Implementation of pseudo-nondiffracting beams by use of diffractive phase elements

We report the experimental implementation of pseudo-nondiffracting beams by use of diffractive phase elements (DPE's). Based on the conjugate-gradient method presented in J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 15, 144-151 (1998), these DPE's are designed and fabricated on a flat quartz substrate. The experimental results show that the performance of the fabricated DPE's is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.     

Absorption effect in the calculation of a second-order nonlinear coefficient from the data of a maker fringe experiment

The effect of light absorption by sample in the analysis of Makerfringe data for estimating a second-order nonlinear coefficient hasbeen studied experimentally. Two theories, one by Jerphagnon andKurtz that neglects the absorption effect and one by Herman and Haydenthat takes into account the absorption effect, were compared with theexperimental results. It was found that Jerphagnon and Kurtz'sformula was unable to predict correctly not only the magnitude but alsothe incident angle dependence or the sample thickness dependence of thesecond harmonic signal generated by the sample with strong absorption, whereas the theory by Herman and Hayden was able to make thosepredictions fairly well. It was also found that the error in theestimated nonlinear coefficient when one uses Jerphagnon and Kurtz'sformula could be as large as 2-4 times the true value, depending onsample thickness.     

Laser with rapid tuning of the spectrum shape

We have studied a laser system with quick electronic tuning of the spectrum shape and continuous distribution. The proposed method is based on separate control of phase and amplitude spatial distributions of resonator transmittance. Evolution of the spectral function of the diffractively coupled dispersive resonators and the model for the formation of the resonator with the spectral function given by its moments are studied theoretically. The synthesis of continuous spectra is investigated experimentally in the laser with a novel control element including a spatial acousto-optic modulator and a tunable lens telescope.     

Simple model for the observed plasmon conical radiation interference patterns in a kretschmann configuration

In two previous papers we presented experimental results of measurements with a scanning plasmon optical microscope constructed in the Kretschmann configuration. The angular distribution of the conical radiation from the scanning tip was measured, and the multiple-scattering images of simple surface irregularities were detected. We make a simple model of the multiple-scattering images and compare it with our data, deriving excellent results.     

One-step two-wavelength holography

One-step two-wavelength holography is obtained with twointerferometric beams with different wavelengths by means of apolarizing modulation produced by a liquid-crystal lightvalve. This holographic method eliminates the need for preliminarystatic recording of the hologram and permits one-step two-wavelengthholographic testing to produce results easily in real time.     

Highly efficient, widely tunable, 10-Hz parametric amplifier pumped by frequency-doubled femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulses

We report a 10-Hz, highly efficient, widely tunable (from the visible to the IR), broadband femtosecond optical parametric generator and optical parametric amplifier (OPA) in BBO, LBO, and CBO crystals pumped by the frequency-doubled output of a regeneratively amplified Ti:sapphire laser at 400 nm. The output of the system is continuously tunable from 440 nm to 2.5 mum with a maximum overall efficiency of ~25% at 670 nm and an optical conversion efficiency of more than 36% in the OPA stage. The effects of the seed beam energy, the type of the crystal and the crystal length, and the pumping energy of the output of the OPA, such as the optical efficiency, the bandwidth, the pulse duration, and the group velocity mismatch between the signal and the idler and between the seeder and the pump, are investigated. The results provide useful information for optimization of the design of the system.     

Rotation-invariant and controllable space-variant optical correlation

We propose a method for designing a correlator for achieving rotation-invariant and controllable space-variant optical correlation. The design concept is based on a combination of fractional correlation and circular-harmonic decomposition of the reference object. The suggested method is described and analyzed in detail. Numerical simulations show that this new correlator might provide potential applications in practice.     

Fabrication and characterization of optical-fiber nanoprobes for scanning near-field optical microscopy

The current scanning near-field optical microscopy has been developed with optical-fiber probes obtained by use of either laser-heated pulling or chemical etching. For high-resolution near-field imaging, the detected signal is rapidly attenuated as the aperture size of the probe decreases. It is thus important to fabricate probes optimized for both spot size and optical transmission. We present a two-step fabrication that allowed us to achieve an improved performance of the optical-fiber probes. Initially, a CO(2) laser-heated pulling was used to produce a parabolic transitional taper ending with a top thin filament. Then, a rapid chemical etching with 50% buffered hydrofluoric acid was used to remove the thin filament and to result in a final conical tip on the top of the parabolic transitional taper. Systematically, we obtained optical-fiber nanoprobes with the apex size as small as 10 nm and the final cone angle varying from 15 degrees to 80 degrees . It was found that the optical transmission efficiency increases rapidly as the taper angle increases from 15 degrees to 50 degrees , but a further increase in the taper angle gives rise to important broadening of the spot size. Finally, the fabricated nanoprobes were used in photon-scanning tunneling microscopy, which allowed observation of etched double lines and grating structures with periods as small as 200 nm.     

Optimization of a predictive controller for closed-loop adaptive optics

For closed-loop adaptive optics systems limited by time delay and measurement noise, we demonstrate that the ideal rejection transfer function is proportional to the frequency signal-to-noise ratio of the wave-front input. We describe a new modal linear predictive controller that approaches this ideal transfer function. Its parameters are optimized by minimization of the residual wave-front error with a modified recursive least-squares algorithm. The optimization can be performed with closed-loop data in the case of evolving turbulent conditions. We present numerical simulations to show the significant improvements brought by the predictor.     

Thermal stability of the αZn–Mg2Zn11 and αZn–βAl eutectics obtained by Bridgman growth

The thermal stability of rod-like Zn–Mg2Zn11 and lamellar Zn–Al eutectics obtained by Bridgman growth of Zn–3.1 wt% Mg and Zn–5 wt% Al has been studied for soaking times up to 10 h at 300 and 350°C, respectively. Two-dimensional coarsening resulted for Zn–Mg2Zn11 grown at 0.5 and 1 mm s-1 while fault migration was operative for lamellar Zn–Al grown at 0.1 and 1 mm s-1. Hardness decreased with increased soaking time according to a Hall–Petch relationship with mean interphase spacing and the values H0 and kY accord well with the values obtained from the Hall–Petch relationship for HV of as-solidified Zn–Mg2Zn11 and Zn–Al with eutectic interphase spacing, respectively. © 1998 Chapman & Hall