Shape and polarization distribution of non-circular conical diffraction beams from conjugate cascades.

Peculiar non-circularly shaped vector type beams can be obtained naturally by the conical diffraction phenomenon if specific manipulations in wavevector space are performed between optically biaxial crystals arranged in a cascade. We analyze in detail this situation by focusing on the general shapes and the polarization distribution. Both are shown to be correlated to the values of structure parameters introduced in this work.

Non-circularly shaped conical diffraction.

Waves with tailored shape and vectorial non-homogeneous polarization are of much interest due to the many prospects for relevant applications in the classical and quantum domains. Such vector beams can be generated naturally via conical diffraction in optically biaxial crystals. The recent strongly revived attention to this phenomenon is motivated by modern applications such as optical trapping, polarimetry or super-resolution imaging, partly enabled by new configurations increasing the beam complexity, like those with several crystals in cascade.

Polarization-independent optical isolator in a Sagnac-type configuration.

We propose a polarization-independent optical isolator that does not use walk-off between the two orthogonal polarizations. The design is based on two Faraday rotators in combination with two half-wave plates in a closed, Sagnac-interferometer-like configuration. An experimental prototype is tested successfully under variation of the input light polarization state with isolation level between 43 dB and 50 dB for all input polarizations (linear, circular, or elliptical).

Robust, efficient, and broadband SHG of ultrashort pulses in composite crystals.

We experimentally demonstrate efficient second-harmonic generation (SHG) of tunable ultrashort pulses of 100 femtoseconds, using a novel method based on composite segmented periodically poled (CSPP) design. The scheme was borrowed from the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) composite pulses (CP) of Shaka and Pines. Using CSPP, a broadband and efficient conversion over a bandwidth of 35 nm in very short interaction length was achieved.

Complex beam shaping by cascaded conical diffraction with intercalated polarization transforming elements.

Cascaded conical diffraction where optical elements modifying the local polarization state are intercalated between the aligned biaxial crystals is analyzed theoretically in the framework of paraxial diffraction theory. The obtained expressions are verified and confirmed experimentally for the case of a two-crystal cascade intercalated by a polarizer or a wave plate. The present approach can be used to realize a variety of vector beams with complex beam shapes composed of concentric rings with strongly modulated azimuthal intensity distribution.

Low drive voltage electro-optic Bragg deflector using a periodically poled lithium niobate planar waveguide.

An electro-optic Bragg light deflector is demonstrated in a thinned, periodically poled lithium niobate planar waveguide confined between two silica layers on a silicon substrate. More than 97% of diffraction efficiency is obtained with an operating wavelength of 633 nm for the two orthogonal light polarizations with a drive voltage of about 5 V. The temporal electric drift and the response time of the component are also studied.

Robust and broadband frequency conversion in composite crystals with tailored segment widths and χ(2) nonlinearities of alternating signs.

We propose an efficient, robust, and broadband nonlinear optical frequency conversion technique, which uses segmented crystals constructed in analogy with the composite pulses in nuclear magnetic resonance and quantum optics. The composite crystals are made of several macroscopic segments of nonlinear susceptibilities of opposite signs and specific thicknesses, which are determined from the condition to maximize the conversion efficiency with respect to variations in the experimental parameters. These crystals deliver broadband operation for significantly lower pump intensities than single bulk crystals.

Planar achromatic multiple beam splitter by adiabatic light transfer.

We introduce a novel achromatic and robust scheme for n-fold multiple beam splitting based on adiabatic light transfer in a planar geometry of coupled waveguides (WGs). The concept is experimentally verified for a one-to-three beam splitter by using a reconfigurable light-induced WG structure at two operating wavelengths. The demonstrated planar-type achromatic beam splitter opens new opportunities for the realization of ultra-high bandwidth on-chip photonic devices.

Lattice-controlled modulation instability in photorefractive feedback systems.

We study the modulation instability in a two-dimensional nonlinear single feedback system with a photonic lattice and reveal a sharp transition in the instability regimes as the lattice strength is increased. For a shallow lattice, the instability modes are enhanced parallel to the lattice wave vector, while in stronger lattices, these modes are suppressed.

Photorefractive acousto-optic imaging in thick scattering media at 790 nm with a Sn(2)P(2)S(6):Te crystal.

Acousto-optic imaging is based on ultrasound modulation of multiply scattered light in thick media. We experimentally demonstrate the possibility to perform a self-adaptive wavefront holographic detection at 790nm, within the optical therapeutic window where absorption of biological tissues is minimized. A high-gain Te-doped Sn(2)P(2)S(6) crystal is used for this purpose.

Experimental control of pattern formation by photonic lattices.

We study the control of modulational instability and pattern formation in a nonlinear dissipative feedback system with a periodic modulation of the material refractive index. We use a one-dimensional photonic lattice in a single-mirror feedback configuration and identify three mechanisms for pattern control: bandgap suppression of instability modes, periodicity induced pattern modes, and orientational pattern control.

Light deflection and modulation through dynamic evolution of photoinduced waveguides.

Light induced waveguides produced by lateral illumination of a hotorefractive crystal show a complex dynamic evolution upon removal of the sustaining applied electric field. Using this effect, deflection and modulation of the guided light is realized by taking advantage of the screening and counter-screening of the space charge distribution. The spot separation upon deflection can exceed 10 times the original waveguide width.

Narrow-bandwidth holographic reflection filters with photopolymer films.

Narrow-bandwidth holographic reflection filters are demonstrated that use volume gratings in 100-mum-thick photopolymer films. A full width at half-maximum of 0.09 nm can be achieved with ~35% peak reflectance near the 900-nm region.

Fast, reconfigurable light-induced waveguides.

Fast and reconfigurable one-dimensional waveguides are produced by interband photorefraction. The index barriers are induced by ultraviolet light. The guiding of a red laser beam with a full width at half-maximum of 15 mum is demonstrated.

High-resolution, high-speed photorefractive incoherent-to-coherent optical converter.

We demonstrate a photorefractive incoherent-to-coherent optical converter driven by ultraviolet light that provides a 35-mus response time and an optical resolution of 124 line pairs/mm. The device, implemented in KNbO(3) , operates with a modulating intensity of 85 mW/cm(2) , which corresponds to an optical switching energy per bit of 0.5 pJ.

High-frame-rate joint Fourier-transform correlator based on Sn(2)P(2)S(6) crystal.

We present a joint Fourier-transform correlator working at a 10-kHz repetition rate. It is based on a photorefractive Sn(2)P(2)S(6) crystal operated in the pulsed direct band-to-band photoexcitation regime at a wavelength of 532 nm and a pulse length of 50 ns. The intersection of two plane waves with a total pulse fluence of 100muJ/cm(2) results in a buildup of thin dynamic holograms to a typical diffraction efficiency of 10(-4) in a time of ~1mus and decay again in less than 10mus .

Near infrared photorefractive self focusing in Sn(2)P(2)S(6):Te crystals.

The experimental observation of photorefractive self focusing in Sn(2)P(2)S(6) : Te bulk crystals at 1.06 mum wavelength is presented. Steady state self focusing is reached as fast as 15 ms for an input peak intensity equal to 160 W/cm(2).

Deep UV light induced, fast reconfigurable and fixed waveguides in Mg doped LiTaO(3).

Dynamic waveguides are induced beneath the surface of magnesium doped near-stoichiometric lithium tantalate by deep UV light at lambda = 257 nm using the interband photorefractive effect. The waveguides can be reconfigured in 10 ms at UV intensities of 100 mW/cm(2). We show the importance of the background illumination for the build-up of dynamic optical waveguides.

Nonlinear optical coefficients and phase-matching conditions in Sn(2)P(2)S(6).

Phase matching conditions and second and third order nonlinear optical coefficients of Sn2P2S6 crystals are reported. The coefficients for second harmonic generation (SHG) are given at lambda = 1542 nm and 1907 nm at room temperature. The largest coefficients at these wavelengths are d111 = 17+/-1.

Refractive indices of Sn2P2S6 at visible and infrared wavelengths.

We report on the refractive indices of Sn2P2S6 crystals in the wavelength range 550 - 2300 nm. The measurements are performed at room temperature using the minimum deviation method. The dispersion is described by a two oscillator model yielding the oscillator energies and strengths (Sellmeier parameters) for all polarization directions.

Photorefractive properties of iron-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate.

The photorefractive properties of stoichiometric LiNbO(3) crystals with a small number of defect densities grown by the double-crucible Czochralski method are investigated and compared with the defect densities of commercially available congruent Fe-doped LiNbO(3) crystals. Two-wave-mixing experiments show that novel stoichiometric crystals exhibit larger photorefractive gain and considerably faster response times than congruent ones. The results indicate that the nonstoichiometry defect control of photorefractive crystals is of key importance for the improvement of their properties.

Profile of photorefractive one-dimensional bright spatial solitons.

Analytic solutions for the profile of one-dimensional bright photorefractive steady-state spatial solitons generated as a result of screening of drift or photogalvanic currents are found by means of a power series development. The solutions are valid over all ranges of intensities. We also give simple analytic expressions that describe the soliton full width at half-maximum as a function of all important experimental parameters.

Self-organized learning of purely temporal information in a photorefractive optical resonator.

A photorefractive resonator containing an optical delay line is shown to learn temporal information through a self-organization process. We present experiments in which a resonator mode selectively learns the mostfrequently presented signals at the input. We also demonstrate the self-organized association of two different analog signals with two different resonator modes.