Interferometric analysis of reorientational nonlinear phenomena at 10.6 microm in a nematic liquid crystal

We describe an infrared interferometric technique based on a two-dimensional spatial fringe analysis Fourier method for investigating the characteristic ring diffraction pattern generated by the self-phase-modulation effect induced in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) by an infrared laser beam and for measuring the nonlinear refractive index of the NLCs. The experimental setup employs a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a cw CO2 laser emitting at 10.6 microm and a pyroelectric optoelectronic sensor matrix to detect the modulated ring-pattern intensity distribution formed in the far field by a nematic E7 sample. A Fourier-transform-based analysis of the interference fringe pattern allows comparison of the measurements with the theoretical ring-pattern intensity distribution. We show that accurate determination of the nonlinear refractive index can be obtained by analyzing the two-dimensional phase distribution of the modulated ring pattern.     

On the real-time reconstruction of digital holograms displayed on photosensitive liquid crystal systems

Dynamic optical reconstruction of digital binary holograms projected on optically addressed liquid crystal spatial light modulators with the use of a computer driven multimedia projector is described. A high spatial resolution, sensitivity and full reversibility of the manufactured spatial light modulators are achieved by the use of a photoconducting PVK:TNF polymer layer serving as a transducer of incoming light intensity pattern into modulation of refractive index inside the adjacent LC layer. Linearly polarized laser light reconstructs the phase holograms at the video rate. The advantages and drawbacks of the presented system are discussed.     

中频双靶反应磁控溅射制备TiO2膜的一些探索

具有高折射率的TiO2膜在反射型液晶显示器的关键部件高反射率背板膜系的制备中起重要作用，本文使用国内首家在线中频双靶反应磁控溅射设备进行了制备TiO2膜的探索，完成了相应的膜层测试与分析。实验结果表明双靶磁控反射溅射可以制备高折射率的TiO2膜，实验还从折射率的角度证明中频双靶反应溅射与直流反应溅射的效果一致,为进一步提高膜层沉积速率以适应工业生产需求需要引入更有效的溅射过程控制手段。     

New opportunities in micro- and macro-attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopic imaging: spatial resolution and sampling versatility

New opportunities exist to obtain chemical images using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. This paper shows the feasibility of obtaining FT-IR images with a spatial resolution of at least 3-4 microm using a Ge ATR objective coupled with an infrared microscope. The improved spatial resolution compared to FT-IR images obtained by the transmission method is due to the high refractive index of the ATR crystal, which gives a high numerical aperture and hence, a higher spatial resolution. FT-IR imaging with a conventional diamond ATR accessory has been investigated. This is the first time that FT-IR imaging is reported using such a versatile accessory based on a diamond ATR crystal. These results showed that a spatial resolution up to 13 microm can be achieved without the use of infrared microscope objectives. One advantage of the diamond element is that it allows pressure to be applied and hence, good contact to be obtained over the whole field of view.     

Roughened glass slides and a spectrophotometer for the detection of the wavelength-dependent refractive index of transparent liquids

We describe a method to determine the wavelength-dependent refractive index of liquids by measurement of light transmittance with a spectrophotometer. The method is based on using roughened glass slides with different a priori known refractive indices and immersing the slides into the transparent liquid with unknown refractive index. Using the dispersion data on the glass material it is possible to find the index match between the liquid and the glass slide, and hence the refractive index of the liquid.     

Conoscopy of chiral smectic liquid crystal cells

The conoscopic method for investigating the optical properties of a liquid crystal cell is studied with the aim of determining the effects of the approximations used in the calculation on the results. We confirm that the chiral liquid crystal cell forming a helical structure can be regarded as a single biaxial plate for analyzing the conoscopic image only if the helical pitch is less than several multiples of the wavelength of light. This approximation implies that the square of the refractive index along a direction is averaged over all the layers. An incorrectly chosen value for one of the principal refractive indices to be used in the analysis of the conoscopic data can lead to an incorrect conclusion, especially for the case when the wavelength dispersion of the refractive index is neglected. A thicker cell and a longer wavelength of the incident light can minimize these limitations of the conoscopic method. We propose a novel simulation method to find the molecular distribution in a liquid crystal cell based on the average-refractive-index approximation and the conoscopic data. This is shown to be a fast, more efficient, and useful method for estimating the director distributions.     

Optical transduction of chemical forces

We describe a plasmonic crystal device possessing utility for optically transducing chemical forces. The device couples complex plasmonic fields to chemical changes via a chemoresponsive, surface-bound hydrogel. We find that this architecture significantly enhances the spectroscopic responses seen at visible wavelengths while enabling capacities for sensitive signal transduction, even in cases that involve essentially no change in refractive index, thus allowing analytical detection via colorimetric assays in both imaging and spectroscopic modes.     

Ultralow Dispersion Multicomponent Thin‐Film Chalcogenide Glass for Broadband Gradient‐Index Optics

A novel photothermal process to spatially modulate the concentration of sub‐wavelength, high‐index nanocrystals in a multicomponent Ge‐As‐Pb‐Se chalcogenide glass thin film resulting in an optically functional infrared grating is demonstrated. The process results in the formation of an optical nanocomposite possessing ultralow dispersion over unprecedented bandwidth. The spatially tailored index and dispersion modification enables creation of arbitrary refractive index gradients. Sub‐bandgap laser exposure generates a Pb‐rich amorphous phase transforming on heat treatment to high‐index crystal phases. Spatially varying nanocrystal density is controlled by laser dose and is correlated to index change, yielding local index modification to ≈+0.1 in the mid‐infrared.     

Analysis on the saturation of refractive index modulation in fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) written by partially coherent UV beams

We present an analysis on the saturation of refractive index modulation of fiber Bragg gratings written in nonhydrogenated Ge-B co-doped single-mode photosensitive optical fiber by partially coherent pulsed UV beams. The UV beams of different spatial coherence properties were generated by second harmonic conversion of high repetition rate, high average power copper vapor laser (CVL) oscillators with different optical resonators. It is observed that for UV beams of higher spatial coherence, the fiber Bragg grating reflectivity growth was faster and saturation of refractive index modulation was higher. The experimental results are explained with the help of a physical model based on exponential decay of defect centers per unit volume on UV absorption in the fiber core. The subsequent increase in the refractive index was attributed to the structural modification and densification of the fiber core.     

Unwinding of a cholesteric liquid crystal and bidirectional surface anchoring

We examine the influence of bidirectional anchoring on the unwinding of a planar cholesteric liquid crystal induced by the application of a magnetic field. We consider a liquid crystal layer confined between two plates with the helical axis perpendicular to the substrates. We fix the director twist on one boundary and allow for bidirectional anchoring on the other by introducing a high-order surface potential. By minimizing the total free energy for the system, we investigate the untwisting of the cholesteric helix as the liquid crystal attempts to align with the magnetic field. The transitions between metastable states occur as a series of pitchjumps as the helix expels quarter- or half-turn twists, depending on the relative sizes of the strength of the surface potential and the bidirectional anchoring. We show that secondary easy axis directions can play a significant role in the unwinding of the cholesteric in its transition towards a nematic, especially when the surface anchoring strength is large.     

A Novel Distributed Feedback Colour Centre Laser

A novel distributed feedback (DFB) colour centre laser is proposed. The feedback mechanism is provided by the periodic spatial modulation of the refractive index which is induced by applying an acoustic wave to the crystal coloured by X-ray irradiation. Numerical estimates for this method are also presented.     

Thermally induced nonlinear optical effects in an isotropic liquid crystal at 10.6 microm

We investigate thermally induced nonlinear optical effects on a CO2 laser beam that passes through an isotropic liquid crystal film. We evaluate the thermal nonlinear coefficient of the refractive index at a wavelength of 10.6 microm by means of a thermographic technique combined with an optical method based upon the measurement of the self-defocusing effect caused by the heating of the liquid crystal induced by the laser beam. The novelty of our work is the application of thermography in order to measure the temperature field on the liquid crystal film caused by the partial absorption of the laser radiation by the liquid crystal. These measurements provide a precise evaluation of the thermal diffusion lengthof the liquid crystal under investigation. Moreover, thermography results in a straightforward experimental technique that can be used to investigate the thermal properties of a wide class of other fluids.     

Ultrasound-modulated optical tomography: recovery of amplitude of vibration in the insonified region from boundary measurement of light correlation

We address a certain inverse problem in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography: the recovery of the amplitude of vibration of scatterers [p(r)] in the ultrasound focal volume in a diffusive object from boundary measurement of the modulation depth (M) of the amplitude autocorrelation of light [φ(r,τ)] traversing through it. Since M is dependent on the stiffness of the material, this is the precursor to elasticity imaging. The propagation of φ(r,τ) is described by a diffusion equation from which we have derived a nonlinear perturbation equation connecting p(r) and refractive index modulation [Δn(r)] in the region of interest to M measured on the boundary. The nonlinear perturbation equation and its approximate linear counterpart are solved for the recovery of p(r). The numerical results reveal regions of different stiffness, proving that the present method recovers p(r) with reasonable quantitative accuracy and spatial resolution.     

Nonlinear pulse propagation in chalcogenide As2Se3 glass photonic crystal fiber using RK4IP method

Pulse propagation through chalcogenide As(2)Se(3) glass photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is numerically investigated using fourth-order Runge-Kutta in the interaction picture (RK4IP) method. The fully vectorial effective index method (FVEIM) is used to calculate the variation of effective refractive index, effective area, dispersion, and nonlinear coefficient (γ) in As(2)Se(3) PCF with wavelength for different values of pitch and air hole size. The RK4IP method is used to demonstrate the soliton propagation, self-phase modulation (SPM), soliton collision and cross phase modulation (XPM) in the designed As(2)Se(3) PCF. The numerically obtained value of soliton collision length (L(col)=51.3L(D)) using the RK4IP method is found to be in good agreement with the theoretical value of soliton collision length (L(col)=51.408L(D)) obtained from inverse scattering transform method, thus providing a verification of the RK4IP accuracy in solving generalized nonlinear schr?dinger equation (GLNSE). We also evaluate and apply the value of wavelength for distortionless (L(NL)=L(D)) propagation of the soliton pulse.     

Measurement of CO2-laser-irradiation-induced refractive index modulation in single-mode fiber toward long-period fiber grating design and fabrication

We report a new method to measure the CO(2)-laser-irradiation-induced refractive index modulation in the core of a single-mode optical fiber for the purpose of design and fabrication of long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) without applying tension. Using an optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer, the laser-induced axial refractive index perturbation was measured. We found that the CO(2)-laser-irradiation-induced refractive index change in the fiber core had a negative value and that the magnitude was a sensitive function of the laser exposure time following almost a linear relation. Under the assumption of a Gaussian-shaped refractive index modulation profile and based on the first two terms of Fourier series approximation, the measured refractive index perturbations were used to simulate the LPFG transmission spectra. LPFGs with the same laser exposure parameters were fabricated without applying tension, and their spectra were compared with those obtained by simulations.     

Nano-engineering of the anchoring of liquid crystals on solid surfaces

The solid surface in the conventional liquid crystal displays, being responsible for the liquid crystal alignment in the absence of external fields, is playing only a passive role in the switching of the liquid crystal layer. Recently, we have shown that the anchoring strength and the easy axis, two important parameters characterizing the liquid crystal alignment, can effectively be controlled by light via photo-induced nano-scale changes of the solid surface properties. We have also introduced two novel concepts of commanded anchoring, the electrically commanded surfaces (for mediating switching of the liquid crystal) and the high performance alignment layers (for facilitating the switching of the liquid crystal) realized practically by means of a proper nano-engineering of the alignment layer. Electrically commanded anchoring concepts are strong candidates for implementation in a new generation of advanced liquid crystal displays and devices.     

A high sensitivity refractive index sensor based on photonic crystal fibre Mach–Zehnder interferometer

A compact and high sensitivity refractive index sensor based on a photonic crystal fibre Mach–Zehnder mode–mode interferometer is proposed. The sensing part is formed by in fibre SMF-PCF-SMF structure (SMF: single-mode fibre; PCF: photonic crystal fibre) using fusion splicing method. The fully collapse air holes of photonic crystal fibre make coupling of fibre core and cladding mode in the splicing collapse region which establish a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The Mach–Zehnder interferometers with different photonic crystal fibre length are fabricated to investigate refractive index sensing characteristics. The refractive index measuring sensitivity can reach 224.2 nm/RIU (RIU: Refractive Index Unit) with a length of PCF L = 4 cm, experimentally. The proposed refractive index sensor is attractive due to its simple production process, compact size and high sensitivity.     

Dirac cones induced by accidental degeneracy in photonic crystals and zero-refractive-index materials

A zero-refractive-index metamaterial is one in which waves do not experience any spatial phase change, and such a peculiar material has many interesting wave-manipulating properties. These materials can in principle be realized using man-made composites comprising metallic resonators or chiral inclusions, but metallic components have losses that compromise functionality at high frequencies. It would be highly desirable if we could achieve a zero refractive index using dielectrics alone. Here, we show that by employing accidental degeneracy, dielectric photonic crystals can be designed and fabricated that exhibit Dirac cone dispersion at the centre of the Brillouin zone at a finite frequency. In addition to many interesting properties intrinsic to a Dirac cone dispersion, we can use effective medium theory to relate the photonic crystal to a material with effectively zero permittivity and permeability. We then numerically and experimentally demonstrate in the microwave regime that such dielectric photonic crystals with reasonable dielectric constants manipulate waves as if they had near-zero refractive indices at and near the Dirac point frequency.     

Complex refractive index of ammonium nitrate in the 2-20-microm spectral range

Using high-resolution Fourier-transform infrared absorbance and transmittance spectral data for ammonium sulfate (AMS), calcium carbonate (CAC), and ammonium nitrate (AMN), we made comparisons with previously published complex reactive-index data for AMS and CAC to infer experimental parameters to determine the imaginary refractive index for AMN in the infrared wavelength range from 2 to 20 microm. Subtractive Kramers-Kronig mathematical relations were applied to calculate the real refractive index for the three compositions. Excellent agreement for AMS and CAC with the published values was found, validating the complex refractive index obtained for AMN. We performed backscatter calculations using a log-normal size distribution for AMS, AMN, and CAC aerosols to show differences in their backscattered spectra.     

Near-Infrared Refractometry of Liquids by Means of Waveguide ?erenkov Second-Harmonic Generation

A new, to our knowledge, method for measuring the refractive index of liquids in the near infrared by means of waveguide ?erenkov second-harmonic generation is presented. It makes use of a nonlinear planar waveguide whereby the liquid sample is put into place as the cover. By measurement of the output angle of the ?erenkov radiation mode (in the visible) the liquid sample refractive index (in the near infrared) is determined. Experiments were performed by means of a proton-exchanged LiNbO(3) waveguide as the sensor and a set of liquids with known refractive index. The values obtained are in good agreement with the expected ones, and the average accuracy is on the third decimal place.