Optics Commons^™

Development Of A Tm:Ho:Ylf-Laser-Pumped Orientation-Patterned Gallium Arsenide Optical Parametric Oscillator, Michael D. Harm

Theses and Dissertations

Coherent optical sources in the mid-infrared region (mid-IR) are important fundamental tools for infrared countermeasures and battlefield remote sensing. Nonlinear optical effects can be applied to convert existing near-IR laser sources to radiate in the mid-IR. This research focused on achieving such a conversion with a quasi-phase matched optical parametric oscillators using orientation-patterned gallium arsenide (OPGaAs), a material that can be quasi-phased matched by periodically reversing the crystal structure during the epitaxial growth process. Although non-linear optical conversion was not ultimately achieved during this research, many valuable lessons were learned from working with this material. This thesis reviews the theory …

Acceleration Element For Femtosecond Electron Pulse Compression, Bao-Liang Qian, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An acceleration element is proposed for compressing the electron pulse duration in a femtosecond photoelectron gun. The element is a compact metal cavity with curved-shaped walls. An external voltage is applied to the cavity where a special electric field forms in such a way that the slow electrons in the electron pulse front are accelerated more than the fast electrons, and consequently the electron pulse duration will be compressed. The distribution of the electric field inside the acceleration cavity is analyzed for the geometry of the cavity. The electron dynamics in this acceleration cavity is also investigated numerically. Numerical results …

On The Effect Of Electron Plasma Waves With Relativistic Phase Velocity On Large-Angle Stimulated Raman Scattering Of Modulated Short Laser Pulse In Plasmas, Nikolai E. Andreev, Serguei Y. Kalmykov

Serge Youri Kalmykov

Suppression of a large-angle stimulated Raman scattering (LA-SRS) of a short modulated (two-frequency) laser pulse in a transparent plasma in the presence of a linear long-wavelength electron plasma wave (LW EPW) having relativistic phase velocity is considered under the conditions of weak and strong coupling. The laser spectrum includes two components with a frequency shift equal to the frequency of the LW EPW. The mutual influence of different spectral components of a laser on the SRS under a given angle in the presence of the LW EPW is examined.

On The Effect Of Long-Wavelength Electron Plasma Waves On Large-Angle Stimulated Raman Scattering Of Short Laser Pulse In Plasmas, Nikolai E. Andreev, Serguei Y. Kalmykov

Serge Youri Kalmykov

Spectral features of a large-angle stimulated Raman scattering (LA SRS) of a short electromagnetic pulse in an underdense plasma, which are caused by the presence in a plasma of a given linear long-wavelength electron plasma wave (LW EPW), are investigated. It is shown that the LW EPW, whose phase velocity coincides with a group velocity of a pulse and a density perturbation normalized to a background electron density, \delta n_{LW} / n_0, exceeds the ratio of the electron plasma frequency to the laser frequency, \omega_{pe} / \omega_0, suppresses the well-known Stokes branch of the weakly coupled LA SRS. Under the …

Investigation Of Laser Beam Combining And Cleanup Via Seeded Stimulated Brillouin Scattering In Multimode Optical Fibers, Bryan J. Choi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis research was to determine if stimulated Brillouin scattering amplification in multimode optical fibers would exhibit the same laser beam combining and clean-up properties exhibited by SBS oscillation, and to characterize the Brillouin amplification process in a multimode optical fiber. Beam combining in multimode fibers via SBS is being considered as a method of combining low power laser beams into a single beam having higher power and superior spatial coherence for applications such as electro-optic countermeasures. Experimental results demonstrate seeding a 9.5 mm fiber significantly reduced the pump power required to initiate SBS. An amplified Stokes …

Spectral Features Of The Stimulated Raman Backscattering Of Modulated Laser Pulses In A Plasma, Nikolai E. Andreev, Serguei Y. Kalmykov

Serge Youri Kalmykov

The characteristic features of the stimulated Raman backscattering of short modulated (multi-frequency) laser pulses in an underdense plasma are investigated. A laser pulse consisting of a given pair of spectral components with the frequency difference close to the double plasma frequency is studied in the weak mode coupling approximation. The scattering of the component with the higher frequency is shown to be a five-wave resonant process, and the conditions under which this process is totally suppressed are found. The scattering of the component with the lower frequency is an ordinary three-wave decay process without any suppression. When the difference between …

Backward Stimulated Raman Scattering Of A Modulated Laser Pulse In Plasmas, Nikolai E. Andreev, Serguei Y. Kalmykov

Serge Youri Kalmykov

The specific features of backward stimulated Raman scattering (BSRS) of a short modulated (multi-frequency) laser pulse in underdense plasmas are studied. The effect of resonant suppression of the BSRS of higher frequency pulse components is explored. For an arbitrary pair of pulse components, in the conditions of weak coupling, it is demonstrated that the backscattering of a higher frequency laser pulse component is a five-wave resonant process at a frequency difference between the components close to the double plasma frequency. In the conditions of strong coupling the backscattering of neither pulse component is suppressed and the spectrum of the instability …

Experimental Investigation And Computer Modeling Of Optical Switching In Distributed Bragg Reflector And Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Structures, Richard J. Bagnell

Theses and Dissertations

The optical switching capabilities of Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) structures, including Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) are examined. Reflectivity switching is demonstrated using both thermal and carrier generated effects to alter the DBR/VCSEL layers' refractive indices. Optical bistability is demonstrated at room temperature, under CW photopumped excitation. The optical bistability hysteresis is controllable by spectral location of the pump on the stop band edge. In the VCSEL, reflective bistability is also evidenced; additionally, this bistability is accompanied by a bistability in the VCSEL lasing output intensity, spot size, and wavelength. Modeling of the DBR/VCSEL thermally induced bistability was accomplished …

X-Rays From Microstructured Targets Heated By Femtosecond Lasers, S. P. Gordon, Thomas D. Donnelly, A. Sullivan, H. Hamster, R. W. Falcone

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

We have demonstrated efficient conversion of ultrashort-pulse laser energy to x rays with energies above 1 keV, using laser-produced plasmas generated on a variety of microstructured surfaces. Lithographically produced grating targets generated 0.1 mJ of kilo-electron-volt x rays, and porous gold and aluminum targets emitted 1 mJ. This represents an improvement of a factor of 100 over flat targets. The K-shell emission spectrum of porous aluminum was composed primarily of heliumlike spectral lines.

Crystal Structure Determination Of Β-Lactoglobulin From Electron Micrographs, Richard Roeter

Dissertations and Theses

Often electron micrographs exhibit a repeating structure. Sometimes this repeating structure satisfies the definition of a crystal in that it has a three dimensional repeating structure. If the unit cell structure of this repeating structure can be determined it can be used to help categorize different sections of a particular sample. In some cases, the use of optical diffraction analysis of electron micrographs with repeating structure is a method of determining the unit cell structure.

Samples of β-Lactoglobulin were prepared for viewing in the electron microscope using both the crystalline material and carbon replicas of the crystal surface. Because the …

Electron Optical Study Of A Secondary Electron Multiplier, Chang Min Shen

Dissertations and Theses

Electron orbital theory was applied to the design of the geometrical structure of an electron multiplier for an image intensifier. A special structure satisfying production requirements was studied. Electron optical calculations consisted of determining the potential distribution and tracing the electron trajectories. Liebmann's procedure was used to solve Laplace's equation with constant potentials on the multiplier electrodes as boundary conditions. The trajectories were determined by solving the equation of motion in an electrostatic field using a Runge-Kutta procedure. The initial conditions for the trajectories were the initial energies, initial positions, and the initial directions of the secondary electrons. The plotted …