Origin of crystallization-induced refractive index changes in photo-thermo-refractive glass

Photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass is a multi-component silicate that undergoes localized refractive index decrease after UV-exposure and thermal treatment for partial crystallization. Based on this refractive index change, high efficiency volume Bragg gratings have been developed in PTR glass and have been successfully used for laser beam control. However, despite the fact that this type of glass has been widely studied and used over the last 20 years, the origin of the refractive index change upon crystallization is poorly understood. In this paper, we introduce three possible mechanisms (the precipitation of nano-sized NaF crystals and the associated local chemical changes of the glass matrix, the volumetric changes due to relaxation, and the local residual stresses) for the refractive index decrement in PTR glass and estimate the partial refractive index change due to each mechanism. Refractive index measurements are compared with high temperature XRD experiments and a general approach for the simulation of the refractive index change in PTR glass is proposed. We show that among the studied variables the residual stresses surrounding the crystals are the main responsible for the local refractive index decrement in this glass.     

Refractive index of Al<Subscript>3</Subscript>C<Subscript>2</Subscript>B<Subscript>48</Subscript> aluminum borocarbide crystals

Aluminum borocarbide single crystals have been grown from an Al-based solution melt. The crystal lattice parameters have been determined, the dispersion of the refractive index in a 0.55–1.3 μm wavelength interval has been studied, and the temperature coefficient of the refractive index in a 300–600 K range has been measured. The crystals are characterized by a high refractive index in the visible spectral range in combination with at a high hardness, which makes them of interest for jewelry, as well as for both traditional and X-ray optics.     

Anomalous refractive indices of the amplifying medium in a waveguide CO2 laser

The relative changes in refractive index of the amplifying medium in a waveguide CO2 laser have been measured as a function of the inlet and outlet pressures, discharge current, gas flow rate, and intracavity power using an interferometric technique. The experiments have been made for two gas mixing ratios over a wide range of the inlet pressure. Saturated phenomena of the refractive index have been observed for increasing inlet pressure. The output power and the variation in impedance of the amplifying medium have been simultaneously measured. The dependence of the refractive index on the inlet pressure in the absence of the discharge, the electron density, and the estimation of errors in measurements are discussed.     

Kramers-Kronig analysis of infrared reflection spectra with perpendicular polarization

The application of Kramers-Kronig analysis for reflection spectra from a single interface with perpendicular (s) polarization has been studied theoretically with regard to a phase correction term. The errors in phase shift and complex refractive index obtained by the use of Kramers-Kronig analysis have been examined for such techniques as external, internal, and total internal reflection spectroscopies by the use of spectral simulation and the complex refractive index based on dispersion theory. The advantages and disadvantages of the various measurement techniques used to obtain the complex refractive index of a sample material have been compared. It is concluded that the external reflection technique can be used until the sample thickness becomes too thin to provide the edge shape necessary to avoid the detection of reflection from the back surface. The total internal reflection technique should be used only for a thin-film sample because knowledge of the refractive index at some frequency is required and bcause this technique may yield larger errors than the other techniques in the complex refractive index obtained by the use of Kramers-Kronig analysis.     

Absolute refractive index determination by microinterferometric backscatter detection

Microinterferometric backscatter detection (MIBD) has previously been shown capable of measuring changes in the refractive index of liquids on the order of 10(-7). The MIBD technique is based on interference of laser light after it is reflected from different regions in a capillary. These reflections generate an interference pattern that moves upon changing refractive index of the liquid in the capillary. The small-angle interference pattern traditionally considered has a repetition frequency in the refractive index space that limits the ability to measure refractive index-to-refractive index changes causing such a repetition. Such refractive index changes are typically on the order of three decades. Recent modeling and experiments with the MIBD technique have shown that other intensity variations in the pattern are present for larger backscattered angles. By considering these variations, we have shown two methods by which it is possible to extend the dynamic measurement range to make an absolute refractive index measurement. One method utilizes variations in the Fresnel coefficients while the second approach is based on the refractive index-dependent onset of total internal reflection angles. With the second approach, we have been able to measure the absolute refractive index of a liquid with a precision of 2.5 x 10(-4).     

Thinned fiber Bragg gratings as refractive index sensors

In this work, highly sensitive refractive index measurements have been experimentally demonstrated by using thinned fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. When the cladding diameter is reduced, significant changes in the effective refractive index occur due to surrounding medium refractive index modifications, leading to Bragg wavelength shifts. Uniformly thinned FBGs have been obtained by using wet chemical etching in hydrofluoric acid solutions. In order to prove sensor sensitivity, experimental tests have been carried out by using glycerine solutions with well-known refractive indices. Obtained results agree well with the numerical analysis carried out by using the three-layer fiber model. If the cladding layer is completely removed, resolutions of /spl ap/10/sup -5/ and /spl ap/10/sup -4/ for the outer refractive index around 1.450 and 1.333, respectively, are possible. Finally, a novel approach based on the selective etching along the grating region has been analyzed, leading to high-sensitivity refractive index sensors based on intensity measurements.     

轴位移法测定GRIN透镜的折射率分布系数

本文对GRIN透镜的精确光线追迹公式作了推导,介绍了轴位移法对透镜折射率分布的测量方法及相应的数据处理,并对测量误差进行了分析和计算,从而对测定GRIN透镜折射率分布提供了一种精确而且实用的方法。     

Radial GRIN glasses in Li2O-Na2O-Al2O3-TiO2-SiO2 systems

A series of GRIN glass rods have been developed in Li2O-Na2O-Al2O3-TiO2-SiO2 systems. Negative radial refractive index profiles were generated by exchanging Na+ for Li+ ions in these glass rods. It has been observed that TiO2 plays a vital role in increase in the profile depth and maximum change in the refractive index because of its ambivalent nature. Change in the refractive index can be further increased by increasing the concentration of exchanging cation in the base glass.     

Influence of annealing on the optical properties of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H, 23H-porphine iron (III) chloride thin films

Optical constants (refractive index, n, and absorption index, k) of the as-deposited and annealed films of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H, 23H-porphine iron (III) chloride (FeTPPCl) have been obtained in the wavelength range 190–2500 nm by using spectrophotometric measurements. The obtained optical constants were used to estimate the type of transition for the as-deposited and annealed films. We present a single oscillator model that describes the dispersion of refractive index. Drude model of free carriers absorption have been described for the analysis the dispersion of refractive index dispersion before and after annealing.     

Refractive index and extinction coefficient determination of an absorbing thin film by using the continuous wavelet transform method

We present the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) method for determining the dispersion curves of the refractive index and extinction coefficient of absorbing thin films by using the transmittance spectrum in the visible and near infrared regions at room temperature. The CWT method is performed on the transmittance spectrum of an a - Si(1-x)C(x):H film, and the refractive index and extinction coefficient of the film are continuously determined and compared with the results of the envelope and fringe counting methods. Also the noise filter property of the method is depicted on a theoretically generated noisy signal. Finally, the error analyses of the CWT, envelope, and fringe counting methods are performed.     

Synthesis of high refractive index composites for photonic applications

Composites with enhanced refractive index have been synthesised through a sol–gel process. A refractive index of approximately 1.70 has been achieved at a concentration of 75 wt% TiO₂. The refractive index increases with the concentration of TiO₂. The influence of the concentration of TiO₂ on the mechanical properties has been studied. The potential application of these materials in photonics area has been demonstrated by fabricating multi-layer spherical voids in them through a femtosecond laser-driven micro-explosion method.     

Evanescent-absorption coefficient for diffuse source illumination: uniform- and tapered-fiber sensors

A comparative study of evanescent-wave fiber-optic absorption sensors based on uniform and tapered fibers has been carried out. The expressions for an effective evanescent-absorption coefficient have been derived for diffused or Lambertian source illumination. It has been shown that the sensitivity of sensors depends on the numerical aperture of the fiber, the taper ratio, and the refractive index of the absorbing fluid. The higher the sensitivity the smaller the range of functional refractive indices of the fluid. In the case of taper, which fiber (with a low or high numerical aperture) has maximum sensitivity depends on the refractive index of the fluid.     

Synthesis of high refractive index composites for photonic applications

Composites with enhanced refractive index have been synthesised through a sol–gel process. A refractive index of approximately 1.70 has been achieved at a concentration of 75 wt% TiO₂. The refractive index increases with the concentration of TiO₂. The influence of the concentration of TiO₂ on the mechanical properties has been studied. The potential application of these materials in photonics area has been demonstrated by fabricating multi-layer spherical voids in them through a femtosecond laser-driven micro-explosion method.     

Demonstration of Long-Period-Grating Efficient Couplings with an External Medium of a Refractive Index Higher than that of Silica

We discuss the behavior of the transmission spectra of a long-period grating (LPG) with an external medium of refractive index higher than that of silica. We studied the evolution of the features of LPG's surrounded by several liquid media for several kinds of fiber. The study demonstrated that the behavior depends strongly on the fiber type. Efficient couplings (efficiency greater than 50%) have been obtained with an external medium of a refractive index larger than that of silica. This result indicates that a LPG can operate with surrounding materials of a refractive index higher than that of silica, promising new applications for LPG's as active optical filters.     

Preparation of wide range refractive index diamond-like carbon films by means of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technology has been elaborated for obtaining diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings of a wide range of properties. Alternative and direct bias voltages have been applied on the substrate, and refractive index dependencies upon various deposition technological parameters have been investigated. The frequency of the bias voltage has been varied in the region of 150-450 kHz. The maximum refractive index range that has been achieved is 1.46-3.2. Thin DLC films have been prepared on crystalline silicon substrates. Because of the wide range of physical, optical, and mechanical properties of the obtained films, they can successfully be applied in different fields of nano-optics.     

Complete on-line determination of biopolymer molecular weight via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to low-angle laser light scattering, ultraviolet, and differential refractive index detection

An optically modified high-performance liquid chromatography refractive index detector was developed to allow complete on-line determinations for biopolymer molecular weights. On-line concentration, refractive index, specific refractive index increment (dn/dc2)mu, and Rayleigh factor were determined under flow injection analysis (FIA) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) conditions using low-angle laser light scattering, ultraviolet, and modified refractive index detection. This instrumental system is capable of determining absolute on-line molecular weights. The error and time requirements involved in conventional methodologies for proteins have been reduced. Sample quantities have been reduced from 150 to 200 mg, in conventional off-line methods, to less than 2 mg for on-line FIA and 0.5 mg for on-line SEC, if mass absorptivities (a) are known. Otherwise, the determination of a will be the most sample-demanding step, requiring about 3 mg of the pure protein. On-line measurements of (dn/dc2)mu are in good agreement with traditional off-line values established at Donnan equilibrium (usually within 5%). In addition, this technique provides true injected mass as determined by the UV detector, after chromatographic exposure where losses may occur, which is then used in the calculation of biopolymer molecular weight.     

任意偏折法测量玻璃折射率

提出了一种高精度测量玻璃折射率的方法。它克服了传统的最小偏向角方法的缺点，即需要反复调节样品棱镜直到准确位于最小偏向角位置上才能测量。该方法测量精度高、速度快，适用于光电对准式测角仪器，是标准玻璃样块折射率标定的较好方法。同时，它也适用于不可见光波段的折射率标定测量。     

Compositional dependence of refractive index and oscillator parameters in TlGaS2xSe2(1−x) layered mixed crystals (0 ≤ x ≤ 1)

Optical characterization of TlGaS_2xSe_2(1−x) mixed crystals have been carried out at room temperature using the transmission and reflection measurements in the wavelength range of 400–1100 nm. The spectral dependence of the refractive index for all compositions of studied crystals were obtained. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the Wemple–DiDomenico single-effective-oscillator model. The compositional dependencies of refractive index dispersion parameters: oscillator energy, dispersion energy and zero-frequency refractive index were revealed.     

Optical negative refraction by four-wave mixing in thin metallic nanostructures

The law of refraction first derived by Snellius and later introduced as the Huygens-Fermat principle, states that the incidence and refracted angles of a light wave at the interface of two different materials are related to the ratio of the refractive indices in each medium. Whereas all natural materials have a positive refractive index and therefore exhibit refraction in the positive direction, artificially engineered negative index metamaterials have been shown capable of bending light waves negatively. Such a negative refractive index is the key to achieving a perfect lens that is capable of imaging well below the diffraction limit. However, negative index metamaterials are typically lossy, narrow band, and require complicated fabrication processes. Recently, an alternative approach to obtain negative refraction from a very thin nonlinear film has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated in the microwave region. However, such approaches use phase conjugation, which makes optical implementations difficult. Here, we report a simple but different scheme to demonstrate experimentally nonlinear negative refraction at optical frequencies using four-wave mixing in nanostructured metal films. The refractive index can be designed at will by simply tuning the wavelengths of the interacting waves, which could have potential impact on many important applications, such as superlens imaging.     

用于环氧树脂固化过程实时监测的光纤折射率传感器

研究了应用光纤传感技术对环氧树脂固化过程进行实时监测的方法。通过将一段光纤的包层去掉构成光纤折射率传感器, 利用环氧树脂在固化过程中折射率随固化度增大而增大的特性进行固化监测。应用光线追迹法和局部平面波理论导出光纤固化传感器的理论模型。通过在光纤传感区一端的光纤端面镀全反射膜形成探针型传感结构。对E51 环氧树脂的等温固化过程进行了实时监测实验。