A study of double-variable-curvature microlenses (DVCM) for promoting coupling efficiency between the high-power 980-nm laser diodes and the single-mode fibers has been proposed. The purpose of the fiber microlens fabrication was to make the mode field match between the laser beam and the fiber as the beam propagating through the fiber microlens. To make the mode match, the shapes of the fiber microlens demanded nothing else but the offset and the curvature radii in minor and major axes. The double-variable-curvature fiber endface (DVCFE) was manufactured through a single-step fully automation grinding process and had less average offset of 0.3£gm, consequently. The radii of curvature in minor and major axis were controlled as an average of 1.2£gm and 33.6£gm, respectively. In the fusing procedure, the slight arc fusion was mainly applied for fine polishing merely instead of reshaping for the reason that the fabricated DVCFE was very close to the ideal shape. Hence, the fabrication time was reduced and the yield was promoted due to the withdrawn step of tip elimination. Furthermore, while the fusion parameters were set to be: fusing distance: 10£gm, arc intensity: 3bits, and fusing time: 200ms in the slight fusion process, the offset was reduced to 0.2£gm due to the shape constraint and surface tension of the DVCFE. And the radii of curvature increased 1.7£gm to 2.9£gm in the minor axis and increased 4.5£gm to 38.1£gm in the major axis, respectively. Owing to the controls of the fully automated grinding procedure and the omission of the tip elimination, the coupling efficiency and yield were improved. As a result, in the experiment, the average and maximum coupling efficiency of 83% and 88% were demonstrated, respectively. And the coupling efficiencies of the 20 samples were higher than 80%. In other words, the proposed DVCM structure of this study was a high coupling efficiency, a high yield output, and reproducible and fully automated single-step grinding process.

An J=1→J=1 atomic system in Samarium with incident laser resonant radiation has been investigated. A linearly polarized laser at 686nm excites atoms from the level 4ƒ[superscript]66s[superscript]2 [superscript]7F[subscript]1 to a excited level 4ƒ[superscript]66s6p [superscript]9F[subscript]1 via the process of optical pumping. When an external magnetic field is applied to the atom-laser interaction and the decay fluorescence collected, a level-crossing profile appears. Theoretical predictions of the level-crossing profile can be made using spherically irreducible tensors to describe the density matrix which take advantage of the symmetry of the atomic system. By comparing theory with experimental data, a discussion is made of the various parameters and external factors that can affect this system, which show that Doppler broadening is the major influence. An additional investigation is made into the evolution of the J=1→J=1 atomic system with increasing laser exposure. Comparisons of the experimental data with theoretical predictions are made by analyzing the FWHM of the overall level-crossing profile, the FWHM of the dip about B = 0 and the relative depth of the dip. By charting the progress of these parameters with increasing laser exposure, it can be seen that the theory and experimental data agree qualitatively. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1320338 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Chemistry and Physics, 2008