<p>Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) and optical parametricamplifiers (OPAs) constitute a class of optical frequencyconverting devices that have many possible applications, e.g.in range finding, molecular spectroscopy and medicine. They canconvert the frequency of the incident pump field with highefficiency, and generate two waves at new frequencies that willbe continuously tuneable over a wide spectral range. Virtuallyany wavelengths within the transparency region of the nonlinearmaterial can be generated if the material can bequasi-phasematched (QPM). In addition, QPM gives thepossibility to utilise the largest nonlinear tensor element ofthe material and allows walk-off free interaction between thewaves.</p><p>The aims of this thesis have been to investigate thepossibility to use QPM KTiOPO₄crystals as nonlinear material in nanosecond OPOsand OPAs operating at room-temperature, and to explore theadvantages and shortcomings of these devices. The technique ofelectric field poling has been employed to implement the QPMstructure in flux grown KTiOPO₄(KTP).</p><p>The main conclusion is that periodically poled KTP (PPKTP)is a suitable material to use in nanosecond OPOs and OPAs. Thematerial properties that foremost make KTP into an attractivenonlinear material are: The large value of the nonlinearcoefficient d₃₃, the high resistance to optically inducedbreakdown, the low susceptibility to grey-track formation, theinsensitivity to the photorefractive effect, the widetransparency and the low coercive field.</p><p>The thesis shows that it is possible to pole large volumesof KTP with a high quality of the QPM structure. Highlyefficient nanosecond OPOs have been constructed during thisproject. Maximum conversion efficiencies have reached 45 % inthe case of a singly resonant OPO (SRO) built around a 3 mmthick PPKTP crystal. Total pulse energies for both the signal(1.72 µm) and the idler (2.8 µm) of up to 18 mJ wasreached and an average output power of 2 W was obtained forthis sample. However, up to 24 W was produced in a doublyresonant OPO operating close to degeneracy. The efficiencyreached 48 % for that case. Truly continuous and very widespectral tuning has also been demonstrated, as well as a narrowbandwidth OPO operating on one single longitudinal mode.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>optical parametric oscillators, opticalparametric amplifiers, quasi-phasematching, KTiOPO₄, nonlinear optics, frequency conversion, periodicelectric field poling, ferroelectrics, high-order secondharmonic generation, electro-optic effect.</p>

An optical cavity comprises a set of mirrors between which light can be reflected a number of times. The selectivity and stability of optical cavities make them extremely useful as frequency references or discri­mi­nators. With light coupled into the cavity, a sample placed inside a cavity will experience a significantly increased interaction length. Hence, they can be used also as amplifiers for sensing purposes. In the field of laser spectroscopy, some of the most sensitive techniques are therefore built upon optical cavities. In this work optical cavities are used to measure properties of gas samples, i.e. absorption, dispersion, and refractivity, with unprecedented precision. The most sensitive detection technique of all, Doppler-broadened noise-immune cavity enhanced optical heterodyne molecular spectrometry (Db NICE-OHMS), has in this work been developed to an ultra-sensitive spectroscopic technique with unprecedented detection sensitivity. By identifying limiting factors, realizing new experimental setups, and deter­mining optimal detection conditions, the sensitivity of the technique has been improved several orders of magnitude, from 8 × 10-11 to 9 × 10-14 cm-1. The pressure interval in which NICE-OHMS can be applied has been extended by deri­vation and verification of dispersions equations for so-called Dicke narrowing and speed dependent broadening effects. The theoretical description of NICE-OHMS has been expanded through the development of a formalism that can be applied to the situations when the cavity absorption cannot be considered to be small, which has expanded the dynamic range of the technique. In order to enable analysis of a large number of molecules at their most sensitive transitions (mainly their funda­mental CH vibrational transitions) NICE-OHMS instrumentation has also been developed for measurements in the mid-infrared (MIR) region. While it has been difficult to realize this in the past due to a lack of optical modulators in the MIR range, the system has been based on an optical para­metric oscillator, which can be modulated in the near-infrared (NIR) range. As the index of refraction can be related to density, it is possible to retrieve gas density from measurements of the index of refraction. Two such instru­men­tations have been realized. The first one is based on a laser locked to a measure­ment cavity whose frequency is measured by compassion with an optical frequency comb. The second one is based on two lasers locked to a dual-cavity (i.e. one reference and one measurement cavity). By these methods changes in gas density down to 1 × 10-9 kg/m3 can be detected. All instrumentations presented in this work have pushed forward the limits of what previously has been considered measurable. The knowledge acquired will be of great use for future ultrasensitive cavity-based detection methods.

Šioje disertacijoje teoriškai ir eksperimentiškai tiriamas erdvinių šviesos darinių formavimasis didelės apertūros monolitiniuose parametriniuose šviesos generatoriuose (PŠG), nagrinėjamos fotoninių kristalų (FK) rezonatorių erdvinės dispersijos savybės. Darbas susideda iš įvado, literatūros apžvalgos ir dviejų pagrindinių dalių. Pirmoje dalyje aprašomas PŠG tyrimas didelės apertūros (5x5x1,5 mm) BBO I fazinio sinchronizmo tipo kristalo monolitiniame mini rezonatoriuje. Generatoriui kaupinti naudojami antros Nd:IAG lazerio harmonikos (532 nm) 13 ns trukmės ir 7-15 mJ energijos impulsai. Erdviniai šviesos dariniai registruojami artimajame ir tolimajame laukuose. Eksperimentiškai parodoma ir teoriškai interpretuojama, kad tokio rezonatoriaus emisija gali būti kūginė ir daugiakūgė, o signalinės ir skirtuminės bangų kryptys gali būti valdomos keičiant kampą tarp rezonatoriaus optinės ašies ir kaupinimo pluošto. Taip pat parodoma, kad dryžių erdvinio šviesos darinio formavimasis gali būti pasiekiamas injektuojant pagrindinio dažnio užkrato signalą. Antrojoje disertacijos dalyje pristatomi ir tiriami plokščiųjų veidrodžių Fabri ir Pero tipo rezonatoriai su vidine lūžio rodiklio moduliacija, atitinkančia vieną fotoninio kristalo (FK) išilginį periodą. FK rezonatoriai sukurti veidrodžių paviršiuje suformuojant 2 µm, 4 µm ir 15 µm periodinę lūžio rodiklio moduliaciją (t.y. suformuojant vienmatę arba dvimatę fazinę difrakcinę gardelę). FK rezonatorių kampinis pralaidumas matuotas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This Ph.D. thesis contains experimental and theoretical analysis of nonlinear optical pattern formation in monolithic mini-cavity optical parametrical oscillators and spatial properties of linear photonic crystal resonators. The thesis consists of introduction, literature review and two chapters. In the first chapter experimental investigation of optical parametrical oscillation (OPO) in broad aperture monolithic (5x5x1.5 mm) BBO type I crystal mini-cavity is described. OPO was pumped by second harmonic (532 nm) 13 ns duration, 7 15 mJ energy pulses, of Nd:YAG laser. Optical patterns were registered in a near and far field of OPO emission. Experiments and theoretical interpretation revealed that emission of such resonator can be conical and multiconical and direction of signal and idler waves can be controlled by changing the mini-cavity orientation with respect to pump beam. It was also showed, that the stabilization of stripes (or roll) pattern can be achieved by a weak seed injection at subharmonic frequency and temporal spectrum of the stripe pattern degenerate OPO emission is 1/f – like noise spectrum . In the second chapter plane-mirror Fabry-Pérot resonators filled with a single period of photonic crystal (PhC) are introduced and analyzed. PhC resonators are realized by adding periodical 2 µm, 4 µm and 15 µm refraction index modulation on a resonator mirror surfaces (i.e. fabricating 1D or 2D phase diffraction grating). PhC resonator angular transmission measured by... [to full text]

This Ph.D. thesis contains experimental and theoretical analysis of nonlinear optical pattern formation in monolithic mini-cavity optical parametrical oscillators and spatial properties of linear photonic crystal resonators. The thesis consists of introduction, literature review and two chapters. In the first chapter experimental investigation of optical parametrical oscillation (OPO) in broad aperture monolithic (5x5x1.5 mm) BBO type I crystal mini-cavity is described. OPO was pumped by second harmonic (532 nm) 13 ns duration, 7 15 mJ energy pulses, of Nd:YAG laser. Optical patterns were registered in a near and far field of OPO emission. Experiments and theoretical interpretation revealed that emission of such resonator can be conical and multiconical and direction of signal and idler waves can be controlled by changing the mini-cavity orientation with respect to pump beam. It was also showed, that the stabilization of stripes (or roll) pattern can be achieved by a weak seed injection at subharmonic frequency and temporal spectrum of the stripe pattern degenerate OPO emission is 1/f – like noise spectrum . In the second chapter plane-mirror Fabry-Pérot resonators filled with a single period of photonic crystal (PhC) are introduced and analyzed. PhC resonators are realized by adding periodical 2 µm, 4 µm and 15 µm refraction index modulation on a resonator mirror surfaces (i.e. fabricating 1D or 2D phase diffraction grating). PhC resonator angular transmission measured by... [to full text] / Šioje disertacijoje teoriškai ir eksperimentiškai tiriamas erdvinių šviesos darinių formavimasis didelės apertūros monolitiniuose parametriniuose šviesos generatoriuose (PŠG), nagrinėjamos fotoninių kristalų (FK) rezonatorių erdvinės dispersijos savybės. Darbas susideda iš įvado, literatūros apžvalgos ir dviejų pagrindinių dalių. Pirmoje dalyje aprašomas PŠG tyrimas didelės apertūros (5x5x1,5 mm) BBO I fazinio sinchronizmo tipo kristalo monolitiniame mini rezonatoriuje. Generatoriui kaupinti naudojami antros Nd:IAG lazerio harmonikos (532 nm) 13 ns trukmės ir 7-15 mJ energijos impulsai. Erdviniai šviesos dariniai registruojami artimajame ir tolimajame laukuose. Eksperimentiškai parodoma ir teoriškai interpretuojama, kad tokio rezonatoriaus emisija gali būti kūginė ir daugiakūgė, o signalinės ir skirtuminės bangų kryptys gali būti valdomos keičiant kampą tarp rezonatoriaus optinės ašies ir kaupinimo pluošto. Taip pat parodoma, kad dryžių erdvinio šviesos darinio formavimasis gali būti pasiekiamas injektuojant pagrindinio dažnio užkrato signalą. Antrojoje disertacijos dalyje pristatomi ir tiriami plokščiųjų veidrodžių Fabri ir Pero tipo rezonatoriai su vidine lūžio rodiklio moduliacija, atitinkančia vieną fotoninio kristalo (FK) išilginį periodą. FK rezonatoriai sukurti veidrodžių paviršiuje suformuojant 2 µm, 4 µm ir 15 µm periodinę lūžio rodiklio moduliaciją (t.y. suformuojant vienmatę arba dvimatę fazinę difrakcinę gardelę). FK rezonatorių kampinis pralaidumas matuotas... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

La spectrométrie photoacoustique QEPAS constitue l’une des méthodes les plussensibles pour la détection de gaz à l’état de traces. Ses performances sont étroitement liées àcelles de sa source de lumière infrarouge cohérente et de son résonateur mécanique qui détecteles ondes acoustiques. La thèse a pour objectif de développer ces deux briques élémentaires.Dans un premier temps, les performances des résonateurs mécaniques sont modélisées, permettantde mieux comprendre leur comportement. Une formule analytique originale de leurfacteur de qualité y est incorporée, permettant de prédire avec précision les pertes qu’ils subissentlorsqu’ils résonnent dans un gaz. Grâce à ces modèles, de nouveaux résonateurs optimiséssont conçus et réalisés, aboutissant à des performances améliorées. Dans un secondtemps, les sources cohérentes infrarouges QCL et OPO sont améliorées pour la photoacoustique.L’impulsion de pompe optimale pour un OPO est présentée pour distribuer au mieuxl’énergie de pompe disponible dans le temps, et ainsi maximiser le rendement de rayonnementinfrarouge disponible. Un logiciel de simulation numérique original des OPOs est égalementcréé, et permet de simuler rapidement le spectre d’émission d’un OPO quelconque. / Infrared photoacoustic spectrometry QEPAS is one of the most sensitive techniquefor trace gas sensing. The goal of the thesis is to improve the two key elements of the instrument: the mechanical resonator and the coherent infrared light source.First, the use of resonators as an acoustic waves sensor is investigated, allowing to better understandtheir behavior. Our modeling include a new analytical formula of their quality factor,predicting the amount of losses they experience when immersed within a gaz. The models areused to design and fabricate new custom resonators, leading to enhanced performances. Second,two infrared sources named QCL and OPO are optimized for the photoacoustic application.The optimal pump pulse for an OPO is derived to efficiently distribute the available pumpenergy in time, hence maximizing the yield of infrared light. A simulation software has alsobeen created for OPOs, able to quickly predict the spectrum of any type of OPO.

Submitted by Pedro Silva Filho (pfsilva@ipen.br) on 2017-11-22T17:35:38Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-22T17:35:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / O projeto de doutorado tem como objetivo estudo e montagem de um sistema laser que gere feixe laser de comprimento de onda sintonizável continuamente, com intervalo espectral na região infravermelho (IV) próximo e médio. O trabalho foi dividido em três partes: (i) laser de Nd:YAG @1064nm, (ii) aplicação deste sobre uma cavidade ressonante OPO e (iii) simulação de cavidades laser em anel. O laser de Nd:YAG foi montado e aprimorado a partir de outro laser desenvolvido anteriormente, o qual foi transformado em fonte polarizada pela inserção de um elemento óptico no seu interior. Em comparação com o laser não polarizado, ele apresentou potência de saída com valores relativamente altos, com um máximo de 30W, e melhora do fator de qualidade do feixe de M2<1,3 mais próximo do valor ideal igual a 1 e assim próximo do modo TEM00, adequado para aplicações de transferência de energia. A aplicação do laser Nd:YAG polarizado sobre uma cavidade OPO linear (meio ativo: cristal de Niobato de Lítio dopado 5%MgO:LiNbO3 com alternância de polarização, conhecido pela sigla PPLN) foi bem sucedida, por ter sido observado seu funcionamento pela geração em seu meio ativo dos feixes (&lambda;S, &lambda;C) sinal e complementar sintonizados continuamente, mostrando que valores de potência e fator de qualidade foram adequados e suficientes para ser testado em um OPO. Foi mensurada na saída potencia de 1W para o feixe complementar, onde a eficiência de inclinação da curva mostrou valores de 20,8% e 23,4% para bombeio pulsado (temperaturas do cristal TC=100°C/150°C), e o valor de 11,1% (TC=150°C) para bombeio contínuo. A aplicação da técnica knife-edge no feixe complementar (TC=150°C/rede periódica do cristal &Lambda;0=31,59m/ &lambda;C=2470nm) resultou em fator de qualidade do feixe de M2=5,75(165). Foi realizada simulação numérica, visando estudo e planejamento de duas cavidades em anel simétricas, com sintonização contínua dos feixes de interesse na saída. A primeira contém um cristal PPLN como meio ativo, onde ocorre Oscilação Paramétrica, gerando feixe na região espectral do IV médio. A segunda cavidade possui dois cristais, que são PPLN e Triborato de Lítio (LiB3O5 conhecido pela sigla LBO), onde ocorrem na ordem Oscilação Paramétrica e Geração de Segundo Harmônico, gerando feixe na região espectral entre visível e IV próximo. Foram obtidos dois conjuntos de valores de dimensões para as cavidades, usando base teórica e condições de contorno apropriadas ao realizar os cálculos necessários, fixadas as informações sobre os respectivos componentes ópticos, onde o feixe de bombeio @1064nm focalizado no centro do cristal PPLN possui valor de cintura de feixe pouco maior que 50 &mu;m. O laser de Nd:YAG @1064nm polarizado desenvolvido possui montagem simples e custo baixo de seus componentes, reduzindo o custo do sistema laser final onde foi aplicado, comparado com outros sistemas laser sintonizáveis. Deseja-se estudar o desenvolvimento destes para um modelo de frequência única, usando-o como fonte de bombeio para geração de feixes com largura de linha estreita, visando aplicação em espectroscopia. / Tese (Doutorado em Tecnologia Nuclear) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Cette thèse est consacrée à de nouveaux phénomènes en physique liées au spin et à la topologie des quasi-particules lumière-matière dans des hétérostructures. Elle est divisée en quatre parties. Chapitre 1 donne un fond nécessaire et introduit les propriétés fondamentales des polaritons et des excitons indirects dans des puits quantiques couplés. Chapitre 2 est concentré sur la dynamique de spin et sur formation de défauts topologiques dans des systèmes aux excitons indirects. Les 2 derniers chapitres considèrent les structures basées sur les microcavités. Chapitre 3 est consacré à la dynamique de spin des polaritons dans des oscillateurs paramétriques optiques. Finalement, chapitre 4 étudie les réseaux des microcavités en forme des piliers et introduit l’isolant topologique polaritonique. / The present thesis manuscript is devoted to new phenomena in physics of light-matter quasiparticles in heterostructures, related to spin and topology. It is divided into four parts. Chapter 1 gives a necessary background, introducing basic properties of microcavity polaritons and indirect excitons in coupled quantum wells. Chapter 2 is focused on spin dynamics and topological defects formation in indirect exciton many-body systems. The last 2 chapters are related to microcavity-based structures. Chapter 3 is devoted to polariton spin dynamics in optical parametric oscillators. Finally, Chapter 4 studies pillar microcavity lattices and introduces the polariton topological insulator.