid Thermoelectric-Photovoltaic Systems (HTEPVs) based on CIGS, another kesterite very similar to CZTS, can lead to a significant efficiency improvement. However it has been also clarified how the optimal hybridization strategy cannot come from the simple coupling of solar cells with commercial TEGs, but special layouts have to be implemented. Furthermore, since solar cell performances are well known to decrease with temperature, thermal decoupling strategies of the PV and TEG sections have to be taken. To address these issues, we developed a model for two different HTEPV solutions, both coupled with CZTS solar cells. In the first case we considered a Thermally-Coupled HTEPV device (TC-HTEPV) in which the TEG is placed underneath the solar cell and in thermal contact with it. The second system consists instead of an Optically-Coupled but thermally decoupled device (OC-HTEPV) in which part of the solar spectrum is focused by a non-imaging optical concentrator on the TEG hot side. For both solutions the model returns conversion efficiencies higher than that of the CZTS solar cell alone. Specifically, increases of ≈30% are predicted for both kind of systems considered.

Effect of metal coating in all-fiber acousto-optic tunable filter using torsional wave.

PubMed

Song, Du-Ri; Jun, Chang Su; Do Lim, Sun; Kim, Byoung Yoon

2014-12-15

Torsional mode acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) is demonstrated using a metal-coated birefringent optical fiber for an improved robustness. The changes in acoustic and optical properties of a metal-coated birefringent optical fiber induced by the thin metal coating were analyzed experimentally and theoretically. The filter wavelength shift is successfully explained as a result of combined effect of acoustic wavelength change and optical birefringence change. We also demonstrated a small form-factor configuration by coiling the fiber with 6 cm diameter without performance degradation. The center wavelength of the filter can be tuned >35 nm by changing the applied frequency, and the coupling efficiency is higher than 92% with <5 nm 3-dB bandwidth.

Coupling efficiency of laser beam to multimode fiber for free space optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arisa, Suguru; Takayama, Yoshihisa; Endo, Hiroyuki; Shimizu, Ryosuke; Fujiwara, Mikio; Sasaki, Masahide

2017-11-01

Recently, the free space optical (FSO) communications have been widely studied as an alternative for large capacity communications and its possible implementation in satellite and terrestrial laser links. In satellite communications, clouds can strongly attenuate the laser signal that would lead to high bit-error rates or temporal unavailability of the link. To overcome the cloud coverage effects, often site diversity technique is implemented. When using multiple ground stations though, simplified optical system is required to allow the usage of more flexible approaches. In terrestrial laser communications, several methods for optical system simplification by using a multimode fiber (MMF) have been proposed.

Arbitrary optical wavefront shaping via spin-to-orbit coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larocque, Hugo; Gagnon-Bischoff, Jérémie; Bouchard, Frédéric; Fickler, Robert; Upham, Jeremy; Boyd, Robert W.; Karimi, Ebrahim

2016-12-01

Converting spin angular momentum to orbital angular momentum has been shown to be a practical and efficient method for generating optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum and possessing a space-varying polarized field. Here, we present novel liquid crystal devices for tailoring the wavefront of optical beams through the Pancharatnam-Berry phase concept. We demonstrate the versatility of these devices by generating an extensive range of optical beams such as beams carrying ±200 units of orbital angular momentum along with Bessel, Airy and Ince-Gauss beams. We characterize both the phase and the polarization properties of the generated beams, confirming our devices’ performance.

A chip-scale integrated cavity-electro-optomechanics platform.

PubMed

Winger, M; Blasius, T D; Mayer Alegre, T P; Safavi-Naeini, A H; Meenehan, S; Cohen, J; Stobbe, S; Painter, O

2011-12-05

We present an integrated optomechanical and electromechanical nanocavity, in which a common mechanical degree of freedom is coupled to an ultrahigh-Q photonic crystal defect cavity and an electrical circuit. The system allows for wide-range, fast electrical tuning of the optical nanocavity resonances, and for electrical control of optical radiation pressure back-action effects such as mechanical amplification (phonon lasing), cooling, and stiffening. These sort of integrated devices offer a new means to efficiently interconvert weak microwave and optical signals, and are expected to pave the way for a new class of micro-sensors utilizing optomechanical back-action for thermal noise reduction and low-noise optical read-out.

High-power diode lasers for optical communications applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlin, D. B.; Goldstein, B.; Channin, D. J.

1985-01-01

High-power, single-mode, double-heterojunction AlGaAs diode lasers are being developed to meet source requirements for both fiber optic local area network and free space communications systems. An individual device, based on the channeled-substrate-planar (CSP) structure, has yielded single spatial and longitudinal mode outputs of up to 90 mW CW, and has maintained a single spatial mode to 150 mW CW. Phase-locked arrays of closely spaced index-guided lasers have been designed and fabricated with the aim of multiplying the outputs of the individual devices to even higher power levels in a stable, single-lobe, anastigmatic beam. The optical modes of the lasers in such arrays can couple together in such a way that they appear to be emanating from a single source, and can therefore be efficiently coupled into optical communications systems. This paper will review the state of high-power laser technology and discuss the communication system implications of these devices.

Advanced optical systems for ultra high energy cosmic rays detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gambicorti, L.; Pace, E.; Mazzinghi, P.

2017-11-01

A new advanced optical system is proposed and analysed in this work with the purpose to improve the photons collection efficiency of Multi-AnodePhotoMultipliers (MAPMT) detectors, which will be used to cover large focal surface of instruments dedicated to the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs, above 1019eV) and Ultra High Energy Neutrino (UHEN) detection. The employment of the advanced optical system allows to focus all photons inside the sensitive area of detectors and to improve the signal-to-noise ratios in the wavelength range of interest (300-400nm), thus coupling imaging and filtering capability. Filter is realised with a multilayer coating to reach high transparency in UV range and with a sharp cut-off outside. In this work the applications on different series of PMTs have been studied and results of simulations are shown. First prototypes have been realised. Finally, this paper proposes another class of adapters to be optically coupled on each pixel of MAPMT detector selected, consisting of non-imaging concentrators as Winston cones.

Multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light

PubMed Central

Chandrasekharan, Harikumar K; Izdebski, Frauke; Gris-Sánchez, Itandehui; Krstajić, Nikola; Walker, Richard; Bridle, Helen L.; Dalgarno, Paul A.; MacPherson, William N.; Henderson, Robert K.; Birks, Tim A.; Thomson, Robert R.

2017-01-01

When an optical pulse propagates along an optical fibre, different wavelengths travel at different group velocities. As a result, wavelength information is converted into arrival-time information, a process known as wavelength-to-time mapping. This phenomenon is most cleanly observed using a single-mode fibre transmission line, where spatial mode dispersion is not present, but the use of such fibres restricts possible applications. Here we demonstrate that photonic lanterns based on tapered single-mode multicore fibres provide an efficient way to couple multimode light to an array of single-photon avalanche detectors, each of which has its own time-to-digital converter for time-correlated single-photon counting. Exploiting this capability, we demonstrate the multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light using a multicore fibre photonic lantern with 121 single-mode cores, coupled to 121 detectors on a 32 × 32 detector array. This work paves the way to efficient multimode wavelength-to-time mapping systems with the spectral performance of single-mode systems. PMID:28120822

Using hybrid implicit Monte Carlo diffusion to simulate gray radiation hydrodynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cleveland, Mathew A., E-mail: cleveland7@llnl.gov; Gentile, Nick

This work describes how to couple a hybrid Implicit Monte Carlo Diffusion (HIMCD) method with a Lagrangian hydrodynamics code to evaluate the coupled radiation hydrodynamics equations. This HIMCD method dynamically applies Implicit Monte Carlo Diffusion (IMD) [1] to regions of a problem that are opaque and diffusive while applying standard Implicit Monte Carlo (IMC) [2] to regions where the diffusion approximation is invalid. We show that this method significantly improves the computational efficiency as compared to a standard IMC/Hydrodynamics solver, when optically thick diffusive material is present, while maintaining accuracy. Two test cases are used to demonstrate the accuracy andmore » performance of HIMCD as compared to IMC and IMD. The first is the Lowrie semi-analytic diffusive shock [3]. The second is a simple test case where the source radiation streams through optically thin material and heats a thick diffusive region of material causing it to rapidly expand. We found that HIMCD proves to be accurate, robust, and computationally efficient for these test problems.« less

Efficient pump module coupling >1kW from a compact detachable fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dogan, M.; Chin, R. H.; Fulghum, S.; Jacob, J. H.; Chin, A. K.

2018-02-01

In the most developed fiber amplifiers, optical pump power is introduced into the 400μm-diameter, 0.46NA first cladding of the double-clad, Yb-doped, gain fiber, using a (6+1):1 multi-mode fiber combiner. For this configuration, the core diameter and numerical aperture of the pump delivery fibers have maximum values of 225μm and 0.22, respectively. This paper presents the first fiber-coupled laser-diode pump module emitting more than 1kW of claddingmode- stripped power from a detachable 225μm, 0.22NA delivery fiber at 976nm. The electrical-to-optical power conversion efficiency at 1kW is 50%. The FWHM spectral width at 1kW output is 4nm and has an excellent overlap with the narrow absorption spectrum of ytterbium in glass. Six of these pump modules attached to a (6+1):1 multimode combiner enable a 5-6kW, single-mode, Yb-doped fiber amplifier.

Simulation of Laser Induced Thermal Damage in Nd:YVO4 Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagi, Richie

Neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate (Nd:YVO4) is a commonly used gain medium in Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers, but high heat loading of Nd:YVO4 at high pump powers (≥ 5 W) leads to thermal distortions and crystal fracture, which limits the utility of Nd:YVO 4 for high power applications. In this thesis, a Nd:YVO4 crystal suffered thermal damage during experiments for investigating the optical gain characteristics of the crystal. This thesis examines the thermal damage mechanisms in detail. Principally, laser induced melting, as well as laser induced thermal stress fracture were studied, all in the absence of stimulated emission in the crystal. The optical system for coupling the pump laser light into the crystal was first simulated in Zemax, an optical design software, and the simulations were then compared to the experimental coupling efficiency results, which were found to be in agreement. The simulations for the laser coupling system were then used in conjunction with LASCAD, a finite element analysis software, to obtain the temperatures inside the crystal, as a function of optical power coupled into the crystal. The temperature simulations were then compared to the experimental results, which were in excellent agreement, and the temperature simulations were then generalized to other crystal geometries and Nd doping levels. Zemax and LASCAD were also used to simulate the thermal stress in the crystal as a function of the coupled optical power, and the simulations were compared to experiments, both of which were found to be in agreement. The thermal stress simulations were then generalized to different crystal geometries and Nd doping levels as well.

Optical modeling of waveguide coupled TES detectors towards the SAFARI instrument for SPICA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trappe, N.; Bracken, C.; Doherty, S.; Gao, J. R.; Glowacka, D.; Goldie, D.; Griffin, D.; Hijmering, R.; Jackson, B.; Khosropanah, P.; Mauskopf, P.; Morozov, D.; Murphy, A.; O'Sullivan, C.; Ridder, M.; Withington, S.

2012-09-01

The next generation of space missions targeting far-infrared wavelengths will require large-format arrays of extremely sensitive detectors. The development of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) array technology is being developed for future Far-Infrared (FIR) space applications such as the SAFARI instrument for SPICA where low-noise and high sensitivity is required to achieve ambitious science goals. In this paper we describe a modal analysis of multi-moded horn antennas feeding integrating cavities housing TES detectors with superconducting film absorbers. In high sensitivity TES detector technology the ability to control the electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical environment of the detector is critical. Simulating and understanding optical behaviour of such detectors at far IR wavelengths is difficult and requires development of existing analysis tools. The proposed modal approach offers a computationally efficient technique to describe the partial coherent response of the full pixel in terms of optical efficiency and power leakage between pixels. Initial wok carried out as part of an ESA technical research project on optical analysis is described and a prototype SAFARI pixel design is analyzed where the optical coupling between the incoming field and the pixel containing horn, cavity with an air gap, and thin absorber layer are all included in the model to allow a comprehensive optical characterization. The modal approach described is based on the mode matching technique where the horn and cavity are described in the traditional way while a technique to include the absorber was developed. Radiation leakage between pixels is also included making this a powerful analysis tool.

Optimal coupling to high-Q whispering gallery modes with a sub-wavelength metallic grating coupler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Y.; Gu, B.; Yu, X.; Luan, F.

2015-03-01

Gold grating patterned on the end facet of an optical fiber is able to excite whispering gallery mode (WGM) in a silica microsphere. With a direct pathway of the metal reflection, the coupled WGM is able to superimpose and create an asymmetric Fano resonance. Since multiple resonances are present - the WGM, grating reflection, and a weak Fabry-Perot resonance along the diameter of the sphere - it is difficult to evaluate the power efficiency directly from the measured spectrum. Using temporal coupled-mode theory, a general model is constructed for the end-fire coupling from a grating to a WGM resonator.

A tunable fiber-optic LED illumination system for non-invasive measurements of the characteristics of a transparent fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Świrniak, Grzegorz; Głomb, Grzegorz

2017-06-01

This study reports an application of a fiber-optic LED-based illumination system to solve an inverse problem in optical measurements of characteristics of a single-mode fiber. The illumination system has the advantages of low temporal coherence, high intensity, collimation, and thermal stability of the emission spectrum. The inverse analysis is investigated to predict the values of the diameter and refractive index of a single-mode fiber and applies to the far field scattering pattern in the vicinity of a polychromatic rainbow. As the inversion possibility depends considerably on the properties of the incident radiation, a detailed discussion is provided on both the specification of the illumination system as well as preliminary characteristics of the produced radiation. The illumination system uses a direct coupling between a thermally-stabilized LED junction and a plastic optical fiber, which transmits light to an optical collimator. A numerical study of fiber-to-LED coupling efficiency helps to understand the influence of lateral and longitudinal misalignments on the output power.

Exchange interaction and tunneling-induced transparency in coupled quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges, H. S.; Alcalde, A. M.; Ulloa, Sergio E.

2014-11-01

We investigate the optical response of quantum dot molecules coherently driven by polarized laser light. Our description includes the splitting in excitonic levels caused by isotropic and anisotropic exchange interactions. We consider interdot transitions mediated by hole tunneling between states with the same total angular momentum and between bright and dark exciton states as allowed by spin-flip hopping between the dots in the molecule. Using realistic experimental parameters we demonstrate that the excitonic states coupled by tunneling exhibit a rich and controllable optical response. We show that through the appropriate control of an external electric field and light polarization, the tunneling coupling establishes an efficient destructive quantum interference path that creates a transparency window in the absorption spectra whenever states of appropriate symmetry are mixed by the carrier tunneling. We explore the relevant parameter space that allows probing this phenomenon in experiments. Controlled variation in applied field and laser detuning would allow the optical characterization of spin-preserving and spin-flip hopping amplitudes in such systems by measuring the width of the tunneling-induced transparency windows.

A Path to High-Efficiency Optical Coupling for HIRMES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Timothy M.; Brown, Ari-David; Costen, Nicholas; Franz, David; Kutyrev, Alexander; Mikula, Vilem; Miller, Kevin H.; Moseley, S. Harvey; Oxborrow, Joseph; Rostem, Karwan; Wollack, Edward J.

2018-05-01

The high-resolution mid-infrared spectrometer (HIRMES) under development for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is an instrument operating in the 25-122 μm spectral range with a spectral resolution R = Δλ/λ 100,000 and has two absorber-coupled transition edge sensor bolometric detector focal planes. We have developed novel NbTiN low-stress absorber coatings which have the required optical impedance across the HIRMES operating band. The low intrinsic stress of these coatings allow for a peak-to-valley corrugation amplitude < 5 μm of the 450 nm thick, 1.4 mm × 1.7 mm detector pixels. Furthermore, these coatings have a superconducting transition temperature 10 K, which allows them to simultaneously serve as an absorber in the desired signal band and a rejection filter at long wavelengths. This attribute makes them especially attractive for ultrasensitive absorber-coupled bolometric detector applications, because it helps in controlling the optical loading from out-of-band radiation. We also discuss a novel method for integrating a wedged-reflective absorber termination to the detector array.

Theory of triplet-triplet annihilation in optically detected magnetic resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keevers, T. L.; McCamey, D. R.

2016-01-01

Triplet-triplet annihilation allows two low-energy photons to be upconverted into a single high-energy photon. By essentially engineering the solar spectrum, this allows solar cells to be made more efficient and even exceed the Shockley-Quiesser limit. Unfortunately, optimizing the reaction pathway is difficult, especially with limited access to the microscopic time scales and states involved in the process. Optical measurements can provide detailed information: triplet-triplet annihilation is intrinsically spin dependent and exhibits substantial magnetoluminescence in the presence of a static magnetic field. Pulsed optically detected magnetic resonance is especially suitable, since it combines high spin sensitivity with coherent manipulation. In this paper, we develop a time-domain theory of triplet-triplet annihilation for complexes with arbitrary spin-spin coupling. We identify unique "Rabi fingerprints" for each coupling regime and show that this can be used to characterize the microscopic Hamiltonian.

High-efficient Nd:YAG microchip laser for optical surface scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šulc, Jan; Jelínková, Helena; Nejezchleb, Karel; Škoda, Václav

2017-12-01

A CW operating, compact, high-power, high-efficient diode pumped 1064nm laser, based on Nd:YAG active medium, was developed for optical surface scanning and mapping applications. To enhance the output beam quality, laser stability, and compactness, a microchip configuration was used. In this arrangement the resonator mirrors were deposited directly on to the laser crystal faces. The Nd-doping concentration was 1 at.% Nd/Y. The Nd:YAG crystal was 5mm long. The laser resonator without pumping radiation recuperation was investigated {the output coupler was transparent for pumping radiation. For the generated laser radiation the output coupler reflectivity was 95%@1064 nm. The diameter of the samples was 5 mm. For the laser pumping two arrangements were investigated. Firstly, a fibre coupled laser diode operating at wavelength 808nm was used in CW mode. The 400 ¹m fiber was delivering up to 14W of pump power amplitude to the microchip laser. The maximum CW output power of 7.2W @ 1064nm in close to TEM00 beam was obtained for incident pumping power 13.7W @ 808 nm. The differential efficiency in respect to the incident pump power reached 56 %. Secondly, a single-emitter, 1W laser diode operating at 808nm was used for Nd:YAG microchip pumping. The laser pumping was directly coupled into the microchip laser using free-space lens optics. Slope efficiency up to 70% was obtained in stable, high-quality, 1064nm laser beam with CW power up to 350mW. The system was successfully used for scanning of super-Gaussian laser mirrors reflectivity profile.

Directional Emission from Metal-Dielectric-Metal Structures: Effect of Mixed Metal Layers, Dye Location and Dielectric Thickness.

PubMed

Choudhury, Sharmistha Dutta; Badugu, Ramachandram; Ray, Krishanu; Lakowicz, Joseph R

2015-02-12

Metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) structures provide directional emission close to the surface normal, which offers opportunities for new design formats in fluorescence based applications. The directional emission arises due to near-field coupling of fluorophores with the optical modes present in the MDM substrate. Reflectivity simulations and dispersion diagrams provide a basic understanding of the mode profiles and the factors that affect the coupling efficiency and the spatial distribution of the coupled emission. This work reveals that the composition of the metal layers, the location of the dye in the MDM substrate and the dielectric thickness are important parameters that can be chosen to tune the color of the emission wavelength, the angle of observation, the angular divergence of the emission and the polarization of the emitted light. These features are valuable for displays and optical signage.

Directional Emission from Metal-Dielectric-Metal Structures: Effect of Mixed Metal Layers, Dye Location and Dielectric Thickness

PubMed Central

Choudhury, Sharmistha Dutta; Badugu, Ramachandram; Ray, Krishanu; Lakowicz, Joseph R.

2015-01-01

Metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) structures provide directional emission close to the surface normal, which offers opportunities for new design formats in fluorescence based applications. The directional emission arises due to near-field coupling of fluorophores with the optical modes present in the MDM substrate. Reflectivity simulations and dispersion diagrams provide a basic understanding of the mode profiles and the factors that affect the coupling efficiency and the spatial distribution of the coupled emission. This work reveals that the composition of the metal layers, the location of the dye in the MDM substrate and the dielectric thickness are important parameters that can be chosen to tune the color of the emission wavelength, the angle of observation, the angular divergence of the emission and the polarization of the emitted light. These features are valuable for displays and optical signage. PMID:25844110

Tapered fiber coupling of single photons emitted by a deterministically positioned single nitrogen vacancy center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liebermeister, Lars, E-mail: lars.liebermeister@physik.uni-muenchen.de; Petersen, Fabian; Münchow, Asmus v.

2014-01-20

A diamond nano-crystal hosting a single nitrogen vacancy (NV) center is optically selected with a confocal scanning microscope and positioned deterministically onto the subwavelength-diameter waist of a tapered optical fiber (TOF) with the help of an atomic force microscope. Based on this nano-manipulation technique, we experimentally demonstrate the evanescent coupling of single fluorescence photons emitted by a single NV-center to the guided mode of the TOF. By comparing photon count rates of the fiber-guided and the free-space modes and with the help of numerical finite-difference time domain simulations, we determine a lower and upper bound for the coupling efficiency ofmore » (9.5 ± 0.6)% and (10.4 ± 0.7)%, respectively. Our results are a promising starting point for future integration of single photon sources into photonic quantum networks and applications in quantum information science.« less

Phonovoltaic. III. Electron-phonon coupling and figure of merit of graphene:BN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnick, Corey; Kaviany, Massoud

2016-12-01

The phonovoltaic cell harvests optical phonons like a photovoltaic harvests photons, that is, a nonequilibrium (hot) population of optical phonons (at temperature Tp ,O) more energetic than the band gap produces electron-hole pairs in a p -n junction, which separates these pairs to produce power. A phonovoltaic material requires an optical phonon mode more energetic than its band gap and much more energetic than the thermal energy (Ep ,O>Δ Ee ,g≫kBT ), which relaxes by generating electrons and power (at rate γ˙e -p) rather than acoustic phonons and heat (at rate γ˙p -p). Graphene (h-C) is the most promising material candidate: when its band gap is tuned to its optical phonon energy without greatly reducing the electron-phonon (e -p ) coupling, it reaches a substantial figure of merit [ZpV=Δ Ee ,gγ˙e -p/Ep ,O(γ˙e -p+γ˙p -p) ≈0.8 ] . A simple tight-binding (TB) model presented here predicts that lifting the sublattice symmetry of graphene in order to open a band gap proscribes the e -p interaction at the band edge, such that γ˙e -p→0 as Δ Ee ,g→Ep ,O . However, ab initio (DFT-LDA) simulations of layered h-C/BN and substitutional h-C:BN show that the e -p coupling remains substantial in these asymmetric crystals. Indeed, h-C:BN achieves a high figure of merit (ZpV≈0.6 ). At 300 K and for a Carnot limit of 0.5 (Tp ,O=600 K) , a h-C:BN phonovoltaic can reach an efficiency of ηpV≈0.2 , double the thermoelectric efficiency (Z T ≈1 ) under similar conditions.

Indistinguishable and efficient single photons from a quantum dot in a planar nanobeam waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KiršanskÄ--, Gabija; Thyrrestrup, Henri; Daveau, Raphaël S.; Dreeßen, Chris L.; Pregnolato, Tommaso; Midolo, Leonardo; Tighineanu, Petru; Javadi, Alisa; Stobbe, Søren; Schott, Rüdiger; Ludwig, Arne; Wieck, Andreas D.; Park, Suk In; Song, Jin D.; Kuhlmann, Andreas V.; Söllner, Immo; Löbl, Matthias C.; Warburton, Richard J.; Lodahl, Peter

2017-10-01

We demonstrate a high-purity source of indistinguishable single photons using a quantum dot embedded in a nanophotonic waveguide. The source features a near-unity internal coupling efficiency and the collected photons are efficiently coupled off chip by implementing a taper that adiabatically couples the photons to an optical fiber. By quasiresonant excitation of the quantum dot, we measure a single-photon purity larger than 99.4 % and a photon indistinguishability of up to 94 ±1 % by using p -shell excitation combined with spectral filtering to reduce photon jitter. A temperature-dependent study allows pinpointing the residual decoherence processes, notably the effect of phonon broadening. Strict resonant excitation is implemented as well as another means of suppressing photon jitter, and the additional complexity of suppressing the excitation laser source is addressed. The paper opens a clear pathway towards the long-standing goal of a fully deterministic source of indistinguishable photons, which is integrated on a planar photonic chip.

Wavelength-tunable waveguides based on polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziyu; Liu, Jingying; Xu, Zai-Quan; Xue, Yunzhou; Jiang, Liangcong; Song, Jingchao; Huang, Fuzhi; Wang, Yusheng; Zhong, Yu Lin; Zhang, Yupeng; Cheng, Yi-Bing; Bao, Qiaoliang

2016-03-01

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have emerged as new photovoltaic materials with impressively high power conversion efficiency due to their high optical absorption coefficient and long charge carrier diffusion length. In addition to high photoluminescence quantum efficiency and chemical tunability, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites also show intriguing potential for diverse photonic applications. In this work, we demonstrate that polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires can function as active optical waveguides with small propagation loss. The successful production of high quality perovskite microwires with different halogen elements enables the guiding of light with different colours. Furthermore, it is interesting to find that out-coupled light intensity from the microwire can be effectively modulated by an external electric field, which behaves as an electro-optical modulator. This finding suggests the promising applications of perovskite microwires as effective building blocks in micro/nano scale photonic circuits.

Wavelength-tunable waveguides based on polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires.

PubMed

Wang, Ziyu; Liu, Jingying; Xu, Zai-Quan; Xue, Yunzhou; Jiang, Liangcong; Song, Jingchao; Huang, Fuzhi; Wang, Yusheng; Zhong, Yu Lin; Zhang, Yupeng; Cheng, Yi-Bing; Bao, Qiaoliang

2016-03-28

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have emerged as new photovoltaic materials with impressively high power conversion efficiency due to their high optical absorption coefficient and long charge carrier diffusion length. In addition to high photoluminescence quantum efficiency and chemical tunability, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites also show intriguing potential for diverse photonic applications. In this work, we demonstrate that polycrystalline organic-inorganic perovskite microwires can function as active optical waveguides with small propagation loss. The successful production of high quality perovskite microwires with different halogen elements enables the guiding of light with different colours. Furthermore, it is interesting to find that out-coupled light intensity from the microwire can be effectively modulated by an external electric field, which behaves as an electro-optical modulator. This finding suggests the promising applications of perovskite microwires as effective building blocks in micro/nano scale photonic circuits.

Broadband enhancement of single photon emission and polarization dependent coupling in silicon nitride waveguides.

PubMed

Bisschop, Suzanne; Guille, Antoine; Van Thourhout, Dries; Hens, Zeger; Brainis, Edouard

2015-06-01

Single-photon (SP) sources are important for a number of optical quantum information processing applications. We study the possibility to integrate triggered solid-state SP emitters directly on a photonic chip. A major challenge consists in efficiently extracting their emission into a single guided mode. Using 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations, we investigate the SP emission from dipole-like nanometer-sized inclusions embedded into different silicon nitride (SiNx) photonic nanowire waveguide designs. We elucidate the effect of the geometry on the emission lifetime and the polarization of the emitted SP. The results show that highly efficient and polarized SP sources can be realized using suspended SiNx slot-waveguides. Combining this with the well-established CMOS-compatible processing technology, fully integrated and complex optical circuits for quantum optics experiments can be developed.

Plasmon hybridization in complex metallic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Feng

With Plasmon Hybridization (PH) and Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method, we theoretically investigated the optical properties of some complex metallic nanostructures (coupled nanoparticle/wire, nanostars, nanorings and combined ring/disk nanocavity systems). We applied the analytical formulism of PH studying the plasmonic coupling of a spherical metallic nanoparticle and an infinite long cylindrical nanowire. The plasmon resonance of the coupled system is shown shifted in frequency, which highly depends on the polarization of incident light relative to the geometry of the structure. We also showed the nanoparticle serves as an efficient antenna coupling the electromagnetic radiation into the low-energy propagating wire plasmons. We performed an experimental and theoretical analysis of the optical properties of gold nanorings with different sizes and cross sections. For light polarized parallel to the ring, the optical spectrum sensitively depends on the incident angle. When light incidence is normal to the ring, two dipolar resonance is observed. As the incident light is titled, some previously dark mulipolar plasmon resonances will be excited as a consequence of the retardation. The concept of plasmon hybridization is combined with the power of brute-force numerical methods to understand the plasmonic properties of some very complicated nanostructures. We showed the plasmons of a gold nanostar are a result of hybridization of the plasmons of the core and the tips of the particle. The core serves as a nanoantenna, dramatically enhanced the optical spectrum and the field enhancement of the nanostar. We also applied this method analyzing the plasmonic modes of a nanocavity structure composed of a nanodisk with a surrounding minoring. For the concentric combination, we showed the nature of the plasmon modes can be understood as the plasmon hybrization of an individual ring and disk. The interation results in a blueshifted and broadened superradiant antibonding resonance and a redshifted and narrowed subradiant bonding plasmon. The electric field enhancement of the subradiant mode is significantly larger compared with its parent plasmon modes. For the nonconcentric ring/disk nanocavity, we showed the symmetry breaking caused the coupling betweem different multipolar plamons which results in a tunable Fano resonance. We also show the subradiant and the Fano resonances could be particularly useful in the LSPR and SERS sensing applications. In the thesis, we also presented an efficient dielectric function of gold and silver that is suitable for the FDTD simulations of the optical properties of various nanoparticles. The new dielectric function is able to account for the interband transition in gold and silver, and provides more precise calculations of the optical spectra compared to the Drude dielectric function that is normally used previously.

Ontology-based coupled optimisation design method using state-space analysis for the spindle box system of large ultra-precision optical grinding machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qianren; Chen, Xing; Yin, Yuehong; Lu, Jian

2017-08-01

With the increasing complexity of mechatronic products, traditional empirical or step-by-step design methods are facing great challenges with various factors and different stages having become inevitably coupled during the design process. Management of massive information or big data, as well as the efficient operation of information flow, is deeply involved in the process of coupled design. Designers have to address increased sophisticated situations when coupled optimisation is also engaged. Aiming at overcoming these difficulties involved in conducting the design of the spindle box system of ultra-precision optical grinding machine, this paper proposed a coupled optimisation design method based on state-space analysis, with the design knowledge represented by ontologies and their semantic networks. An electromechanical coupled model integrating mechanical structure, control system and driving system of the motor is established, mainly concerning the stiffness matrix of hydrostatic bearings, ball screw nut and rolling guide sliders. The effectiveness and precision of the method are validated by the simulation results of the natural frequency and deformation of the spindle box when applying an impact force to the grinding wheel.

Multi-emitter laser multiplexer using a two-mirror beam shaper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobb, Joshua M.; Brennan, John; Bhatia, Vikram

2014-12-01

A system was designed and built to spatially multiplex four broad area laser diodes (BALD) and condense the light into a multi-mode fiber with a core diameter of 105 um and an NA of 0.15. The lasers were efficiently combined with an étendue aspect ratio scaler (EARS) optic. The EARS works under the principle of a two mirror beam shaper. We were able to successfully couple more than 87% of the optical energy into the fiber. The design of the optical system and the results of several built systems are discussed.

Analysis of silicon on insulator (SOI) optical microring add-drop filter based on waveguide intersections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaźmierczak, Andrzej; Bogaerts, Wim; Van Thourhout, Dries; Drouard, Emmanuel; Rojo-Romeo, Pedro; Giannone, Domenico; Gaffiot, Frederic

2008-04-01

We present a compact passive optical add-drop filter which incorporates two microring resonators and a waveguide intersection in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. Such a filter is a key element for designing simple layouts of highly integrated complex optical networks-on-chip. The filter occupies an area smaller than 10μm×10μm and exhibits relatively high quality factors (up to 4000) and efficient signal dropping capabilities. In the present work, the influence of filter parameters such as the microring-resonators radii and the coupling section shape are analyzed theoretically and experimentally

Analysis of the coupling efficiency of a tapered space receiver with a calculus mathematical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Qinggui; Mu, Yining

2018-03-01

We establish a calculus mathematical model to study the coupling characteristics of tapered optical fibers in a space communications system, and obtained the coupling efficiency equation. Then, using MATLAB software, the solution was calculated. After this, the sample was produced by the mature flame-brush technique. The experiment was then performed, and the results were in accordance with the theoretical analysis. This shows that the theoretical analysis was correct and indicates that a tapered structure could improve its tolerance with misalignment. Project supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 61275080); 2017 Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Plan-Science and Technology Innovation Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises (20170308029HJ); ‘thirteen five’ science and technology research project of the Department of Education of Jilin 2016 (16JK009).

Photonic crystal Fano resonances for realizing optical switches, lasers, and non-reciprocal elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bekele, Dagmawi A.; Yu, Yi; Hu, Hao; Ding, Yunhong; Sakanas, Aurimas; Ottaviano, Luisa; Semenova, Elizaveta; Oxenløwe, Leif K.; Yvind, Kresten; Mork, Jesper

2017-08-01

We present our work on photonic crystal membrane devices exploiting Fano resonance between a line-defect waveguide and a side coupled nanocavity. Experimental demonstration of fast and compact all-optical switches for wavelength-conversion is reported. It is shown how the use of an asymmetric structure in combination with cavity-enhanced nonlinearity can be used to realize non-reciprocal transmission at ultra-low power and with large bandwidth. A novel type of laser structure, denoted a Fano laser, is discussed in which one of the mirrors is based on a Fano resonance. Finally, the design, fabrication and characterization of grating couplers for efficient light coupling in and out of the indium phosphide photonic crystal platform is discussed.

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, Robert J.; Atacama Cosmology Telescope Team

2010-01-01

The 6-meter Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) is making detailed maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background at Cerro Toco in northern Chile. In this talk, I focus on the design and operation of the telescope and its commissioning instrument, the Millimeter Bolometer Array Camera. The camera contains three independent sets of optics that operate at 148 GHz, 217 GHz, and 277 GHz with arcminute resolution, each of which couples to a 1024-element array of Transition Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers. I will report on the camera performance, including the beam patterns, optical efficiencies, and detector sensitivities. Under development for ACT is a new polarimeter based on feedhorn-coupled TES devices that have improved sensitivity and are planned to operate at 0.1 K.

A strained silicon cold electron bolometer using Schottky contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brien, T. L. R.; Ade, P. A. R.; Barry, P. S.; Dunscombe, C.; Leadley, D. R.; Morozov, D. V.; Myronov, M.; Parker, E. H. C.; Prest, M. J.; Prunnila, M.; Sudiwala, R. V.; Whall, T. E.; Mauskopf, P. D.

2014-07-01

We describe optical characterisation of a strained silicon cold electron bolometer (CEB), operating on a 350 mK stage, designed for absorption of millimetre-wave radiation. The silicon cold electron bolometer utilises Schottky contacts between a superconductor and an n++ doped silicon island to detect changes in the temperature of the charge carriers in the silicon, due to variations in absorbed radiation. By using strained silicon as the absorber, we decrease the electron-phonon coupling in the device and increase the responsivity to incoming power. The strained silicon absorber is coupled to a planar aluminium twin-slot antenna designed to couple to 160 GHz and that serves as the superconducting contacts. From the measured optical responsivity and spectral response, we calculate a maximum optical efficiency of 50% for radiation coupled into the device by the planar antenna and an overall noise equivalent power, referred to absorbed optical power, of 1.1×10-16 W Hz-1/2 when the detector is observing a 300 K source through a 4 K throughput limiting aperture. Even though this optical system is not optimized, we measure a system noise equivalent temperature difference of 6 mK Hz-1/2. We measure the noise of the device using a cross-correlation of time stream data, measured simultaneously with two junction field-effect transistor amplifiers, with a base correlated noise level of 300 pV Hz-1/2 and find that the total noise is consistent with a combination of photon noise, current shot noise, and electron-phonon thermal noise.

Theoretical study of collinear optical frequency comb generation under multi-wave, transient stimulated Raman scattering in crystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smetanin, S N

2014-11-30

Using mathematical modelling we have studied the conditions of low-threshold collinear optical frequency comb generation under transient (picosecond) stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and parametric four-wave coupling of SRS components in crystals. It is shown that Raman-parametric generation of an octave-spanning optical frequency comb occurs most effectively under intermediate, transient SRS at a pump pulse duration exceeding the dephasing time by five-to-twenty times. We have found the optimal values of not only the laser pump pulse duration, but also of the Raman crystal lengths corresponding to highly efficient generation of an optical frequency comb from the second anti-Stokes to the fourthmore » Stokes Raman components. For the KGd(WO{sub 4}){sub 2} (high dispersion) and Ba(NO{sub 3}){sub 2} (low dispersion) crystals pumped at a wavelength of 1.064 μm and a pulse duration five or more times greater than the dephasing time, the optimum length of the crystal was 0.3 and 0.6 cm, respectively, which is consistent with the condition of the most effective Stokes – anti-Stokes coupling ΔkL ≈ 15, where Δk is the wave detuning from phase matching of Stokes – anti-Stokes coupling, determined by the refractive index dispersion of the SRS medium. (nonlinear optical phenomena)« less

Low-loss plasmon-assisted electro-optic modulator.

PubMed

Haffner, Christian; Chelladurai, Daniel; Fedoryshyn, Yuriy; Josten, Arne; Baeuerle, Benedikt; Heni, Wolfgang; Watanabe, Tatsuhiko; Cui, Tong; Cheng, Bojun; Saha, Soham; Elder, Delwin L; Dalton, Larry R; Boltasseva, Alexandra; Shalaev, Vladimir M; Kinsey, Nathaniel; Leuthold, Juerg

2018-04-01

For nearly two decades, researchers in the field of plasmonics 1 -which studies the coupling of electromagnetic waves to the motion of free electrons near the surface of a metal 2 -have sought to realize subwavelength optical devices for information technology 3-6 , sensing 7,8 , nonlinear optics 9,10 , optical nanotweezers 11 and biomedical applications 12 . However, the electron motion generates heat through ohmic losses. Although this heat is desirable for some applications such as photo-thermal therapy, it is a disadvantage in plasmonic devices for sensing and information technology 13 and has led to a widespread view that plasmonics is too lossy to be practical. Here we demonstrate that the ohmic losses can be bypassed by using 'resonant switching'. In the proposed approach, light is coupled to the lossy surface plasmon polaritons only in the device's off state (in resonance) in which attenuation is desired, to ensure large extinction ratios between the on and off states and allow subpicosecond switching. In the on state (out of resonance), destructive interference prevents the light from coupling to the lossy plasmonic section of a device. To validate the approach, we fabricated a plasmonic electro-optic ring modulator. The experiments confirm that low on-chip optical losses, operation at over 100 gigahertz, good energy efficiency, low thermal drift and a compact footprint can be combined in a single device. Our result illustrates that plasmonics has the potential to enable fast, compact on-chip sensing and communications technologies.

Coupling of the recoil mass spectrometer CAMEL to the γ-ray spectrometer GASP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spolaore, P.; Ackermann, D.; Bednarczyk, P.; De Angelis, G.; Napoli, D.; Rossi Alvarez, C.; Bazzacco, D.; Burch, R.; Müller, L.; Segato, G. F.; Scarlassara, F.

1995-02-01

A project has been realized to link the CAMEL recoil mass spectrometer to the GASP γ-spectrometer in order to perform high resolution and efficiency γ-recoil coincidence measurements. To preserve high flexibility and autonomy in the operation of the two complex apparatus a rough factor two of reduction in the overall heavy ion transmission was accepted in designing the optics of the particle transport from the GASP center to the CAMEL focal plane. The coupled configuration has been tested with the fusion reaction 58Ni (E = 212 MeV) + 64Ni, obtaining a mass resolution of {1}/{300} and efficiency between ˜ 11% and ˜ 15% for different evaporation products.

Efficient multiparticle entanglement via asymmetric Rydberg blockade.

PubMed

Saffman, M; Mølmer, K

2009-06-19

We present an efficient method for producing N particle entangled states using Rydberg blockade interactions. Optical excitation of Rydberg states that interact weakly, yet have a strong coupling to a second control state is used to achieve state dependent qubit rotations in small ensembles. On the basis of quantitative calculations, we predict that an entangled quantum superposition state of eight atoms can be produced with a fidelity of 84% in cold Rb atoms.

High power diode laser Master Oscillator-Power Amplifier (MOPA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, John R.; Mouroulis, P.; Wicks, G.

1994-01-01

High power multiple quantum well AlGaAs diode laser master oscillator - power amplifier (MOPA) systems were examined both experimentally and theoretically. For two pass operation, it was found that powers in excess of 0.3 W per 100 micrometers of facet length were achievable while maintaining diffraction-limited beam quality. Internal electrical-to-optical conversion efficiencies as high as 25 percent were observed at an internal amplifier gain of 9 dB. Theoretical modeling of multiple quantum well amplifiers was done using appropriate rate equations and a heuristic model of the carrier density dependent gain. The model gave a qualitative agreement with the experimental results. In addition, the model allowed exploration of a wider design space for the amplifiers. The model predicted that internal electrical-to-optical conversion efficiencies in excess of 50 percent should be achievable with careful system design. The model predicted that no global optimum design exists, but gain, efficiency, and optical confinement (coupling efficiency) can be mutually adjusted to meet a specific system requirement. A three quantum well, low optical confinement amplifier was fabricated using molecular beam epitaxial growth. Coherent beam combining of two high power amplifiers injected from a common master oscillator was also examined. Coherent beam combining with an efficiency of 93 percent resulted in a single beam having diffraction-limited characteristics. This beam combining efficiency is a world record result for such a system. Interferometric observations of the output of the amplifier indicated that spatial mode matching was a significant factor in the less than perfect beam combining. Finally, the system issues of arrays of amplifiers in a coherent beam combining system were investigated. Based upon experimentally observed parameters coherent beam combining could result in a megawatt-scale coherent beam with a 10 percent electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency.

Comparison-based optical study on a point-line-coupling-focus system with linear Fresnel heliostats.

PubMed

Dai, Yanjun; Li, Xian; Zhou, Lingyu; Ma, Xuan; Wang, Ruzhu

2016-05-16

Concentrating the concept of a beam-down solar tower with linear Fresnel heliostat (PLCF) is one of the feasible choices and has great potential in reducing spot size and improving optical efficiency. Optical characteristics of a PLCF system with the hyperboloid reflector are introduced and investigated theoretically. Taking into account solar position and optical surface errors, a Monte Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) analysis model for a PLCF system is developed and applied in a comparison-based study on the optical performance between the PLCF system and the conventional beam-down solar tower system with flat and spherical heliostats. The optimal square facet of linear Fresnel heliostat is also proposed for matching with the 3D-CPC receiver.

Platform technologies for hybrid optoelectronic integration and packaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, Madhumita

In order to bring fiber-optics closer to individual home and business services, the optical network components have to be inexpensive and reliable. Integration and packaging of optoelectronic devices holds the key to high-volume low-cost component manufacturing. The goal of this dissertation is to propose, study, and demonstrate various ways to integrate optoelectronic devices on a packaging platform to implement cost-effective, functional optical modules. Two types of hybrid integration techniques have been proposed: flip-chip solder bump bonding for high-density two-dimensional array packaging of surface-emitting devices, and solder preform bonding for fiber-coupled edge-emitting semiconductor devices. For flip-chip solder bump bonding, we developed a simple, inexpensive remetallization process called "electroless plating", which converts the aluminum bond pads of foundry-made complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips into solder-bondable and wire-bondable gold surfaces. We have applied for a patent on this remetallization technique. For fiber-pigtailed edge-emitting laser modules, we have studied the coupling characteristics of different types of lensed single-mode fibers including semispherically lensed fiber, cylindrically lensed fiber and conically lensed fiber. We have experimentally demonstrated 66% coupling efficiency with semispherically lensed fiber and 50% efficiency with conically lensed fibers. We have proposed and designed a packaging platform on which lensed fibers can be actively aligned to a laser and solder-attached reliably to the platform so that the alignment is retained. We have designed thin-film nichrome heaters on fused quartz platforms as local heat source to facilitate on-board solder alignment and attachment of fiber. The thermal performance of the heaters was simulated using finite element analysis tool ANSYS prior to fabrication. Using the heater's reworkability advantage, we have estimated the shift of the fiber due to solder shrinkage and introduced a pre-correction in the alignment process to restore optimum coupling efficiency close to 50% with conically lensed fibers. We have applied for a patent on this unique active alignment method through the University of Maryland's Technology Commercialization Office. Although we have mostly concentrated on active alignment platforms, we have proposed the idea of combining the passive alignment advantages of silicon optical benches to the on-board heater-assisted active alignment technique. This passive-active alignment process has the potential of cost-effective array packaging of edge-emitting devices.

Theoretical study of collinear optical frequency comb generation under multi-wave, transient stimulated Raman scattering in crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smetanin, S. N.

2014-11-01

Using mathematical modelling we have studied the conditions of low-threshold collinear optical frequency comb generation under transient (picosecond) stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and parametric four-wave coupling of SRS components in crystals. It is shown that Raman-parametric generation of an octave-spanning optical frequency comb occurs most effectively under intermediate, transient SRS at a pump pulse duration exceeding the dephasing time by five-to-twenty times. We have found the optimal values of not only the laser pump pulse duration, but also of the Raman crystal lengths corresponding to highly efficient generation of an optical frequency comb from the second anti-Stokes to the fourth Stokes Raman components. For the KGd(WO4)2 (high dispersion) and Ba(NO3)2 (low dispersion) crystals pumped at a wavelength of 1.064 μm and a pulse duration five or more times greater than the dephasing time, the optimum length of the crystal was 0.3 and 0.6 cm, respectively, which is consistent with the condition of the most effective Stokes - anti-Stokes coupling ΔkL ≈ 15, where Δk is the wave detuning from phase matching of Stokes - anti-Stokes coupling, determined by the refractive index dispersion of the SRS medium.

Cavity-based quantum networks with single atoms and optical photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiserer, Andreas; Rempe, Gerhard

2015-10-01

Distributed quantum networks will allow users to perform tasks and to interact in ways which are not possible with present-day technology. Their implementation is a key challenge for quantum science and requires the development of stationary quantum nodes that can send and receive as well as store and process quantum information locally. The nodes are connected by quantum channels for flying information carriers, i.e., photons. These channels serve both to directly exchange quantum information between nodes and to distribute entanglement over the whole network. In order to scale such networks to many particles and long distances, an efficient interface between the nodes and the channels is required. This article describes the cavity-based approach to this goal, with an emphasis on experimental systems in which single atoms are trapped in and coupled to optical resonators. Besides being conceptually appealing, this approach is promising for quantum networks on larger scales, as it gives access to long qubit coherence times and high light-matter coupling efficiencies. Thus, it allows one to generate entangled photons on the push of a button, to reversibly map the quantum state of a photon onto an atom, to transfer and teleport quantum states between remote atoms, to entangle distant atoms, to detect optical photons nondestructively, to perform entangling quantum gates between an atom and one or several photons, and even provides a route toward efficient heralded quantum memories for future repeaters. The presented general protocols and the identification of key parameters are applicable to other experimental systems.

Gold nanoparticles: enhanced optical trapping and sensitivity coupled with significant heating.

PubMed

Seol, Yeonee; Carpenter, Amanda E; Perkins, Thomas T

2006-08-15

Gold nanoparticles appear to be superior handles in optical trapping assays. We demonstrate that relatively large gold particles (R(b)=50 nm) indeed yield a sixfold enhancement in trapping efficiency and detection sensitivity as compared to similar-sized polystyrene particles. However, optical absorption by gold at the most common trapping wavelength (1064 nm) induces dramatic heating (266 degrees C/W). We determined this heating by comparing trap stiffness from three different methods in conjunction with detailed modeling. Due to this heating, gold nanoparticles are not useful for temperature-sensitive optical-trapping experiments, but may serve as local molecular heaters. Also, such particles, with their increased detection sensitivity, make excellent probes for certain zero-force biophysical assays.

All-optical diffractive/transmissive switch based on coupled cycloidal diffractive waveplates.

PubMed

Serak, Svetlana V; Hakobyan, Rafael S; Nersisyan, Sarik R; Tabiryan, Nelson V; White, Timothy J; Bunning, Timothy J; Steeves, Diane M; Kimball, Brian R

2012-02-27

Pairs of cycloidal diffractive waveplates can be used to doubly diffract or collinearly propagate laser radiation of the appropriate wavelength. The use of a dynamic phase retarder placed in between the pair can be utilized to switch between the two optical states. We present results from the implementation of an azo-based retarder whose optical properties can be modulated using light itself. We show fast and efficient switching between the two states for both CW and single nanosecond laser pulses of green radiation. Contrasts greater than 100:1 were achieved. The temporal response as a function of light intensity is presented and the optical switching is shown to be polarization independent.

Monolithically integrated fiber-to-the-home diplexers and triplexers using a bilevel etched 2 x 2 optical coupler.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Wang, Lei; He, Jian-Jun

2009-09-01

A novel design of monolithically integrated diplexers and triplexers for fiber-to-the-home applications is presented. A bilevel etched asymmetrical 2 x 2 optical coupler is analyzed for efficient couplings of both upstream and downstream signals. The design of the diplexer is extended to a triplexer by adding an etched diffraction grating as an additional downstream demultiplexing element. The total size of the integrated diplexer and triplexer is smaller than 500 microm x 500 microm.

Design and analysis of a silicon-based antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide chemical sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remley, Kate A.; Weisshaar, Andreas

1996-08-01

The design of a silicon-based antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) chemical sensor is presented, and its theoretical performance is compared with that of a conventional structure. The use of an ARROW structure permits incorporation of a thick guiding region for efficient coupling to a single-mode fiber. A high-index overlay is added to fine tune the sensitivity of the ARROW chemical sensor. The sensitivity of the sensor is presented, and design trade-offs are discussed.

Single Nanowire Probe for Single Cell Endoscopy and Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Ruoxue

The ability to manipulate light in subwavelength photonic and plasmonic structures has shown great potentials in revolutionizing how information is generated, transformed and processed. Chemically synthesized nanowires, in particular, offers a unique toolbox not only for highly compact and integrated photonic modules and devices, including coherent and incoherent light sources, waveguides, photodetectors and photovoltaics, but also for new types of nanoscopic bio-probes for spot cargo delivery and in-situ single cell endoscopy and sensing. Such nanowire probes would enable us to carry out intracellular imaging and probing with high spatial resolution, monitor in-vivo biological processes within single living cells and greatly improve our fundamental understanding of cell functions, intracellular physiological processes, and cellular signal pathways. My work is aimed at developing a material and instrumental platform for such single nanowire probe. Successful optical integration of Ag nanowire plasmonic waveguides, which offers deep subwavelength mode confinement, and conventional photonic waveguides was demonstrated on a single nanowire level. The highest plasmonic-photonic coupling efficiency coupling was found at small coupling angles and low input frequencies. The frequency dependent propagation loss was observed in Ag nanowire and was confirmed by quantitative measurement and in agreement with theoretical expectations. Rational integration of dielectric and Ag nanowire waveguide components into hybrid optical-plasmonic routing devices has been demonstrated. This capability is essential for incorporating sub-100nm Ag nanowire waveguides into optical fiber based nanoprobes for single cell endoscopy. The nanoprobe system based on single nanowire waveguides was demonstrated by optically coupling semiconductor or metal nanowire with an optical fiber with tapered tip. This nanoprobe design requires minimal instrumentation which makes it cost efficient and readily adaptable to average bio-lab environment. These probes are mechanically robust and flexible and can withstand repeated bending and deformation without significant deterioration in optical performance, which offers an ideal instrumental platform for out subsequent effort of using these nanoprobes in chemical sensing as well as single cell endoscopy and spot delivery. Parameters affecting the coupling efficiency and output power of the nanoprobe were studied and chemical etched of single mode fiber with small cone angle was established to be optimized for highly effective optical nanoprobes. The versatility of the nanoprobe design was first tested by transforming the nanowire probe into a pH sensor with near-field photopolymerization of a copolymer containing pH sensitive dye on the tip of the nanowire. The pH-sensitive nanoprobe was able to report the pH difference in micro-droplets containing buffer solution with the excitation of light waveguided on the nanoprobe with internal calibration, fast response time and good photostability and reversibility. Such nanoprobe sensors are ideal for high definition spatial and temporal sensing of concentration profile, especially for the kinetic processes in single cell studies for which chemical probes of minute sizes and fast response are desired. The nanoprobe was then applied into spot cargo delivery and in-situ single cell endoscopy. It was demonstrated that nanowire-based optical probe can deliver payloads into the cell with a high spatiotemporal precision, guide and confine visible light into intracellular compartments selectively and detect optical signals from the subcellular regions with high spatial resolution. The nanoprobe was proven to be biocompatible and non-invasive. The effective optical coupling between the fiber optics and the nanowire enables highly localized excitation and detection, limiting the probe volume to the close proximity of the nanowire. None the less, this versatile technique does not rely on any expensive or bulky instrumentation, and relies only on micromanipulator and optical microscope that are readily available in most biological labs. The different functions can be further integrated to make the whole nanoprobe system more compact and even portable. In addition, my research also includes the first demonstration of the synthesis of the longitudinal heterostructured SiO2/Al2O 3 nanotubes and the nanofluidic diode device based on the discontinuity of their internal surface charge. Comprehensive characterization shows that the nanotubes has heterostructured inner tube walls, as well as a discontinuity of surface charge. The ionic transport through these nanotube heterojunctions exhibits clear current rectification, a signature of ionic diode behavior. The development of such nanofluidic devices would enable the modulation of ionic and molecular transport at a more sophisticated level, and lead to large-scale integrated nanofluidic networks and logic circuits.

Air-coupled laser vibrometry: analysis and applications.

PubMed

Solodov, Igor; Döring, Daniel; Busse, Gerd

2009-03-01

Acousto-optic interaction between a narrow laser beam and acoustic waves in air is analyzed theoretically. The photoelastic relation in air is used to derive the phase modulation of laser light in air-coupled reflection vibrometry induced by angular spatial spectral components comprising the acoustic beam. Maximum interaction was found for the zero spatial acoustic component propagating normal to the laser beam. The angular dependence of the imaging efficiency is determined for the axial and nonaxial acoustic components with the regard for the laser beam steering in the scanning mode. The sensitivity of air-coupled vibrometry is compared with conventional "Doppler" reflection vibrometry. Applications of the methodology for visualization of linear and nonlinear air-coupled fields are demonstrated.

Antireflective Paraboloidal Microlens Film for Boosting Power Conversion Efficiency of Solar Cells.

PubMed

Fang, Chaolong; Zheng, Jun; Zhang, Yaoju; Li, Yijie; Liu, Siyuan; Wang, Weiji; Jiang, Tao; Zhao, Xuesong; Li, Zhihong

2018-06-21

Microlens arrays can improve light transmittance in optical devices or enhance the photoelectrical conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Their surface morphology (aspect ratio and packed density) is vital to photon management in solar cells. Here, we report a 100% packed density paraboloidal microlens array (PMLA), with a large aspect ratio, fabricated by direct-write UV laser photolithography coupled with soft imprint lithography. Optical characterization shows that the PMLA structure can remarkably decrease the front-side reflectance of solar cell device. The measured electrical parameters of the solar cell device clearly and consistently demonstrate that the PMLA film can considerably improve the photoelectrical conversion efficiency. In addition, the PMLA film has superhydrophobic properties, verified by measurement of a large water contact angle, and can enhance the self-cleaning capability of solar cell devices.

Nonlinear response of silicon photonic crystal microresonators excited via an integrated waveguide and fiber taper.

PubMed

Barclay, Paul; Srinivasan, Kartik; Painter, Oskar

2005-02-07

A technique is demonstrated which efficiently transfers light between a tapered standard single-mode optical fiber and a high-Q, ultra-small mode volume, silicon photonic crystal resonant cavity. Cavity mode quality factors of 4.7x10(4) are measured, and a total fiber-to-cavity coupling efficiency of 44% is demonstrated. Using this efficient cavity input and output channel, the steady-state nonlinear absorption and dispersion of the photonic crystal cavity is studied. Optical bistability is observed for fiber input powers as low as 250 microW, corresponding to a dropped power of 100 microW and 3 fJ of stored cavity energy. A high-density effective free-carrier lifetime for these silicon photonic crystal resonators of ~ 0.5 ns is also estimated from power dependent loss and dispersion measurements.

Graphene-Boron Nitride Heterostructure Based Optoelectronic Devices for On-Chip Optical Interconnects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yuanda

Graphene has emerged as an appealing material for a variety of optoelectronic applications due to its unique electrical and optical characteristics. In this thesis, I will present recent advances in integrating graphene and graphene-boron nitride (BN) heterostructures with confined optical architectures, e.g. planar photonic crystal (PPC) nanocavities and silicon channel waveguides, to make this otherwise weakly absorbing material optically opaque. Based on these integrations, I will further demonstrate the resulting chip-integrated optoelectronic devices for optical interconnects. After transferring a layer of graphene onto PPC nanocavities, spectral selectivity at the resonance frequency and orders-of-magnitude enhancement of optical coupling with graphene have been observed in infrared spectrum. By applying electrostatic potential to graphene, electro-optic modulation of the cavity reflection is possible with contrast in excess of 10 dB. And furthermore, a novel and complex modulator device structure based on the cavity-coupled and BN-encapsulated dual-layer graphene capacitor is demonstrated to operate at a speed of 1.2 GHz. On the other hand, an enhanced broad-spectrum light-graphene interaction coupled with silicon channel waveguides is also demonstrated with ?0.1 dB/?m transmission attenuation due to graphene absorption. A waveguide-integrated graphene photodetector is fabricated and shown 0.1 A/W photoresponsivity and 20 GHz operation speed. An improved version of a similar photodetector using graphene-BN heterostructure exhibits 0.36 A/W photoresponsivity and 42 GHz response speed. The integration of graphene and graphene-BN heterostructures with nanophotonic architectures promises a new generation of compact, energy-efficient, high-speed optoelectronic device concepts for on-chip optical communications that are not yet feasible or very difficult to realize using traditional bulk semiconductors.

Planar waveguide solar concentrator with couplers fabricated by laser-induced backside wet etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Nikai

Solar radiation can be converted directly into electricity by using the photovoltaic effect, which represents the principle of operation of solar cells. Currently, most solar cells are made of crystalline silicon and have a conversion efficiency of about 20% or less. Multi-junction solar cells, made of III-V compound semiconductors, can have efficiencies in excess of 40%. The main factor that prohibits such high-efficiency technologies from wider acceptance is the cost. An alternative approach to using large-area expensive solar cells is to employ lower cost optics and concentrate the solar radiation to smaller cell area, which is the basic principle of solar concentrators. In this thesis, we consider a solar concentrator module that consists of a combination of a lens array and a slab waveguide with etched conical holes on one side of the waveguide, which are aligned with the lenslets. Sunlight coming through each of these lenslets is focused on the backside of the waveguide, where a coupling structure (an etched cone) is fabricated. This coupler changes the propagation direction of the incident light in such a way that light is guided through total internal reflection (TIR) within the glass slab and eventually reaches a solar cell, which is properly mounted on the side of the slab. The concept of this concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system is based on a planar light guide solar concentrator module, proposed earlier by another group. This project builds on the original idea by including the following substantial modifications. The lens array is to be made of solid glass by a mold technology and provided to us by our industrial partner, Libbey, Inc., as opposed to silicone on glass technology, in which the lenses are made out of silicone and sit on a glass substrate. The coupling structures are cone-shaped holes etched directly into the solid glass waveguide, as opposed to coupling structures that are formed by addition of polymeric layer and consequent patterning. The fabrication of the etched holes in the glass is proposed to be based on a self-aligned process using a laser-induced backside etching (LIBWE) method, which is discussed in this project and its feasibility is examined. The role of different parameters to the concentration level and the optical efficiency of the CPV system are studied by simulations in ZEMAX (which is a leading optical analysis/design software) using non-sequential ray tracing. The optical efficiency of this design under different light concentration level is studied and discussed. The main contributions of this research consist of a new design of a waveguide-based CPV system which can be made entirely of glass by a low-cost glass fabrication method, and a feasibility study in terms of critical fabrication steps and optical performance.

Ternary and coupled binary zinc tin oxide nanopowders: Synthesis, characterization, and potential application in photocatalytic processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivetić, T.B., E-mail: tamara.ivetic@df.uns.ac.rs; Finčur, N.L.; Đačanin, Lj. R.

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Mechanochemically synthesized nanocrystalline zinc tin oxide (ZTO) powders. • Photocatalytic degradation of alprazolam in the presence of ZTO water suspensions. • Coupled binary ZTO exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to ternary ZTO. - Abstract: In this paper, ternary and coupled binary zinc tin oxide nanocrystalline powders were prepared via simple solid-state mechanochemical method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Raman and reflectance spectroscopy were used to study the structure and optical properties of the obtained powder samples. The thermal behavior of zinc tin oxide system was examined through simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetric analysis. The efficiencies of ternary (Zn{sub 2}SnO{submore » 4} and ZnSnO{sub 3}) and coupled binary (ZnO/SnO{sub 2}) zinc tin oxide water suspensions in the photocatalytic degradation of alprazolam, short-acting anxiolytic of the benzodiazepine class of psychoactive drugs, under UV irradiation were determined and compared with the efficiency of pure ZnO and SnO{sub 2}.« less

Structure-based optics of centric diatom frustules: modulation of the in vivo light field for efficient diatom photosynthesis.

PubMed

Goessling, Johannes W; Su, Yanyan; Cartaxana, Paulo; Maibohm, Christian; Rickelt, Lars F; Trampe, Erik C L; Walby, Sandra L; Wangpraseurt, Daniel; Wu, Xia; Ellegaard, Marianne; Kühl, Michael

2018-07-01

The optical properties of diatom silicate frustules inspire photonics and nanotechnology research. Whether light interaction with the nano-structure of the frustule also affects diatom photosynthesis has remained unclear due to lack of information on frustule optical properties under more natural conditions. Here we demonstrate that the optical properties of the frustule valves in water affect light harvesting and photosynthesis in live cells of centric diatoms (Coscinodiscus granii). Microscale cellular mapping of photosynthesis around localized spot illumination demonstrated optical coupling of chloroplasts to the valve wall. Photonic structures of the three-layered C. granii valve facilitated light redistribution and efficient photosynthesis in cell regions distant from the directly illuminated area. The different porous structure of the two sides of the valve exhibited photon trapping and forward scattering of blue light enhancing photosynthetic active radiation inside the cell. Photonic structures of diatom frustules thus alter the cellular light field with implications on diatom photobiology. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Test Port for Fiber-Optic-Coupled Laser Altimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramos Izquierdo, Luis; Scott, V. Stanley; Rinis, Haris; Cavanaugh, John

2011-01-01

A test port designed as part of a fiber optic coupled laser altimeter receiver optical system allows for the back-illumination of the optical system for alignment verification, as well as illumination of the detector(s) for testing the receiver electronics and signal-processing algorithms. Measuring the optical alignment of a laser altimeter instrument is difficult after the instrument is fully assembled. The addition of a test port in the receiver aft-optics allows for the back-illumination of the receiver system such that its focal setting and boresight alignment can be easily verified. For a multiple-detector receiver system, the addition of the aft-optics test port offers the added advantage of being able to simultaneously test all the detectors with different signals that simulate the expected operational conditions. On a laser altimeter instrument (see figure), the aft-optics couple the light from the receiver telescope to the receiver detector(s). Incorporating a beam splitter in the aft-optics design allows for the addition of a test port to back-illuminate the receiver telescope and/or detectors. The aft-optics layout resembles a T with the detector on one leg, the receiver telescope input port on the second leg, and the test port on the third leg. The use of a custom beam splitter with 99-percent reflection, 1-percent transmission, and a mirrored roof can send the test port light to the receiver telescope leg as well as the detector leg, without unduly sacrificing the signal from the receiver telescope to the detector. The ability to test the receiver system alignment, as well as multiple detectors with different signals without the need to disassemble the instrument or connect and reconnect components, is a great advantage to the aft-optics test port. Another benefit is that the receiver telescope aperture is fully back-illuminated by the test port so the receiver telescope focal setting vs. pressure and or temperature can be accurately measured (as compared to schemes where the aperture is only partially illuminated). Fiber-optic coupling the test port also allows for the modularity of testing the receiver detectors with a variety of background and signal laser sources without the need of using complex optical set-ups to optimize the efficiency of each source.

A path to practical Solar Pumped Lasers via Radiative Energy Transfer

DOE PAGES

Reusswig, Philip D.; Nechayev, Sergey; Scherer, Jennifer M.; ...

2015-10-05

The optical conversion of incoherent solar radiation into a bright, coherent laser beam enables the application of nonlinear optics to solar energy conversion and storage. Here, we present an architecture for solar pumped lasers that uses a luminescent solar concentrator to decouple the conventional trade-off between solar absorption efficiency and the mode volume of the optical gain material. We report a 750-μm-thick Nd 3+ -doped YAG planar waveguide sensitized by a luminescent CdSe/CdZnS (core/shell) colloidal nanocrystal, yielding a peak cascade energy transfer of 14%, a broad spectral response in the visible portion of the solar spectrum, and an equivalent quasi-CWmore » solar lasing threshold of 23 W-cm -2, or approximately 230 suns. The efficient coupling of incoherent, spectrally broad sunlight in small gain volumes should allow the generation of coherent laser light from intensities of less than 100 suns.« less

Theoretical model for a thin cylindrical film optical fiber fluorosensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egalon, Claudio O.; Rogowski, Robert S.

1992-01-01

The analytical treatment of power efficiency (P(eff) is undertaken for the case of a positively guiding optical fiber with a thin-film source distributed in the core-cladding interface. The approach adopts the exact solution of the cylindrical optical fiber with an infinite cladding to account for differences between the indices of refraction of the core and the cladding. The excitation of low-loss leaky modes by the cladding is ignored, and only the injection by the evanescent field is considered. The formulas permit the analysis of the power-injection efficiency of fibers with arbitrary differences in indices of refraction. P(eff) does not always increase with V number, but rather varies slightly with wavelength and fiber-core radius and varies significantly with the difference in the indices of refraction. The theoretical results of the work are of interest for designing an atomic-O chemical sensor based on evanescent-wave coupling.

A path to practical Solar Pumped Lasers via Radiative Energy Transfer

PubMed Central

Reusswig, Philip D.; Nechayev, Sergey; Scherer, Jennifer M.; Hwang, Gyu Weon; Bawendi, Moungi G.; Baldo, Marc. A.; Rotschild, Carmel

2015-01-01

The optical conversion of incoherent solar radiation into a bright, coherent laser beam enables the application of nonlinear optics to solar energy conversion and storage. Here, we present an architecture for solar pumped lasers that uses a luminescent solar concentrator to decouple the conventional trade-off between solar absorption efficiency and the mode volume of the optical gain material. We report a 750-μm-thick Nd3+-doped YAG planar waveguide sensitized by a luminescent CdSe/CdZnS (core/shell) colloidal nanocrystal, yielding a peak cascade energy transfer of 14%, a broad spectral response in the visible portion of the solar spectrum, and an equivalent quasi-CW solar lasing threshold of 23 W-cm−2, or approximately 230 suns. The efficient coupling of incoherent, spectrally broad sunlight in small gain volumes should allow the generation of coherent laser light from intensities of less than 100 suns. PMID:26434400

A path to practical Solar Pumped Lasers via Radiative Energy Transfer.

PubMed

Reusswig, Philip D; Nechayev, Sergey; Scherer, Jennifer M; Hwang, Gyu Weon; Bawendi, Moungi G; Baldo, Marc A; Rotschild, Carmel

2015-10-05

The optical conversion of incoherent solar radiation into a bright, coherent laser beam enables the application of nonlinear optics to solar energy conversion and storage. Here, we present an architecture for solar pumped lasers that uses a luminescent solar concentrator to decouple the conventional trade-off between solar absorption efficiency and the mode volume of the optical gain material. We report a 750-μm-thick Nd(3+)-doped YAG planar waveguide sensitized by a luminescent CdSe/CdZnS (core/shell) colloidal nanocrystal, yielding a peak cascade energy transfer of 14%, a broad spectral response in the visible portion of the solar spectrum, and an equivalent quasi-CW solar lasing threshold of 23 W-cm(-2), or approximately 230 suns. The efficient coupling of incoherent, spectrally broad sunlight in small gain volumes should allow the generation of coherent laser light from intensities of less than 100 suns.

Production of radially and azimuthally polarized polychromatic beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoham, A.; Vander, R.; Lipson, S. G.

2006-12-01

We describe a system that efficiently provides radially or azimuthally polarized radiation from a randomly polarized source. It is constructed from two conical reflectors and a cylindrical sheet of polarizing film. Envisaged applications include a microscope illuminator for high-resolution surface plasmon resonance microscopy, illumination for high-resolution microlithography, and efficient coupling of a laser source to hollow optical fibers. The angular coherence function of light polarized by the device was measured to evaluate its usefulness for these applications.

Efficient nanosecond photoluminescence from infrared PbS quantum dots coupled to plasmonic nanoantennas

DOE PAGES

Akselrod, Gleb M.; Weidman, Mark C.; Li, Ying; ...

2016-09-13

Infrared (IR) light sources with high modulation rates are critical components for on-chip optical communications. Lead-based colloidal quantum dots are promising nonepitaxial materials for use in IR light-emitting diodes, but their slow photoluminescence lifetime is a serious limitation. Here we demonstrate coupling of PbS quantum dots to colloidal plasmonic nanoantennas based on film-coupled metal nanocubes, resulting in a dramatic 1300-fold reduction in the emission lifetime from the microsecond to the nanosecond regime. This lifetime reduction is primarily due to a 1100-fold increase in the radiative decay rate owing to the high quantum yield (65%) of the antenna. The short emissionmore » lifetime is accompanied by high antenna quantum efficiency and directionality. Lastly, this nonepitaxial platform points toward GHz frequency, electrically modulated, telecommunication wavelength light-emitting diodes and single-photon sources.« less

Optical clock distribution in supercomputers using polyimide-based waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bihari, Bipin; Gan, Jianhua; Wu, Linghui; Liu, Yujie; Tang, Suning; Chen, Ray T.

1999-04-01

Guided-wave optics is a promising way to deliver high-speed clock-signal in supercomputer with minimized clock-skew. Si- CMOS compatible polymer-based waveguides for optoelectronic interconnects and packaging have been fabricated and characterized. A 1-to-48 fanout optoelectronic interconnection layer (OIL) structure based on Ultradel 9120/9020 for the high-speed massive clock signal distribution for a Cray T-90 supercomputer board has been constructed. The OIL employs multimode polymeric channel waveguides in conjunction with surface-normal waveguide output coupler and 1-to-2 splitters. Surface-normal couplers can couple the optical clock signals into and out from the H-tree polyimide waveguides surface-normally, which facilitates the integration of photodetectors to convert optical-signal to electrical-signal. A 45-degree surface- normal couplers has been integrated at each output end. The measured output coupling efficiency is nearly 100 percent. The output profile from 45-degree surface-normal coupler were calculated using Fresnel approximation. the theoretical result is in good agreement with experimental result. A total insertion loss of 7.98 dB at 850 nm was measured experimentally.

Solar internal lighting using optical collectors and fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francini, F.; Fontani, D.; Jafrancesco, D.; Mercatelli, L.; Sansoni, P.

2006-08-01

A system exploiting solar energy, by means of optical collectors and fibres, has been applied for indoor illumination. The project has been called "The Sunflowers" for the property of solar collectors to track solar position during the day. Every "sunflower" contains several solar collectors, each of which is coupled to an optical fibre. The "Sunflower" is provided of mechanical systems and electric accessories for solar tracking. The light focused by the solar collector can be used in two possible ways: for internal illumination with direct solar light; otherwise it can be accumulated for lighting when the sun is not present. The first function is obtained coupling the optical collector to an optical fibre, which transports the solar light in selected points within the showcases. The second one consists in focusing solar light on a photovoltaic cell of the last generation type with high efficiency. In this configuration the photovoltaic cell converts the focused light into electric energy to be used for illumination in case of sun absence. A demonstrative installation has been realised applying this solar illumination system to museum lighting: a prototype has been tested in a prestigious museum in Florence.

Exchange interaction and the tunneling induced transparency in coupled quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges, Halyne; Alcalde, Augusto; Ulloa, Sergio

2014-03-01

Stacked semiconductor quantum dots coupled by tunneling are unique ``quantum molecule'' where it is possible to create a multilevel structure of excitonic states. This structure allows the investigation of quantum interference processes and their control via electric external fields. In this work, we investigate the optical response of a quantum molecule coherently driven by a polarized laser, considering the splitting in excitonic levels caused by isotropic and anisotropic exchange interactions. In our model we consider interdot transitions mediated by the the hole tunneling between states with the same total spin and, between bright and dark exciton states. Using realistic experimental parameters, we demonstrate that the excitonic states coupled by tunneling exhibit an enriched and controllable optical response. Our results show that through the appropriate control of the external electric field and light polarization, the tunneling coupling establishes an efficient destructive quantum interference path that creates a transparency window in the absorption spectra, whenever states of appropriate symmetry are mixed by the hole tunneling. We explore the relevant parameters space that would allows with the experiments. CAPES, INCT-IQ and MWN/CIAM-NSF.

Coupling reconstruction and motion estimation for dynamic MRI through optical flow constraint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ningning; O'Connor, Daniel; Gu, Wenbo; Ruan, Dan; Basarab, Adrian; Sheng, Ke

2018-03-01

This paper addresses the problem of dynamic magnetic resonance image (DMRI) reconstruction and motion estimation jointly. Because of the inherent anatomical movements in DMRI acquisition, reconstruction of DMRI using motion estimation/compensation (ME/MC) has been explored under the compressed sensing (CS) scheme. In this paper, by embedding the intensity based optical flow (OF) constraint into the traditional CS scheme, we are able to couple the DMRI reconstruction and motion vector estimation. Moreover, the OF constraint is employed in a specific coarse resolution scale in order to reduce the computational complexity. The resulting optimization problem is then solved using a primal-dual algorithm due to its efficiency when dealing with nondifferentiable problems. Experiments on highly accelerated dynamic cardiac MRI with multiple receiver coils validate the performance of the proposed algorithm.

Integration of GaN/AlN all-optical switch with SiN/AlN waveguide utilizing spot-size conversion.

PubMed

Iizuka, Norio; Yoshida, Haruhiko; Managaki, Nobuto; Shimizu, Toshimasa; Hassanet, Sodabanlu; Cumtornkittikul, Chiyasit; Sugiyama, Masakazu; Nakano, Yoshiaki

2009-12-07

Spot-size converters for an all-optical switch utilizing the intersubband transition in GaN/AlN multiple quantum wells are studied with the purpose of reducing operation power by improving the coupling efficiency between the input fiber and the switch. With a stair-like spot-size converter, the absorption saturation of 5 dB is achieved with a pulse energy of 25 pJ. The switch is integrated with a SiN/AlN waveguide and spot-size converters, and the structure provides the possibility of an integration of the switch with other functional devices. To further improve the coupling loss between the waveguide and the switch, triangular-shaped converters are investigated, demonstrating losses as low as 2 dB/facet.

Phonon-assisted nonlinear optical processes in ultrashort-pulse pumped optical parametric amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaienko, Oleksandr; Robel, István

2016-03-01

Optically active phonon modes in ferroelectrics such as potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) and potassium titanyl arsenate (KTA) in the ~7-20 THz range play an important role in applications of these materials in Raman lasing and terahertz wave generation. Previous studies with picosecond pulse excitation demonstrated that the interaction of pump pulses with phonons can lead to efficient stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) accompanying optical parametric oscillation or amplification processes (OPO/OPA), and to efficient polariton-phonon scattering. In this work, we investigate the behavior of infrared OPAs employing KTP or KTA crystals when pumped with ~800-nm ultrashort pulses of duration comparable to the oscillation period of the optical phonons. We demonstrate that under conditions of coherent impulsive Raman excitation of the phonons, when the effective χ(2) nonlinearity cannot be considered instantaneous, the parametrically amplified waves (most notably, signal) undergo significant spectral modulations leading to an overall redshift of the OPA output. The pump intensity dependence of the redshifted OPA output, the temporal evolution of the parametric gain, as well as the pump spectral modulations suggest the presence of coupling between the nonlinear optical polarizations PNL of the impulsively excited phonons and those of parametrically amplified waves.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allman, M. S., E-mail: shane.allman@boulder.nist.gov; Verma, V. B.; Stevens, M.

We demonstrate a 64-pixel free-space-coupled array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors optimized for high detection efficiency in the near-infrared range. An integrated, readily scalable, multiplexed readout scheme is employed to reduce the number of readout lines to 16. The cryogenic, optical, and electronic packaging to read out the array as well as characterization measurements are discussed.

Influence of optical pumping wavelength on the ultrafast gain and phase recovery acceleration of quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jungho

2013-10-01

We numerically investigate the influence of the optical pumping wavelength on the ultrafast gain and phase recovery acceleration of quantum-dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) by solving 1088 coupled rate equations. The temporal variations of the gain and phase recovery response at the ground state (GS) of QDs are calculated at various signal wavelengths when the optical pumping wavelengths at the excited state (ES) of QDs are varied. The phase recovery response is fastest when the wavelength of the signal and pumping beams corresponds to the respective emission wavelength of the GS and the ES in the same size of QDs. The absorption efficiency of the optical pumping beam at the ES is determined by the Lorentzian line shape function of the homogeneous broadening.

Overview of possible optical adapters for EUSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzinghi, Piero; Bratina, Vojko; Gambicorti, Lisa

2003-12-01

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory-EUSO-is devoted to the exploration from space of the highest energy processes present and accessible in the Universe. The results will extend the knowledge of the extremes of the physical world and address unresolved issued in a number of fields such as fundamental physics, cosmology and astrophysics. Several kind of detectors have been so far proposed for EUSO, all of them requiring some sort of ancillary optics to collect the light from the image produced by the main optics on the focal surface, for an efficient coupling to the detectors. Optical adapters must be selected taking in account several inputs: feasibility, cost, mass budget. Two main options are here investigated: imaging optics (by means of small lenses) and non imaging optics (by means of compound parabolic concentrators). The first kind of focal plane optics is easy and feasible, but it does not guarantee a high concentration ratio. Non imaging optics present much higher efficiency with a concentration close to the theoretical limit, but it also pose new technological diffculties and challenges. This work aims to clarify how this focal plane optics can be made, their limits in terms of concentration of radiation according to the laws of geometrical and physical optics and finally to identify the possible solution to this problem, including available technologies to be used for the construction.

Plasmonic core-satellite assemblies with high stability and yield (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Li-Ching; Lin, Tien-Hsin; Liu, Zhi-Yan; Chen, Jyun-Hao; Wang, Yi-Chen; Chen, Shiuan-Yeh

2016-09-01

Plasmonic structures are attractive due to their optical properties in the near-field and far-field. In the near-field, the enhanced field they generated strongly interacts with materials in proximity to the surface and even produces the quantum hybrid states in the strong coupling regime. In the far-field, the larger scattering cross section of plasmonic particles provides better contrast for tissue imaging. In addition, the strong absorption can generate substantial amount of heat for cancer cell elimination. These optical properties are usually engineered through tuning the size and morphology of individual nanoparticles by various chemical synthesis methods. The alternative way is to use coupled structure based on existing particles. The molecule-linked structure is a common way for 3D plasmonic materials. However, to produce a stable coupled structure in the solution phase is challenging. The formation of linkage between linker molecules is usually time-consuming and at low efficiency. Increasing the concentration of linker molecules may raise the reaction speed but also result in the random aggregation of particles. In this work, a polyelectrolyte coating is used to connect spherical nanoparticles of different sizes to form core-satellite assemblies (CSA). The coupled core-satellite structure is formed almost immediately after the solutions of two particles are mixed. The output efficiency is nearly 100%. The CSA is robust under the additional silica shell coating and strong laser illumination. The stability of this CSA is confirmed by the Raman spectra and this assembly can potentially be used as Raman tags.

Tip-enhanced near-field optical microscopy

PubMed Central

Mauser, Nina; Hartschuh, Achim

2013-01-01

Tip-enhanced near-field optical microscopy (TENOM) is a scanning probe technique capable of providing a broad range of spectroscopic information on single objects and structured surfaces at nanometer spatial resolution and with highest detection sensitivity. In this review, we first illustrate the physical principle of TENOM that utilizes the antenna function of a sharp probe to efficiently couple light to excitations on nanometer length scales. We then discuss the antenna-induced enhancement of different optical sample responses including Raman scattering, fluorescence, generation of photocurrent and electroluminescence. Different experimental realizations are presented and several recent examples that demonstrate the capabilities of the technique are reviewed. PMID:24100541

Correlated Optical Spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy of Individual Hollow Nanoparticles and their Dimers

PubMed Central

Yang, Linglu; Yan, Bo; Reinhard, Björn M.

2009-01-01

The optical spectra of individual Ag-Au alloy hollow particles were correlated with the particles’ structures obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM provided direct experimental access to the dimension of the cavity, thickness of the metal shell, and the interparticle distance of hollow particle dimers with high spatial resolution. The analysis of correlated spectral and structural information enabled the quantification of the influence of the core-shell structure on the resonance energy, plasmon lifetime, and plasmon coupling efficiency. Electron beam exposure during TEM inspection was observed to affect plasmon wavelength and lifetime, making optical inspection prior to structural characterization mandatory. PMID:19768108

Broadband light funneling in ultrasubwavelength channels having periodic connected unfilled apertures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Subramania, Ganapathi Subramanian; Brener, Igal; Foteinopoulou, Stavroula

2017-08-01

A structure for broadband light funneling comprises a two-dimensional periodic array of connected ultrasubwavelength apertures, each aperture comprising a large sub-aperture that aids in the coupling of the incoming incident light and a small sub-aperture that funnels a significant fraction of the incident light power. The structure possesses all the capabilities of prior extraordinary optical transmission platforms, yet operates nonresonantly on a distinctly different mechanism. The structure demonstrates efficient ultrabroadband funneling of optical power confined in an area as small as .about.(.lamda./500).sup.2, where optical fields are enhanced, thus exhibiting functional possibilities beyond resonant platforms.

Nanophotonic rare-earth quantum memory with optically controlled retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Tian; Kindem, Jonathan M.; Bartholomew, John G.; Rochman, Jake; Craiciu, Ioana; Miyazono, Evan; Bettinelli, Marco; Cavalli, Enrico; Verma, Varun; Nam, Sae Woo; Marsili, Francesco; Shaw, Matthew D.; Beyer, Andrew D.; Faraon, Andrei

2017-09-01

Optical quantum memories are essential elements in quantum networks for long-distance distribution of quantum entanglement. Scalable development of quantum network nodes requires on-chip qubit storage functionality with control of the readout time. We demonstrate a high-fidelity nanophotonic quantum memory based on a mesoscopic neodymium ensemble coupled to a photonic crystal cavity. The nanocavity enables >95% spin polarization for efficient initialization of the atomic frequency comb memory and time bin-selective readout through an enhanced optical Stark shift of the comb frequencies. Our solid-state memory is integrable with other chip-scale photon source and detector devices for multiplexed quantum and classical information processing at the network nodes.

Endoscopic Photodynamic Therapy: Fiber Optic Delivery For The Treatment Of Esophageal And Bronchial Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mang, Thomas S.; Nava, Hector R.; Regal, Anne-Marie

1989-06-01

Clinical studies in photodynamic therapy (PDT) have utilized lasers to take advantage of coupling efficiencies to optical fibers allowing light to be delivered to many areas of the body. This is particularly true in endoscopic PDT. Both interstitial and superficial delivery techniques can be applied using one of a variety of delivery fibers available. A fiber with an optically flat end with a lens to produce a spot with a homogeneous intensity is used for superficial applications. Diffusers of various lengths, at the tip of a fiber, produce a cylindrical isotropic pattern and are suited for either intraluminal or interstitial illuminations.

Interfacing superconducting qubits and telecom photons via a rare-earth-doped crystal.

PubMed

O'Brien, Christopher; Lauk, Nikolai; Blum, Susanne; Morigi, Giovanna; Fleischhauer, Michael

2014-08-08

We propose a scheme to couple short single photon pulses to superconducting qubits. An optical photon is first absorbed into an inhomogeneously broadened rare-earth doped crystal using controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening. The optical excitation is then mapped into a spin state using a series of π pulses and subsequently transferred to a superconducting qubit via a microwave cavity. To overcome the intrinsic and engineered inhomogeneous broadening of the optical and spin transitions in rare-earth doped crystals, we make use of a special transfer protocol using staggered π pulses. We predict total transfer efficiencies on the order of 90%.

Ultralow loss, high Q, four port resonant couplers for quantum optics and photonics.

PubMed

Rokhsari, H; Vahala, K J

2004-06-25

We demonstrate a low-loss, optical four port resonant coupler (add-drop geometry), using ultrahigh Q (>10(8)) toroidal microcavities. Different regimes of operation are investigated by variation of coupling between resonator and fiber taper waveguides. As a result, waveguide-to-waveguide power transfer efficiency of 93% (0.3 dB loss) and nonresonant insertion loss of 0.02% (<0.001 dB) for narrow bandwidth (57 MHz) four port couplers are achieved in this work. The combination of low-loss, fiber compatibility, and wafer-scale design would be suitable for a variety of applications ranging from quantum optics to photonic networks.

Optomechanical trampoline resonators.

PubMed

Kleckner, Dustin; Pepper, Brian; Jeffrey, Evan; Sonin, Petro; Thon, Susanna M; Bouwmeester, Dirk

2011-09-26

We report on the development of optomechanical "trampoline" resonators composed of a tiny SiO(2)/Ta(2)O(5) dielectric mirror on a silicon nitride micro-resonator. We observe optical finesses of up to 4 × 10(4) and mechanical quality factors as high as 9 × 10(5) in relatively massive (~100 ng) and low frequency (10-200 kHz) devices. This results in a photon-phonon coupling efficiency considerably higher than previous Fabry-Perot-type optomechanical systems. These devices are well suited to ultra-sensitive force detection, ground-state optical cooling experiments, and demonstrations of quantum dynamics for such systems. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Research on FBG-based longitudinal-acousto-optic modulator with Fourier mode coupling method.

PubMed

Li, Zhuoxuan; Pei, Li; Liu, Chao; Ning, Tigang; Yu, Shaowei

2012-10-20

Fourier mode coupling model was first applied to achieve the spectra property of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based longitudinal-acousto-optic modulator. Compared with traditional analysis algorithms, such as the transfer matrix method, the Fourier mode coupling model could improve the computing efficiency up to 100 times with a guarantee of accuracy. In this paper, based on the theoretical analysis of this model, the spectra characteristics of the modulator in different frequencies and acoustically induced strains were numerically simulated. In the experiment, a uniform FBG was modulated by acoustic wave (AW) at 12 different frequencies. In particular, the modulator responses at 563 and 885.5 KHz with three different lead zirconate titanate (PZT) loads applied were plotted for illustration, and the linear fitting of experimental data demonstrated a good match with the simulation result. The acoustic excitation of the longitudinal wave is obtained using a conic silica horn attached to the surface of a shear-mode PZT plate paralleled to the fiber axis. This way of generating longitudinal AW with a transversal PZT may shed light on the optimal structural design for the FBG-based longitudinal-acousto-optic modulator.

Reflectively Coupled Waveguide Photodetector for High Speed Optical Interconnection

PubMed Central

Hsu*, Shih-Hsiang

2010-01-01

To fully utilize GaAs high drift mobility, techniques to monolithically integrate In0.53Ga0.47As p-i-n photodetectors with GaAs based optical waveguides using total internal reflection coupling are reviewed. Metal coplanar waveguides, deposited on top of the polyimide layer for the photodetector’s planarization and passivation, were then uniquely connected as a bridge between the photonics and electronics to illustrate the high-speed monitoring function. The photodetectors were efficiently implemented and imposed on the echelle grating circle for wavelength division multiplexing monitoring. In optical filtering performance, the monolithically integrated photodetector channel spacing was 2 nm over the 1,520–1,550 nm wavelength range and the pass band was 1 nm at the −1 dB level. For high-speed applications the full-width half-maximum of the temporal response and 3-dB bandwidth for the reflectively coupled waveguide photodetectors were demonstrated to be 30 ps and 11 GHz, respectively. The bit error rate performance of this integrated photodetector at 10 Gbit/s with 27-1 long pseudo-random bit sequence non-return to zero input data also showed error-free operation. PMID:22163502

Tuning the optical response of a dimer nanoantenna using plasmonic nanoring loads

PubMed Central

Panaretos, Anastasios H.; Yuwen, Yu A.; Werner, Douglas H.; Mayer, Theresa S.

2015-01-01

The optical properties of a dimer type nanoantenna loaded with a plasmonic nanoring are investigated through numerical simulations and measurements of fabricated prototypes. It is demonstrated that by judiciously choosing the nanoring geometry it is possible to engineer its electromagnetic properties and thus devise an effective wavelength dependent nanoswitch. The latter provides a mechanism for controlling the coupling between the dimer particles, and in particular to establish a pair of coupled/de-coupled states for the total structure, that effectively results in its dual mode response. Using electron beam lithography the targeted structure has been accurately fabricated and the desired dual mode response of the nanoantenna was experimentally verified. The response of the fabricated structure is further analyzed numerically. This permits the visualization of the electromagnetic fields and polarization surface charge distributions when the structure is at resonance. In this way the switching properties of the plasmonic nanoring are revealed. The documented analysis illustrates the inherent tuning capabilities that plasmonic nanorings offer, and furthermore paves the way towards a practical implementation of tunable optical nanoantennas. Additionally, our analysis through an effective medium approach introduces the nanoring as a compact and efficient solution for realizing nanoscale circuits. PMID:25961804

Efficient calculation of higher-order optical waveguide dispersion.

PubMed

Mores, J A; Malheiros-Silveira, G N; Fragnito, H L; Hernández-Figueroa, H E

2010-09-13

An efficient numerical strategy to compute the higher-order dispersion parameters of optical waveguides is presented. For the first time to our knowledge, a systematic study of the errors involved in the higher-order dispersions' numerical calculation process is made, showing that the present strategy can accurately model those parameters. Such strategy combines a full-vectorial finite element modal solver and a proper finite difference differentiation algorithm. Its performance has been carefully assessed through the analysis of several key geometries. In addition, the optimization of those higher-order dispersion parameters can also be carried out by coupling to the present scheme a genetic algorithm, as shown here through the design of a photonic crystal fiber suitable for parametric amplification applications.

Multipulse addressing of a Raman quantum memory: configurable beam splitting and efficient readout.

PubMed

Reim, K F; Nunn, J; Jin, X-M; Michelberger, P S; Champion, T F M; England, D G; Lee, K C; Kolthammer, W S; Langford, N K; Walmsley, I A

2012-06-29

Quantum memories are vital to the scalability of photonic quantum information processing (PQIP), since the storage of photons enables repeat-until-success strategies. On the other hand, the key element of all PQIP architectures is the beam splitter, which allows us to coherently couple optical modes. Here, we show how to combine these crucial functionalities by addressing a Raman quantum memory with multiple control pulses. The result is a coherent optical storage device with an extremely large time bandwidth product, that functions as an array of dynamically configurable beam splitters, and that can be read out with arbitrarily high efficiency. Networks of such devices would allow fully scalable PQIP, with applications in quantum computation, long distance quantum communications and quantum metrology.

Photonic-powered cable assembly

DOEpatents

Sanderson, Stephen N.; Appel, Titus James; Wrye, IV, Walter C.

2013-01-22

A photonic-cable assembly includes a power source cable connector ("PSCC") coupled to a power receive cable connector ("PRCC") via a fiber cable. The PSCC electrically connects to a first electronic device and houses a photonic power source and an optical data transmitter. The fiber cable includes an optical transmit data path coupled to the optical data transmitter, an optical power path coupled to the photonic power source, and an optical feedback path coupled to provide feedback control to the photonic power source. The PRCC electrically connects to a second electronic device and houses an optical data receiver coupled to the optical transmit data path, a feedback controller coupled to the optical feedback path to control the photonic power source, and a photonic power converter coupled to the optical power path to convert photonic energy received over the optical power path to electrical energy to power components of the PRCC.

Photonic-powered cable assembly

DOEpatents

Sanderson, Stephen N; Appel, Titus James; Wrye, IV, Walter C

2014-06-24

A photonic-cable assembly includes a power source cable connector ("PSCC") coupled to a power receive cable connector ("PRCC") via a fiber cable. The PSCC electrically connects to a first electronic device and houses a photonic power source and an optical data transmitter. The fiber cable includes an optical transmit data path coupled to the optical data transmitter, an optical power path coupled to the photonic power source, and an optical feedback path coupled to provide feedback control to the photonic power source. The PRCC electrically connects to a second electronic device and houses an optical data receiver coupled to the optical transmit data path, a feedback controller coupled to the optical feedback path to control the photonic power source, and a photonic power converter coupled to the optical power path to convert photonic energy received over the optical power path to electrical energy to power components of the PRCC.

Flat-top passband filter based on parallel-coupled double microring resonators in silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Qingzhong; Xiao, Xi; Li, Yuntao; Li, Zhiyong; Yu, Yude; Yu, Jinzhong

2009-08-01

Optical filters with box-like response were designed and realized based on parallel-coupled double microrings in silicon-on-insulator. The properties of this design are simulated, considering the impact of the center-to-center distance of two rings, and coupling efficiency. Flat-top passband in the drop channel of the fabricated device was demonstrated with a 1dB bandwidth of 0.82nm, a 1dB/10dB bandwidth ratio of 0.51, an out of band rejection ratio of 14.6dB, as well as a free spectrum range of 13.6nm.

Tunable Q-factor silicon microring resonators for ultra-low power parametric processes.

PubMed

Strain, Michael J; Lacava, Cosimo; Meriggi, Laura; Cristiani, Ilaria; Sorel, Marc

2015-04-01

A compact silicon ring resonator is demonstrated that allows simple electrical tuning of the ring coupling coefficient and Q-factor and therefore the resonant enhancement of on-chip nonlinear optical processes. Fabrication-induced variation in designed coupling fraction, crucial in the resonator performance, can be overcome using this post-fabrication trimming technique. Tuning of the microring resonator across the critical coupling point is demonstrated, exhibiting a Q-factor tunable between 9000 and 96,000. Consequently, resonantly enhanced four-wave mixing shows tunable efficiency between -40 and -16.3  dB at an ultra-low on-chip pump power of 0.7 mW.

Lithographed spectrometers for tomographic line mapping of the Epoch of Reionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brient, R.; Bock, J. J.; Bradford, C. M.; Crites, A.; Duan, R.; Hailey-Dunsheath, S.; Hunacek, J.; LeDuc, R.; Shirokoff, E.; Staniszewski, Z.; Turner, A.; Zemcov, M.

2014-08-01

The Tomographic Ionized carbon Mapping Experiment (TIME) is a multi-phased experiment that will topographically map [CII] emission from the Epoch of Reionization. We are developing lithographed spectrometers that couple to TES bolometers in anticipation of the second generation instrument. Our design intentionally mirrors many features of the parallel SuperSpec project, inductively coupling power from a trunk-line microstrip onto half-wave resonators. The resonators couple to a rat-race hybrids that feeds TES bolometers. Our 25 channel prototype shows spectrally positioned lines roughly matching design with a receiver optical efficiency of 15-20%, a level that is dominated by loss in components outside the spectrometer.

Strong-coupling of WSe2 in ultra-compact plasmonic nanocavities at room temperature.

PubMed

Kleemann, Marie-Elena; Chikkaraddy, Rohit; Alexeev, Evgeny M; Kos, Dean; Carnegie, Cloudy; Deacon, Will; de Pury, Alex Casalis; Große, Christoph; de Nijs, Bart; Mertens, Jan; Tartakovskii, Alexander I; Baumberg, Jeremy J

2017-11-03

Strong coupling of monolayer metal dichalcogenide semiconductors with light offers encouraging prospects for realistic exciton devices at room temperature. However, the nature of this coupling depends extremely sensitively on the optical confinement and the orientation of electronic dipoles and fields. Here, we show how plasmon strong coupling can be achieved in compact, robust, and easily assembled gold nano-gap resonators at room temperature. We prove that strong-coupling is impossible with monolayers due to the large exciton coherence size, but resolve clear anti-crossings for greater than 7 layer devices with Rabi splittings exceeding 135 meV. We show that such structures improve on prospects for nonlinear exciton functionalities by at least 10 4 , while retaining quantum efficiencies above 50%, and demonstrate evidence for superlinear light emission.

Characterization of a Fiber Optic Coupled Dosimeter for Clinical Electron Beam Dosimetry

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-29

2010 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Characterization of a Fiber Optic Coupled Dosimeter for...Fiber Optic Coupled Dosimeter for Clinical Electron Beam Dosimetry. Abstract approved: Camille J. Lodwick Fiber-optic-coupled dosimeters ...Rights Reserved CHARACTERIZATION OF A FIBER OPTIC COUPLED DOSIMETER FOR CLINICAL ELECTRON

Microresonators for Nonlinear Quantum Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernon, Zachary

In this thesis I study in detail the quantum dynamics of several nonlinear optical processes in microresonator systems. A Heisenberg-picture input-output formalism is developed from first principles that includes the effects of scattering losses and independent quality factors and coupling ratios for different resonances. The task of calculating the device output is then reduced to solving a set of driven, damped, ordinary differential equations for the resonator mode operators alone. This theoretical framework is used to study photon pair generation via spontaneous four-wave mixing in the weakly pumped regime, on which the effects of scattering losses are appraised. A more strongly driven regime is studied for continuous wave pumps, demonstrating when self- and cross-phase modulation and multi-photon pair generation become important, and their effects on the spectral and power scaling properties of the system are examined; A detuning strategy is presented that compensates for some of these effects. The results of the weak-pump regime are applied to study microresonator-based heralded single photon sources. The impact of scattering losses is studied, revealing that typical systems suffer from low heralding efficiency due to these losses. A technique to improve heralding efficiency is presented through over-coupling the resonator-channel system, and a resultant trade-off between heralding rate and heralding efficiency is uncovered. Limitations to the spectral purity of the heralded single photon output for conventional microresonator systems are also analysed, and a more sophisticated coupling scheme presented to overcome the upper bound for spectral purity of 93% that exists in typical systems, permitting the generation of single photons with spectral purity arbitrarily close to 100% without spectral filtering or sophisticated phase-matching techniques. The theory of quantum frequency conversion in microresonators using four-wave mixing is then developed in detail, and the spectral conversion probability and conversion efficiency studied. Efficiencies exceeding 90% using less than 100 mW of pump power are predicted to be achievable with current technology. A dressed mode picture is developed to better understand the conversion dynamics. Rabi-like spectral splitting and temporal oscillations of the intraresonator mean photon number are predicted, exhibiting a novel regime of strongly coupled photonic modes.

Application of concentrating plasmonic luminescent down-shifting layers for photovoltaic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, H.; Rafiee, M.; Chandra, S.; Sethi, A.; McCormack, S. J.

2017-02-01

In this paper, concentrating structures of plasmonic luminescent downshifting composite layers (c-pLDS) containing lumogen yellow dye and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to increase the efficiency of Photovoltaic (PV) devices were investigated. The c-pLDS structures allowed for a wider absorption range of both wavelength shifting and light concentration with a strong energy transfer that red shifts photons to wavelengths which gives greater spectral response of solar cells. The optimum dye concentration in a poly(methyl,methacrylate) polymer of a thin layer 10μm spin coated on glass substrate was established. Subsequently, plasmonic coupling with Ag NPs was introduced for the c-pLDS composite structures. Plasmonic coupling has been observed to produce fluorescence emission enhancement of up to 20% for the dye c-pLDS layer. The c-pLDS layer was modelled for CdTe mini modules (15x15 cm) and compared with a blank PMMA/GLASS and dye c-LDS structure. It has been demonstrated that the addition of c-pLDS layers containing lumogen yellow dye increases the optical efficiency and the Short circuit current (Jsc) of CdTe solar cells. An increase of 7.3% in the optical efficiency has been achieved and a 30% in the Jsc was obtained when a c-pLDS composite layer is used.

On-chip plasmon-induced transparency based on plasmonic coupled nanocavities

PubMed Central

Zhu, Yu; Hu, Xiaoyong; Yang, Hong; Gong, Qihuang

2014-01-01

On-chip plasmon-induced transparency offers the possibility of realization of ultrahigh-speed information processing chips. Unfortunately, little experimental progress has been made to date because it is difficult to obtain on-chip plasmon-induced transparency using only a single meta-molecule in plasmonic circuits. Here, we report a simple and efficient strategy to realize on-chip plasmon-induced transparency in a nanoscale U-shaped plasmonic waveguide side-coupled nanocavity pair. High tunability in the transparency window is achieved by covering the pair with different organic polymer layers. It is possible to realize ultrafast all-optical tunability based on pump light-induced refractive index change of a graphene cover layer. Compared with previous reports, the overall feature size of the plasmonic nanostructure is reduced by more than three orders of magnitude, while ultrahigh tunability of the transparency window is maintained. This work also provides a superior platform for the study of the various physical effects and phenomena of nonlinear optics and quantum optics. PMID:24435059

On-chip plasmon-induced transparency based on plasmonic coupled nanocavities.

PubMed

Zhu, Yu; Hu, Xiaoyong; Yang, Hong; Gong, Qihuang

2014-01-17

On-chip plasmon-induced transparency offers the possibility of realization of ultrahigh-speed information processing chips. Unfortunately, little experimental progress has been made to date because it is difficult to obtain on-chip plasmon-induced transparency using only a single meta-molecule in plasmonic circuits. Here, we report a simple and efficient strategy to realize on-chip plasmon-induced transparency in a nanoscale U-shaped plasmonic waveguide side-coupled nanocavity pair. High tunability in the transparency window is achieved by covering the pair with different organic polymer layers. It is possible to realize ultrafast all-optical tunability based on pump light-induced refractive index change of a graphene cover layer. Compared with previous reports, the overall feature size of the plasmonic nanostructure is reduced by more than three orders of magnitude, while ultrahigh tunability of the transparency window is maintained. This work also provides a superior platform for the study of the various physical effects and phenomena of nonlinear optics and quantum optics.

Long-Distance Single Photon Transmission from a Trapped Ion via Quantum Frequency Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Thomas; Miyanishi, Koichiro; Ikuta, Rikizo; Takahashi, Hiroki; Vartabi Kashanian, Samir; Tsujimoto, Yoshiaki; Hayasaka, Kazuhiro; Yamamoto, Takashi; Imoto, Nobuyuki; Keller, Matthias

2018-05-01

Trapped atomic ions are ideal single photon emitters with long-lived internal states which can be entangled with emitted photons. Coupling the ion to an optical cavity enables the efficient emission of single photons into a single spatial mode and grants control over their temporal shape. These features are key for quantum information processing and quantum communication. However, the photons emitted by these systems are unsuitable for long-distance transmission due to their wavelengths. Here we report the transmission of single photons from a single 40Ca+ ion coupled to an optical cavity over a 10 km optical fiber via frequency conversion from 866 nm to the telecom C band at 1530 nm. We observe nonclassical photon statistics of the direct cavity emission, the converted photons, and the 10 km transmitted photons, as well as the preservation of the photons' temporal shape throughout. This telecommunication-ready system can be a key component for long-distance quantum communication as well as future cloud quantum computation.

Apparatus and method using a holographic optical element for converting a spectral distribution to image points

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGill, Matthew J. (Inventor); Scott, Vibart S. (Inventor); Marzouk, Marzouk (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A holographic optical element transforms a spectral distribution of light to image points. The element comprises areas, each of which acts as a separate lens to image the light incident in its area to an image point. Each area contains the recorded hologram of a point source object. The image points can be made to lie in a line in the same focal plane so as to align with a linear array detector. A version of the element has been developed that has concentric equal areas to match the circular fringe pattern of a Fabry-Perot interferometer. The element has high transmission efficiency, and when coupled with high quantum efficiency solid state detectors, provides an efficient photon-collecting detection system. The element may be used as part of the detection system in a direct detection Doppler lidar system or multiple field of view lidar system.

On-chip low loss heralded source of pure single photons.

PubMed

Spring, Justin B; Salter, Patrick S; Metcalf, Benjamin J; Humphreys, Peter C; Moore, Merritt; Thomas-Peter, Nicholas; Barbieri, Marco; Jin, Xian-Min; Langford, Nathan K; Kolthammer, W Steven; Booth, Martin J; Walmsley, Ian A

2013-06-03

A key obstacle to the experimental realization of many photonic quantum-enhanced technologies is the lack of low-loss sources of single photons in pure quantum states. We demonstrate a promising solution: generation of heralded single photons in a silica photonic chip by spontaneous four-wave mixing. A heralding efficiency of 40%, corresponding to a preparation efficiency of 80% accounting for detector performance, is achieved due to efficient coupling of the low-loss source to optical fibers. A single photon purity of 0.86 is measured from the source number statistics without narrow spectral filtering, and confirmed by direct measurement of the joint spectral intensity. We calculate that similar high-heralded-purity output can be obtained from visible to telecom spectral regions using this approach. On-chip silica sources can have immediate application in a wide range of single-photon quantum optics applications which employ silica photonics.

Excitonic Emission of Monolayer Semiconductors Near-Field Coupled to High-Q Microresonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javerzac-Galy, Clément; Kumar, Anshuman; Schilling, Ryan D.; Piro, Nicolas; Khorasani, Sina; Barbone, Matteo; Goykhman, Ilya; Khurgin, Jacob B.; Ferrari, Andrea C.; Kippenberg, Tobias J.

2018-05-01

We present quantum yield measurements of single layer $\\textrm{WSe}_2$ (1L-$\\textrm{WSe}_2$) integrated with high-Q ($Q>10^6$) optical microdisk cavities, using an efficient ($\\eta>$90%) near-field coupling scheme based on a tapered optical fiber. Coupling of the excitonic emission is achieved by placing 1L-WSe$_2$ to the evanescent cavity field. This preserves the microresonator high intrinsic quality factor ($Q>10^6$) below the bandgap of 1L-WSe$_2$. The nonlinear excitation power dependence of the cavity quantum yield is in agreement with an exciton-exciton annihilation model. The cavity quantum yield is $\\textrm{QY}_\\textrm{c}\\sim10^{-3}$, consistent with operation in the \\textit{broad emitter} regime (i.e. the emission lifetime of 1L-WSe$_2$ is significantly shorter than the bare cavity decay time). This scheme can serve as a precise measurement tool for the excitonic emission of layered materials into cavity modes, for both in plane and out of plane excitation.

Fiber-Coupled Cavity-QED Source of Identical Single Photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snijders, H.; Frey, J. A.; Norman, J.; Post, V. P.; Gossard, A. C.; Bowers, J. E.; van Exter, M. P.; Löffler, W.; Bouwmeester, D.

2018-03-01

We present a fully fiber-coupled source of high-fidelity single photons. An (In,Ga)As semiconductor quantum dot is embedded in an optical Fabry-Perot microcavity with a robust design and rigidly attached single-mode fibers, which enables through-fiber cross-polarized resonant laser excitation and photon extraction. Even without spectral filtering, we observe that the incident coherent light pulses are transformed into a stream of single photons with high purity (97%) and indistinguishability (90%), which is measured at an in-fiber brightness of 5% with an excellent cavity-mode-to-fiber coupling efficiency of 85%. Our results pave the way for fully fiber-integrated photonic quantum networks. Furthermore, our method is equally applicable to fiber-coupled solid-state cavity-QED-based photonic quantum gates.

Fiber-coupled THz spectroscopy for monitoring polymeric compounding processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieweg, N.; Krumbholz, N.; Hasek, T.; Wilk, R.; Bartels, V.; Keseberg, C.; Pethukhov, V.; Mikulics, M.; Wetenkamp, L.; Koch, M.

2007-06-01

We present a compact, robust, and transportable fiber-coupled THz system for inline monitoring of polymeric compounding processes in an industrial environment. The system is built on a 90cm x 90cm large shock absorbing optical bench. A sealed metal box protects the system against dust and mechanical disturbances. A closed loop controller unit is used to ensure optimum coupling of the laser beam into the fiber. In order to build efficient and stable fiber-coupled antennas we glue the fibers directly onto photoconductive switches. Thus, the antenna performance is very stable and it is secured from dust or misalignment by vibrations. We discuss fabrication details and antenna performance. First spectroscopic data obtained with this system is presented.

Pound--Drever--Hall error signals for the length control of three-port grating coupled cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britzger, Michael; Friedrich, Daniel; Kroker, Stefanie; Brückner, Frank; Burmeister, Oliver; Kley, Ernst-Bernhard; Tünnermann, Andreas; Danzmann, Karsten; Schnabel, Roman

2011-08-01

Gratings enable light coupling into an optical cavity without transmission through any substrate. This concept reduces light absorption and substrate heating and was suggested for light coupling into the arm cavities of future gravitational wave detectors. One particularly interesting approach is based on all-reflective gratings with low diffraction efficiencies and three diffraction orders (three ports). However, it was discovered that, generally, three-port grating coupled cavities show an asymmetric resonance profile that results in asymmetric and low quality Pound--Drever--Hall error signals for cavity length control. We experimentally demonstrate that this problem is solved by the detection of light at both reflection ports of the cavity and the postprocessing of the two demodulated electronic signals.

Realization of GaInP/Si dual-junction solar cells with 29.8% 1-sun efficiency

DOE PAGES

Essig, Stephanie; Steiner, Myles A.; Allebe, Christophe; ...

2016-04-27

Combining a Si solar cell with a high-bandgap top cell reduces the thermalization losses in the short wavelength and enables theoretical 1-sun efficiencies far over 30%. We have investigated the fabrication and optimization of Si-based tandem solar cells with 1.8-eV rear-heterojunction GaInP top cells. The III-V and Si heterojunction subcells were fabricated separately and joined by mechanical stacking using electrically insulating optically transparent interlayers. Our GaInP/Si dual-junction solar cells have achieved a certified cumulative 1-sun efficiency of 29.8% ± 0.6% (AM1.5g) in four-terminal operation conditions, which exceeds the record 1-sun efficiencies achieved with both III-V and Si single-junction solar cells.more » Furthermore, the effect of luminescent coupling between the subcells has been investigated, and optical losses in the solar cell structure have been addressed.« less

Gain and power optimization of the wireless optical system with multilevel modulation.

PubMed

Liu, Xian

2008-06-01

When used in an outdoor environment to expedite networking access, the performance of wireless optical communication systems is affected by transmitter sway. In the design of such systems, much attention has been paid to developing power-efficient schemes. However, the bandwidth efficiency is also an important issue. One of the most natural approaches to promote bandwidth efficiency is to use multilevel modulation. This leads to multilevel pulse amplitude modulation in the context of intensity modulation and direct detection. We develop a model based on the four-level pulse amplitude modulation. We show that the model can be formulated as an optimization problem in terms of the transmitter power, bit error probability, transmitter gain, and receiver gain. The technical challenges raised by modeling and solving the problem include the analytical and numerical treatments for the improper integrals of the Gaussian functions coupled with the erfc function. The results demonstrate that, at the optimal points, the power penalty paid to the doubled bandwidth efficiency is around 3 dB.

Realization of GaInP/Si dual-junction solar cells with 29.8% 1-sun efficiency

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Essig, Stephanie; Steiner, Myles A.; Allebe, Christophe

Combining a Si solar cell with a high-bandgap top cell reduces the thermalization losses in the short wavelength and enables theoretical 1-sun efficiencies far over 30%. We have investigated the fabrication and optimization of Si-based tandem solar cells with 1.8-eV rear-heterojunction GaInP top cells. The III-V and Si heterojunction subcells were fabricated separately and joined by mechanical stacking using electrically insulating optically transparent interlayers. Our GaInP/Si dual-junction solar cells have achieved a certified cumulative 1-sun efficiency of 29.8% ± 0.6% (AM1.5g) in four-terminal operation conditions, which exceeds the record 1-sun efficiencies achieved with both III-V and Si single-junction solar cells.more » Furthermore, the effect of luminescent coupling between the subcells has been investigated, and optical losses in the solar cell structure have been addressed.« less

Modified optical fiber daylighting system with sunlight transportation in free space.

PubMed

Vu, Ngoc-Hai; Pham, Thanh-Tuan; Shin, Seoyong

2016-12-26

We present the design, optical simulation, and experiment of a modified optical fiber daylighting system (M-OFDS) for indoor lighting. The M-OFDS is comprised of three sub-systems: concentration, collimation, and distribution. The concentration part is formed by coupling a Fresnel lens with a large-core plastic optical fiber. The sunlight collected by the concentration sub-system is propagated in a plastic optical fiber and then collimated by the collimator, which is a combination of a parabolic mirror and a convex lens. The collimated beam of sunlight travels in free space and is guided to the interior by directing flat mirrors, where it is diffused uniformly by a distributor. All parameters of the system are calculated theoretically. Based on the designed system, our simulation results demonstrated a maximum optical efficiency of 71%. The simulation results also showed that sunlight could be delivered to the illumination destination at distance of 30 m. A prototype of the M-OFDS was fabricated, and preliminary experiments were performed outdoors. The simulation results and experimental results confirmed that the M-OFDS was designed effectively. A large-scale system constructed by several M-OFDSs is also proposed. The results showed that the presented optical fiber daylighting system is a strong candidate for an inexpensive and highly efficient application of solar energy in buildings.

Highly specific fiber optic immunosensor coupled with immunomagnetic separation for detection of low levels of Listeria monocytogenes and L. ivanovii

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and immunoassays are widely used for pathogen detection. However, novel technology platforms with highly selective antibodies are essential to improve detection sensitivity, specificity and performance. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Internalin A (InlA) and p30 were generated and used on paramagnetic beads of varying diameters for concentration, as well as on fiber-optic sensor for detection. Results Anti-InlA MAb-2D12 (IgG2a subclass) was specific for Listeria monocytogenes and L. ivanovii, and p30-specific MAb-3F8 (IgM) was specific for the genus Listeria. At all bacterial concentrations (103–108 CFU/mL) tested in the IMS assay; the 1-μm diameter MyOne beads had significantly higher capture efficiency (P < 0.05) than the 2.8-μm diameter M-280 beads with both antibodies. The highest capture efficiency for MyOne-2D12 (49.2% for 105 CFU/mL) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of MyOne-3F8 (16.6 %) and Dynabeads anti-Listeria antibody (9 %). Furthermore, capture efficiency for MyOne-2D12 was highly specific for L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii. Subsequently, we captured L. monocytogenes by MyOne-2D12 and MyOne-3F8 from hotdogs inoculated with mono- or co-cultures of L. monocytogenes and L. innocua (10–40 CFU/g), enriched for 18 h and detected by fiber-optic sensor and confirmed by plating, light-scattering, and qPCR assays. The detection limit for L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii by the fiber-optic immunosensor was 3 × 102 CFU/mL using MAb-2D12 as capture and reporter antibody. Selective media plating, light-scattering, and qPCR assays confirmed the IMS and fiber-optic results. Conclusions IMS coupled with a fiber-optic sensor using anti-InlA MAb is highly specific for L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii and enabled detection of these pathogens at low levels from buffer or food. PMID:23176167

A high-efficiency fibre double-scrambler prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Stuart I.; MacQueen, Phillip J.

2010-07-01

Results for a high efficiency fibre double-scrambler are reported. The scrambler is based on the concept first presented by Casse and Vieira (1997) but with a substantial improvement in performance. The design uses a simple finite conjugate relay with large magnification followed by a combined scrambler/focal reducer singlet. This approach allows flexibility in the coupling of fibres with various focal ratios and diameters, and can be used to minimize loss of throughput due to focal ratio degradation. A prototype has been constructed using simple off-the-shelf optics which is shown to be capable of coupling a 15m long 300 μm fibre to a 5m long 320 μm fibre with an absolute efficiency of 75%. The focal ratio degradation (FRD) of the prototype is 7% when operated at f/3.65. A fully optimized version with both improved efficiency (>85%) and FRD is intended to be deployed as part of the Hobby Eberly Telescope HRS upgrade.

Nonlinear optics in the LP(02) higher-order mode of a fiber.

PubMed

Chen, Y; Chen, Z; Wadsworth, W J; Birks, T A

2013-07-29

The distinct disperion properties of higher-order modes in optical fibers permit the nonlinear generation of radiation deeper into the ultraviolet than is possible with the fundamental mode. This is exploited using adiabatic, broadband mode convertors to couple light efficiently from an input fundamental mode and also to return the generated light to an output fundamental mode over a broad spectral range. For example, we generate visible and UV supercontinuum light in the LP(02) mode of a photonic crystal fiber from sub-ns pulses with a wavelength of 532 nm.

Integrated analysis of large space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, J. P.

1980-01-01

Based on the belief that actual flight hardware development of large space systems will necessitate a formalized method of integrating the various engineering discipline analyses, an efficient highly user oriented software system capable of performing interdisciplinary design analyses with tolerable solution turnaround time is planned Specific analysis capability goals were set forth with initial emphasis given to sequential and quasi-static thermal/structural analysis and fully coupled structural/control system analysis. Subsequently, the IAC would be expanded to include a fully coupled thermal/structural/control system, electromagnetic radiation, and optical performance analyses.

Extraction of surface plasmons in organic light-emitting diodes via high-index coupling.

PubMed

Scholz, Bert J; Frischeisen, Jörg; Jaeger, Arndt; Setz, Daniel S; Reusch, Thilo C G; Brütting, Wolfgang

2012-03-12

The efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is still limited by poor light outcoupling. In particular, the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at metal-organic interfaces represents a major loss channel. By combining optical simulations and experiments on simplified luminescent thin-film structures we elaborate the conditions for the extraction of SPPs via coupling to high-index media. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the possibility to extract light from wave-guided modes and surface plasmons in a top-emitting white OLED by a high-index prism.

Full characterisation of a background limited antenna coupled KID over an octave of bandwidth for THz radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bueno, J.; Yurduseven, O.; Yates, S. J. C.; Llombart, N.; Murugesan, V.; Thoen, D. J.; Baryshev, A. M.; Neto, A.; Baselmans, J. J. A.

2017-06-01

We present the design, fabrication, and full characterisation (sensitivity, beam pattern, and frequency response) of a background limited broadband antenna coupled kinetic inductance detector covering the frequency range from 1.4 to 2.8 THz. This device shows photon noise limited performance with a noise equivalent power of 2.5 × 10-19 W/Hz1/2 at 1.55 THz and can be easily scaled to a kilo-pixel array. The measured optical efficiency, beam pattern, and antenna frequency response match very well the simulations.

Investigation of the RF efficiency of inductively coupled hydrogen plasmas at 1 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauner, D.; Mattei, S.; Briefi, S.; Fantz, U.; Hatayama, A.; Lettry, J.; Nishida, K.; Tran, M. Q.

2017-08-01

The power requirements of RF heated sources for negative hydrogen ions in fusion are substantial, which poses strong demands on the generators and components of the RF circuit. Consequently, an increase of the RF coupling efficiency would be highly beneficial. Fundamental investigations of the RF efficiency in inductively coupled hydrogen and deuterium discharges in cylindrical symmetry are conducted at the lab experiment CHARLIE. The experiment is equipped with several diagnostics including optical emission spectroscopy and a movable floating double probe to monitor the plasma parameters. The presented investigations are performed in hydrogen at a varying pressure between 0.3 and 10 Pa, utilizing a conventional helical ICP coil driven at a frequency of 1 MHz and a fixed power of 520 W for plasma generation. The coupling efficiency is strongly affected by the variation in pressure, reaching up to 85 % between 1 and 3 Pa while dropping down to only 50 % at 0.3 Pa, which is the relevant operating pressure for negative hydrogen ion sources for fusion. Due to the lower power coupling, also the measured electron density at 0.3 Pa is only 5 . 1016 m-3, while it reaches up to 2.5 . 1017 m-3 with increasing coupling efficiency. In order to gain information on the spatially resolved aspects of RF coupling and plasma heating which are not diagnostically accessible, first simulations of the discharge by an electromagnetic Particle-In-Cell Monte Carlo collision method have been conducted and are compared to the measurement data. At 1 Pa, the simulated data corresponds well to the results of both axially resolved probe measurements and radially resolved emission profiles obtained via OES. Thereby, information regarding the radial distribution of the electron density and mean energy is provided, revealing a radial distribution of the electron density which is well described by a Bessel profile.

Thin-Ribbon Tapered Couplers For Dielectric Waveguides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Otoshi, Tom Y.; Shimabukuro, Fred I.; Yeh, Cavour

1996-01-01

Thin-ribbon tapered couplers proposed for launching electro-magnetic waves into dielectric waveguides, which include optical fibers. Intended for use with ribbon dielectric waveguides designed for operation at millimeter or submillimeter wavelengths, made of high-relative-permittivity, low-loss materials and thicknesses comparable to or less than free-space design wavelengths. Coupling efficiencies exceeds those of older tapered couplers.

Theory of absorption integrated optical sensor of gaseous materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egorov, A. A.

2010-10-01

The eigen and noneigen (leaky) modes of a three-layer planar integrated optical waveguide are described. The dispersion relation of a three-layer planar waveguide and other dependences are derived, and the cutoff conditions are analyzed. The diagram of propagation constants of the guided and radiation modes of an irregular asymmetric three-layer waveguide and the dependence of the electric field amplitudes of radiation modes of substrate on vertical coordinate in a tantalum integrated optical waveguide are presented. The operating principles of an absorption integrated optical waveguide sensor are investigated. The dependences of sensitivity of an integrated optical waveguide sensor on the sensory cell length, the coupling efficiency of the laser radiation into the waveguide, the absorption cross-section of the studied material, and the level of additive statistical noise are investigated. Some of the prospective areas of application of integrated-optical waveguide sensors are outlined.

Noise and correlations in a microwave-mechanical-optical transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higginbotham, Andrew P.; Burns, Peter S.; Peterson, Robert W.; Urmey, Maxwell D.; Kampel, Nir S.; Menke, Timothy; Cicak, Katarina; Simmonds, Raymond W.; Regal, Cindy A.; Lehnert, Konrad W.

Viewed as resources for quantum information processing, microwave and optical fields offer complementary strengths. We simultaneously couple one mode of a micromechanical oscillator to a resonant microwave circuit and a high-finesse optical cavity. In previous work, this system was operated as a classical converter between microwave and optical signals at 4 K, operating with 10% efficiency and 1500 photons of added noise. To improve noise performance, we now operate the converter at 0.1 K. We have observed order-of-magnitude improvement in noise performance, and quantified effects from undesired interactions between the laser and superconducting circuit. Correlations between the microwave and optical fields have also been investigated, serving as a precursor to upcoming quantum operation. We acknowledge support from AFOSR MURI Grant FA9550-15-1-0015 and PFC National Science Foundation Grant 1125844.

Fiber pigtailed thin wall capillary coupler for excitation of microsphere WGM resonator.

PubMed

Wang, Hanzheng; Lan, Xinwei; Huang, Jie; Yuan, Lei; Kim, Cheol-Woon; Xiao, Hai

2013-07-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a fiber pigtailed thin wall capillary coupler for excitation of Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) of microsphere resonators. The coupler is made by fusion-splicing an optical fiber with a capillary tube and consequently etching the capillary wall to a thickness of a few microns. Light is coupled through the peripheral contact between inserted microsphere and the etched capillary wall. The coupling efficiency as a function of the wall thickness was studied experimentally. WGM resonance with a Q-factor of 1.14 × 10(4) was observed using a borosilicate glass microsphere with a diameter of 71 μm. The coupler operates in the reflection mode and provides a robust mechanical support to the microsphere resonator. It is expected that the new coupler may find broad applications in sensors, optical filters and lasers.

Electromagnon Resonance at Room Temperature with Gigantic Magnetochromism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shishikura, H.; Tokunaga, Y.; Takahashi, Y.; Masuda, R.; Taguchi, Y.; Kaneko, Y.; Tokura, Y.

2018-04-01

The elementary excitation characteristic of magnetoelectric (ME) multiferroics is a magnon endowed with electric activity, which is referred to as an electromagnon. The electromagnon resonance mediated by the bilinear exchange coupling potentially exhibits strong terahertz light-matter interaction with optical properties different from the conventional magnon excitation. Here we report the robust electromagnon resonance on helimagnetic Y -type hexaferrites in a wide temperature range including room temperature. Furthermore, the efficient magnetic field controls of the electromagnon are demonstrated on the flexible spin structure of these compounds, leading to the generation or annihilation of the resonance as well as the large resonance energy shift. These terahertz characteristics of the electromagnon exemplify the versatile magneto-optical functionality driven by the ME coupling in multiferroics, paving a way for possible terahertz applications as well as terahertz control of a magnetic state of matter.

New Molecular Design Concurrently Providing Superior Pure Blue, Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence and Optical Out-Coupling Efficiencies.

PubMed

Rajamalli, P; Senthilkumar, N; Huang, P-Y; Ren-Wu, C-C; Lin, H-W; Cheng, C-H

2017-08-16

Simultaneous enhancement of out-coupling efficiency, internal quantum efficiency, and color purity in thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters is highly desired for the practical application of these materials. We designed and synthesized two isomeric TADF emitters, 2DPyM-mDTC and 3DPyM-pDTC, based on di(pyridinyl)methanone (DPyM) cores as the new electron-accepting units and di(tert-butyl)carbazole (DTC) as the electron-donating units. 3DPyM-pDTC, which is structurally nearly planar with a very small ΔE ST , shows higher color purity, horizontal ratio, and quantum yield than 2DPyM-mDTC, which has a more flexible structure. An electroluminescence device based on 3DPyM-pDTC as the dopant emitter can reach an extremely high external quantum efficiency of 31.9% with a pure blue emission. This work also demonstrates a way to design materials with a high portion of horizontal molecular orientation to realize a highly efficient pure-blue device based on TADF emitters.

Rapid fabrication of a micro-ball lens array by extrusion for optical fiber applications.

PubMed

Shen, S C; Huang, J C

2009-07-20

Batch-fabrication of a micro-ball lens array (MBA) could not only reduce micro assembly costs but also replace conventional ball lenses or costly GRINs (Gradient Refractive Index) without compromising performance. Compared with conventional half-spherical micro-lenses, the MBA is a spherical micro-lens that can focus light in all directions, thus providing the flexibility required for optical applications. Current MBAs are made of SU-8 photoresist by an extrusion process rather than the traditional thermal reflow process. The aim of this study was to develop a new process for MBA batch-fabrication, performed at ambient temperature, by spin-coating SU-8 onto a silicon-wafer surface, which serves as an extrusion plate, and extruding it through a nozzle to form an MBA. The nozzle consists of a nozzle orifice and nozzle cavity, the former being defined and made from SU-8 photoresist using ultra-violet (UV) lithography, which results in good mechanical properties. In this paper, the fabrication of 4 x 4 MBAs with diameters ranging from 60 to 550 um is described. Optical measurements indicated a diameter variance within 3% and a maximum coupling efficiency of approximately 62% when the single mode fiber (SMF) was placed at a distance of 10 um from the MBA. The results of this study proved that MBA fabrication by the extrusion process can enhance the coupling efficiency.

Modeling of absorption and scattering properties of core -shell nanoparticles for application as nanoantenna in optical domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, Jutika; Saikia, Rashmi; Datta, Pranayee

2016-10-01

The present paper describes the study of core-shell nanoparticles for application as nanoantenna in the optical domain. To obtain the absorption and extinction efficiencies as well as the angular distribution of the far field radiation pattern and the resonance wavelengths for these metal-dielectric, dielectric-metal and metal-metal core-shell nanoparticles in optical domain, we have used Finite Element Method based COMSOL Multiphysics Software and Mie Theory. From the comparative study of the extinction efficiencies of core-shell nanoparticles of different materials, it is found that for silica - gold core - shell nanoparticles, the resonant wavelength is greater than that of the gold - silver, silver-gold and gold-silica core - shell nanoparticles and also the radiation pattern of the silica-gold core-shell nanoparticle is the most suitable one from the point of view of directivity. The dielectric functions of the core and shell material as well as of the embedded matrix are extremely important and plays a very major role to tune the directivity and resonance wavelength. Such highly controllable parameters of the dielectric - metal core - shell nanoparticles make them suitable for efficient coupling of optical radiation into nanoscale structures for a broad range of applications in the field of communications.

Fabrication of Fresnel micro lens array in borosilicate glass by F2-laser ablation for glass interposer application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brusberg, Lars; Neitz, Marcel; Schröder, Henning; Fricke-Begemann, Thomas; Ihlemann, Jürgen

2014-03-01

The future need for more bandwidth forces the development of optical transmission solutions for rack-to-rack, boardto- board and chip-to-chip interconnects. The goals are significant reduction of power consumption, highest density and potential for bandwidth scalability to overcome the limitations of the systems today with mostly copper based interconnects. For system integration the enabling of thin glass as a substrate material for electro-optical components with integrated micro-optics for efficient light coupling to integrated optical waveguides or fibers is becoming important. Our glass based packaging approach merges micro-system packaging and glass integrated optics. This kind of packaging consists of a thin glass substrate with integrated micro lenses providing a platform for photonic component assembly and optical fiber or waveguide interconnection. Thin glass is commercially available in panel and wafer size and characterizes excellent optical and high frequency properties. That makes it perfect for microsystem packaging. A suitable micro lens approach has to be comparable with different commercial glasses and withstand post-processing like soldering. A benefit of using laser ablated Fresnel lenses is the planar integration capability in the substrate for highest integration density. In the paper we introduce our glass based packaging concept and the Fresnel lens design for different scenarios like chip-to-fiber, chip-to-optical-printed-circuit-board coupling. Based on the design the Fresnel lenses were fabricated by using a 157 nm fluorine laser ablation system.

Tapered waveguides for guided wave optics.

PubMed

Campbell, J C

1979-03-15

Strip waveguides having half-paraboloid shaped tapers that permit efficient fiber to waveguide coupling have been fabricated by Ag ion exchange in soda-lime glass. A reduction in the input coupling loss has been accomplished by tailoring the diffusion to provide a gradual transition from a single-mode waveguide to a multimode waveguide having cross-sectional dimensions comparable to the core diameter of a single-mode fiber. Waveguides without tapers exhibit an attenuation of 1.0 dB/cm and an input coupling loss of 0.6 dB. The additional loss introduced by the tapered region is 0.5 dB. By way of contrast, an input coupling loss of 2.4 dB is obtained by coupling directly to a single-mode waveguide, indicating a net improvement of 1.3 dB for the tapered waveguides.

Rapid and efficient formation of propagation invariant shaped laser beams.

PubMed

Chriki, Ronen; Barach, Gilad; Tradosnky, Chene; Smartsev, Slava; Pal, Vishwa; Friesem, Asher A; Davidson, Nir

2018-02-19

A rapid and efficient all-optical method for forming propagation invariant shaped beams by exploiting the optical feedback of a laser cavity is presented. The method is based on the modified degenerate cavity laser (MDCL), which is a highly incoherent cavity laser. The MDCL has a very large number of degrees of freedom (320,000 modes in our system) that can be coupled and controlled, and allows direct access to both the real space and Fourier space of the laser beam. By inserting amplitude masks into the cavity, constraints can be imposed on the laser in order to obtain minimal loss solutions that would optimally lead to a superposition of Bessel-Gauss beams forming a desired shaped beam. The resulting beam maintains its transverse intensity distribution for relatively long propagation distances.

Study on initiative vibration absorbing technology of optics in strong disturbed environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Si-nan; Xiong, Mu-di; Zou, Xiao-jie

2007-12-01

Strong disturbed environment is apt to cause irregular vibration, which seriously affects optical collimation. To improve the performance of laser beam, three-point dynamic vibration absorbing method is proposed, and laser beam initiative vibration absorbing system is designed. The maladjustment signal is detected by position sensitive device (PSD), three groups of PZT are driven to adjust optical element in real-time, so the performance of output-beam is improved. The coupling model of the system is presented. Multivariable adaptive closed-loop decoupling arithmetic is used to design three-input-three-output decoupling controller, so that high precision dynamic adjusting is realized. Experiments indicate that the system has good shock absorbing efficiency.

Compact multiwavelength transmitter module for multimode fiber optic ribbon cable

DOEpatents

Deri, Robert J.; Pocha, Michael D.; Larson, Michael C.; Garrett, Henry E.

2002-01-01

A compact multiwavelength transmitter module for multimode fiber optic ribbon cable, which couples light from an M.times.N array of emitters onto N fibers, where the M wavelength may be distributed across two or more vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) chips, and combining emitters and multiplexer into a compact package that is compatible with placement on a printed circuit board. A key feature is bringing together two emitter arrays fabricated on different substrates--each array designed for a different wavelength--into close physical proximity. Another key feature is to compactly and efficiently combine the light from two or more clusters of optical emitters, each in a different wavelength band, into a fiber ribbon.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, Reshmi; Thomas, Anoop; Pullanchery, Saranya

Strong coupling interactions between plasmon and exciton-based excitations have been proposed to be useful in the design of optoelectronic systems. However, the role of various optical parameters dictating the plasmon-exciton (plexciton) interactions is less understood. Herein, we propose an inequality for achieving strong coupling between plasmons and excitons through appropriate variation of their oscillator strengths and spectral widths. These aspects are found to be consistent with experiments on two sets of free-standing plexcitonic systems obtained by (i) linking fluorescein isothiocyanate on Ag nanoparticles of varying sizes through silane coupling and (ii) electrostatic binding of cyanine dyes on polystyrenesulfonate-coated Au nanorodsmore » of varying aspect ratios. Being covalently linked on Ag nanoparticles, fluorescein isothiocyanate remains in monomeric state, and its high oscillator strength and narrow spectral width enable us to approach the strong coupling limit. In contrast, in the presence of polystyrenesulfonate, monomeric forms of cyanine dyes exist in equilibrium with their aggregates: Coupling is not observed for monomers and H-aggregates whose optical parameters are unfavorable. The large aggregation number, narrow spectral width, and extremely high oscillator strength of J-aggregates of cyanines permit effective delocalization of excitons along the linear assembly of chromophores, which in turn leads to efficient coupling with the plasmons. Further, the results obtained from experiments and theoretical models are jointly employed to describe the plexcitonic states, estimate the coupling strengths, and rationalize the dispersion curves. The experimental results and the theoretical analysis presented here portray a way forward to the rational design of plexcitonic systems attaining the strong coupling limits.« less

Scintillating fibres coupled to silicon photomultiplier prototypes for fast beam monitoring and thin timing detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papa, A.; Kettle, P.-R.; Ripiccini, E.; Rutar, G.

2016-07-01

Several scintillating fibre prototypes (single- and double-layers) made of 250 μm multi-clad square fibres coupled to silicon photomultiplier have been studied using electrons, positrons and muons at different energies. Current measurements show promising results: already for a single fibre layer and minimum ionizing particles we obtain a detection efficiency ≥ 95 % (mean collected light/fibre ≈ 8 phe), a timing resolution of 550 ps/fibre and a foreseen spatial resolution < 100 μm, based on the achieved negligible optical cross-talk between fibres (< 1 %). We will also discuss the performances of a double-layer staggered prototype configuration, for which a full detection efficiency (≥ 99 %) has been measured together with a timing resolution of ≈ 400 ps for double hit events.

Optical micro-cavities on silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Daoxin; Liu, Erhu; Tan, Ying

2018-01-01

Silicon-based optical microcavities are very popular for many applications because of the ultra-compact footprint, easy scalability, and functional versatility. In this paper we give a discussion about the challenges of the optical microcavities on silicon and also give a review of our recent work, including the following parts. First, a near-"perfect" high-order MRR optical filter with a box-like filtering response is realized by introducing bent directional couplers to have sufficient coupling between the access waveguide and the microrings. Second, an efficient thermally-tunable MRR-based optical filter with graphene transparent nano-heater is realized by introducing transparent graphene nanoheaters. Thirdly, a polarization-selective microring-based optical filter is realized to work with resonances for only one of TE and TM polarizations for the first time. Finally, a on-chip reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer for hybrid mode- /wavelength-division-multiplexing systems is realized for the first time by monolithically integrating a mode demultiplexer, four MRR optical switches, and a mode multiplexer.

Generation of Optical Combs in a WGM Resonator from a Bichromatic Pump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strekalov, Dmitry V.; Yu, Nan; Matsko, Andrey B.

2010-01-01

Optical combs generated by a monolithic resonator with Kerrmedium can be used in a number of applications, including orbital clocks and frequency standards of extremely high accuracy, such as astronomy, molecular spectroscopy, and the like. The main difficulty of this approach is the relatively high pump power that has to be used in such devices, causing undesired thermorefractive effects, as well as stimulated Raman scattering, and limiting the optical comb quality and utility. In order to overcome this problem, this innovation uses a different approach to excitation of the nonlinear oscillations in a Kerr-nonlinear whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator and generation of the optical comb. By coupling to the resonator two optical pump frequencies instead of just one, the efficiency of the comb source can be increased considerably. It therefore can operate in a lowerpower regime where the undesirable effects are not present. This process does not have a power threshold; therefore, the new optical component can easily be made strong enough to generate further components, making the optical comb spread in a cascade fashion. Additionally, the comb spacing can be made in an arbitrary number of the resonator free spectral ranges (FSR). The experimental setup for this innovation used a fluorite resonator with OMEGA= 13.56 GHz. This material has very low dispersion at the wavelength of 1.5 microns, so the resonator spectrum around this wavelength is highly equidistant. Light was coupled in and out of the resonator using two optical fibers polished at the optimal coupling angle. The gap between the resonator and the fibers, affecting the light coupling and the resonator loading, was controlled by piezo positioners. The light from the input fiber that did not go into the resonator reflected off of its rim, and was collected by a photodetector. This enabled observation and measurement of the (absorption) spectrum of the resonator. The input fiber combined light from two lasers centered at around 1,560 nanometers. Both laser frequencies were simultaneously scanned around the selected WGMs of the same family. However, they were separated by one, two, three, or ten FSRs. This was achieved by fine-tuning each laser frequency offset until the selected resonances overlap on the oscilloscope screen. The resonator quality factor Q = 7 x 10(exp 7) was relatively low to increase the linewidth and, therefore, the duty cycle of both lasers simultaneously coupled into their WGMs. The optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) connected to the output fiber was continuously acquiring data, asynchronously with the laser scan. The instrument was set to retain the peak power values; therefore, a trace recorded for a sufficiently long period of time reflected the situation with both lasers maximally coupled to the WGMs.

Measurements of the Optical Performance of Prototype TES Bolometers for SAFARI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audley, M. D.; de Lange, G.; Ranjan, M.; Gao, J.-R.; Khosropanah, P.; Ridder, M. L.; Mauskopf, P. D.; Morozov, D.; Doherty, S.; Trappe, N.; Withington, S.

2014-09-01

We have measured the optical response of prototype detectors for SAFARI, the far-infrared imaging spectrometer for the SPICA satellite. SAFARI's three bolometer arrays, coupled with a Fourier transform spectrometer, will provide images of a 2'×2' field of view with spectral information over the wavelength range 34-210 μm. Each horn-coupled bolometer consists of a transition edge sensor (TES), with a transition temperature close to 100 mK, and a thin-film Ta absorber on a thermally-isolated silicon nitride membrane. SAFARI requires extremely sensitive detectors ( NEP˜2×10-19 W/), with correspondingly low saturation powers (˜5 fW), to take advantage of SPICA's cooled optics. To meet the challenge of testing such sensitive detectors we have constructed an ultra-low background test facility based on a cryogen-free high-capacity dilution refrigerator, paying careful attention to stray-light exclusion, shielding, and vibration isolation. For optical measurements the system contains internal cold (3-30 K) and hot (˜300 K) black-body calibration sources, as well as a light pipe for external illumination. We discuss our measurements of high optical efficiency in prototype SAFARI detectors and describe recent improvements to the test facility that will enable us to test the full SAFARI focal-plane arrays.

Scalable photonic quantum computing assisted by quantum-dot spin in double-sided optical microcavity.

PubMed

Wei, Hai-Rui; Deng, Fu-Guo

2013-07-29

We investigate the possibility of achieving scalable photonic quantum computing by the giant optical circular birefringence induced by a quantum-dot spin in a double-sided optical microcavity as a result of cavity quantum electrodynamics. We construct a deterministic controlled-not gate on two photonic qubits by two single-photon input-output processes and the readout on an electron-medium spin confined in an optical resonant microcavity. This idea could be applied to multi-qubit gates on photonic qubits and we give the quantum circuit for a three-photon Toffoli gate. High fidelities and high efficiencies could be achieved when the side leakage to the cavity loss rate is low. It is worth pointing out that our devices work in both the strong and the weak coupling regimes.

Phonon-assisted nonlinear optical processes in ultrashort-pulse pumped optical parametric amplifiers

DOE PAGES

Isaienko, Oleksandr; Robel, Istvan

2016-03-15

Optically active phonon modes in ferroelectrics such as potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) and potassium titanyl arsenate (KTA) in the ~7–20 THz range play an important role in applications of these materials in Raman lasing and terahertz wave generation. Previous studies with picosecond pulse excitation demonstrated that the interaction of pump pulses with phonons can lead to efficient stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) accompanying optical parametric oscillation or amplification processes (OPO/OPA), and to efficient polariton-phonon scattering. In this work, we investigate the behavior of infrared OPAs employing KTP or KTA crystals when pumped with ~800-nm ultrashort pulses of duration comparable to themore » oscillation period of the optical phonons. We demonstrate that under conditions of coherent impulsive Raman excitation of the phonons, when the effective χ (2) nonlinearity cannot be considered instantaneous, the parametrically amplified waves (most notably, signal) undergo significant spectral modulations leading to an overall redshift of the OPA output. Furthermore, the pump intensity dependence of the redshifted OPA output, the temporal evolution of the parametric gain, as well as the pump spectral modulations suggest the presence of coupling between the nonlinear optical polarizations P NL of the impulsively excited phonons and those of parametrically amplified waves.« less

All-optical switching based on optical fibre long period gratings modified bacteriorhodopsin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korposh, S.; James, S.; Partridge, M.; Sichka, M.; Tatam, R.

2018-05-01

All-optical switching using an optical fibre long-period gating (LPG) modified with bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is demonstrated. The switching process is based on the photo-induced RI change of bR, which in turn changes the phase matching conditions of the mode coupling by the LPG, leading to modulation of the propagating light. The effect was studied with an LPG immersed into a bR solution and with LPGs coated with the bR films, deposited onto the LPGs using the layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly (LbL) method. The dependence of the all-optical switching efficiency upon the concentration of the bR solution and on the grating period of the LPG was also studied. In addition, an in-fibre Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) composed of a cascaded LPG pair separated by 30 mm and modified with bR was used to enhance the wavelength range of all-optical switching. The switching wavelength is determined by the grating period of the LPG. Switching efficiencies of 16% and 35% were observed when an LPG and an MZI were immersed into bR solutions, respectively. The switching time for devices coated with bR-films was within 1 s, 10 times faster than that observed for devices immersed into bR solution.

Single MoO3 nanoribbon waveguides: good building blocks as elements and interconnects for nanophotonic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; Wu, Guoqing; Gu, Fuxing; Zeng, Heping

2015-11-01

Exploring new nanowaveguide materials and structures is of great scientific interest and technological significance for optical and photonic applications. In this work, high-quality single-crystal MoO3 nanoribbons (NRs) are synthesized and used for optical guiding. External light sources are efficiently launched into the single MoO3 NRs using silica fiber tapers. It is found that single MoO3 NRs are as good nanowaveguides with loss optical losses (typically less than 0.1 dB/μm) and broadband optical guiding in the visible/near-infrared region. Single MoO3 NRs have good Raman gains that are comparable to those of semiconductor nanowaveguides, but the second harmonic generation efficiencies are about 4 orders less than those of semiconductor nanowaveguides. And also no any third-order nonlinear optical effects are observed at high pump power. A hybrid Fabry-Pérot cavity containing an active CdSe nanowire and a passive MoO3 NR is also demonstrated, and the ability of coupling light from other active nanostructures and fluorescent liquid solutions has been further demonstrated. These optical properties make single MoO3 NRs attractive building blocks as elements and interconnects in miniaturized photonic circuitries and devices.

Optical interconnects based on VCSELs and low-loss silicon photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalto, Timo; Harjanne, Mikko; Karppinen, Mikko; Cherchi, Matteo; Sitomaniemi, Aila; Ollila, Jyrki; Malacarne, Antonio; Neumeyr, Christian

2018-02-01

Silicon photonics with micron-scale Si waveguides offers most of the benefits of submicron SOI technology while avoiding most of its limitations. In particular, thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides offer 0.1 dB/cm propagation loss, polarization independency, broadband single-mode (SM) operation from 1.2 to >4 µm wavelength and ability to transmit high optical powers (>1 W). Here we describe the feasibility of Thick-SOI technology for advanced optical interconnects. With 12 μm SOI waveguides we demonstrate efficient coupling between standard single-mode fibers, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and photodetectors (PDs), as well as wavelength multiplexing in small footprint. Discrete VCSELs and PDs already support 28 Gb/s on-off keying (OOK), which shows a path towards 50-100 Gb/s bandwidth per wavelength by using more advanced modulation formats like PAM4. Directly modulated VCSELs enable very power-efficient optical interconnects for up to 40 km distance. Furthermore, with 3 μm SOI waveguides we demonstrate extremely dense and low-loss integration of numerous optical functions, such as multiplexers, filters, switches and delay lines. Also polarization independent and athermal operation is demonstrated. The latter is achieved by using short polymer waveguides to compensate for the thermo-optic effect in silicon. New concepts for isolator integration and polarization rotation are also explained.

Strongly Cavity-Enhanced Spontaneous Emission from Silicon-Vacancy Centers in Diamond

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Jingyuan Linda; Sun, Shuo; Burek, Michael J.; ...

2018-01-29

Quantum emitters are an integral component for a broad range of quantum technologies, including quantum communication, quantum repeaters, and linear optical quantum computation. Solid-state color centers are promising candidates for scalable quantum optics due to their long coherence time and small inhomogeneous broadening. However, once excited, color centers often decay through phonon-assisted processes, limiting the efficiency of single-photon generation and photon-mediated entanglement generation. Herein, we demonstrate strong enhancement of spontaneous emission rate of a single silicon-vacancy center in diamond embedded within a monolithic optical cavity, reaching a regime in which the excited-state lifetime is dominated by spontaneous emission into themore » cavity mode. We observe 10-fold lifetime reduction and 42-fold enhancement in emission intensity when the cavity is tuned into resonance with the optical transition of a single silicon-vacancy center, corresponding to 90% of the excited-state energy decay occurring through spontaneous emission into the cavity mode. Here, we also demonstrate the largest coupling strength ( g/2π = 4.9 ± 0.3 GHz) and cooperativity ( C = 1.4) to date for color-center-based cavity quantum electrodynamics systems, bringing the system closer to the strong coupling regime.« less

Fiberless multicolor neural optoelectrode for in vivo circuit analysis.

PubMed

Kampasi, Komal; Stark, Eran; Seymour, John; Na, Kyounghwan; Winful, Herbert G; Buzsáki, György; Wise, Kensall D; Yoon, Euisik

2016-08-03

Maximizing the potential of optogenetic approaches in deep brain structures of intact animals requires optical manipulation of neurons at high spatial and temporal resolutions, while simultaneously recording electrical data from those neurons. Here, we present the first fiber-less optoelectrode with a monolithically integrated optical waveguide mixer that can deliver multicolor light at a common waveguide port to achieve multicolor modulation of the same neuronal population in vivo. We demonstrate successful device implementation by achieving efficient coupling between a side-emitting injection laser diode (ILD) and a dielectric optical waveguide mixer via a gradient-index (GRIN) lens. The use of GRIN lenses attains several design features, including high optical coupling and thermal isolation between ILDs and waveguides. We validated the packaged devices in the intact brain of anesthetized mice co-expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 and Archaerhodopsin in pyramidal cells in the hippocampal CA1 region, achieving high quality recording, activation and silencing of the exact same neurons in a given local region. This fully-integrated approach demonstrates the spatial precision and scalability needed to enable independent activation and silencing of the same or different groups of neurons in dense brain regions while simultaneously recording from them, thus considerably advancing the capabilities of currently available optogenetic toolsets.

Strongly Cavity-Enhanced Spontaneous Emission from Silicon-Vacancy Centers in Diamond

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Jingyuan Linda; Sun, Shuo; Burek, Michael J.

Quantum emitters are an integral component for a broad range of quantum technologies, including quantum communication, quantum repeaters, and linear optical quantum computation. Solid-state color centers are promising candidates for scalable quantum optics due to their long coherence time and small inhomogeneous broadening. However, once excited, color centers often decay through phonon-assisted processes, limiting the efficiency of single-photon generation and photon-mediated entanglement generation. Herein, we demonstrate strong enhancement of spontaneous emission rate of a single silicon-vacancy center in diamond embedded within a monolithic optical cavity, reaching a regime in which the excited-state lifetime is dominated by spontaneous emission into themore » cavity mode. We observe 10-fold lifetime reduction and 42-fold enhancement in emission intensity when the cavity is tuned into resonance with the optical transition of a single silicon-vacancy center, corresponding to 90% of the excited-state energy decay occurring through spontaneous emission into the cavity mode. Here, we also demonstrate the largest coupling strength ( g/2π = 4.9 ± 0.3 GHz) and cooperativity ( C = 1.4) to date for color-center-based cavity quantum electrodynamics systems, bringing the system closer to the strong coupling regime.« less

Design of 150W, 105-μm, 0.22NA, fiber coupled laser diode module by ZEMAX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Yunfei; Zhao, Pengfei; Chen, Qing; Wu, Yulong; Chen, Yongqi; Zou, Yonggang; Lin, Xuechun

2016-10-01

We represent a design of a high brightness, fiber coupled diode laser module based on 16 single emitters at 915nm. The module can produce more than 150 Watts output power from a standard fiber with core diameter of 105μm and numerical aperture (NA) of 0.22. To achieve a high power and high brightness laser beam, the spatial beam combination and polarization beam combination are used to combine output of 16 single emitters into a single beam, and then an aspheric lens is used to couple the combined beam into an optical fiber. The simulation show that the total coupling efficiency is more than 95% and the highest brightness is estimated to be 11MW/ (cm2*sr).

Photon-phonon-enhanced infrared rectification in a two-dimensional nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diode

DOE PAGES

Kadlec, Emil A.; Jarecki, Robert L.; Starbuck, Andrew; ...

2016-12-28

The interplay of strong infrared photon-phonon coupling with electromagnetic confinement in nanoscale devices is demonstrated to have a large impact on ultrafast photon-assisted tunneling in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Infrared active optical phonon modes in polar oxides lead to strong dispersion and enhanced electric fields at material interfaces. We find that the infrared dispersion of SiO 2 near a longitudinal optical phonon mode can effectively impedance match a photonic surface mode into a nanoscale tunnel gap that results in large transverse-field confinement. An integrated 2D nanoantenna structure on a distributed large-area MOS tunnel-diode rectifier is designed and built to resonantly excitemore » infrared surface modes and is shown to efficiently channel infrared radiation into nanometer-scale gaps in these MOS devices. This enhanced-gap transverse-electric field is converted to a rectified tunneling displacement current resulting in a dc photocurrent. We examine the angular and polarization-dependent spectral photocurrent response of these 2D nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diodes in the photon-enhanced tunneling spectral region. Lastly, our 2D nanoantenna-coupled infrared tunnel-diode rectifier promises to impact large-area thermal energy harvesting and infrared direct detectors.« less

Photon-phonon-enhanced infrared rectification in a two-dimensional nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kadlec, Emil A.; Jarecki, Robert L.; Starbuck, Andrew

The interplay of strong infrared photon-phonon coupling with electromagnetic confinement in nanoscale devices is demonstrated to have a large impact on ultrafast photon-assisted tunneling in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Infrared active optical phonon modes in polar oxides lead to strong dispersion and enhanced electric fields at material interfaces. We find that the infrared dispersion of SiO 2 near a longitudinal optical phonon mode can effectively impedance match a photonic surface mode into a nanoscale tunnel gap that results in large transverse-field confinement. An integrated 2D nanoantenna structure on a distributed large-area MOS tunnel-diode rectifier is designed and built to resonantly excitemore » infrared surface modes and is shown to efficiently channel infrared radiation into nanometer-scale gaps in these MOS devices. This enhanced-gap transverse-electric field is converted to a rectified tunneling displacement current resulting in a dc photocurrent. We examine the angular and polarization-dependent spectral photocurrent response of these 2D nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diodes in the photon-enhanced tunneling spectral region. Lastly, our 2D nanoantenna-coupled infrared tunnel-diode rectifier promises to impact large-area thermal energy harvesting and infrared direct detectors.« less

Semiclassical theory of sub-Doppler forces in an asymmetric magneto-optical trap with unequal laser detunings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Noh, Heung-Ryoul; Jhe, Wonho

We present a semiclassical theory of the sub-Doppler forces in an asymmetric magneto-optical trap where the trap-laser frequencies are unequal to one another. To solve the optical Bloch equations, which contain explicit time dependence, unlike in the symmetric case of equal laser detunings, we have developed a convenient and efficient method to calculate the atomic forces at various oscillating frequencies for each atomic density matrix element. In particular, the theory provides a qualitative understanding of the array of sub-Doppler traps (SDTs) recently observed in such an asymmetric trap. We find that the distances between SDTs are proportional to the relativemore » detuning differences, in good agreement with experimental results. The theory presented here can be applied to a dynamic system with multiple laser frequencies involved; the number of coupled equations to solve is much reduced and the resulting numerical calculation can be performed rather simply and efficiently.« less

Antenna-coupled photon emission from hexagonal boron nitride tunnel junctions.

PubMed

Parzefall, M; Bharadwaj, P; Jain, A; Taniguchi, T; Watanabe, K; Novotny, L

2015-12-01

The ultrafast conversion of electrical signals to optical signals at the nanoscale is of fundamental interest for data processing, telecommunication and optical interconnects. However, the modulation bandwidths of semiconductor light-emitting diodes are limited by the spontaneous recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, and the footprint of electrically driven ultrafast lasers is too large for practical on-chip integration. A metal-insulator-metal tunnel junction approaches the ultimate size limit of electronic devices and its operating speed is fundamentally limited only by the tunnelling time. Here, we study the conversion of electrons (localized in vertical gold-hexagonal boron nitride-gold tunnel junctions) to free-space photons, mediated by resonant slot antennas. Optical antennas efficiently bridge the size mismatch between nanoscale volumes and far-field radiation and strongly enhance the electron-photon conversion efficiency. We achieve polarized, directional and resonantly enhanced light emission from inelastic electron tunnelling and establish a novel platform for studying the interaction of electrons with strongly localized electromagnetic fields.

Travelling-wave resonant four-wave mixing breaks the limits of cavity-enhanced all-optical wavelength conversion.

PubMed

Morichetti, Francesco; Canciamilla, Antonio; Ferrari, Carlo; Samarelli, Antonio; Sorel, Marc; Melloni, Andrea

2011-01-01

Wave mixing inside optical resonators, while experiencing a large enhancement of the nonlinear interaction efficiency, suffers from strong bandwidth constraints, preventing its practical exploitation for processing broad-band signals. Here we show that such limits are overcome by the new concept of travelling-wave resonant four-wave mixing (FWM). This approach combines the efficiency enhancement provided by resonant propagation with a wide-band conversion process. Compared with conventional FWM in bare waveguides, it exhibits higher robustness against chromatic dispersion and propagation loss, while preserving transparency to modulation formats. Travelling-wave resonant FWM has been demonstrated in silicon-coupled ring resonators and was exploited to realize a 630-μm-long wavelength converter operating over a wavelength range wider than 60 nm and with 28-dB gain with respect to a bare waveguide of the same physical length. Full compatibility of the travelling-wave resonant FWM with optical signal processing applications has been demonstrated through signal retiming and reshaping at 10 Gb s(-1).

Travelling-wave resonant four-wave mixing breaks the limits of cavity-enhanced all-optical wavelength conversion

PubMed Central

Morichetti, Francesco; Canciamilla, Antonio; Ferrari, Carlo; Samarelli, Antonio; Sorel, Marc; Melloni, Andrea

2011-01-01

Wave mixing inside optical resonators, while experiencing a large enhancement of the nonlinear interaction efficiency, suffers from strong bandwidth constraints, preventing its practical exploitation for processing broad-band signals. Here we show that such limits are overcome by the new concept of travelling-wave resonant four-wave mixing (FWM). This approach combines the efficiency enhancement provided by resonant propagation with a wide-band conversion process. Compared with conventional FWM in bare waveguides, it exhibits higher robustness against chromatic dispersion and propagation loss, while preserving transparency to modulation formats. Travelling-wave resonant FWM has been demonstrated in silicon-coupled ring resonators and was exploited to realize a 630-μm-long wavelength converter operating over a wavelength range wider than 60 nm and with 28-dB gain with respect to a bare waveguide of the same physical length. Full compatibility of the travelling-wave resonant FWM with optical signal processing applications has been demonstrated through signal retiming and reshaping at 10 Gb s−1 PMID:21540838

Cost-efficient speckle interferometry with plastic optical fiber for unobtrusive monitoring of human vital signs.

PubMed

Podbreznik, Peter; Đonlagić, Denis; Lešnik, Dejan; Cigale, Boris; Zazula, Damjan

2013-10-01

A cost-efficient plastic optical fiber (POF) system for unobtrusive monitoring of human vital signs is presented. The system is based on speckle interferometry. A laser diode is butt-coupled to the POF whose exit face projects speckle patterns onto a linear optical sensor array. Sequences of acquired speckle images are transformed into one-dimensional signals by using the phase-shifting method. The signals are analyzed by band-pass filtering and a Morlet-wavelet-based multiresolutional approach for the detection of cardiac and respiratory activities, respectively. The system is tested with 10 healthy nonhospitalized persons, lying supine on a mattress with the embedded POF. Experimental results are assessed statistically: precisions of 98.8% ± 1.5% and 97.9% ± 2.3%, sensitivities of 99.4% ± 0.6% and 95.3% ± 3%, and mean delays between interferometric detections and corresponding referential signals of 116.6 ± 55.5 and 1299.2 ± 437.3 ms for the heartbeat and respiration are obtained, respectively.

Efficient Color-Stable Inverted White Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with Outcoupling-Enhanced ZnO Layer.

PubMed

Zhao, Xin-Dong; Li, Yan-Qing; Xiang, Heng-Yang; Zhang, Yi-Bo; Chen, Jing-De; Xu, Lu-Hai; Tang, Jian-Xin

2017-01-25

Inverted organic light-emitting diode (OLED) has attracted extensive attention due to the demand in active-matrix OLED display panels as its geometry enables the direct connection with n-channel transistor backplane on the substrate. One key challenge of high-performance inverted OLED is an efficient electron-injection layer with superior electrical and optical properties to match the indium tin oxide cathode on substrate. We here propose a synergistic electron-injection architecture using surface modification of ZnO layer to simultaneously promote electron injection into organic emitter and enhance out-coupling of waveguided light. An efficient inverted white OLED is realized by introducing the nanoimprinted aperiodic nanostructure of ZnO for broadband and angle-independent light out-coupling and inserting an n-type doped interlayer for energy level tuning and injection barrier lowering. As a result, the optimized inverted white OLEDs have an external quantum efficiency of 42.4% and a power efficiency of 85.4 lm W 1- , which are accompanied by the superiority of angular color stability over the visible wavelength range. Our results may inspire a promising approach to fabricate high-efficiency inverted OLEDs for large-scale display panels.

Coupling and Switching in Optically Resonant Periodic Electrode Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bieber, Amy Erica

This thesis describes coupling and switching of optical radiation using metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structures, specifically in a metal-on-silicon waveguide configuration. The structures which are the subject of this research have the special advantage of being VLSI -compatible; this is very important for the ultimate acceptance of any integrated optoelectronics technology by the mainstream semiconductor community. To date, research efforts in VLSI electronics, MSM detectors, metal devices, and optical switching have existed as separate entities with decidedly different goals. This work attempts to unite these specialties; an interdigitated array of metal fingers on a silicon waveguide allows for (1) fabrication processes which are well-understood and compatible with current or next-generation semiconductor manufacturing standards, (2) electrical bias capability which can potentially provide modulation, tuning, and enhanced speed, and (3) potentially efficient waveguide coupling which takes advantage of TM coupling. The latter two items are made possible by the use of metallic gratings, which sets this work apart from previous optical switching results. This MSM structure represents an important step in uniting four vital technologies which, taken together, can lead to switching performance and operational flexibility which could substantially advance the capabilities of current optoelectronic devices. Three different designs were successfully used to examine modulation and optical switching based upon nonlinear interactions in the silicon waveguide. First, a traditional Bragg reflector design with input and output couplers on either side was used to observe switching of nanosecond-regime Nd:YAG pulses. This structure was thermally tuned to obtain a variety of switching dynamics. Next, a phase-shift was incorporated into the Bragg reflector, and again thermally-tunable switching dynamics were observed, but with the added advantage of a reduction in the energy requirements for optical switching. Finally, the roles of the coupler and Bragg reflector were combined in a normal -incidence structure which exhibited nonlinear reflectivity modulation. This has not only been the first experimental demonstration of optical switching in a metal-semiconductor waveguide structure, but, to our knowledge, one of the first such demonstrations using a nonlinear phase-shifted or normal incidence grating of any kind.

Single-longitudinal-mode, narrow bandwidth double-ring fiber laser stabilized by an efficiently taper-coupled high roundness microsphere resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Hongdan; Liu, Linqian; Ding, Zuoqin; Wang, Jie; Xiao, Yu; Zhang, Zuxing

2018-06-01

This paper proposes and demonstrates a single-longitudinal-mode, narrow bandwidth fiber laser, using an ultra-high roundness microsphere resonator (MSR) with a stabilized package as the single-longitudinal-mode selector inside a double-ring fiber cavity. By improving the heating technology and surface cleaning process, MSR with high Q factor are obtained. With the optimized coupling condition, light polarization state and fiber taper diameter, we achieve whispering gallery mode (WGM) spectra with a high extinction ratio of 23 dB, coupling efficiency of 99.5%, a 3 dB bandwidth of 1 pm and a side-mode-suppression-ratio of 14.5 dB. The proposed fiber laser produces single-longitudinal-mode laser output with a 20-dB frequency linewidth of about 340 kHz, a signal-to-background ratio of 54 dB and a high long-term stability without mode-hopping, which is potential for optical communication and sensing applications.

Toward High-Energy-Density, High-Efficiency, and Moderate-Temperature Chip-Scale Thermophotovoltaics

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-02

this architecture include concentrated solar photovoltaics , thermoelectrics , and fuel cells. System Testing. Themicroreactorwas ignitedbyhydrogen...2, 3), thermoelectrics (4, 5), and thermophotovoltaics (TPVs) (6, 7). TPVs present an extremely appealing approach for small-scale power sources due...into spectrally confined thermal radiation, optically coupled to low-bandgap photovoltaic (PV) diodes that are electrically interfaced with a unique

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of ultrathin Si solar cells via semiconductor nanocrystal sensitization: Energy transfer vs. optical coupling effects

DOE PAGES

Hoang, Son; Ashraf, Ahsan; Eisaman, Matthew D.; ...

2015-12-07

Excitonic energy transfer (ET) offers exciting opportunities for advances in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. While recent experimental attempts have demonstrated its potential in both organic and inorganic photovoltaics (PVs), what remains to be addressed is quantitative understanding of how different ET modes contribute to PV performance and how ET contribution is differentiated from the classical optical coupling (OC) effects. In this study, we implement an ET scheme using a PV device platform, comprising CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal energy donor and 500 nm-thick ultrathin Si acceptor layers, and present the quantitative mechanistic description of how different ET modes, distinguished from themore » OC effects, increase the light absorption and PV efficiency. We find that nanocrystal sensitization enhances the short circuit current of ultrathin Si solar cells by up to 35%, of which the efficient ET, primarily driven by a long-range radiative mode, contributes to 38% of the total current enhancement. Lastly, these results not only confirm the positive impact of ET but also provide a guideline for rationally combining the ET and OC effects for improved light harvesting in PV and other optoelectronic devices.« less

Enhanced photovoltaic performance of ultrathin Si solar cells via semiconductor nanocrystal sensitization: energy transfer vs. optical coupling effects.

PubMed

Hoang, Son; Ashraf, Ahsan; Eisaman, Matthew D; Nykypanchuk, Dmytro; Nam, Chang-Yong

2016-03-21

Excitonic energy transfer (ET) offers exciting opportunities for advances in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. While recent experimental attempts have demonstrated its potential in both organic and inorganic photovoltaics (PVs), what remains to be addressed is quantitative understanding of how different ET modes contribute to PV performance and how ET contribution is differentiated from the classical optical coupling (OC) effects. In this study, we implement an ET scheme using a PV device platform, comprising CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal energy donor and 500 nm-thick ultrathin Si acceptor layers, and present the quantitative mechanistic description of how different ET modes, distinguished from the OC effects, increase the light absorption and PV efficiency. We find that nanocrystal sensitization enhances the short circuit current of ultrathin Si solar cells by up to 35%, of which the efficient ET, primarily driven by a long-range radiative mode, contributes to 38% of the total current enhancement. These results not only confirm the positive impact of ET but also provide a guideline for rationally combining the ET and OC effects for improved light harvesting in PV and other optoelectronic devices.

Fiber optic probe having fibers with endfaces formed for improved coupling efficiency and method using same

DOEpatents

O`Rourke, P.E.; Livingston, R.R.

1995-03-28

A fiber optic probe is disclosed for detecting scattered light, with transmitting and receiving fibers having slanted ends and bundled together to form a bevel within the tip of the probe. The probe comprises a housing with a transparent window across its tip for protecting the transmitting and receiving fibers held therein. The endfaces of the fibers are slanted, by cutting, polishing and the like, so that they lie in a plane that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the respective fiber. The fibers are held in the tip of the probe using an epoxy and oriented so that lines normal to the slanted endfaces are divergent with respect to one another. The epoxy, which is positioned substantially between the transmitting and receiving fibers, is tapered so that the transmitting fiber, the epoxy and the receiving fiber form a bevel of not more than 20 degrees. The angled fiber endfaces cause directing of the light cones toward each other, resulting in improved light coupling efficiency. A light absorber, such as carbon black, is contained in the epoxy to reduce crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving fibers. 3 figures.

Fiber optic probe having fibers with endfaces formed for improved coupling efficiency and method using same

DOEpatents

O'Rourke, Patrick E.; Livingston, Ronald R.

1995-01-01

A fiber optic probe for detecting scattered light, with transmitting and receiving fibers having slanted ends and bundled together to form a bevel within the tip of the probe. The probe comprises a housing with a transparent window across its tip for protecting the transmitting and receiving fibers held therein. The endfaces of the fibers are slanted, by cutting, polishing and the like, so that they lie in a plane that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the respective fiber. The fibers are held in the tip of the probe using an epoxy and oriented so that lines normal to the slanted endfaces are divergent with respect to one another. The epoxy, which is positioned substantially between the transmitting and receiving fibers, is tapered so that the transmitting fiber, the epoxy and the receiving fiber form a bevel of not more than 20 degrees. The angled fiber endfaces cause directing of the light cones toward each other, resulting in improved light coupling efficiency. A light absorber, such as carbon black, is contained in the epoxy to reduce crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving fibers.

Robust Stacking-Independent Ultrafast Charge Transfer in MoS2/WS2 Bilayers.

PubMed

Ji, Ziheng; Hong, Hao; Zhang, Jin; Zhang, Qi; Huang, Wei; Cao, Ting; Qiao, Ruixi; Liu, Can; Liang, Jing; Jin, Chuanhong; Jiao, Liying; Shi, Kebin; Meng, Sheng; Liu, Kaihui

2017-12-26

Van der Waals-coupled two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures have attracted great attention recently due to their high potential in the next-generation photodetectors and solar cells. The understanding of charge-transfer process between adjacent atomic layers is the key to design optimal devices as it directly determines the fundamental response speed and photon-electron conversion efficiency. However, general belief and theoretical studies have shown that the charge transfer behavior depends sensitively on interlayer configurations, which is difficult to control accurately, bringing great uncertainties in device designing. Here we investigate the ultrafast dynamics of interlayer charge transfer in a prototype heterostructure, the MoS 2 /WS 2 bilayer with various stacking configurations, by optical two-color ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. Surprisingly, we found that the charge transfer is robust against varying interlayer twist angles and interlayer coupling strength, in time scale of ∼90 fs. Our observation, together with atomic-resolved transmission electron characterization and time-dependent density functional theory simulations, reveals that the robust ultrafast charge transfer is attributed to the heterogeneous interlayer stretching/sliding, which provides additional channels for efficient charge transfer previously unknown. Our results elucidate the origin of transfer rate robustness against interlayer stacking configurations in optical devices based on 2D heterostructures, facilitating their applications in ultrafast and high-efficient optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices in the near future.

Hybrid Sargassum-sand sorbent: a novel adsorbent in packed column to treat metal-bearing wastewaters from inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry.

PubMed

Vijayaraghavan, K; Joshi, U M

2013-01-01

Laboratory batch and column experiments were carried out to examine the efficiency of algal-based treatment technique to clean-up wastewaters emanating from inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Chemical characterization revealed the extreme complexity of the wastewater, with the presence of 14 different metals under very low pH (pH = 1.1), high conductivity (6.98 mS/cm), total dissolved solid (4.46 g/L) and salinity (3.77). Batch experiments using Sargassum biomass indicated that it was possible to attain high removal efficiencies at optimum pH of 4.0. Efforts were also made to continuously treat ICP-OES wastewater using up-flow packed column. However, swelling of Sargassum biomass leads to stoppage of column. To address the problem, Sargassum was mixed with sand at a ratio of 40: 60 on volume basis. Remarkably, the hybrid Sargassum-sand sorbent showed very high removal efficiency towards multiple metal ions with the column able to operate for 11 h at a flow rate of 10 mL/min. Metal ions such as Cu, Cd, and Pb were only under trace levels in the treated water until 11 h. The results of the treatment process were compared with trade effluent discharge standards. Further the process evaluation and cost analysis were presented.

Plexcitons: The Role of Oscillator Strengths and Spectral Widths in Determining Strong Coupling.

PubMed

Thomas, Reshmi; Thomas, Anoop; Pullanchery, Saranya; Joseph, Linta; Somasundaran, Sanoop Mambully; Swathi, Rotti Srinivasamurthy; Gray, Stephen K; Thomas, K George

2018-01-23

Strong coupling interactions between plasmon and exciton-based excitations have been proposed to be useful in the design of optoelectronic systems. However, the role of various optical parameters dictating the plasmon-exciton (plexciton) interactions is less understood. Herein, we propose an inequality for achieving strong coupling between plasmons and excitons through appropriate variation of their oscillator strengths and spectral widths. These aspects are found to be consistent with experiments on two sets of free-standing plexcitonic systems obtained by (i) linking fluorescein isothiocyanate on Ag nanoparticles of varying sizes through silane coupling and (ii) electrostatic binding of cyanine dyes on polystyrenesulfonate-coated Au nanorods of varying aspect ratios. Being covalently linked on Ag nanoparticles, fluorescein isothiocyanate remains in monomeric state, and its high oscillator strength and narrow spectral width enable us to approach the strong coupling limit. In contrast, in the presence of polystyrenesulfonate, monomeric forms of cyanine dyes exist in equilibrium with their aggregates: Coupling is not observed for monomers and H-aggregates whose optical parameters are unfavorable. The large aggregation number, narrow spectral width, and extremely high oscillator strength of J-aggregates of cyanines permit effective delocalization of excitons along the linear assembly of chromophores, which in turn leads to efficient coupling with the plasmons. Further, the results obtained from experiments and theoretical models are jointly employed to describe the plexcitonic states, estimate the coupling strengths, and rationalize the dispersion curves. The experimental results and the theoretical analysis presented here portray a way forward to the rational design of plexcitonic systems attaining the strong coupling limits.

Fiber Bragg grating inscription in optical multicore fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Martin; Elsmann, Tino; Lorenz, Adrian; Spittel, Ron; Kobelke, Jens; Schuster, Kay; Rothhardt, Manfred; Latka, Ines; Dochow, Sebastian; Bartelt, Hartmut

2015-09-01

Fiber Bragg gratings as key components in telecommunication, fiber lasers, and sensing systems usually rely on the Bragg condition for single mode fibers. In special applications, such as in biophotonics and astrophysics, high light coupling efficiency is of great importance and therefore, multimode fibers are often preferred. The wavelength filtering effect of Bragg gratings in multimode fibers, however is spectrally blurred over a wide modal spectrum of the fiber. With a well-designed all solid multicore microstructured fiber a good light guiding efficiency in combination with narrow spectral filtering effect by Bragg gratings becomes possible.

Efficient color display using low-absorption in-pixel color filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yu (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A display system having a non-absorbing and reflective color filtering array and a reflector to improve light utilization efficiency. One implementation of the color filtering array uses a surface plasmon filter having two symmetric metal-dielectric interfaces coupled with each other to produce a transmission optical wave at a surface plasmon resonance wavelength at one interface from a p-polarized input beam on the other interface. Another implementation of the color filtering array uses a metal-film interference filter having two dielectric layers and three metallic films.

Medium-power diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnesi, Antonio; Guandalini, Annalisa; Lucca, Andrea; Sani, Elisa; Toncelli, Alessandra; Tonelli, Mauro; dell'Acqua, Stefano

2003-05-01

We report what is to our knowledge the first Nd:BaY2F8 (Nd:BaYF) laser pumped with a multiwatt fiber-coupled diode array tuned at approximately 804 nm. As much as 2.4 W were obtained with 6.2 W of absorbed pump power, showing efficient operation (51% slope efficiency), excellent beam quality (M2=1.1), and weak thermal lensing. Small intracavity losses (<1%) were measured, indicating both reduced thermally induced aberrations and good optical quality of the laser crystal.

Photon energy conversion by near-zero permittivity nonlinear materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luk, Ting S.; Sinclair, Michael B.; Campione, Salvatore

Efficient harmonic light generation can be achieved with ultrathin films by coupling an incident pump wave to an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) mode of the thin film. As an example, efficient third harmonic generation from an indium tin oxide nanofilm (.lamda./42 thick) on a glass substrate for a pump wavelength of 1.4 .mu.m was demonstrated. A conversion efficiency of 3.3.times.10.sup.-6 was achieved by exploiting the field enhancement properties of the ENZ mode with an enhancement factor of 200. This nanoscale frequency conversion method is applicable to other plasmonic materials and reststrahlen materials in proximity of the longitudinal optical phonon frequencies.

Adaptive optics correction into single mode fiber for a low Earth orbiting space to ground optical communication link using the OPALS downlink.

PubMed

Wright, Malcolm W; Morris, Jeffery F; Kovalik, Joseph M; Andrews, Kenneth S; Abrahamson, Matthew J; Biswas, Abhijit

2015-12-28

An adaptive optics (AO) testbed was integrated to the Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) ground station telescope at the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) as part of the free space laser communications experiment with the flight system on board the International Space Station (ISS). Atmospheric turbulence induced aberrations on the optical downlink were adaptively corrected during an overflight of the ISS so that the transmitted laser signal could be efficiently coupled into a single mode fiber continuously. A stable output Strehl ratio of around 0.6 was demonstrated along with the recovery of a 50 Mbps encoded high definition (HD) video transmission from the ISS at the output of the single mode fiber. This proof of concept demonstration validates multi-Gbps optical downlinks from fast slewing low-Earth orbiting (LEO) spacecraft to ground assets in a manner that potentially allows seamless space to ground connectivity for future high data-rates network.

Optical anisotropy induced by torsion stresses in LiNbO3 crystals: appearance of an optical vortex.

PubMed

Skab, Ihor; Vasylkiv, Yurij; Savaryn, Viktoriya; Vlokh, Rostyslav

2011-04-01

We report the results of studies of the torsion effect on the optical birefringence in LiNbO(3) crystals. We found that the twisting of those crystals causes a birefringence distribution revealing nontrivial peculiarities. In particular, they have a special point at the center of the cross section perpendicular to the torsion axis where the zero birefringence value occurs. It has also been ascertained that the surface of the spatial birefringence distribution has a conical shape, with the cone axis coinciding with the torsion axis. We revealed that an optical vortex, with a topological charge equal to unity, appears under the torsion of LiNbO(3) crystals. It has been shown that, in contrast to the q plate, both the efficiency of spin-orbital coupling and the orbital momentum of the emergent light can be operated by the torque moment. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Performance analysis of fiber-based free-space optical communications with coherent detection spatial diversity.

PubMed

Li, Kangning; Ma, Jing; Tan, Liying; Yu, Siyuan; Zhai, Chao

2016-06-10

The performances of fiber-based free-space optical (FSO) communications over gamma-gamma distributed turbulence are studied for multiple aperture receiver systems. The equal gain combining (EGC) technique is considered as a practical scheme to mitigate the atmospheric turbulence. Bit error rate (BER) performances for binary-phase-shift-keying-modulated coherent detection fiber-based free-space optical communications are derived and analyzed for EGC diversity receptions through an approximation method. To show the net diversity gain of a multiple aperture receiver system, BER performances of EGC are compared with a single monolithic aperture receiver system with the same total aperture area (same average total incident optical power on the aperture surface) for fiber-based free-space optical communications. The analytical results are verified by Monte Carlo simulations. System performances are also compared for EGC diversity coherent FSO communications with or without considering fiber-coupling efficiencies.

Linear integrated optics in 3C silicon carbide.

PubMed

Martini, Francesco; Politi, Alberto

2017-05-15

The development of new photonic materials that combine diverse optical capabilities is needed to boost the integration of different quantum and classical components within the same chip. Amongst all candidates, the superior optical properties of cubic silicon carbide (3C SiC) could be merged with its crystalline point defects, enabling single photon generation, manipulation and light-matter interaction on a single device. The development of photonics devices in SiC has been limited by the presence of the silicon substrate, over which thin crystalline films are heteroepitaxially grown. By employing a novel approach in the material fabrication, we demonstrate grating couplers with coupling efficiency reaching -6 dB, sub-µm waveguides and high intrinsic quality factor (up to 24,000) ring resonators. These components are the basis for linear optical networks and essential for developing a wide range of photonics component for non-linear and quantum optics.

On-Sky Tests of a High-Power Pulsed Laser for Sodium Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otarola, Angel; Hickson, Paul; Gagné, Ronald; Bo, Yong; Zuo, Junwei; Xie, Shiyong; Feng, Lu; Rochester, Simon; Budker, Dmitry; Shen, Shixia; Xue, Suijian; Min, Li; Wei, Kai; Boyer, Corinne; Ellerbroek, Brent; Hu, Jingyao; Peng, Qinjun; Xu, Zuyan

2016-03-01

We present results of on-sky tests performed in the summer of 2013 to characterize the performance of a prototype high-power pulsed laser for adaptive optics. The laser operates at a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of 600-800Hz, with a 6% duty cycle. Its coupling efficiency was found to be, in the best test case (using 18W of transmitted power), 231±14 photons s-1 sr-1 atom-1 W-1 m2 when circular polarization was employed and 167±17 photons s-1 sr-1 atom-1 W-1 m2 with linear polarization. No improvement was seen when D2b repumping was used, but this is likely due to the relatively large laser guide star (LGS) diameter, typically 10 arcsec or more, which resulted in low irradiance levels. Strong relaxation oscillations were present in the laser output, which have the effect of reducing the coupling efficiency. To better understand the results, a physical modeling was performed using the measured pulse profiles and parameters specific to these tests. The model results, for a 10 arcsec angular size LGS spot, agree well with the observations. When extrapolating the physical model for a sub-arcsecond angular size LGS (typical of what is needed for a successful astronomical guide star), the model predicts that this laser would have a coupling efficiency of 130 photons s-1 sr-1 atom-1 W-1 m2, using circular polarization and D2b repumping, for a LGS diameter of 0.6 arcsec Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), and free of relaxation oscillations in the 589 nm laser light.

Heralded high-efficiency quantum repeater with atomic ensembles assisted by faithful single-photon transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tao; Deng, Fu-Guo

2015-10-01

Quantum repeater is one of the important building blocks for long distance quantum communication network. The previous quantum repeaters based on atomic ensembles and linear optical elements can only be performed with a maximal success probability of 1/2 during the entanglement creation and entanglement swapping procedures. Meanwhile, the polarization noise during the entanglement distribution process is harmful to the entangled channel created. Here we introduce a general interface between a polarized photon and an atomic ensemble trapped in a single-sided optical cavity, and with which we propose a high-efficiency quantum repeater protocol in which the robust entanglement distribution is accomplished by the stable spatial-temporal entanglement and it can in principle create the deterministic entanglement between neighboring atomic ensembles in a heralded way as a result of cavity quantum electrodynamics. Meanwhile, the simplified parity-check gate makes the entanglement swapping be completed with unity efficiency, other than 1/2 with linear optics. We detail the performance of our protocol with current experimental parameters and show its robustness to the imperfections, i.e., detuning and coupling variation, involved in the reflection process. These good features make it a useful building block in long distance quantum communication.

Heralded high-efficiency quantum repeater with atomic ensembles assisted by faithful single-photon transmission.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Deng, Fu-Guo

2015-10-27

Quantum repeater is one of the important building blocks for long distance quantum communication network. The previous quantum repeaters based on atomic ensembles and linear optical elements can only be performed with a maximal success probability of 1/2 during the entanglement creation and entanglement swapping procedures. Meanwhile, the polarization noise during the entanglement distribution process is harmful to the entangled channel created. Here we introduce a general interface between a polarized photon and an atomic ensemble trapped in a single-sided optical cavity, and with which we propose a high-efficiency quantum repeater protocol in which the robust entanglement distribution is accomplished by the stable spatial-temporal entanglement and it can in principle create the deterministic entanglement between neighboring atomic ensembles in a heralded way as a result of cavity quantum electrodynamics. Meanwhile, the simplified parity-check gate makes the entanglement swapping be completed with unity efficiency, other than 1/2 with linear optics. We detail the performance of our protocol with current experimental parameters and show its robustness to the imperfections, i.e., detuning and coupling variation, involved in the reflection process. These good features make it a useful building block in long distance quantum communication.

Heralded high-efficiency quantum repeater with atomic ensembles assisted by faithful single-photon transmission

PubMed Central

Li, Tao; Deng, Fu-Guo

2015-01-01

Quantum repeater is one of the important building blocks for long distance quantum communication network. The previous quantum repeaters based on atomic ensembles and linear optical elements can only be performed with a maximal success probability of 1/2 during the entanglement creation and entanglement swapping procedures. Meanwhile, the polarization noise during the entanglement distribution process is harmful to the entangled channel created. Here we introduce a general interface between a polarized photon and an atomic ensemble trapped in a single-sided optical cavity, and with which we propose a high-efficiency quantum repeater protocol in which the robust entanglement distribution is accomplished by the stable spatial-temporal entanglement and it can in principle create the deterministic entanglement between neighboring atomic ensembles in a heralded way as a result of cavity quantum electrodynamics. Meanwhile, the simplified parity-check gate makes the entanglement swapping be completed with unity efficiency, other than 1/2 with linear optics. We detail the performance of our protocol with current experimental parameters and show its robustness to the imperfections, i.e., detuning and coupling variation, involved in the reflection process. These good features make it a useful building block in long distance quantum communication. PMID:26502993

End-pumped 300 W continuous-wave ytterbium-doped all-fiber laser with master oscillator multi-stage power amplifiers configuration.

PubMed

Yin, Shupeng; Yan, Ping; Gong, Mali

2008-10-27

An end-pumped ytterbium-doped all-fiber laser with 300 W output in continuous regime was reported, which was based on master oscillator multi-stage power amplifiers configuration. Monolithic fiber laser system consisted of an oscillator stage and two amplifier stages. Total optical-optical efficiency of monolithic fiber laser was approximately 65%, corresponding to 462 W of pump power coupled into laser system. We proposed a new method to connect power amplifier stage, which was crucial for the application of end-pumped combiner in high power MOPAs all-fiber laser.

Characterizations of SiN and AlN microfabricated waveguides for evanescent-field atom-trap applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jongmin; Eichenfield, Matt; Douglas, Erica; Mudrick, John; Biedermann, Grant; Jau, Yuan-Yu

2017-04-01

Trapping neutral atoms in the evanescent fields generated by microfabricated nano-waveguides will provide a new platform for neutral atom quantum controls via strong atom-photon interactions. At Sandia National Labs, we are aiming at developing the related technology that can enable the efficient optical coupling to the waveguide at multiple wavelengths, fabrication nano-waveguides to handle required optical power, more robust waveguide structure, and the new fabrication geometry to facilitate the cold-atom experiments. We will report our latest results on the related subjects. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA.

Network of time-multiplexed optical parametric oscillators as a coherent Ising machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marandi, Alireza; Wang, Zhe; Takata, Kenta; Byer, Robert L.; Yamamoto, Yoshihisa

2014-12-01

Finding the ground states of the Ising Hamiltonian maps to various combinatorial optimization problems in biology, medicine, wireless communications, artificial intelligence and social network. So far, no efficient classical and quantum algorithm is known for these problems and intensive research is focused on creating physical systems—Ising machines—capable of finding the absolute or approximate ground states of the Ising Hamiltonian. Here, we report an Ising machine using a network of degenerate optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). Spins are represented with above-threshold binary phases of the OPOs and the Ising couplings are realized by mutual injections. The network is implemented in a single OPO ring cavity with multiple trains of femtosecond pulses and configurable mutual couplings, and operates at room temperature. We programmed a small non-deterministic polynomial time-hard problem on a 4-OPO Ising machine and in 1,000 runs no computational error was detected.

Design of miniaturized illumination for transvaginal co-registered photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging.

PubMed

Salehi, Hassan S; Wang, Tianheng; Kumavor, Patrick D; Li, Hai; Zhu, Quing

2014-09-01

A novel lens-array based illumination design for a compact co-registered photoacoustic/ultrasound transvaginal probe has been demonstrated. The lens array consists of four cylindrical lenses that couple the laser beams into four 1-mm-core multi-mode optical fibers with optical coupling efficiency of ~87%. The feasibility of our lens array was investigated by simulating the lenses and laser beam profiles using Zemax. The laser fluence on the tissue surface was experimentally measured and was below the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) safety limit. Spatial distribution of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO2) of a mouse tumor was obtained in vivo using photoacoustic measurements at multiple wavelengths. Furthermore, benign and malignant ovaries were imaged ex vivo and evaluated histologically. The co-registered images clearly showed different patterns of blood vasculature. These results highlight the clinical potential of our system for noninvasive photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of ovarian tissue and cancer detection and diagnosis.

Asymmetric light transmission based on coupling between photonic crystal waveguides and L1/L3 cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinqiannan; Chai, Hongyu; Yu, Zhongyuan; Cheng, Xiang; Ye, Han; Liu, Yumin

2017-09-01

A compact design of all-optical diode with mode conversion function based on a two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguide and an L1 or L3 cavity is theoretically investigated. The proposed photonic crystal structures comprise a triangular arrangement of air holes embedded in a silicon substrate. Asymmetric light propagation is achieved via the spatial mode match/mismatch in the coupling region. The simulations show that at each cavity's resonance frequency, the transmission efficiency of the structure with the L1 and L3 cavities reach 79% and 73%, while the corresponding unidirectionalities are 46 and 37 dB, respectively. The functional frequency can be controlled by simply adjusting the radii of specific air holes in the L1 and L3 cavities. The proposed structure can be used as a frequency filter, a beam splitter and has potential applications in all-optical integrated circuits.

Characterization of plasmonic hole arrays as transparent electrical contacts for organic photovoltaics using high-brightness Fourier transform methods

DOE PAGES

Camino, Fernando E.; Nam, Chang-Yong; Pang, Yutong T.; ...

2014-05-15

Here we present a methodology for probing light-matter interactions in prototype photovoltaic devices consisting of an organic semiconductor active layer with a semitransparent metal electrical contact exhibiting surface plasmon-based enhanced optical transmission. We achieve high-spectral irradiance in a spot size of less than 100 μm using a high-brightness laser-driven light source and appropriate coupling optics. Spatially resolved Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions allows us to measure external quantum efficiency with high sensitivity in small-area devices (<1 mm 2). Lastly, this allows for rapid fabrication of variable-pitch sub-wavelength hole arrays in metal films for usemore » as transparent electrical contacts, and evaluation of the evanescent and propagating mode coupling to resonances in the active layer.« less

Nanoantenna-Microcavity Hybrids with Highly Cooperative Plasmonic-Photonic Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jui-Nung; Huang, Qinglan; Liu, Keng-Ku; Singamaneni, Srikanth; Cunningham, Brian T.

2017-12-01

Nanoantennas concentrate electromagnetic energy into deep-subwavelength volumes (hotspot), which benefits a wide range of applications such as spontaneous emission enhancement, nonlinear optics, nanolaser, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). To increase hotspot intensity, methods for sculpting individual nanoantenna resonance have been previously explored. Here, we study a nanoantenna-microcavity hybrid approach for highly cooperative hotspot enhancement, combining gold nanorods (AuNRs) for nanometer-scale light concentration and a resonant photonic crystal (PC) slab for efficient near-field excitation and optical feedback. We experimentally validate the predicted synergistic hybrid enhancement with SERS, and demonstrate that coupling to the modest-Q PC guided resonance (PCGR) boosts the hotspot intensity of the AuNR by at least one order of magnitude in comparison to the Fabry-Perot cavity enhanced (~5X) AuNR. These results exhibit a dissimilar hybrid cooperativity versus previously reported nanoantenna-cavity systems, and pave the new way to further facilitate light-nanoantenna interaction for many applications.

Numerical analysis of the shifting slabs applied in a wireless power transfer system to enhance magnetic coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yayun; Yang, Xijun; Jin, Nan; Li, Wenwen; Yao, Chen; Tang, Houjun

2017-05-01

Shifting medium is a kind of metamaterial, which can optically shift a space or an object a certain distance away from its original position. Based on the shifting medium, we propose a concise pair of shifting slabs covering the transmitting or receiving coil in a two-coil wireless power transfer system to decrease the equivalent distance between the coils. The electromagnetic parameters of the shifting slabs are calculated by transformation optics. Numerical simulations validate that the shifting slabs can approximately shift the electromagnetic fields generated by the covered coil; thus, the magnetic coupling and the efficiency of the system are enhanced while remaining the physical transmission distance unchanged. We also verify the advantages of the shifting slabs over the magnetic superlens. Finally, we provide two methods to fabricate shifting slabs based on split-ring resonators.

Confinement and Diffusion Effects in Dynamical Nuclear Polarization in Low Dimensional Nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henriksen, Dan; Tifrea, Ionel

2012-02-01

We investigate the dynamic nuclear polarization as it results from the hyperfine coupling between nonequilibrium electronic spins and nuclear spins in semiconductor nanostructures. The natural confinement provided by low dimensional nanostructures is responsible for an efficient nuclear spin - electron spin hyperfine coupling [1] and for a reduced value of the nuclear spin diffusion constant [2]. In the case of optical pumping, the induced nuclear spin polarization is position dependent even in the presence of nuclear spin diffusion. This effect should be measurable via optically induced nuclear magnetic resonance or time-resolved Faraday rotation experiments. We discuss the implications of our calculations for the case of GaAs quantum well structures.[4pt] [1] I. Tifrea and M. E. Flatt'e, Phys. Rev. B 84, 155319 (2011).[0pt] [2] A. Malinowski and R. T. Harley, Solid State Commun. 114, 419 (2000).

Design, motivation, and on-sky tests of an efficient fiber coupling unit for 1-meter class telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bottom, Michael; Muirhead, Philip S.; Swift, Jonathan J.; Zhao, Ming; Gardner, Paul; Plavchan, Peter P.; Riddle, Reed L.; Herzig, Erich; Johnson, John A.; Wright, Jason T.; McCrady, Nate; Wittenmyer, Robert A.

2014-08-01

We present the science motivation, design, and on-sky test data of a high-throughput fiber coupling unit suitable for automated 1-meter class telescopes. The optical and mechanical design of the fiber coupling is detailed and we describe a flexible controller software designed specifically for this unit. The system performance is characterized with a set of numerical simulations, and we present on-sky results that validate the performance of the controller and the expected throughput of the fiber coupling. This unit was designed specifically for the MINERVA array, a robotic observatory consisting of multiple 0.7 m telescopes linked to a single high-resolution stabilized spectrograph for the purpose of exoplanet discovery using high-cadence radial velocimetry. However, this unit could easily be used for general astronomical purposes requiring fiber coupling or precise guiding.

Coherent Optomechanical Switch for Motion Transduction Based on Dynamically Localized Mechanical Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Hao; Gong, Zhi-cheng; Yang, Li-ping; Mao, Tian-hua; Sun, Chang-pu; Yi, Su; Li, Yong; Cao, Geng-yu

2018-05-01

We present a coherent switch for motion transduction based on dynamically localized mechanical modes in an optomechanical system consisting of two coupled cantilevers. By placing one of the cantilevers inside a harmonically oscillating optical trap, the effective coupling strength between the degenerate cantilevers can be tuned experimentally. In particular, when the coupling is turned off, we show that mechanical motion becomes tightly bounded to the isolated cantilevers rather than propagating away as a result of destructive Landau-Zener-Stückelberg-like interference. The effect of dynamical localization is adopted to implement a coherent switch, through which the tunneling oscillation is turned on and off with well-preserved phase coherence. We provide a simple yet efficient approach for full control of the coupling between mechanical resonators, which is highly desirable for coherent control of transport phenomena in a coupled-mechanical-resonator array.

Explosives detection and identification using surface plasmon-coupled emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ja, Shiou-Jyh

2012-06-01

To fight against the explosives-related threats in defense and homeland security applications, a smarter sensing device that not only detects but differentiates multiple true threats from false positives caused by environmental interferents is essential. A new optical detection system is proposed to address these issues by using the temporal and spectroscopic information generated by the surface plasmon coupling emission (SPCE) effect. Innovative SPCE optics have been designed using Zemax software to project the fluorescence signal into clear "rainbow rings" on a CCD with subnanometer wavelength resolution. The spectroscopic change of the fluorescence signal and the time history of such changes due to the presence of a certain explosive analyte are unique and can be used to identify explosives. Thanks to high optical efficiency, reporter depositions as small as 160-μm in diameter can generate a sufficient signal, allowing a dense array of different reporters to be interrogated with wavelength multiplexing and detect a wide range of explosives. We have demonstrated detection and classification of explosives, such as TNT, NT, NM, RDX, PETN, and AN, with two sensing materials in a prototype.

Scalable Fabrication of Integrated Nanophotonic Circuits on Arrays of Thin Single Crystal Diamond Membrane Windows.

PubMed

Piracha, Afaq H; Rath, Patrik; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Kühn, Stefan; Pernice, Wolfram H P; Prawer, Steven

2016-05-11

Diamond has emerged as a promising platform for nanophotonic, optical, and quantum technologies. High-quality, single crystalline substrates of acceptable size are a prerequisite to meet the demanding requirements on low-level impurities and low absorption loss when targeting large photonic circuits. Here, we describe a scalable fabrication method for single crystal diamond membrane windows that achieves three major goals with one fabrication method: providing high quality diamond, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy; achieving homogeneously thin membranes, enabled by ion implantation; and providing compatibility with established planar fabrication via lithography and vertical etching. On such suspended diamond membranes we demonstrate a suite of photonic components as building blocks for nanophotonic circuits. Monolithic grating couplers are used to efficiently couple light between photonic circuits and optical fibers. In waveguide coupled optical ring resonators, we find loaded quality factors up to 66 000 at a wavelength of 1560 nm, corresponding to propagation loss below 7.2 dB/cm. Our approach holds promise for the scalable implementation of future diamond quantum photonic technologies and all-diamond photonic metrology tools.

Semiclassical Path Integral Calculation of Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Provazza, Justin; Segatta, Francesco; Garavelli, Marco; Coker, David F

2018-02-13

Computation of nonlinear optical response functions allows for an in-depth connection between theory and experiment. Experimentally recorded spectra provide a high density of information, but to objectively disentangle overlapping signals and to reach a detailed and reliable understanding of the system dynamics, measurements must be integrated with theoretical approaches. Here, we present a new, highly accurate and efficient trajectory-based semiclassical path integral method for computing higher order nonlinear optical response functions for non-Markovian open quantum systems. The approach is, in principle, applicable to general Hamiltonians and does not require any restrictions on the form of the intrasystem or system-bath couplings. This method is systematically improvable and is shown to be valid in parameter regimes where perturbation theory-based methods qualitatively breakdown. As a test of the methodology presented here, we study a system-bath model for a coupled dimer for which we compare against numerically exact results and standard approximate perturbation theory-based calculations. Additionally, we study a monomer with discrete vibronic states that serves as the starting point for future investigation of vibronic signatures in nonlinear electronic spectroscopy.

Microstructured optical fibers for terahertz waveguiding regime by using an analytical field model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Dinesh Kumar; Sharma, Anurag; Tripathi, Saurabh Mani

2017-12-01

Microstructured optical fibres (MOFs) are seen as novel optical waveguide for the potential applications in the terahertz (THz) band as they provide a flexible route towards THz waveguiding. Using the analytical field model (Sharma et al., 2014) developed for index-guiding MOFs with hexagonal lattice of circular air-holes in the photonic crystal cladding; we aim to study the propagation characteristics such as effective index, near and the far-field radiation patterns and its evolution from near-to-far-field domain, spot size, effective mode area, and the numerical aperture at the THz regime. Further, we present an analytical field expression for the next higher-order mode of the MOF for studying the modal properties at terahertz frequencies. Also, we investigate the mode cut-off conditions for identifying the single-mode operation range at THz frequencies. Emphasis is put on studying the coupling characteristics of MOF geometries for efficient mode coupling. Comparisons with available experimental and numerical simulation results, e.g., those based on the full-vector finite element method (FEM) and the finite-difference frequency-domain (FDFD) method have been included.

Micro-/nanoscale multi-field coupling in nonlinear photonic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qing; Wang, Yubo; Tang, Mingwei; Xu, Pengfei; Xu, Yingke; Liu, Xu

2017-08-01

The coupling of mechanics/electronics/photonics may improve the performance of nanophotonic devices not only in the linear region but also in the nonlinear region. This review letter mainly presents the recent advances on multi-field coupling in nonlinear photonic devices. The nonlinear piezoelectric effect and piezo-phototronic effects in quantum wells and fibers show that large second-order nonlinear susceptibilities can be achieved, and second harmonic generation and electro-optic modulation can be enhanced and modulated. Strain engineering can tune the lattice structures and induce second order susceptibilities in central symmetry semiconductors. By combining the absorption-based photoacoustic effect and intensity-dependent photobleaching effect, subdiffraction imaging can be achieved. This review will also discuss possible future applications of these novel effects and the perspective of their research. The review can help us develop a deeper knowledge of the substance of photon-electron-phonon interaction in a micro-/nano- system. Moreover, it can benefit the design of nonlinear optical sensors and imaging devices with a faster response rate, higher efficiency, more sensitivity and higher spatial resolution which could be applied in environmental detection, bio-sensors, medical imaging and so on.

Magnetic and optical effects in TiO2 based dye sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kannan U., M.; Jammalamadaka, S. Narayana

2018-04-01

We report on the magnetic effects on the solar cell efficiency of TiO2 based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The strong spin orbit coupling of rare earth Ho3+ ions introduced by the addition of Ho2O3 into the photoanode resulted in a 28% enhancement in the power conversion efficiency of DSSC. Such an enhancement in the efficiency may be attributed to the improved lifetime of photo generated excitons as a result of the accelerated intersystem crossing phenomenon. This observation is supported by our photoluminescence (PL) measurements where we could observe a decrease in the photo emission intensity with the addition of Ho2O3. In addition, we have used a low magnetic field of 100 Oe to further enhance the overall efficiency to 5.6%, which in turn proves that the Lorentz force plays a significant role in magnetic field controlled charge transport in DSSC. Finally, we have carried out a transfer matrix model based theoretical simulation for studying the optical properties of the multilayer device stack.

Loading a single photon into an optical cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Shengwang; Liu, Chang; Sun, Yuan; Zhao, Luwei; Zhang, Shanchao; Loy, M. M. T.

2015-05-01

Confining and manipulating single photons inside a reflective optical cavity is an essential task of cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) for probing the quantum nature of light quanta. Such systems are also elementary building blocks for many protocols of quantum network, where remote cavity quantum nodes are coupled through flying photons. The connectivity and scalability of such a quantum network strongly depends on the efficiency of loading a single photon into cavity. In this work we demonstrate that a single photon with an optimal temporal waveform can be efficiently loaded into a cavity. Using heralded narrow-band single photons with exponential growth wave packet whose time constant matches the photon lifetime in the cavity, we demonstrate a loading efficiency of more than 87 percent from free space to a single-sided Fabry-Perot cavity. Our result and approach may enable promising applications in realizing large-scale CQED-based quantum networks. The work was supported by the Hong Kong RGC (Project No. 601411).

All-Solid-State UV Transmitter Development for Ozone Sensing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Singh, Upendra N.; Armstrong, Darrell Jr.

2009-01-01

In this paper, recent progress made in the development of an all-solid-state UV transmitter suitable for ozone sensing applications from space based platforms is discussed. A nonlinear optics based UV setup based on Rotated Image Singly Resonant Twisted Rectangle (RISTRA) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) module was effectively coupled to a diode pumped, single longitudinal mode, conductively cooled, short-pulsed, high-energy Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm with 50 Hz PRF. An estimated 10 mJ/pulse with 10% conversion efficiency at 320 nm has been demonstrated limited only by the pump pulse spatial profile. The current arrangement has the potential for obtaining greater than 200 mJ/pulse. Previously, using a flash-lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser with round, top-hat profile, up to 24% IR-UV conversion efficiency was achieved with the same UV module. Efforts are underway to increase the IR-UV conversion efficiency of the all solid-state setup by modifying the pump laser spatial profile along with incorporating improved OPO crystals.

Chromatic effect in a novel THz generation scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bin; Zhang, Wenyan; Liu, Xiaoqing; Deng, Haixiao; Lan, Taihe; Liu, Bo; Liu, Jia; Wang, Xingtao; Zeng, Zhinan; Zhang, Lijian

2017-11-01

Deriving single or few cycle terahertz (THz) pulse by an intense femtosecond laser through cascaded optical rectification is a crucial technique in cutting-edge time-resolved spectroscopy to characterize micro-scale structures and ultrafast dynamics. Due to the broadband nature of the ultrafast driving laser, the chromatic effect limits the THz conversion efficiency in optical rectification crystals, especially for those implementing the pulse-front tilt scheme, e.g. lithium niobate (LN) crystal, has been prevalently used in the past decade. In this research we developed a brand new type of LN crystal utilizing Brewster coupling, and conducted systematically experimental and simulative investigation for the chromatic effect and multi-dimensionally entangled parameters in THz generation, predicting that an extreme conversion efficiency of ˜10% would be potentially achievable at the THz absorption coefficient of ˜0.5 cm-1. Moreover, we first discovered that the chirp of the driving laser plays a decisive role in the pulse-front tilt scheme, and the THz generation efficiency could be enhanced tremendously by applying an appropriate chirp.

Simulation of photobioreaction for hydrogen production in membrane bioreactor with an optical fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yanxia; Li, Jing

2018-05-01

A generalized lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for porous media is adopted to simulate the hydrodynamics and mass transport combined with biodegradation in membrane bioreactor with a circular optical fiber. The LB model is coupled with a multi-block scheme, as well as non-equilibrium extrapolation method for boundary condition treatment. The effect of porosity and permeability (represented by Darcy number Da) of biofilm on flow and concentration fields are investigated. The performance of biodegradation is evaluated by substrate consumption efficiency. Higher porosity and permeability of biofilm facilitate mass transport of substance and enhance the metabolic activity of bacteria in biofilm, which results in the optimal biodegradation performance is obtained under the condition of Da = 0.001 and ɛ =0.3. For further increasing of these parameters, the substrate consumption efficiency decreases due to the inhibition effect of substrate and shorter hydraulic retention time. Furthermore, the LB results coincide with experimental results, demonstrating that the LB model for porous media is available to optimize the membrane bioreactor for efficient biodegradation.

Inactivation of B. subtilis spores by low pressure plasma—influence of optical filters and photon/particle fluxes on the inactivation efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiebrandt, Marcel; Hillebrand, Bastian; Lackmann, Jan-Wilm; Raguse, Marina; Moeller, Ralf; Awakowicz, Peter; Stapelmann, Katharina

2018-01-01

Inactivation experiments were performed with Bacillus subtilis spores in a low pressure double inductively coupled plasma (DICP) system. Argon, nitrogen and oxygen at 5 Pa were used as feed gas to change the emission spectrum in the range of 100 nm to 400 nm, as well as between radical and metastable densities. Optical filters were applied, to block particles and selected wavelengths from the spores. By determining absolute photon fluxes, the sporicidal efficiency of various wavelength ranges was evaluated. The results showed good agreement with other plasma experiments, as well as with monochromatic light inactivation experiments from a synchrotron. The findings indicated that the inactivation rate constants of broadband plasma emission and monochromatic light were identical, and that no synergistic effect exists. Furthermore, the influence of radicals, ions and metastables on the inactivation efficiency was of minor importance in the set-up used, and radiation was the main reason for spore inactivation.

Multi-focus beam shaping of high power multimode lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laskin, Alexander; Volpp, Joerg; Laskin, Vadim; Ostrun, Aleksei

2017-08-01

Beam shaping of powerful multimode fiber lasers, fiber-coupled solid-state and diode lasers is of great importance for improvements of industrial laser applications. Welding, cladding with millimetre scale working spots benefit from "inverseGauss" intensity profiles; performance of thick metal sheet cutting, deep penetration welding can be enhanced when distributing the laser energy along the optical axis as more efficient usage of laser energy, higher edge quality and reduction of the heat affected zone can be achieved. Building of beam shaping optics for multimode lasers encounters physical limitations due to the low beam spatial coherence of multimode fiber-coupled lasers resulting in big Beam Parameter Products (BPP) or M² values. The laser radiation emerging from a multimode fiber presents a mixture of wavefronts. The fiber end can be considered as a light source which optical properties are intermediate between a Lambertian source and a single mode laser beam. Imaging of the fiber end, using a collimator and a focusing objective, is a robust and widely used beam delivery approach. Beam shaping solutions are suggested in form of optics combining fiber end imaging and geometrical separation of focused spots either perpendicular to or along the optical axis. Thus, energy of high power lasers is distributed among multiple foci. In order to provide reliable operation with multi-kW lasers and avoid damages the optics are designed as refractive elements with smooth optical surfaces. The paper presents descriptions of multi-focus optics as well as examples of intensity profile measurements of beam caustics and application results.

Enhanced Luminescence Performance of Quantum Wells by Coupling Piezo-Phototronic with Plasmonic Effects.

PubMed

Huang, Xin; Jiang, Chunyan; Du, Chunhua; Jing, Liang; Liu, Mengmeng; Hu, Weiguo; Wang, Zhong Lin

2016-12-27

With a promising prospect of light-emitting diodes as an attractive alternative to conventional light sources, remaining challenges still cannot be addressed owing to their limited efficiency. Among the continued scientific efforts, significant improvement on the emission efficiency has been achieved via either piezo-phototronic effect-based strain modulation or resonant excitation of plasmons in metallic nanostructures. Here, we present the investigation on the coupling process between piezo-phototronic effect and localized surface plasmonic resonance for enhancing the photoluminescence of InGaN/GaN quantum wells coated with Ag nanoparticles. The underlying physical mechanism of experimental results originates from tuning plasmonic resonance controlled by the shift of emission wavelength via piezo-phototronic effect, and it is further confirmed with the support of theoretical calculations. As a result, our research provides an approach to the integration of plasmonics with piezo-phototronic effect and brings widespread applications to high-efficiency artificial lighting, on-chip integrated plasmonic circuits, subwavelength optical communication, and micro-optoelectronic mechanical systems.

Light-matter interaction in the strong coupling regime: configurations, conditions, and applications.

PubMed

Dovzhenko, D S; Ryabchuk, S V; Rakovich, Yu P; Nabiev, I R

2018-02-22

Resonance interaction between a molecular transition and a confined electromagnetic field can reach the coupling regime where coherent exchange of energy between light and matter becomes reversible. In this case, two new hybrid states separated in energy are formed instead of independent eigenstates, which is known as Rabi splitting. This modification of the energy spectra of the system offers new possibilities for controlled impact on various fundamental properties of coupled matter (such as the rate of chemical reactions and the conductivity of organic semiconductors). To date, the strong coupling regime has been demonstrated in many configurations under different ambient conditions. However, there is still no comprehensive approach to determining parameters for achieving the strong coupling regime for a wide range of practical applications. In this review, a detailed analysis of various systems and corresponding conditions for reaching strong coupling is carried out and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the prospects for application, are considered. The review also summarizes recent experiments in which the strong coupling regime has led to new interesting results, such as the possibility of collective strong coupling between X-rays and matter excitation in a periodic array of Fe isotopes, which extends the applications of quantum optics; a strong amplification of the Raman scattering signal from a coupled system, which can be used in surface-enhanced and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; and more efficient second-harmonic generation from the low polaritonic state, which is promising for nonlinear optics. The results reviewed demonstrate great potential for further practical applications of strong coupling in the fields of photonics (low-threshold lasers), quantum communications (switches), and biophysics (molecular fingerprinting).

Scattering Solar Thermal Concentrators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giebink, Noel C.

2015-01-31

This program set out to explore a scattering-based approach to concentrate sunlight with the aim of improving collector field reliability and of eliminating wind loading and gross mechanical movement through the use of a stationary collection optic. The approach is based on scattering sunlight from the focal point of a fixed collection optic into the confined modes of a sliding planar waveguide, where it is transported to stationary tubular heat transfer elements located at the edges. Optical design for the first stage of solar concentration, which entails focusing sunlight within a plane over a wide range of incidence angles (>120more » degree full field of view) at fixed tilt, led to the development of a new, folded-path collection optic that dramatically out-performs the current state-of-the-art in scattering concentration. Rigorous optical simulation and experimental testing of this collection optic have validated its performance. In the course of this work, we also identified an opportunity for concentrating photovoltaics involving the use of high efficiency microcells made in collaboration with partners at the University of Illinois. This opportunity exploited the same collection optic design as used for the scattering solar thermal concentrator and was therefore pursued in parallel. This system was experimentally demonstrated to achieve >200x optical concentration with >70% optical efficiency over a full day by tracking with <1 cm of lateral movement at fixed latitude tilt. The entire scattering concentrator waveguide optical system has been simulated, tested, and assembled at small scale to verify ray tracing models. These models were subsequently used to predict the full system optical performance at larger, deployment scale ranging up to >1 meter aperture width. Simulations at an aperture widths less than approximately 0.5 m with geometric gains ~100x predict an overall optical efficiency in the range 60-70% for angles up to 50 degrees from normal. However, the concentrator optical efficiency was found to decrease significantly with increasing aperture width beyond 0.5 m due to parasitic waveguide out-coupling loss and low-level absorption that become dominant at larger scale. A heat transfer model was subsequently implemented to predict collector fluid heat gain and outlet temperature as a function of flow rate using the optical model as a flux input. It was found that the aperture width size limitation imposed by the optical efficiency characteristics of the waveguide limits the absolute optical power delivered to the heat transfer element per unit length. As compared to state-of-the-art parabolic trough CPV system aperture widths approaching 5 m, this limitation leads to an approximate factor of order of magnitude increase in heat transfer tube length to achieve the same heat transfer fluid outlet temperature. The conclusion of this work is that scattering solar thermal concentration cannot be implemented at the scale and efficiency required to compete with the performance of current parabolic trough CSP systems. Applied within the alternate context of CPV, however, the results of this work have likely opened up a transformative new path that enables quasi-static, high efficiency CPV to be implemented on rooftops in the form factor of traditional fixed-panel photovoltaics.« less

Systems and methods for optically measuring properties of hydrocarbon fuel gases

DOEpatents

Adler-Golden, S.; Bernstein, L.S.; Bien, F.; Gersh, M.E.; Goldstein, N.

1998-10-13

A system and method for optical interrogation and measurement of a hydrocarbon fuel gas includes a light source generating light at near-visible wavelengths. A cell containing the gas is optically coupled to the light source which is in turn partially transmitted by the sample. A spectrometer disperses the transmitted light and captures an image thereof. The image is captured by a low-cost silicon-based two-dimensional CCD array. The captured spectral image is processed by electronics for determining energy or BTU content and composition of the gas. The innovative optical approach provides a relatively inexpensive, durable, maintenance-free sensor and method which is reliable in the field and relatively simple to calibrate. In view of the above, accurate monitoring is possible at a plurality of locations along the distribution chain leading to more efficient distribution. 14 figs.

Optical rectenna operation: where Maxwell meets Einstein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Saumil; Moddel, Garret

2016-07-01

Optical rectennas are antenna-coupled diode rectifiers that receive and convert optical-frequency electromagnetic radiation into DC output. The analysis of rectennas is carried out either classically using Maxwell’s wave-like approach, or quantum-mechanically using Einstein’s particle-like approach for electromagnetic radiation. One of the characteristics of classical operation is that multiple photons transfer their energy to individual electrons, whereas in quantum operation each photon transfers its energy to each electron. We analyze the correspondence between the two approaches by comparing rectenna response first to monochromatic illumination obtained using photon-assisted tunnelling theory and classical theory. Applied to broadband rectenna operation, this correspondence provides clues to designing a rectenna solar cell that has the potential to exceed the 44% quantum-limited conversion efficiency. The comparison of operating regimes shows how optical rectenna operation differs from microwave rectenna operation.

Systems and methods for optically measuring properties of hydrocarbon fuel gases

DOEpatents

Adler-Golden, Steven; Bernstein, Lawrence S.; Bien, Fritz; Gersh, Michael E.; Goldstein, Neil

1998-10-13

A system and method for optical interrogation and measurement of a hydrocarbon fuel gas includes a light source generating light at near-visible wavelengths. A cell containing the gas is optically coupled to the light source which is in turn partially transmitted by the sample. A spectrometer disperses the transmitted light and captures an image thereof. The image is captured by a low-cost silicon-based two-dimensional CCD array. The captured spectral image is processed by electronics for determining energy or BTU content and composition of the gas. The innovative optical approach provides a relatively inexpensive, durable, maintenance-free sensor and method which is reliable in the field and relatively simple to calibrate. In view of the above, accurate monitoring is possible at a plurality of locations along the distribution chain leading to more efficient distribution.

Optical source and apparatus for remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coyle, Donald Barry (Inventor)

2011-01-01

An optical amplifier is configured to amplify an injected seed optical pulse. The optical amplifier may include two or more gain sections coupled to form a continuous solid waveguide along a primary optical path. Each gain section may include: (i) an optical isolator forming an input to that gain section; (ii) a doped optical fiber having a first end coupled to the optical isolator and having a second end; (iii) a plurality of pump laser diodes; (iv) a controller providing drive signals to each of the plurality, the controller being configured to provide at least pulsed drive signals; and (v) an optical coupler having a first input port coupled to the second end, and a second input port coupled to the plurality and an output port.

Laser excitation dynamics of argon metastables generated in atmospheric pressure flows by microwave frequency microplasma arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawlins, W. T.; Galbally-Kinney, K. L.; Davis, S. J.; Hoskinson, A. R.; Hopwood, J. A.

2014-03-01

The optically pumped rare-gas metastable laser is a chemically inert analogue to diode-pumped alkali (DPAL) and alkali-exciplex (XPAL) laser systems. Scaling of these devices requires efficient generation of electronically excited metastable atoms in a continuous-wave electric discharge in flowing gas mixtures at atmospheric pressure. This paper describes initial investigations of the use of linear microwave micro-discharge arrays to generate metastable rare-gas atoms at atmospheric pressure in optical pump-and-probe experiments for laser development. Power requirements to ignite and sustain the plasma at 1 atm are low, <30 W. We report on the laser excitation dynamics of argon metastables, Ar (4s, 1s5) (Paschen notation), generated in flowing mixtures of Ar and He at 1 atm. Tunable diode laser absorption measurements indicate Ar(1s5) concentrations near 3 × 1012 cm-3 at 1 atm. The metastables are optically pumped by absorption of a focused beam from a continuous-wave Ti:S laser, and spectrally selected fluorescence is observed with an InGaAs camera and an InGaAs array spectrometer. We observe the optical excitation of the 1s5-->2p9 transition at 811.5 nm and the corresponding laser-induced fluorescence on the 2p10-->1s5 transition at 912.3 nm; the 2p10 state is efficiently populated by collisional energy transfer from 2p9. Using tunable diode laser absorption/gain spectroscopy, we observe small-signal gains of ~1 cm-1 over a 1.9 cm path. We also observe stable, continuous-wave laser oscillation at 912.3 nm, with preliminary optical efficiency ~55%. These results are consistent with efficient collisional coupling within the Ar(4s) manifold.

Valence subband coupling effect on polarization of spontaneous emissions from Al-rich AlGaN/AlN quantum wells.

PubMed

Lu, Huimin; Yu, Tongjun; Yuan, Gangcheng; Jia, Chuanyu; Chen, Genxiang; Zhang, Guoyi

2012-12-03

The optical polarization properties of Al-rich AlGaN/AlN quantum wells (QWs) were investigated using the theoretical model based on the k·p method. Numerical results show that there is valence subband coupling which can influence the peak emission wavelength and emission intensity for TE and TM polarization components from Al-rich AlGaN/AlN QWs. Especially the valence subband coupling could be strong enough when CH1 is close to HH1 and LH1 subbands to modulate the critical Al content switching dominant emissions from TE to TM polarization. It is believed that the valence subband coupling may give important influence on polarization properties of spontaneous emissions and should be considered in designing high efficiency AlGaN-based ultraviolet (UV) LEDs.

Silicon photonics thermal phase shifter with reduced temperature range

DOEpatents

Lentine, Anthony L; Kekatpure, Rohan D; DeRose, Christopher; Davids, Paul; Watts, Michael R

2013-12-17

Optical devices, phased array systems and methods of phase-shifting an input signal are provided. An optical device includes a microresonator and a waveguide for receiving an input optical signal. The waveguide includes a segment coupled to the microresonator with a coupling coefficient such that the waveguide is overcoupled to the microresonator. The microresonator received the input optical signal via the waveguide and phase-shifts the input optical signal to form an output optical signal. The output optical signal is coupled into the waveguide via the microresonator and transmitted by the waveguide. At an operating point of the optical device, the coupling coefficient is selected to reduce a change in an amplitude of the output optical signal and to increase a change in a phase of the output optical signal, relative to the input optical signal.

A novel, highly efficient cavity backshort design for far-infrared TES detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bracken, C.; de Lange, G.; Audley, M. D.; Trappe, N.; Murphy, J. A.; Gradziel, M.; Vreeling, W.-J.; Watson, D.

2018-03-01

In this paper we present a new cavity backshort design for TES (transition edge sensor) detectors which will provide increased coupling of the incoming astronomical signal to the detectors. The increased coupling results from the improved geometry of the cavities, where the geometry is a consequence of the proposed chemical etching manufacturing technique. Using a number of modelling techniques, predicted results of the performance of the cavities for frequencies of 4.3-10 THz are presented and compared to more standard cavity designs. Excellent optical efficiency is demonstrated, with improved response flatness across the band. In order to verify the simulated results, a scaled model cavity was built for testing at the lower W-band frequencies (75-100 GHz) with a VNA system. Further testing of the scale model at THz frequencies was carried out using a globar and bolometer via an FTS measurement set-up. The experimental results are presented, and compared to the simulations. Although there is relatively poor comparison between simulation and measurement at some frequencies, the discrepancies are explained by means of higher-mode excitation in the measured cavity which are not accounted for in the single-mode simulations. To verify this assumption, a better behaved cylindrical cavity is simulated and measured, where excellent agreement is demonstrated in those results. It can be concluded that both the simulations and the supporting measurements give confidence that this novel cavity design will indeed provide much-improved optical coupling for TES detectors in the far-infrared/THz band.

Theoretical analysis of phase locking in an array of globally coupled lasers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vysotskii, D V; Elkin, N N; Napartovich, A P

2013-09-30

A model of an array of globally coupled fibre lasers, with the same fraction of the total output beam power injected into each laser, is considered. Phase self-locking of the laser array makes it possible to increase the brightness of the total output beam without any devices for controlling the phases of output beams, which significantly complicate the laser system. The spread of the laser optical lengths is several hundreds of wavelengths (or even more); within the theory of hollow cavities, this spread should lead to a fast decrease in the total power with an increase in the number ofmore » lasers. The presence of the active medium may reduce this drop to a great extent due to the self-tuning of the laser array radiation wavelength to a value providing a maximum gain for the array lasing mode. The optical length of each element is assumed to be random. The increase in the phase-locking efficiency due to the gain saturation is explained based on the probabilistic approach. An iterative procedure is developed to find the array output power in the presence of steady-state phase locking. Calculations for different values of small-signal gain and the output-power fraction spent on global coupling are performed. It is shown that, when this fraction amounts to ∼20 % – 30 %, phase locking of up to 20 fibre lasers can be implemented with an efficiency as high as 70 %. (control of laser radiation parameters)« less

Ultracold Molecules in Optical Lattices: Efficient Production and Application to Molecular Clocks

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-03

near the intercombination- line threshold were measured for a variety of states, and explained by considering nonadiabatic effects ( Coriolis coupling) in...Moszynski, T. Zelevinsky. Nonadiabatic Effects in Ultracold Molecules via Anomalous Linear and Quadratic Zeeman Shifts, Physical Review Letters, (12...M. McDonald, G. Reinaudi, W. Skomorowski, R. Moszynski, T. Zelevinsky. Measurement of Nonadiabatic Effects in Ultracold Molecules via Anomalous

Method and apparatus for producing cryogenic targets

DOEpatents

Murphy, James T.; Miller, John R.

1984-01-01

An improved method and apparatus are given for producing cryogenic inertially driven fusion targets in the fast isothermal freezing (FIF) method. Improved coupling efficiency and greater availability of volume near the target for diagnostic purposes and for fusion driver beam propagation result. Other embodiments include a new electrical switch and a new explosive detonator, all embodiments making use of a purposeful heating by means of optical fibers.

Recent advances in superconducting nanowire single photon detectors for single-photon imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, V. B.; Allman, M. S.; Stevens, M.; Gerrits, T.; Horansky, R. D.; Lita, A. E.; Marsili, F.; Beyer, A.; Shaw, M. D.; Stern, J. A.; Mirin, R. P.; Nam, S. W.

2016-05-01

We demonstrate a 64-pixel free-space-coupled array of superconducting nanowire single photon detectors optimized for high detection efficiency in the near-infrared range. An integrated, readily scalable, multiplexed readout scheme is employed to reduce the number of readout lines to 16. The cryogenic, optical, and electronic packaging to read out the array, as well as characterization measurements are discussed.

The fabrication of a tapered fiber connector and its coupling efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qinggui, Hu; Chengzhong, Li

2017-11-01

In order to reduce the adverse influence of transversal displacement of the optical fiber connector, we propose the directional tapered communication fiber connector, in which the fiber head is tapered according to the signal transmission direction to improve efficiency. We used a flame-brush technique to produce the tapered fiber successfully. In the next step, two experiments in different environments were performed; one in a static environment and the other in a vibration environment. The first experiment shows that the efficiency of the tapered connector is higher than that of the common connector in the same transversal displacement. The second experiment shows that the efficiency of the tapered connector is higher than that of the common connector in the same frequency and amplitude.

Metrology Optical Power Budgeting in SIM Using Statistical Analysis Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuan, Gary M

2008-01-01

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is a space-based stellar interferometry instrument, consisting of up to three interferometers, which will be capable of micro-arc second resolution. Alignment knowledge of the three interferometer baselines requires a three-dimensional, 14-leg truss with each leg being monitored by an external metrology gauge. In addition, each of the three interferometers requires an internal metrology gauge to monitor the optical path length differences between the two sides. Both external and internal metrology gauges are interferometry based, operating at a wavelength of 1319 nanometers. Each gauge has fiber inputs delivering measurement and local oscillator (LO) power, split into probe-LO and reference-LO beam pairs. These beams experience power loss due to a variety of mechanisms including, but not restricted to, design efficiency, material attenuation, element misalignment, diffraction, and coupling efficiency. Since the attenuation due to these sources may degrade over time, an accounting of the range of expected attenuation is needed so an optical power margin can be book kept. A method of statistical optical power analysis and budgeting, based on a technique developed for deep space RF telecommunications, is described in this paper and provides a numerical confidence level for having sufficient optical power relative to mission metrology performance requirements.

Microsystem enabled photovoltaic modules and systems

DOEpatents

Nielson, Gregory N; Sweatt, William C; Okandan, Murat

2015-05-12

A microsystem enabled photovoltaic (MEPV) module including: an absorber layer; a fixed optic layer coupled to the absorber layer; a translatable optic layer; a translation stage coupled between the fixed and translatable optic layers; and a motion processor electrically coupled to the translation stage to controls motion of the translatable optic layer relative to the fixed optic layer. The absorber layer includes an array of photovoltaic (PV) elements. The fixed optic layer includes an array of quasi-collimating (QC) micro-optical elements designed and arranged to couple incident radiation from an intermediate image formed by the translatable optic layer into one of the PV elements such that it is quasi-collimated. The translatable optic layer includes an array of focusing micro-optical elements corresponding to the QC micro-optical element array. Each focusing micro-optical element is designed to produce a quasi-telecentric intermediate image from substantially collimated radiation incident within a predetermined field of view.

High-Q optical resonators: characterization and application to stabilization of lasers and high spectral purity microwave oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llopis, O.; Merrer, P. H.; Bouchier, A.; Saleh, K.; Cibiel, G.

2010-02-01

Microwave optical systems for frequency generation are described in this paper. The goal is to reach high spectral purity in the microwave frequency range using ultra high Q optical resonators. The resonators investigated are of two types : resonant (passive) fiber rings and WGM tridimensional resonators. They all feature ultra high optical Q factors, in excess of 108 or 109 near 1550 nm. These resonators also sustain a large number of optical resonances, and the microwave signal is stabilized on two (or more) resonances of this optical comb. Different problems have to be overcome in order to reach a functional system, such as : resonator design and coupling, laser stabilization on a resonance, overall system design, noise optimization... This paper gives an overlook on these problems, and on some solutions we found to work towards a compact and efficient microwave opto-electronic oscillator (OEO). A first result is presented on a 10 GHz OEO based on a resonant fiber ring.

Extremely broadband, on-chip optical nonreciprocity enabled by mimicking nonlinear anti-adiabatic quantum jumps near exceptional points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Youngsun; Hahn, Choloong; Yoon, Jae Woong; Song, Seok Ho; Berini, Pierre

2017-01-01

Time-asymmetric state-evolution properties while encircling an exceptional point are presently of great interest in search of new principles for controlling atomic and optical systems. Here, we show that encircling-an-exceptional-point interactions that are essentially reciprocal in the linear interaction regime make a plausible nonlinear integrated optical device architecture highly nonreciprocal over an extremely broad spectrum. In the proposed strategy, we describe an experimentally realizable coupled-waveguide structure that supports an encircling-an-exceptional-point parametric evolution under the influence of a gain saturation nonlinearity. Using an intuitive time-dependent Hamiltonian and rigorous numerical computations, we demonstrate strictly nonreciprocal optical transmission with a forward-to-backward transmission ratio exceeding 10 dB and high forward transmission efficiency (~100%) persisting over an extremely broad bandwidth approaching 100 THz. This predicted performance strongly encourages experimental realization of the proposed concept to establish a practical on-chip optical nonreciprocal element for ultra-short laser pulses and broadband high-density optical signal processing.

Submicron bidirectional all-optical plasmonic switches

PubMed Central

Chen, Jianjun; Li, Zhi; Zhang, Xiang; Xiao, Jinghua; Gong, Qihuang

2013-01-01

Ultra-small all-optical switches are of importance in highly integrated optical communication and computing networks. However, the weak nonlinear light-matter interactions in natural materials present an enormous challenge to realize efficiently switching for the ultra-short interaction lengths. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a submicron bidirectional all-optical plasmonic switch with an asymmetric T-shape single slit. Sharp asymmetric spectra as well as significant field enhancements (about 18 times that in the conventional slit case) occur in the symmetry-breaking structure. Consequently, both of the surface plasmon polaritons propagating in the opposite directions on the metal surface are all-optically controlled inversely at the same time with the on/off switching ratios of >6 dB for the device lateral dimension of <1 μm. Moreover, in such a submicron structure, the coupling of free-space light and the on-chip bidirectional switching are integrated together. This submicron bidirectional all-optical switch may find important applications in the highly integrated plasmonic circuits. PMID:23486232

Nano-optomechanical system based on microwave frequency surface acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadesse, Semere Ayalew

Cavity optomechnics studies the interaction of cavity confined photons with mechanical motion. The emergence of sophisticated nanofabrication technology has led to experimental demonstrations of a wide range of novel optomechanical systems that exhibit strong optomechanical coupling and allow exploration of interesting physical phenomena. Many of the studies reported so far are focused on interaction of photons with localized mechanical modes. For my doctoral research, I did experimental investigations to extend this study to propagating phonons. I used surface travelling acoustic waves as the mechanical element of my optomechanical system. The optical cavities constitute an optical racetrack resonator and photonic crystal nanocavity. This dissertation discusses implementation of this surface acoustic wave based optomechanical system and experimental demonstrations of important consequences of the optomechanical coupling. The discussion focuses on three important achievements of the research. First, microwave frequency surface acoustic wave transducers were co-integrated with an optical racetrack resonator on a piezoelectric aluminum nitride film deposited on an oxidized silicon substrate. Acousto-optic modulation of the resonance modes at above 10 GHz with the acoustic wavelength significantly below the optical wavelength was achieved. The phase and modal matching conditions in this paradigm were investigated for efficient optmechanical coupling. Second, the optomechanical coupling was pushed further into the sideband resolved regime by integrating the high frequency surface acoustic wave transducers with a photonic crystal nanocavity. This device was used to demonstrate optomecahnically induced transparency and absorption, one of the interesting consequences of cavity optomechanics. Phase coherent interaction of the acoustic wave with multiple nanocavities was also explored. In a related experiment, the photonic crystal nanoscavity was placed inside an acoustic echo-chamber, and interaction of a phonon pulse with the photonic nanocavity was investigated. Third, an effort was made to address a major limitation of the surface acoustic wave based optomechanical system - loss of acoustic energy into the oxidized silicon substrate. To circumvent this problem, the optomechanical system was implemented in a suspended aluminum nitride membrane. The system confined the optical and acoustic wave within the thickness of the membrane and led to a stronger optomechanical coupling. At the end a summary is given that highlights important features of the optmechanical system and its prospects in future fundamental research and application.

Few-Photon Nonlinearity with an Atomic Ensemble in an Optical Cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanji, Haruka

2011-12-01

This thesis investigates the effect of the cavity vacuum field on the dispersive properties of an atomic ensemble in a strongly coupled high-finesse cavity. In particular, we demonstrate vacuum-induced transparency (VIT). The light absorption by the ensemble is suppressed by up to 40% in the presence of a cavity vacuum field. The sharp transparency peak is accompanied by the reduction in the group velocity of a light pulse, measured to be as low as 1800 m/s. This observation is a large step towards the realization of photon number-state filters, recently proposed by Nikoghosyan et al. Furthermore, we demonstrate few-photon optical nonlinearity, where the transparency is increased from 40% to 80% with ˜12 photons in the cavity mode. The result may be viewed as all-optical switching, where the transmission of photons in one mode may be controlled by 12 photons in another. These studies point to the possibility of nonlinear interaction between photons in different free-space modes, a scheme that circumvents cavity-coupling losses that plague cavity-based quantum information processing. Potential applications include advanced quantum devices such as photonic quantum gates, photon-number resolving detectors, and single-photon transistors. In the efforts leading up to these results, we investigate the collective enhancement of atomic coupling to a single mode of a low-finesse cavity. With the strong collective coupling, we obtain exquisite control of quantum states in the atom-photon coupled system. In this system, we demonstrate a heralded single-photon source with 84% conditional efficiency, a quantum bus for deterministic entanglement of two remote ensembles, and heralded polarization-state quantum memory with fidelity above 90%.

Optical filter having coupled whispering-gallery-mode resonators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savchenkov, Anatoliy (Inventor); Ilchenko, Vladimir (Inventor); Maleki, Lutfollah (Inventor); Handley, Timothy A. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

Optical filters having at least two coupled whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators to produce a second order or higher order filter function with a desired spectral profile. At least one of the coupled WGM optical resonators may be tunable by a control signal to adjust the filtering function.

Compact light-emitting diode optical fiber immobilized TiO2 reactor for photocatalytic water treatment.

PubMed

O'Neal Tugaoen, Heather; Garcia-Segura, Sergi; Hristovski, Kiril; Westerhoff, Paul

2018-02-01

A key barrier to implementing photocatalysis is delivering light to photocatalysts that are in contact with aqueous pollutants. Slurry photocatalyst systems suffer from poor light penetration and require post-treatment to separate the catalyst. The alternative is to deposit photocatalysts on fixed films and deliver light onto the surface or the backside of the attached catalysts. In this study, TiO 2 -coated quartz optical fibers were coupled to light emitting diodes (OF/LED) to improve in situ light delivery. Design factors and mechanisms studied for OF/LEDs in a flow-through reactor included: (i) the influence of number of LED sources coupled to fibers and (ii) the use of multiple optical fibers bundled to a single LED. The light delivery mechanism from the optical fibers into the TiO 2 coatings is thoroughly discussed. To demonstrate influence of design variables, experiments were conducted in the reactor using the chlorinated pollutant para-chlorobenzoic acid (pCBA). From the degradation kinetics of pCBA, the quantum efficiencies (Φ) of oxidation and electrical energies per order (E EO ) were determined. The use of TiO 2 coated optical fiber bundles reduced the energy requirements to deliver photons and increased available surface area, which improved Φ and enhanced oxidative pollutant removal performance (E EO ). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structured optical vortices with broadband comb-like optical spectra in Yb:Y3Al5O12/YVO4 Raman microchip laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jun; Wang, Xiaolei; Zhang, Mingming; Wang, Xiaojie; He, Hongsen

2018-04-01

Structured optical vortices with 4 phase singularities have been generated in a laser diode pumped continuous-wave Yb:Y3Al5O12/YVO4 (Yb:YAG/YVO4) Raman microchip laser. The broadband comb-like first order Stokes laser emitting spectrum including 30 longitudinal modes covers from 1072.49 nm to 1080.13 nm with a bandwidth of 7.64 nm, which is generated with the Raman shift 259 cm-1 of the c-cut YVO4 crystal converted from the fundamental laser around 1.05 μm. Pump power dependent optical vortex beams are attributed to overlap of the Stokes laser field with the fundamental laser field caused by dynamically changing the coupling losses of the fundamental laser field. The maximum output power is 1.16 W, and the optical-to-optical efficiency is 18.4%. This work provides a method for generating structured optical vortices with an optical frequency comb in solid-state Raman microchip lasers, which have potential applications in quantum computations, micro-machining, and information processing.

Fiber optic connector

DOEpatents

Rajic, Slobodan; Muhs, Jeffrey D.

1996-01-01

A fiber optic connector and method for connecting composite materials within which optical fibers are imbedded. The fiber optic connector includes a capillary tube for receiving optical fibers at opposing ends. The method involves inserting a first optical fiber into the capillary tube and imbedding the unit in the end of a softened composite material. The capillary tube is injected with a coupling medium which subsequently solidifies. The composite material is machined to a desired configuration. An external optical fiber is then inserted into the capillary tube after fluidizing the coupling medium, whereby the optical fibers are coupled.