Three-mode entanglement by interlinked nonlinear interactions in optical chi((2)) media

We address the generation of fully inseparable three-mode entangled states of radiation by interlinked nonlinear interactions in chi((2)) media. We show how three-mode entanglement can be used to realize symmetric and asymmetric telecloning machines, which achieve optimal fidelity for coherent states. An experimental implementation involving a single nonlinear crystal in which the two interactions take place simultaneously is suggested. Preliminary experimental results showing the feasibility and the effectiveness of the interaction scheme with a seeded crystal are also presented. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.

A high-energy, high-flux source of gamma-rays from all-optical nonlinear Thomson scattering

γ-Ray sources are among the most fundamental experimental tools currently available to modern physics. As well as the obvious benefits to fundamental research, an ultra-bright source of γ-rays could form the foundation of scanning of shipping containers for special nuclear materials and provide the bases for new types of cancer therapy.

However, for these applications to prove viable, γ-ray sources must become compact and relatively cheap to manufacture. In recent years, advances in laser technology have formed the cornerstone of optical sources of high energy electrons which already have been used to generate synchrotron radiation on a compact scale. Exploiting the scattering induced by a second laser, one can further enhance the energy and number of photons produced provided the problems of synchronisation and compact γ-ray detection are solved.

Here, we report on the work that has been done in developing an all-optical and hence, compact non-linear Thomson scattering source, including the new methods of synchronisation and compact γ-ray detection. We present evidence of the generation of multi-MeV (maximum 16–18 MeV) and ultra-high brilliance (exceeding 10²⁰ photons s⁻¹mm⁻²mrad⁻² 0.1% BW at 15 MeV) γ-ray beams. These characteristics are appealing for the paramount practical applications mentioned above.

Boundary conditions in the simplest model of linear and second harmonic magneto-optical effects

This paper is concerned with linear and nonlinear magneto- optical effects in multilayered magnetic systems when treated by the simplest phenomenological model that allows their response to be represented in terms of electric polarization, The problem is addressed by formulating a set of boundary conditions at infinitely thin interfaces, taking into account the existence of surface polarizations. Essential details are given that describe how the formalism of distributions (generalized functions) allows these conditions to be derived directly from the differential form of Maxwell's equations. Using the same formalism we show the origin of alternative boundary conditions that exist in the literature. The boundary value problem for the wave equation is formulated, with an emphasis on the analysis of second harmonic magneto-optical effects in ferromagnetically ordered multilayers. An associated problem of conventions in setting up relationships between the nonlinear surface polarization and the fundamental electric field at the interfaces separating anisotropic layers through surface susceptibility tensors is discussed. A problem of self- consistency of the model is highlighted, relating to the existence of resealing procedures connecting the different conventions. The linear approximation with respect to magnetization is pursued, allowing rotational anisotropy of magneto-optical effects to be easily analyzed owing to the invariance of the corresponding polar and axial tensors under ordinary point groups. Required representations of the tensors are given for the groups infinitym, 4mm, mm2, and 3m, With regard to centrosymmetric multilayers, nonlinear volume polarization is also considered. A concise expression is given for its magnetic part, governed by an axial fifth-rank susceptibility tensor being invariant under the Curie group infinityinfinitym.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio Analysis for Nonlinear N-ary Phase Filters

The problem of recognising targets in non-overlapping clutter using nonlinear N-ary phase filters is addressed. Using mathematical analysis, expressions were derived for an N-ary phase filter and the intensity variance of an optical correlator output. The N-ary phase filter was shown to consist of an infinite sum of harmonic terms whose periodicity was determined by N. For the intensity variance, it was found that under certain conditions the variance was minimised due to a hitherto undiscovered phase quadrature effect. Comparison showed that optimal real filters produced greater SNR values than the continuous phase versions as a consequence of this effect.

Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of conducting polymers using room temperature melt as an electrolyte

Aromatic monomers can be polymerised using the chloroaluminate room temperature melt obtained by mixing 1:2 ratio of cetyl pyridinium chloride and anhydrous aluminium chloride miscible in all proportions with organic solvents as an electrolyte. The chloroaluminate (AlCl4-) anion generated in this melt having a tetrahedral symmetry with equal bond lengths and bond angles is the dopant to stabilize macrocation generated near the vicinity of anode to yield better conducting and better ordered electronically conducting free standing polymer film. In this communication, we discuss the polymers derived from benzene and pyrrole and their characterization by various techniques.

Nonlinear dynamics and solitons in Debye bi-crystals

The nonlinear dynamics of longitudinal dust lattice waves propagating in a dusty plasma bi-crystal is investigated. A “diatomic”-like one-dimensional dust lattice configuration is considered, consisting of two distinct dust grain species with different charges and masses. Two different frequency dispersion modes are obtained in the linear limit, namely, an optical and an acoustic wave dispersion branch. Nonlinear solitary wave solutions are shown to exist in both branches, by considering the continuum limit for lattice excitations in different nonlinear potential regimes. For this purpose, a generalized Boussinesq and an extended Korteweg de Vries equation is derived, for the acoustic mode excitations, and their exact soliton solutions are provided and compared. For the optic mode, a nonlinear Schrödinger-type equation is obtained, which is shown to possess bright- (dark-) type envelope soliton solutions in the long (short, respectively) wavelength range. Optic-type longitudinal wavepackets are shown to be generally unstable in the continuum limit, though this is shown not to be the rule in the general (discrete) case.

Effect of plasticizer-polymer compatibility on the response characteristics of optical thin CO2 and O-2 sensing films

A homologous family of dialkyl phthalates has been used to investigate the effect of plasticizer/polymer compatibility on the response characteristics of transparent, plastic, thin optical gas sensing films for CO2 and oxygen. Plasticizer/polymer compatibilities were determined through the value of the difference in solubility parameter, i.e. Delta delta, for the plasticizer and polymer with a Delta delta value of zero indicating high compatibility. A strong correlation was found between plasticizer/polymer compatibility and sensitivity in phenol red/ethyl cellulose CO2-sensitive films and this relationship extended to CO2-sensitive films based on other polymers such as polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate). It extended also to optical O-2-sensitive films implying that the relationship is general for thin-film optical sensors. Other results from the CO2-sensitive films in different polymers indicated that the film sensitivity is largely independent of the polymer matrix regardless of its inherent gas permeability, when a sufficient quantity of compatible plasticizer is present. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Hänsch--Couillaud locking of Mach--Zehnder interferometer for carrier removal from a phase-modulated optical spectrum

We describe and analyse the operation and stabilization of a Mach--Zehnder interferometer, which separates the carrier and the first-order sidebands of a phase-modulated laser field, and which is locked using the H\"ansch--Couillaud method. In addition to the necessary attenuation, our interferometer introduces, via total internal reflection, a significant polarization-dependent phase delay. We employ a general treatment to describe an interferometer with an object which affects the field along one path, and we examine how this phase delay affects the error signal. We discuss the requirements necessary to ensure the lock point remains unchanged when phase modulation is introduced, and we demonstrate and characterize this locking experimentally. Finally, we suggest an extension to this locking strategy using heterodyne detection.

Real-time approach to the optical properties of solids and nanostructures: Time-dependent Bethe-Salpeter equation

Many-body effects are known to play a crucial role in the electronic and optical properties of solids and nanostructures. Nevertheless, the majority of theoretical and numerical approaches able to capture the influence of Coulomb correlations are restricted to the linear response regime. In this work, we introduce an approach based on a real-time solution of the electronic dynamics. The proposed approach reduces to the well-known Bethe-Salpeter equation in the linear limit regime and it makes it possible, at the same time, to investigate correlation effects in nonlinear phenomena. We show the flexibility and numerical stability of the proposed approach by calculating the dielectric constants and the effect of a strong pulse excitation in bulk h-BN.

Nanoscale Origins of Nonlinear Behavior in Ferroic Thin Films

The nonlinear response of a ferroic to an applied field has been studied through the phenomenological Rayleigh Law for over a hundred years. Yet, despite this, the fundamental physical mechanisms at the nanoscale that lead to macroscopic Rayleigh behavior have remained largely elusive, and experimental evidence at small length scales is limited. Here, it is shown using a combination of scanning probe techniques and phase field modeling, that nanoscale piezoelectric response in prototypical Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films appears to follow a distinctly non-Rayleigh regime. Through statistical analysis, it is found that an averaging of local responses can lead directly to Rayleigh-like behavior of the strain on a macroscale. Phase-field modeling confirms the twist of the ferroelastic interface is key in enhancing piezoelectric response. The studies shed light on the nanoscale origins of nonlinear behavior in disordered ferroics.

Harmonic generation and wave mixing in nonlinear metamaterials and photonic crystals (Invited paper)

The basic concepts and phenomenology of wave mixing and harmonic generation are reviewed in context of the recent advances in the enhanced nonlinear activity in metamaterials and photonic crystals. The effects of dispersion, field confinement and phase synchronism are illustrated by the examples of the on-purpose designed artificial nonlinear structures. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 22:469482, 2012.

Nonreciprocal scattering by stacked nonlinear magneto-active semiconductor layers

The combinatorial frequency generation by the periodic stacks of magnetically biased semiconductor layers has been modelled in a self-consistent problem formulation, taking into account the nonlinear dynamics of carriers. It is shown that magnetic bias not only renders nonreciprocity of the three-wave mixing process but also significantly enhances the nonlinear interactions in the stacks, especially at the frequencies close to the intrinsic magneto-plasma resonances of the constituent layers. The main mechanisms and properties of the combinatorial frequency generation and emission from the stacks are illustrated by the simulation results, and the effects of the individual layer parameters and the structure arrangement on the stack nonlinear and nonreciprocal response are discussed. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.