GOALI: Optical Nonlinearities in Glass Fibers and their Effects on the Guided Propagation of Light

这个GOALI（与工业界学术联络的资助机会）项目代表了里海大学物理学、光学工程和材料科学的一个重点研究小组与朗讯科技公司合作，研究玻璃纤维中的光学非线性。光学非线性对光在玻璃纤维中的传播有重要的影响。由于光纤通常很长，非线性变得越来越重要，并且由于光纤通常具有窄芯（直径几微米），因此光纤中的光强度相当高。随着波分复用技术的发展，这些因素变得更加真实。在波分复用技术中，许多不同的波长在光纤中同时传播，从而进一步提高了强度。然而，这些非线性在光纤中是显著的，不仅因为它们的长度和芯尺寸，而且因为玻璃的微观结构和性能。该项目的一部分将集中研究大块玻璃的微观结构和性能，第二部分将集中研究大块玻璃和纤维的非线性光学性能。朗讯的一名pi将参与两个实验部分，包括大块玻璃的合成、纤维的绘制和物理特性的表征。然后，实验结果将作为理论计算和模拟的输入，将它们与各种光纤参数相结合，以预测这些非线性光学特性对光信号在实际光学系统中的传播的影响。这些计算和模拟也将有助于指导实验研究。理论计算和预测的结果最终将与朗讯的另一个PI合作在实际光学系统上进行测试。循环的最后或反馈步骤将包括对测试结果的严格检查，并与所有项目参与者协商，提出修改眼镜（材料参数）或纤维参数的建议。参与该项目的学生将花大约一半的时间在朗讯，因此将接触到工业研究环境。这个项目的最终目标是通过适当设计或适当修改用于拉伸光纤的玻璃的结构和/或成分来控制光学系统中的非线性效应。这些光纤在当今信息密集的世界中越来越重要（互联网和万维网上几乎所有的流量都是通过玻璃纤维传输的）。该GOALI项目由数学和物理科学理事会材料研究部的陶瓷和凝聚态物理项目以及多学科活动办公室共同资助

Toulouse This GOALI (Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry) project represents an original four-way collaboration between a focussed research group from physics, optical engineering and materials science at Lehigh in a partnership with Lucent Technologies to study optical nonlinearities in glass fibers. Optical nonlinearities have a significant effect on the propagation of light in glass fibers. Because fibers are usually very long, nonlinearities become cumulatively important and because the fibers usually possess a narrow core (a few microns in diameter), optical intensities in fibers are quite high. These factors are even more true now with the development of wavelength division multiplexing in which many different wavelengths propagate simultaneously in fibers, increasing the intensities even further. However, these nonlinearities are significant in optical fibers, not only because of their length and their core size, but also because of the microscopic structure and properties of glasses. One part of the project will concentrate on the microstructure and properties of bulk glasses and the second part on the nonlinear optical properties of bulk glasses and fibers. One of the PIs from Lucent will contribute to both experimental parts, in the synthesis of the bulk glasses, in the drawing of fibers and in the characterization of their physical properties. The experimental results will then serve as input for the theoretical calculations and simulations that will combine them with various fiber parameters in order to predict the effect of these nonlinear optical properties on the propagation of light signal in real optical systems. These calculations and simulations will also help guide the experimental investigation. The results of the theoretical calculations and predictions will finally be tested in collaboration with the other PI from Lucent on real optical systems. The final or feedback step of the loop will consist in a critical examination of the test results and, in consultation with all the project participants, suggestions for modification of the glasses (materials parameters) or of the fiber parameters. The students involved in the project will spend about half their time at Lucent and thus will be exposed to the industrial research setting.%%%The ultimate goal of this project is the control of nonlinear effects in optical systems by proper design or appropriate modifications of the structure and/or composition of glasses used to draw fibers. These optical fibers are of increasing importance in today's information-intensive world (almost all of the traffic on the internet and world-wide-web are carried by glass fibers.) This GOALI project is co-funded by the Ceramics and the Condensed Matter Physics Programs in the Division of Materials Research and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.***