La réalisation de fonctions de filtrage complexes nécessite une parfaite maîtrise du processus de dépôt ainsi qu’un contrôle précis et en temps réel de l’épaisseur optique des couches déposées. Au cours de ma thèse, consacrée au développement de nouvelles modalités de contrôle optique in situ, je me suis particulièrement intéressé à deux sujets différents, à savoir : - D’une part, la détermination de la dépendance spectrale des constantes optiques (indice de réfraction et coefficient d’extinction) de matériaux diélectriques. Un moyen possible pour effectuer cette détermination consiste à utiliser un système de contrôle optique large bande afin d’enregistrer les spectres de transmission de l’empilement au fur et à mesure de sa formation. En effet, l’évolution temporelle, à chaque longueur d’onde, de ces spectres de transmission contient des informations quantitatives liées aux constantes optiques que nous souhaitons déterminer. - D’autre part, la mesure en temps réel du coefficient de réflexion (r) d’un empilement, en amplitude et en phase, lors de son dépôt. En effet, les méthodes de contrôles optiques en intensité présentent des limitations que la connaissance de l’information de phase devrait permettre de contourner. Cette mesure est réalisée par interférométrie holographique digitale à faible cohérence sur un substrat éclairé par sa face arrière et dont la face avant est équipée d’un masque annulaire. Ceci donne accès aux information de phase et d’amplitude recherchées tout en s’affranchissant des vibrations générées par le fonctionnement de la machine de dépôt ainsi que du mouvement de rotation à 120 tours par minute qu’effectue le porte-substrat. / The realization of complex filtering functions requires a perfect mastering of the deposition process as well as an accurate real time monitoring of the optical thickness of the deposited layers. During my PhD thesis, devoted to the development of new methods of in situ optical monitoring, I was particularly interested in two different subjects, namely:- On the one hand, the determination of the spectral dependence of optical constants (refractive index and extinction coefficient) of dielectric materials. A possible way to achieve this determination consist in using a broadband optical monitoring system in order to record the transmission spectra, in real time, of the stack during its formation. Indeed, the temporal evolution, at each wavelength, of these transmission spectra provide quantitative information related to the optical constants that we wish to determine.- On the other hand, the real time measurement of the reflection coefficient (r) of a stack, in amplitude and phase, during its deposition. Indeed, the optical monitoring methods based on intensity proprieties present some limitations that the knowledge of phase information should overcome. This measurement is performed by low coherence digital holographic interferometry on a substrate illuminated by its rear face and whose front face is equipped with an annular mask. This gives access to desired phase and amplitude information while avoiding the parasitic influence of the substrate motions induced by the vibrations of the deposition machine, and the rotation of the substrate holder at 120 rounds per minute.

La tenue au flux des traitements de surfaces optiques constitue aujourd'hui un enjeu majeur pour le développement des lasers de puissance à courtes durées d'impulsion. L’étude des interactions laser-matière en régime sub-picoseconde a montré que l’initiation de l'endommagement laser est le résultat de processus d’excitation fortement non-linéaires (photoionisation, ionisation par impact et avalanche électronique). Dans cette thèse, un dispositif de tests multiparamétriques a été développé pour l’étude de la tenue au flux des composants optiques. Différentes études expérimentales ont été menées sur des matériaux diélectriques, en couche mince ou en matériau massif, afin d’apporter des données nouvelles sur les matériaux couches minces assez peu étudiés dans la littérature. L’étude de l’influence de la longueur d’onde a révélé différentes phases de prédominance des processus d’ionisation. L’influence du nombre de tirs à différentes longueurs d’ondes aussi a été étudiée, en considérant différentes techniques de dépôt de couches minces. L’interprétation de ces résultats expérimentaux est soutenue par un modèle de simulation numérique que nous présentons en détail dans le manuscrit. Une place, non moins importante, a été accordée dans notre travail à la métrologie de l’endommagement. Nous avons proposé et appliqué l’utilisation d’un dispositif original de mesure quantitative de phase pour l’analyse des processus d’endommagement. Et pour terminer nous avons développé un système de microscopie pompe-sonde afin de pousser les investigations sur les processus en jeu lors de l’interaction laser-matière en régime sub-picoseconde. / Laser fluence resistance of optical surfaces is a major challenge for the development of high power and short duration pulse lasers. Studies on laser matter interactions show that the damage initiation is the result of highly nonlinear excitation process such as photoionization, impact ionization and electronic avalanche. In this PhD thesis we focused on the study of the damage and the response of materials after this initiation and their dependence with laser parameters, this in order to better understand the complex mechanisms of damage, identify laws of relevant scales for applications, and enable new optical design with higher laser resistance and lifetimes. A multi parametric experimental testing setup was developed for studying laser resistance of optical components. To collect new data on thin film materials damage dependences, which have been less studied in the literature, different experimental studies have been conducted on dielectrics, in coating or bulk form. The study of the dependency of damage with laser wavelength reveals different ranges characterized by the electronic processes occurring during the interaction. We have considered also the effect of multiple pulse irradiations, with different wavelengths and on coatings realized by different technologies. All these experimental results have been discussed with the help of a numerical simulation model we have developed and presented in this thesis. We have also proposed an original method based on optical phase difference measurement for damage characterization and study. We finished with some experiments on the time resolved microscopy measurements and investigations of damage processes.

In the past decades, the miniaturization in optics led to new devices with structural sizes in the range of the light wavelength, where the photonic modes are con- fined and the number of states is limited. In the smallest microcavities, i.e. micrometer sized optical resonators, the propagation of only one mode is permitted that is simultaneously amplified internally. This particularly strong enhancement of the electric field is directly related to the quality factor of the cavity. By introducing an optical dipole into a high-Q microcavity, the spontaneous emission is amplified at the cavity mode frequency enabling stimulated emission in an inverted system. Although some of theses cavity e®ects can only be understood by quantum elec- trodynamic theory, most mechanisms are accessible by classical and semi-classical approaches. In this thesis, one-dimensional planar microcavities with quality factors up to 4500 have been fabricated by physical vapor deposition of dielectric thin films and organic active materials. A new cavity design based on anisotropic dielectric mirrors grown by oblique angle deposition microcavities with two energetically shifted orthogonally polarized modes is presented. The application of these anisotropic structures for terahertz di®erence signal generation is demonstrated in spectrally and time resolved transmission experiments, where optical beats with repetition rates in the terahertz range are observed. Optically pumped organic vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) have been realized by applying an organic solid state laser compound and high reflectance distributed Bragg reflectors. These lasers combine a very low laser threshold with small beam divergence and good stability. A transfer of the anisotropic design towards an organic VCSEL results in the generation of two perpendicularly polarized laser modes with a splitting adjustable by the fabrication conditions. The observation of an oscillation of two laser modes in a photomixing experiment proves a phase coupling mechanism. This demonstrates the potential of the anisotropic cavity design for a passive or active component in a terahertz radiation source or frequency generator. Furthermore, microcavities with two and three coupled resonators are investigated. By the application of time-resolved transmission experiments, spatial oscil- lations of the internal electric field - photonic Bloch oscillations - are successfully demonstrated. In combination with the anisotropic microcavities, this is a second concept for the modulation of transmitted light with terahertz frequencies. All experiments are accompanied by numerical or analytical models. Transmission experiments of continuously incident light and single laser pulses are compared with transfer matrix simulations and Fourier transform based approaches. For the modeling of emission experiments, a plane wave expansion method is successfully used. For the analysis of the organic VCSEL dynamics, we apply a set of rate equations that explains the gain switching process.

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