Appearance of singularities of optical fields under torsion of crystals containing threefold symmetry axes

We present an analysis of the effect of torsion stresses on the spatial distribution of optical birefringence in crystals of different point symmetry groups. The symmetry requirements needed so that the optical beam carries dislocations of the phase front are evaluated for the case when the crystals are twisted and the beam closely corresponds to a plane wave. It is shown that the torsion stresses can produce screw-edge, pure screw, or pure edge dislocations of the phase front in the crystals belonging to cubic and trigonal systems. The conditions for appearance of canonical and noncanonical vortices in the conditions of crystal torsion are analyzed.     

Threshold effects for resistance to optical damage and nonvolatile holographic storage properties in In:Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals

The threshold concentration for In2O3 was found in In:Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals by measurement of the infrared spectra of the crystals. The resistance of the In:Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals to optical damage is characterized by changes in photoinduced birefringence as well as by distortion of the transmitted beam pattern. The resistance increases remarkably when the concentration of In2O3 exceeds its threshold. The resistance to optical damage of a In(3.0 mol. %):Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystal is 2 orders of magnitude higher that of a Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystal. The dependence of defects on the resistance to optical damage of the In:Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals is discussed in detail. Nonvolatile holographic storage was achieved for all crystals, and the sensitivity of the In(3.0 mol. %):Mn:Fe:LiNbO3 crystal is much higher than that of the others.     

Three-dimensional optical bit-memory recording and reading with a photorefractive crystal: analysis and experiment

We analyze the three-dimensional refractive-index distribution that is induced locally when a laser beam is focused onto a very small region in a photorefractive crystal. The formation of the index distribution is deduced from the temporal behavior of the electron density distribution in the crystal under non-steady-state conditions. The density distribution is computed by the use of a set of the recurrence relations that was derived from Kukhtarev's equations, which describe the transport of electrons in time. In particular, we calculated the index distribution formed in Fe-doped LiNbO(3) crystals. To verify the validity of our analysis, we read, by using a phase-contrast microscope, refractive-index dots that were recorded in Fe-doped LiNbO(3) crystals. A good agreement was obtained between experimental results and the calculated phase-contrast images when the characteristics of the imaging system are taken into account. We also found that the induced index change is largest when the c axis of the LiNbO(3) crystal is oriented parallel to the polarization direction of the reading beam. Under this optimal condition, we succeeded in recording up to 10 layers of readable data in a LiNbO(3) crystal.     

Simple method for determining the crystalline axes of nonlinear uniaxial crystal with second-harmonic generation

For uniaxial crystal the optic axis (Z axis) can be determined easily by means of observing its growth pattern or by linear optical methods such as conuscopy. However, determination of the other crystalline axes is not so trivial, normally requiring x-ray diffraction measurements. We propose a simple method for determining the other two axes of the nonlinear uniaxial crystal, using second-harmonic generation. For several uniaxial crystals (with 3m, 62m, 42m, and 32 point groups) the intensity change of the second-harmonic output is calculated as the crystal is rotated azimuthally with respect to the Z axis. The principle is demonstrated in an experiment with LiNbO(3) crystal to determine the X axis with 0.2 degrees accuracy.     

Determination of optical birefringence by using off-axis transmission ellipsometry

Utilizing transmission ellipsometry at small angles of incidence, it is shown that c-cut uniaxial samples can be used to determine both the miscut of the optic axis with respect to the plane of incidence as well as very accurate values of the spectroscopic birefringence. For example, wafers of ZnO, LiNbO3, and 6H-SiC single-crystals are examined and the miscut direction and the spectroscopic birefringence are determined. While all materials show strong dispersion in birefringence, ZnO exhibits a distinct isotropic point at 396.8 nm.     

Investigation of THz birefringence measurement and calculation in Al₂O₃ and LiNbO₃

Based on the polarization-sensitive terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, we measured the birefringence for Al?O? and LiNbO? single crystals, which correspond to trigonal structures that have an uniaxial birefringence, in the THz frequency range of 0.25 to 1.4 THz. For more comprehensive understanding of the THz birefringence, the measured birefringence is compared with the results of ab initio calculations. The measured birefringence shows good agreement with the calculated value.     

低损耗、高消光比的Z切钛扩散铌酸锂调制器

为了获得低损耗、高消光比的光波导电光调制器,以钛扩散铌酸锂( Ti: LiNbO3 )波导折射率的分布和光波导的优化设计为基础,利用有限差分光束传播法( FD-BPM )和点匹配法,从理论上给出了一种光损耗为-0.53dB、消光比为30dB的Z切钛扩散铌酸锂调制器。并且,在10Gbit/s的系统中对其进行了测试,取得了在120 km长的光纤上传输无误码的效果和较清晰的眼图。     

Ti:Fe:LiNbO_3晶体的生长及其光折变性能的研究

采用熔体提拉法生长了不同掺杂浓度的Ti：Fe：LiNbO3晶体．研究了掺杂杂质离子浓度变化对晶体光折变性能的影响，测定了晶体经热化学还原处理前后的透射谱．用ESR方法证实，未经还原处理时，Ti：Fe：LiNbO3晶体中Ti离子以Ti4 形式存在．与Fe：LiNbO3和Ti：LiNbOa相比，Ti、Fe复合掺杂，通过电荷补偿效应，使未经还原处理的晶体中Fe2 增加，从而使光吸收增强；可以通过改变Ti、Fe掺杂浓度的方法来控制晶体中Fe2 离子的浓度，达到控制并改善晶体光折变性能的目的．本文还对Ti：Fe：LiNbO3晶体的全息性能进行了研究，测得Ti：Fe：LiNbO3晶体响应时间缩短，衍射效率高达90％以上．Ti：Fe：LiNbO3晶体是一种优质的光折变材料．     

On determination of sign of the piezo-optic coefficients using torsion method

We have shown that a high-accuracy torsion method recently developed by the authors for measuring piezo-optic coefficients allows determining not only the absolute value of the coefficients but also their sign. The techniques and experimental procedures used for determination of the sign are described in detail and proven based on studies of α-BaB2O4 and LiNbO3 crystals. The piezo-optic coefficients are determined for both crystals, and a combination of the corresponding photoelastic coefficients is determined for the case of α-BaB2O4 crystals.     

高掺锌富锂铌酸锂体抗光损伤能力的研究

以Czochralski法生长Zn(6mol%)：LiNbO3,Li/Nb=0.94,0.97,1,1.02。测试晶体的光损伤阈值。采用质子交换法制作高掺锌富锂铌酸锂晶体光波导,研究了它们的抗光损伤能力。     

Optically anisotropic crystalline grisms for astronomical spectrographs

We show that a crystalline LiNbO(3) grism and a hybrid grism made of a LiNbO(3) transmission grating and a ZnS prism can be new and powerful dispersing elements with refractive indices high enough to realize high spectral resolution for visible to near-infrared astronomical spectrographs with transmission optics. We describe the basic principle and the limitation to minimizing the spectral separation that is due to the inherent birefringence of such an optically anisotropic crystal used for grisms.     

Photorefractive real-time phase-coded optical correlation storage using a crossed cylindrical-collimating lens system

Phase-coded optical correlation storage in photorefractive crystals, using a crossed cylindrical-collimating lens system, has been realized. It possesses the advantages of both storage and correlator. It can perform real time and fast selection of the information correlated to the input information from a great amount of stored information. In Zn:Fe:LiNbO(3)(0.03 wt. % Fe, 3 mol. % Zn), combining this rotational phase-coded multiplexing with angular multiplexing, 36 holograms have been successfully multiplexed and exactly identified in the same crystal volume. The cross talk and angular selectivity of such phase-coded multiplexing are discussed.     

Film-loaded SAW waveguides for integrated acousto-optical polarization converters

We report on a detailed theoretical and experimental investigation of film-loaded surface acoustic wave (SAW) waveguides in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) for integrated acousto-optical (AO) polarization converters. The numerical analysis is based on both a scalar and a full-vectorial model. Dispersion plots and figures of merit for several structures are given, which lead to design parameters for optimized polarization converters. It is pointed out that very attractive structures are metal/dielectric/LiNbO3 strip waveguides and dielectric/LiNbO3 slot waveguides, in which metal is either gold (Au) or aluminum (Al), and the dielectric film is an optical transparent material such as silicon oxide (SiO2), magnesium oxide (MgO), or aluminium oxide (Al2O3). Polarization converters with the designed acoustical waveguides have been realized and characterized by optical conversion and laser probing measurements.     

轴向磁场对铌酸锂半波电压的影响

提出了平行与铌酸锂波导方向的轴向磁场对其半波电压产生影响的机理:加在电极上的电场对其中传播的偏振光产生线双折射,而磁场产生圆双折射,两者作用的结果是使得半波电压随磁场而变化。由此导出了半波电压随外界磁场变化的数学模型。仿真和实验结果表明,对于平均波长为1.30μm,20T的磁场,铌酸锂的半波电压可以减小了2.13%。     

Effect of beam divergence from the optic axis in an electro-optic experiment to measure an induced Jones birefringence

Certain optical properties can be described in terms of two linear birefringences existing in separate Jones platelets of a medium. One of these, known as Jones birefringence, although occurring naturally in some crystals is too small to be measurable. However, the two birefringences can be induced by an electric field in 4 and 6 crystals for propagation along the optic axis. For an even slightly divergent light beam, natural birefringence may affect accuracy of measurement. Calculations show that in an experiment with a static field the error depends critically on beam divergence, whereas with a modulated field this is not so.     

Annealing behavior of barriers in ion-implanted LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 planar waveguides

We formed planar waveguides in LiNbO(3) and LiTaO(3) crystals by megaelectron volt He-ion implantation. The dark modes of both waveguides are measured and their refractive-index profiles are described according to the parameterized index profile reconstruction method. The extraordinary indices of both ion-implanted waveguides exhibit quite different profiles. We compare the thermal stability of barriers in ion-implanted LiNbO(3) and LiTaO(3) waveguides by annealing at different temperatures. The results show that the barrier in a LiTaO(3) planar waveguide has higher thermal stability than that in a LiNbO(3) waveguide. The experiments also show that annealing at a temperature higher than 400 degrees C results in recrystallization of the barrier.     

The birefringence spectroscopic studies on ferroelectric glycine phosphite (GPI) single crystals

The ferroelectric glycine phosphite single crystals have been grown from aqueous solution by both conventional and Sankaranarayanan-Ramasamy methods. The modified channelled spectrum method has been adopted for spectral dependence of optical birefringence studies over the wavelength range of 480–620 nm, which show that both the crystals exhibit relatively high birefringence values. The photoluminescence excitation studies were carried out for the grown crystals in a wide wavelength range between 300 nm and 600 nm at 224 K. The crystals were also subjected to scanning electron microscopy analysis in order to determine the ferroelectric domain pattern configuration.     

Measurement of laser-induced refractive index change of inverted ferroelectric domain LiNbO3

Optical nonlinearities of periodically poled LiNbO(3) crystals were investigated by the single beam Z-scan technique with a continuous wave (cw) laser beam at 532 nm. The nonlinear optical absorption coefficient and refractive index change are determined to be 8.1 x 10(-6) cm/W and 2.6 x 10(-4) at 0.5 MW/cm(2) light intensity, respectively. Both sign and magnitude of the measured refractive nonlinearity are considerably different from the Z-scan results in congruent LiNbO(3). The nonlinearities in the periodically poled LiNbO(3) induced by 532 nm continuous waves are believed to be mainly due to the photorefractive effect.     

Axial birefringence in high-numerical-aperture optical systems and the light distribution close to focus.

The effects of birefringence on the light distribution in the focal region of a high-NA optical system are investigated with use of the Debye approach to vector diffraction theory. The attention is limited to uniaxially birefringent media with symmetry axis along the optical axis of the imaging system. The radially (p) and tangentially (s) polarized fields in the exit pupil produce spots in the focal region that are defocused with respect to each other. For small birefringence values the relative defocus causes a distortion and broadening of the spot; for larger values the two spots separate completely. As a corollary to the theory it is shown that there is a tangential tornadolike flow of energy in the focal region when the polarization in the entrance pupil is elliptical.     

Zero-birefringence optical polymers by nano-birefringent crystals for liquid crystal displays

We report a method for compensating the birefringence of optical polymers by doping them with nanometer-size inorganic birefringent crystals. In this method, an inorganic birefringent crystal is chosen that has the opposite birefringence to the polymer and a rod like shape which is oriented when the polymer chains are oriented. As a result, the birefringence of the polymer is compensated by the opposing birefringence of the crystal. Positive orientational birefringence of poly(methylmethacrylate (MMA)-co-benzylmethacrylate (BzMA)) = 78/22 (wt/wt) was compensated by doping with 0.3 wt.% of the smaller strontium carbonate (SrCO₃) crystals with a length of about 200 nm and a width of about 20 nm. The birefringence of the copolymer containing SrCO₃ was almost zero with any draw ratio between 1.0 and 2.2. The polarization state was almost maintained when it passed through the film. On the other hand, we concluded that the size of the larger crystals (about 3.0 μm × about 300 nm) is too large to form an optically isotropic medium with the polymer. In spite of doping with 0.3 wt.% of the smaller SrCO₃ crystal, the transmittance of the doped film with a thickness of 30 μm was almost the same as the undoped one in the visible region. The increase in haze by doping with 0.3 wt.% of the smaller SrCO₃ crystal was 0.1%. Furthermore, the negative birefringence of PMMA was enhanced by the SrCO₃ crystal.