Detection of Brillouin scattering temperature signal in Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometer sensing system based on instantaneous frequency measurement technology

abstract {We present a simple and practical method for the single-ended distributed fiber temperature measurements using microwave (11-GHz) coherent detection and the instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) technique to detect spontaneous Brillouin backscattered signal in which a specially designed rf bandpass filter at 11 GHz is used as a frequency discriminator to transform frequency shift to intensity fluctuation. A Brillouin temperature signal can be obtained at 11 GHz over a sensing length of 10 km. The power sensitivity dependence on temperature induced by frequency shift is measured as 2.66%/K. © 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.}

Theoretical analysis of influence of substrate microdefects on polarized light properties of dielectric coatings

A model for refractive index of stratified dielectric substrate was presented according to inhomogeneous coatings theories. The substrate was divided into surface layer, subsurface layer and bulk layer along the normal direction of its surface. The former two layers were equivalent to inhomogeneous coatings. Theoretical deduction was executed by employing the characteristic matrix method of optical coatings, and one mathematical calculation example was presented. The results indicate that reflectance, reflective phase shift and phase difference of polarized light deviate from ideal conditions. It shows that substrate microdefects can induce volume scattering and change propagation characteristic of light both in coatings and substrate. (c) 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Lowering the excitation threshold of a random laser using the dynamic scattering states of an organosiloxane smectic A liquid crystal

Smectic A liquid crystals, based upon molecular structures that consist of combined siloxane and mesogenic moieties, exhibit strong multiple scattering of light with and without the presence of an electric field. This paper demonstrates that when one adds a laser dye to these compounds it is possible to observe random laser emission under optical excitation, and that the output can be varied depending upon the scattering state that is induced by the electric field. Results are presented to show that the excitation threshold of a dynamic scattering state, consisting of chaotic motion due to electro-hydrodynamic instabilities, exhibits lower lasing excitation thresholds than the scattering states that exist in the absence of an applied electric field. However, the lowest threshold is observed for a dynamic scattering state that does not have the largest scattering strength but which occurs when there is optimization of the combined light absorption and scattering properties. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Ultrafast collinear scattering and carrier multiplication in graphene.

Graphene is emerging as a viable alternative to conventional optoelectronic, plasmonic and nanophotonic materials. The interaction of light with charge carriers creates an out-of-equilibrium distribution, which relaxes on an ultrafast timescale to a hot Fermi-Dirac distribution, that subsequently cools emitting phonons. Although the slower relaxation mechanisms have been extensively investigated, the initial stages still pose a challenge. Experimentally, they defy the resolution of most pump-probe setups, due to the extremely fast sub-100 fs carrier dynamics. Theoretically, massless Dirac fermions represent a novel many-body problem, fundamentally different from Schrödinger fermions. Here we combine pump-probe spectroscopy with a microscopic theory to investigate electron-electron interactions during the early stages of relaxation. We identify the mechanisms controlling the ultrafast dynamics, in particular the role of collinear scattering. This gives rise to Auger processes, including charge multiplication, which is key in photovoltage generation and photodetectors.

Enhanced modulation bandwidth of a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser subject to light injection from another Fabry-Perot laser

Variations in optical spectrum and modulation band-width of a modulated Fabry-Perot (FP) semiconductor laser subject to the external light injection from another FP Laser is investigated in this paper. Optimal wavelength matching conditions for two FP lasers are discussed. A series of experiments show that two FP lasers should have a central wavelength overlapping and a mode spacing difference of several gigahertz. Under these conditions both the magnitude and phase frequency responses can be improved significantly.

Raman scattering from GaP nanowires

A complete Raman study of GaP nanowires is presented. By comparison with the Raman spectra of GaP bulk material, microcrystals and nanoparticles, we give evidence that the Raman spectrum is affected by the one-dimensional shape of the nanowires. The Raman spectrum is sensitive to the polarization of the laser light. A specific shape of the overtones located between 600 and 800 cm(-1) is actually a signature of the nanowires. Some phonon confinement and thermal behavior is also observed for nanowires.

Light-induced changes in diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells

A series of diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells was prepared using different hydrogen dilution ratios of silane by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD). It was observed that after light soaking the open circuit voltage (V-oc) of the diphasic solar cells increased, while that of amorphous silicon solar cells decreased. Raman scattering spectroscopy was performed on the series of diphasic silicon films before and after light soaking. It was found that after light soaking the nanostruclures in the diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films were changed. Both the grain sizes and grain volume fraction reduced, while the grain boundary components increased. These results provide experimental evidence for the conjecture that the light-induced increase in V-oc of the diphasic nanocrystalline solar cells might be induced by the changes in the nanostructure of the intrinsic layer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescence and Raman scattering of silicon nanocrystals prepared by silicon ion implantion into SiO2 films

Photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectra of silicon nanocrystals prepared by Si ion implantion into SiO2 layers on Si substrate have been measured at room temperature. Their dependence on annealing temperature was investigated in detail. The PL peaks observed in the as-implanted sample originate from the defects in SiO2 layers caused by ion implantation. They actually disappear after thermal annealing at 800 degrees C. The PL peak from silicon nanocrystals was observed when thermal annealing temperatures are higher than 900 degrees C. The PL peak is redshifted to 1.7 eV and the intensity reaches maximum at the thermal annealing temperature of 1100 degrees C. The characterized Raman scattering peak of silicon nanocrystals was observed by using a right angle scattering configuration. The Raman signal related to the silicon nanocrystals appears only in the samples annealed at temperature above 900 degrees C. It further proves the formation of silicon nanocrystals in these samples. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)00215-2].

Light-induced changes in diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells

A series of diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films and solar cells was prepared using different hydrogen dilution ratios of silane by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD). It was observed that after light soaking the open circuit voltage (V-oc) of the diphasic solar cells increased, while that of amorphous silicon solar cells decreased. Raman scattering spectroscopy was performed on the series of diphasic silicon films before and after light soaking. It was found that after light soaking the nanostruclures in the diphasic nanocrystalline silicon films were changed. Both the grain sizes and grain volume fraction reduced, while the grain boundary components increased. These results provide experimental evidence for the conjecture that the light-induced increase in V-oc of the diphasic nanocrystalline solar cells might be induced by the changes in the nanostructure of the intrinsic layer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the effectiveness of SiO2/Au light trapping nanoshells for thin film poly-Si solar cells

In order to enhance light absorption of thin film poly-crystalline silicon (TF poly-Si) solar cells over a broad spectral range, and quantify the effectiveness of nanoshell light trapping structure over the full solar spectrum in theory, the effective photon trapping flux (EPTF) and effective photon trapping efficiency (EPTE) were firstly proposed by considering both the external quantum efficiency of TF poly-Si solar cell and scattering properties of light trapping structures. The EPTF, EPTE and scattering spectrum exhibit different behaviors depending on the geometric size and density of nanoshells that form the light trapping layer. With an optimum size and density of SiO2/Au nanoshell light trapping layer, the EPTE could reach up to 40% due to the enhancement of light trapping over a broad spectral range, especially from 500 to 800 nm.

Zero-broadening SBS slow light propagation in an optical fiber using two broadband pump beams

A new method of tailoring stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) gain spectrum for slow light propagation is proposed by use of two Gaussian-shaped broadband pump beams with different powers and spectral widths. The central frequency interval between the two pump beams are carefully set to be two inherent Brillouin frequency shift, ensuring that the gain spectrum of one pump has the same central frequency with the loss spectrum of the other one. Different gain profiles are obtained and analyzed. Among them a special gain profile is found that ensures a zero-broadening of the signal pulse independent of the Brillouin gain. This is owing to the compensation between the positive gain-dependent broadening and the negative GVD (group velocity dispersion) dependent broadening. The relationship of two pump beams is also found for constructing such a gain profile. It provides us a new idea of managing the broadening of SBS-based slow pulse by artificially constructing and optimizing the profile of gain spectrum. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.

SBS-based slow light in optical fibers: optimum design considerations for undistorted slow-light signal propagation in steady-state and transient regimes

SPIE

Distortion management of SBS slow light in a single-mode optical fiber by optimization of broadband SBS gain spectrum

SPIE

POLARIZATION OF HOT PHOTOLUMINESCENCE IN QUANTUM-WELLS AND HEAVY-LIGHT HOLE MIXING

Hot electrons excited from the valence band by linearly polarized laser light are characterized by certain angular distributions in momenta. Owing to such angular distributions in momenta, the photoluminescence from the hot electrons shows a certain degree of polarization. A theoretical treatment of this effect observed in the photoluminescence in quantum wells is given, showing that the effect depends strongly on heavy and light hole mixing. The very large disparity between the experimentally observed and theoretically expected values of the degree of polarization in the hot-electron photoluminescence suggests the presence of random quasielastic scattering. The effects of such additional scattering and the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field are incorporated into the theory. it is shown that the measurements of the degree of polarization observed in the hot electron photoluminescence, with and without an applied perpendicular magnetic field can serve to determine the time constants for both LO-phonon inelastic and random quasielastic scattering. As an example, these time constants are determined for the experiments reported in the literature.

Evaluation of the Uncertainties Caused by the Forward Scattering in Turbidity Measurement of the Coagulation Rate

The forward scattering light (FSL) received by the detector can cause uncertainties in turbidity measurement of the coagulation rate of colloidal dispersion, and this effect becomes more significant for large particles. In this study, the effect of FSL is investigated on the basis of calculations using the T-matrix method, an exact technique for the computation of nonspherical scattering. The theoretical formulation and relevant numerical implementation for predicting the contribution of FSL in the turbidity measurement is presented. To quantitatively estimate the degree of the influence of FSL, an influence ratio comparing the contribution of FSL to the pure transmitted light in the turbidity measurement is introduced. The influence ratios evaluated under various parametric conditions and the relevant analyses provide a guideline for properly choosing particle size, measuring wavelength to minimize the effect of FSL in turbidity measurement of coagulation rate.