Localized multi-alternating-current modulation Kerr measurement of nonuniform three-dimensional electric fields

One of the electric-field measurement methods without intrusiveness uses the Kerr electro-optic effect. This method can be widely applied to gas, liquid, and solid materials, which are transparent and electrically birefringent. However, this method has not been adequately developed as yet for practical measurement of nonuniform three-dimensional electric fields. We describe a Kerr electro-optic measurement method for nonuniform three-dimensional dc and ac electric fields that employs localized multi-ac modulation, taking into account the effect of the observing (laser-beam) direction on the apparent electric field.     

Generation of multifrequency laser emission quasi equally spaced throughout the entire visible region

A circularly polarized, monochromatic laser beam is focused into a Raman cell, which contains hydrogen to generate rotational stimulated Raman emission. After linear polarization, this two-color (separated by 587 cm(-1)) laser beam is focused several times into a second Raman cell that is filled with hydrogen to generate a multifrequency laser emission. Many rotational and vibrational lines are generated efficiently by this multipass effect. Eighteen colors that are quasi equally spaced with a rather flat intensity distribution are generated throughout the entire visible region. The present multifrequency laser emission may be advantageously used for illumination in a higher-grade display, such as a laser light show.     

Simple laser velocimeter that uses photoconductive semiconductors to measure optical frequency differences

The dc photocurrents generated by steady-state moving space-charge fields inside photoconductive semiconductors containing deep level donors and traps can be used to determine the relative frequency differences between the two interfering optical fields that establish the space-charge fields. A simple laser velocimeter that uses a semi-insulating GaAs:Cr sample to detect the Doppler frequency shift between two laser beams is demonstrated.     

Tunable dispersion compensation by an angular conserved grating-pair system

To our knowledge the concept of an angular conserved grating-pair dispersion compensation system is proposed for the first time, and furthermore a model of such a system is developed and applied to the study of two- and three-lens special cases. A set of easy-to-use dispersion compensation formulas based on geometric optics has been derived and confirmed by our experimental results. Tunability and a compensation ratio as high as 27,600 have been achieved with two- and three-lens systems, respectively.     

Theoretical analysis of the spatial phase-matching loci for second-harmonic generation and multiwave-mixing interactions

We report a theoretical analysis on spatial noncolinear phase matching of multiwave mixing and its application to a second-harmonic-generation (SHG) experiment. From the numeric calculations, the noncolinear phase-matching properties in general situations were determined. The theory gives the applicability for all noncolinear phase matching. Fine coincidences between theoretical calculations and observed spatial loci on noncollinear phase-matching SHG were confirmed. Relations that allow the calculation of the noncollinear phase-matching angle for any case of SHG are established. As an example, the noncolinear phase-matched SHG pattern on a screen is calculated numerically in the case of SHG of 1064 nm from a Nd:YAG laser under the phase-matched condition for two organic nonlinear crystals: 1-(2-thienyl)-3-(4-methyphenyl) propene-1 (TC-28), which is biaxial, and (2-furyl) methacrylic anhydride (FMA), which is uniaxial. Experimental results compared quite favorably with the theoretical analysis. Noncolinear phase matching may be of great practical interest in optical multiwave-mixing processes, such as optical parametric oscillation and optical parametric amplification. This technique also can be used for the measurement of crystal optical constants.     

Design of a photowritten cavity neodymium-doped fiber laser tunable around an absorption molecular line

Experiments have shown that it is possible to realize laser cavities photowritten within rare-earth-doped silicate fibers. Experimental results on a particular application, namely, the detection of gas traces by identification of one of the gas's absorption lines, are presented. Experiments on an absorption line of atmospheric water have been carried out to illustrate this purpose. Two lasers have been designed with particular characteristics (spectral linewidths, slope efficiencies, thresholds). Preliminary experimental results on the detection of an absorption line of atmospheric water have been obtained with fiber lasers and optoacoustic detection.     

Interferometer based on total internal reflection

An interferometer is investigated in which the interacting beams undergo total internal reflection from a boundary surface with a variable relative refractive index. The high sensitivity of the change in the interference pattern with respect to small changes in the refractive index in the vicinity of the critical angle is theoretically proved and experimentally confirmed.