Atmospheric ozone and colors of the Antarctic twilight sky

Zenith skylight is often distinctly blue during clear civil twilights, and much of this color is due to preferential absorption at longer wavelengths by ozone's Chappuis bands. Because stratospheric ozone is greatly depleted in the austral spring, such decreases could plausibly make Antarctic twilight colors less blue then, including at the zenith. So for several months in 2005, we took digital images of twilight zenith and antisolar skies at Antarctica's Georg von Neumayer Station. Our colorimetric analysis of these images shows only weak correlations between ozone concentration and twilight colors. We also used a spectroradiometer at a midlatitude site to measure zenith twilight spectra and colors. At both locations, spectral extinction by aerosols seems as important as ozone absorption in explaining colors seen throughout the twilight sky.     

Simulation experiments to generate broadband chaos using dual-wavelength optically injected Fabry–Perot laser

Abstract

Broadband chaos can be generated by beating two wavelengths in a hybrid arrangement of Fabry–Perot (FP) Laser and Fiber ring cavity by injecting dual wavelengths. The bandwidth of generated chaos can be controlled by detuning different modes of FP Laser for beating. The bandwidth of generated chaos increased to many folds depending upon the injected strength and wavelength spacing matched to FP laser modes. The bandwidth enhancement in different simulation experiments conducted is optimized by varying different parameters of FP laser and cavity. The waveforms are analyzed and Lyapunov exponents are calculated in order to validate the existence of high bandwidth non-pulsating chaos.     

Metallic colloid wavelength-ratiometric scattering sensors

Gold and silver colloids display strong colors as a result of electron oscillations induced by incident light, which are referred to as the plasmon absorption. This absorption is dependent on colloid-colloid proximity, which has been the basis of absorption assays using colloids. We now describe a new approach to optical sensing using the light scattering properties of colloids. Colloid aggregation was induced by avidin-biotin interactions, which shifted the plasmon absorption to longer wavelengths. We found the spectral shift results in changes in the scattering at different incident wavelengths. By measuring the ratio of scattered intensities at two incident wavelengths, this measurement was made independent of the total colloid concentration. The high scattering efficiency of the colloids resulted in intensities equivalent to fluorescence when normalized by the optical density of the fluorophore and colloid. This approach can be used in a wide variety of assay formats, including those commonly used with fluorescence detection.     

Analysis of the effects of bias phase and wavelength choice on the design of dual-wavelength diffractive optical elements

Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are often used in pattern formation for display purposes. Constructing these images from two or more colors greatly enhances their visual effect. To achieve this with DOEs is not simple, as they are inherently wavelength specific. We discuss an algorithm for designing quantized elements that produce distinct intensity patterns in the far field for two wavelengths. The benefits of applying bias phase to the dual-wavelength problem are investigated. The difference between the best and the worst choice of bias phase is shown to produce a variation of up to 2% in the efficiency. The mean square error can vary by up to a factor of 2 between the best and the worst case. It is also critically important to understand how the values of the two wavelengths affect the result. We present an analysis of how choosing different pairs of wavelengths in the design process affects the quality of our results.     

Fabrication and optical characterization of light trapping silicon nanopore and nanoscrew devices

We have fabricated nanotextured Si substrates that exhibit controllable optical reflection intensities and colors. Si nanopore has a photon trapping nanostructure but has abrupt changes in the index of refraction displaying a darkened specular reflection. Nanoscrew Si shows graded refractive-index photon trapping structures that enable diffuse reflection to be as low as 2.2% over the visible wavelengths. By tuning the 3D nanoscale silicon structure, the optical reflection peak wavelength and intensity are changed in the wavelength range of 300-800?nm, making the surface have different reflectivity and apparent colors. The relation between the surface optical properties with the spatial features of the photon trapping nanostructures is examined. Integration of photon trapping structures with planar Si structure on the same substrate is also demonstrated. The tunable photon trapping silicon structures have potential applications in enhancing the performance of semiconductor photoelectric devices.     

Multicolor surface plasmon resonance imaging of ink jet-printed protein microarrays

We report a technique that utilizes surface plasmon resonance dispersion as a mechanism to provide multicolor contrast for imaging thin molecular films. Illumination of gold surfaces with p-polarized white light in the Kretschmann configuration produces distinct reflected colors due to excitation of surface plasmons and the resulting absorption of specific wavelengths from the source light. In addition, these colors transform in response to the formation of thin molecular films. This process represents a simple detection method for distinguishing between films of varying thickness in sensor applications. As an example, we interrogated a protein microarray formed by a commercial drop-on-demand chemical ink jet printer. Submonolayer films of a test protein (bovine serum albumin) were readily detected by this method. Analysis of the dispersion relations and absorbance sensitivities illustrate the performance and characteristics of this system. Higher detection sensitivity was achieved at angles where red wavelengths coupled to surface plasmons. However, improved contrast and spatial resolution occurred when the angle of incidence was such that shorter wavelengths coupled to the surface plasmons. Simplified optics combined with the robust microarray printing platform are used to demonstrate the applicability of this technique as a rapid and versatile, high-throughput tool for label-free detection of adsorbed films and macromolecules.     

Doppler-free, multiwavelength acousto-optic deflector for two-photon addressing arrays of Rb atoms in a quantum information processor

We demonstrate a dual wavelength acousto-optic deflector (AOD) designed to deflect two wavelengths to the same angles by driving with two RF frequencies. The AOD is designed as a beam scanner to address two-photon transitions in a two-dimensional array of trapped neutral Rb87 atoms in a quantum computer. Momentum space is used to design AODs that have the same diffraction angles for two wavelengths (780 and 480 nm) and have nonoverlapping Bragg-matched frequency response at these wavelengths, so that there will be no cross talk when proportional frequencies are applied to diffract the two wavelengths. The appropriate crystal orientation, crystal shape, transducer size, and transducer height are determined for an AOD made with a tellurium dioxide crystal (TeO(2)). The designed and fabricated AOD has more than 100 resolvable spots, widely separated band shapes for the two wavelengths within an overall octave bandwidth, spatially overlapping diffraction angles for both wavelengths (780 and 480 nm), and a 4 micros or less access time. Cascaded AODs in which the first device upshifts and the second downshifts allow Doppler-free scanning as required for addressing the narrow atomic resonance without detuning. We experimentally show the diffraction-limited Doppler-free scanning performance and spatial resolution of the designed AOD.     

Spectral bar coding of polystyrene microbeads using multicolored quantum dots

This paper focuses on encoding polystyrene microbeads, 10-100 microm in diameter, with a luminescent spectral bar code composed of mixtures of quantum dots (QDs) emitting at different wavelengths (colors). The QDs are encapsulated in the bead interior during the bead synthesis using a suspension polymerization, and the bar code is constructed by varying both the number of colors included in the bead and, for each color, the number of QDs of that color. Confocal laser scanning microscopy images of the beads demonstrate that the multicolored QDs are pushed together into inclusions within the bead interior. The encoded bead emission spectrum indicates that the peak position of the included colors does not shift relative to the corresponding peaks of the spectra recorded for the nonaggregated QDs at identical loading concentrations. Due to the spatial proximity of the QDs in the inclusions, electronic energy transfer from the lower wavelength emitting QDs to the higher emitting QDs changes the relative intensities of the colors compared to the values in the nonaggregated spectra. We show that this energy transfer does not obscure the spectral uniqueness of the different codes. Ratiometric encoding, in which the bar code is read as relative color intensity, is shown to remove the dependence of the code on the bead size.     

Switchable dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber laser using an inverse-Gaussian apodized fiber Bragg grating filter and a low-gain semiconductor optical amplifier

We present a stable and switchable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser. In the ring cavity, an inverse-Gaussian apodized fiber Bragg grating serves as an ultranarrow dual-wavelength passband filter, a semiconductor optical amplifier biased in the low-gain regime reduces the gain competition of the two wavelengths, and a feedback fiber loop acts as a mode filter to guarantee a stable single-longitudinal-mode operation. Two lasing lines with a wavelength separation of approximately 0.1 nm are obtained experimentally. A microwave signal at 12.51 GHz is demonstrated by beating the dual wavelengths at a photodetector.     

Tunable Tm-doped fiber ring laser operating at 1.9 μm band using force-induced fiber grating as wavelength tuner

We report wavelength-tunable operation of a Tm-doped silica fiber laser by using a force-induced long-period fiber grating (LPFG) formed in a fiber ring resonator. The laser output wavelength is tuned by moving the transmission passband that is generated between adjacent resonance wavelengths due to the force-induced LPFG. By changing the grating period around 900 μm, we control the laser output wavelength between 1845 and 1930 nm.     

Remote nocturnal bird classification by spectroscopy in extended wavelength ranges

We present optical methods at a wide range of wavelengths for remote classification of birds. The proposed methods include eye-safe fluorescence and depolarization lidar techniques, passive scattering spectroscopy, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. In this paper we refine our previously presented method of remotely classifying birds with the help of laser-induced β-keratin fluorescence. Phenomena of excitation quenching are studied in the laboratory and are theoretically discussed in detail. It is shown how the ordered microstructures in bird feathers induce structural "colors" in the IR region with wavelengths of around 3-6 μm. We show that transmittance in this region depends on the angle of incidence of the transmitted light in a species-specific way and that the transmittance exhibits a close correlation to the spatial periodicity in the arrangement of the feather barbules. We present a method by which the microstructure of feathers can be monitored in a remote fashion by utilization of thermal radiation and the wing beating of the bird.     

Disturbance-free distributed Bragg reflector laser-diode interferometer with a double sinusoidal phase-modulating technique for measurement of absolute distance

A new range-finding technique that uses both double sinusoidal phase modulation and quasi-two-wavelength interferometry is described. Two independent interference signals are generated with respect to two different wavelengths on a time-sharing basis. We clarify that external disturbances of these interference signals are eliminated by both feedback control and differential detection and that the feedback control does not affect the distance measurement. A single distributed Bragg reflector laser diode allows us to simplify the optical setup and to improve the measurement accuracy. After discussing a measurement range, we estimate a measurement error by making several measurements.     

Optimization of dual-band continuum light source for ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate a dual-band continuum light source centered at 830 and 1300 nm for optical coherence tomography (OCT) generated by pumping a photonic crystal fiber having two closely spaced zero-dispersion wavelengths with a femtosecond laser at 1059 nm. By use of polarization control, sidelobe suppression can be improved up to approximately 7.7 dB. By employing compression of the pump pulses, the generated spectrum is smooth and near-Gaussian, resulting in a point-spread function with negligible sidelobes. We demonstrate ultrahigh-resolution OCT imaging of biological tissue in vivo and in vitro using this light source and compare it with conventional-resolution OCT imaging at 1300 nm.     

Binocular color fusion limit.

When two lights of different wavelengths are dichoptically presented to the eyes to form a single visual field, the fusion of colors cannot be assured unless the difference is relatively small. The limit of the wavelength difference delta lambda beyond which no homogeneous color is obtained was determined for the wavelengths covering a range of about 500 to 660 nm. It varied from about 10 to 50 nm depending upon the wavelength region investigated, which is much larger than the delta lambda values normally obtained in wavelength discrimination experiments. The limit was also obtained for a pair made up of a white light and a colored light that varied in purity. The value was again quite large. These results suggested that the tolerance for color difference is fairly lenient as far as binocular color fusion is concerned.     

Tunable filter and optical buffer based on dual plasmonic ring resonators

We demonstrate the realization of on chip plasmon-induced transparency using dual ring resonators coupling to metal–dielectric–metal bus waveguide. The theoretical results agree well with the finite-difference time-domain simulative ones. Moreover, by adjusting the radius, width, as well as the coupling distance can efficiently operate the wavelengths and bandwidths of our filter. In theory, we propose a feasible method to improve the trade-off between transmission and quality factor. Finally, the ultra-compact structure possesses slow light effect and manifests a low group velocity, which provides a guideline to control the light and has potential application in optical filter and optical buffer.     

Colors of the daytime overcast sky

Time-series measurements of daylight (skylight plus direct sunlight) spectra beneath overcast skies reveal an unexpectedly wide gamut of pastel colors. Analyses of these spectra indicate that at visible wavelengths, overcasts are far from spectrally neutral transmitters of the daylight incident on their tops. Colorimetric analyses show that overcasts make daylight bluer and that the amount of bluing increases with cloud optical depth. Simulations using the radiative-transfer model MODTRAN4 help explain the observed bluing: multiple scattering within optically thick clouds greatly enhances spectrally selective absorption by water droplets. However, other factors affecting overcast colors seen from below range from minimal (cloud-top heights) to moot (surface colors).     

Technique for narrow-band imaging in the far ultraviolet based on aberration-corrected holographic gratings

We have developed a new family of imaging spectrometer designs that combine the imaging power of two-element telescopes with the aberration control of first-generation holographic gratings. The resulting optical designs provide high spatial resolution over modest fields of view at selectable wavelengths. These all-reflective designs are particularly suited for narrow-band imaging below 1050 A, the wavelength below which there are no transmitting materials in the UV. We have developed designs to efficiently map the spatial distribution of UV-emitting material. This mapping capability is absent in current and future astronomical instruments but is crucial to the understanding of the nature of a variety of astrophysical phenomena. Although our examples focus on UV wavelengths, the design concept is applicable to any wavelength.     

Self-consistent performance modeling for dual band MIS UV photodetectors based on Si/SiO2 multilayer structure

In this paper, we present a self-consistent theoretical model for a metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS) dual band ultraviolet (UV) photodetector with a modified structure implying an arbitrarily defined insulating potential barrier as its active region. Utilizing our proposed model, the dark and photocurrent density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of MIS UV photodetectors with multi-quantum wells of silicon (MQWs) are calculated. We demonstrate that dark current is reduced in the suggested structure, because the electron-tunneling probability becomes unity at energies coincident with the peak detection wavelength. This is due to the resonant tunneling and decreases at energies that are significantly smaller than this optimum value. In consequence, the number of carriers contributing to the dark current, which have a broad energy distribution at high temperatures, will decrease. It is also shown that the designed structure could detect two individual UV wavelengths, simultaneously. The width of each Si quantum well has been considered at around 1.2 nm, in order to observe these two absorption peaks in the middle and near UV regions of photon spectrum (about 365 nm, 175 nm).     

Wavelength switching of picosecond pulses generated from a self-seeded Fabry-Perot laser diode with a tilted fiber Bragg grating formed in a graded-index multimode fiber

We demonstrated the generation of wavelength-switchable picosecond pulses from a self-seeded Fabry-Perot laser diode that used a tilted fiber Bragg grating (FBG) formed in a graded-index multimode fiber as an external optical feedback element, where wavelength switching was achieved by controlling the modal distribution in the FBG. We measured the reflection spectra of multimode FBGs fabricated with different tilt angles and discussed the effects of the tilt angle on wavelength selection. By using a 20?mm long 1.65° tilted FBG and a fiber deformer to control the modal distribution in the FBG, we generated 2?GHz pulses with a wavelength switchable over 14 wavelengths at a spacing of ～0.8?nm.     

Precise color tuning via hybrid light-emitting electrochemical cells

We report color-tunable light-emitting devices employing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) blended into a polymer light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) architecture. This novel structure circumvents the charge-tunneling barrier of QDs to achieve bright, uniform, and highly voltage-independent electroluminescence, with nearly all emission generated by the QDs. By blending varying ratios of two QD materials that emit at different wavelengths, we demonstrate precise color control in a single layer device structure.