Open-aperture Z-scan study for absorption saturation: accurate measurement of saturation intensity in YLF:Yb for optical refrigeration.

Knowledge of saturation intensity of gain or absorption plays a fundamental role in a variety of applications ranging from lasers to many nonlinear optical processes. Here, we present an analytical expression for open-aperture Z-scan transmission for accurately measuring the saturation intensity in the low absorbance samples but at arbitrary pump intensities. We exploit this formalism to investigate the absorption saturation of : (YLF:Yb) in the anti-Stokes excitation region for optical refrigeration at high pump intensities.

Optical refrigeration: the role of parasitic absorption at cryogenic temperatures.

Optical cooling of a YLF:Yb single crystal to 87 K, well below the minimum achievable temperature predicted from existing theory, has been observed. This discrepancy between theory and data has motivated us to revisit the current model of optical refrigeration, in particular the critical role of parasitic background absorption. Challenging experiments that measured the cooling efficiency as a function of temperature reveal that the background absorption coefficient decreases with temperature, resulting in a significant enhancement of the cooling efficiency at cryogenic temperatures.

Tm-doped crystals for mid-IR optical cryocoolers and radiation balanced lasers.

We report the complete characterization of various cooling-grade Tm-doped crystals including, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of optical refrigeration in Tm:YLF crystals. Room temperature laser cooling efficiencies of 1% and 2% (mol) Tm:YLF and 1% Tm:BYF crystals at different excitation polarizations are measured, and their external quantum efficiency and background absorption are extracted. By performing detailed low-temperature spectroscopic analysis of the samples, global minimum achievable temperatures of 160 to 110 K are estimated.

Solid-state optical refrigeration to sub-100 Kelvin regime.

Since the first demonstration of net cooling twenty years ago, optical refrigeration of solids has progressed to outperform all other solid-state cooling processes. It has become the first and only solid-state refrigerator capable of reaching cryogenic temperatures, and now the first solid-state cooling below 100 K. Such substantial progress required a multi-disciplinary approach of pump laser absorption enhancement, material characterization and purification, and thermal management.

Modeling the population lens effect in thermal lens spectrometry.

We report a theoretical model and experimental results for laser-induced lensing in solids. The model distinguishes and quantifies the contributions from population and thermal effects. Laser-induced lensing in ytterbium-doped fluorozirconate glass ZBLAN:Yb(3+) is measured, and the thermal and optical properties obtained from analyzing the data with the proposed model agree well with published values.

Light yield measurement method for milled nanosize inorganic crystals.

Composite scintillators consisting of nanosize inorganic crystals embedded in an organic matrix have been actively pursued in recent years. One method of producing nanosize crystals is through wet milling; however, since milling is known to introduce defects, the light yield of the milled crystals must be characterized. In this work, a new method of characterizing the light yield of milled inorganic crystals will be explored and discussed; this method will take into account explicitly the concentration of the inorganic crystals and the difference in stopping power between the crystals and the solvent.

Constraining the evolution of the fundamental constants with a solid-state optical frequency reference based on the 229Th nucleus.

We describe a novel approach to directly measure the energy of the narrow, low-lying isomeric state in 229Th. Since nuclear transitions are far less sensitive to environmental conditions than atomic transitions, we argue that the 229Th optical nuclear transition may be driven inside a host crystal with a high transition Q. This technique might also allow for the construction of a solid-state optical frequency reference that surpasses the short-term stability of current optical clocks, as well as improved limits on the variability of fundamental constants.

Local lattice dynamics and the origin of the relaxor ferroelectric behavior.

Relaxor ferroelectricity is observed in many strongly disordered ferroelectric solids. However, the atomistic mechanism of the phenomenon, particularly at high temperatures, is not well understood. In this Letter we show the local lattice dynamics as the origin of relaxor ferroelectricity through the first use of the dynamic pair-density function determined by pulsed neutron inelastic scattering.

Ultrafast, cross-correlated harmonic imaging through scattering media.

A simple upconversion scheme utilizing 40-fs pulses is shown to permit high-contrast imaging of objects obscured by a highly scattering medium when no ballistic component is evident in the scattered light and imaging is performed with any portion of the scattered light pulse. We present a time-gated, inherently low-pass spatially filtered imaging method that minimizes signal-averaging requirements and greatly facilitates imaging under severe scattering (turbid) conditions.

Damping of antiferromagnetic spin waves by valence fluctuations in the double layer perovskite YBaFe2O5.

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments show that spin dynamics in the charge-ordered insulating ground state of the double layer perovskite YBaFe(2)O(5) is well described in terms of e(g) superexchange interactions. Above the Verwey transition at T(V)=308 K, t(2g) double exchange-type conduction proceeds within antiferromagnetic FeO(2)-BaO-FeO(2) double layers by an electron hopping process that requires a spin flip of the five-coordinated Fe ions, costing an energy of 5S(2) approximately 0.1 eV.

Intrinsic bistability of luminescence and stimulated emission in Yb- and Tm-doped glass.

Intrinsic bistability and hysteresis have been observed in the photoluminescence of bulk glass doped with Yb3+ and Tm3+ impurities at room temperature. Multiple instabilities also occur in channel waveguide lasers in this material. Consequently, local field effects exhibit more degrees of freedom than expected and have important implications for compact optical amplifiers and oscillators.

Uniform upconversion in high-concentration Er(3+)-doped soda lime silicate and aluminosilicate glasses.

Uniform upconversion in erbium-doped silicate glasses is investigated as a function of glass composition, concentration, and fabrication method. Comparisons of upconversion coefficients are made among soda lime silicate and aluminosilicate bulk glasses and soda lime silicate waveguides. Comparisons are also made with studies performed by other researchers.