In this study, the phase grating was investigated by using electro-optical characteristics of blue phase liquid crystals(BPLCs) such as fast-response and optically isotropic etc. The BPLC units was affected by distribution of periodically electric field and then changed the cubic structure into others, when applying voltage in etched electrode of grating pattern. A linearly polarized light is incident upon the sample and experience the periodic difference of index, and diffraction effect was generated. In order to find out the best conditions of these liquid crystals device, we discussed different factor such as angle of linearly polarized light, operating temperature of grating, cooling rate and electrode structure.

D.Ing. / Optical fibre-based devices (e.g. fibre gratings) play an important role in the optical com- munications and sensing industry. One type of fibre grating, the long-period grating (LPG), is becoming more and more popular as a simple and versatile component for a multitude of applications in optical engineering. The sensitivity of LPGs to various external perturbations and their ability to manipulate selectively light propagating in optical fibres make them well- suited to creating fibre-based devices. LPGs can be used in various applications, for example as gain equalisers for erbium-doped fibre amplifiers, as channel routers in optical add-drop multiplexers and as sensors. LPGs are typically fabricated by exposing photosensitive optical fibre to ultraviolet light. However, a variety of other techniques can be used to fabricate LPGs, including exposure to carbon dioxide (CO2) laser light. Over the years, it has become evident that CO2 laser- induced LPGs exhibit unique properties and features that can be harnessed to develop devices for important applications. It is necessary to understand the physical properties and optical characteristics of CO2 laser-induced LPGs to harness, manipulate and enhance their features. Research has been conducted on the development of an automated fabrication system that produces axially symmetric LPGs in single-mode fibre with a CO2 laser. A detailed study was undertaken on the design of uniform and non-uniform LPGs for wavelength-division multiplexing networks, as well as the characterisation of the CO2 laser beam propagating in the LPG fabrication system. These LPGs have been designed, using either analysis or syn- thesis techniques. The polarisation-dependent loss of the LPGs has also been investigated. Wavelength-selective couplers (WSCs) have been constructed using CO2 laser-induced LPGs and it was shown that these couplers were e®ective but not efficient in routing power to the output port of the tapping fibre. The physical properties, optical transmission characteris- tics, applications and other related issues of CO2 laser-induced LPGs have been investigated and satisfactory experimental results have been obtained. Areas for potential future research concerning CO2 laser-induced LPGs have been identified and discussed.

The research presented in this dissertation focuses on improvements made to lithium niobate leaky-mode modulators for both holographic video and optogenetic applications. The specific improvements found herein are: (1) characterization of leaky-mode modulators to decrease driver bandwidth to match that of commodity graphics processing units, (2) the implementation of surface relief gratings as input couplers to replace rutile prism coupling, (3) the addition of backside surface relief gratings to create an orthogonal output face for the leaky-mode modulator, and (4) the creation of superimposed surface relief gratings in lithium niobate to enable multiple wavelength coupling at a single input angle. These advancements for leaky-mode modulators open avenues in display technologies and optogenetics. As a display technology, the leaky-mode modulator can not only be used more effectively in holographic monitors, but can stand alone as a transparent near-eye display. In regards to optogenetics, these technologies allow for the creation of a highly advanced light delivery method, with multiple illumination angles through non-mechanical steering, a large output area to probe size ratio, and support for simultaneous multiple wavelength output in both common and disparate locations.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Ultra-short and high-peak-power laser pulses have important industrial and scientific applications. While direct laser amplification can lead to peak powers of several million watts, higher values than these cannot be achieved without causing damage to the amplifier material. Chirped pulse amplification technique is thus invented to break this barrier. By temporally stretching pulses before entering amplifier, the pulse peak power is significantly reduced and thus becomes safe to be passed through the amplifier. After amplification, a compressor is used to recover the pulse width, and high-power ultra-short laser pulses are produced. Chirped pulse amplification technology increases the pulse energy by transferring the damaging effects of high-peak power laser pulses from the vulnerable amplifier to a relatively robust compressor system. The compressor is therefore a crucial device for producing high peak powers. However, there are some major drawbacks associated with it. First, compressors in high-energy laser system are usually over 1 cubic meter in size. For many applications, this large and cumbersome size is a limiting factor. Second, compressors are sensitive to outside disturbances; a little misalignment can lead to failure of pulse compression process. Third, gratings with large uniformly ruled area are difficult to fabricate, which impose a limit on achievable peak powers and pulse durations of laser pulses through the use of conventional compressors. In this project, we present a grating-based monolithic optical compressor that offers a way around some of the major problems of existing compressors. By integrating the key optical components, one can make a robust and monolithic compressor that requires no alignment. In the new scheme, folding the optical path with reflective coatings allows one to design a compressor of significantly reduced size by minimizing both the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the device. The configuration and operation mechanism of this novel compressor are described. A method for calculating the volume of the compressor is investigated. This is validated by computing the size of a specific monolithic compressor. Simulation results obtained through finite-difference time-domain method are presented, proving that the new compressor provides a compact, portable, and robust means for temporally compressing long duration pulses.

M.Ing. / Optical fibre Bragg gratings are a periodic variation of the refractive index in the core of an optical fibre andmay be formed by exposure to intense UV laser light under specific conditions. Light at a certain wavelength, called the Bragg wavelength, is reflected back when illuminating the grating with a light source. Bragg gratings can relatively easily be employed as strain and temperature sensors, but have small sensitivity for pressure. Special transducers are required to increase the sensitivity. A pressure sensor was manufactured by coating a fibre Bragg grating with a polymer. The polymer coating converts transverse pressure into longitudinal strain through the Poisson effect inside the polymer coating. This thesis investigates the sensitivity of themanufactured Bragg grating pressure sensor, by using the method of finite element analysis. An account of the experimental setup, whereby the Bragg grating is written with a frequency tripled Nd:YAG laser, is given. The process whereby the fibre is coated with the polymer is described. The sensor is characterized through experimental results and a comparison is made between theoretical and experimental results. Uses for this sensor and ways with which the sensitivity may be increased are suggested as future work.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Andrew Michael Hawryluk. / Ph.D.