Semiclassical and Quantum Theory of Open and Complex Lasers

开放复杂激光器的半经典和量子理论

• 批准号: 0908437
• 负责人: Alfred Stone
• 金额: $ 39万
• 依托单位: Yale University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-15 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0908437&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Semiclassical; Quantum; Theory; Open; Complex

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education at the interface of condensed matter physics, quantum optics, and photonics. The PI and coworkers have developed a novel self-consistent laser theory, which finds the steady-state of a laser with a cavity of arbitrary complexity and openness without doing time-dependent simulations. The theory treats the openness of the cavity exactly and the non-linear interactions in the cavity to all orders with a single, well-justified approximation. Recent comparisons to exact time-dependent numerical simulations of the lasing equations confirm the accuracy and validity of the approach. The PI has applied the theory to treat diffusive random lasers, a system which resisted conventional approaches because of its extreme openness. Applications of the theory to shape design of dielectric cavity lasers, to speckle correlation measurements in media with gain and to tunable random lasers will be studied. In addition, a full statistical theory of random lasers will be developed, to characterize their frequency distribution, number of lasing modes, the stability of their frequencies and modal intensities under changes in pump and impurity configuration. Finally, the theory will be extended beyond the semiclassical limit to include field quantization effects, which determine the laser linewidth and noise properties. A long-term goal is to develop a realistic laser simulation code based on the theoretical model developed by this work, which could have very wide technological impact.NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award supports theoretical research and education with potential impacts on the fields of quantum optics and photonics. The research supported by this award has the potential to change our basic understanding of lasers, which are used in a wide range of technologies including CD players and some surgical tools. Unlike a light bulb, lasers generate light waves in which each wave is in lock-step with another. This property of coherence enables device technologies that exploit the phenomenon of interference for their operation. This research project develops a theory for a new kind of laser, random lasers which, like other lasers, emits coherent light, but unlike other lasers, in random directions. Ordinary lasers use strategically placed precision mirrors to trap laser light in a gain material to amplify the light. In contrast, light in random lasers is trapped in the gain material by the laser light being scattered from randomly positioned scattering centers in that material. This notion of localizing light has analogies to electrons being trapped in localized quantum mechanical states in imperfect materials ? a phenomenon studied in condensed matter physics with aspects that keep the problem at the frontiers of the field. The PI?s research has potential impact on newly developed lasers that are about a ten-millionth of an inch in size and has many potential practical applications, including detecting injuries in human tissues, revealing chemical impurities in water, and determining the authenticity of documents. The PI aims to develop a realistic laser simulation code based on this theoretical model, which would have wide technological impact, with the code then used for laser design and optimization. This research lies at the cutting edge of science and optical engineering, and will possible real world applications that would benefit society.

该奖项支持凝聚态物理学、量子光学和光子学接口的理论研究和教育。 PI及其同事开发了一种新的自洽激光理论，该理论发现了具有任意复杂性和开放性的腔的激光器的稳态，而无需进行时间相关的模拟。 该理论将腔的开放性和腔中的非线性相互作用精确地处理到所有阶次，具有单一的，合理的近似。最近的比较，以确切的时间相关的数值模拟的激光方程确认的准确性和有效性的方法。PI已经将该理论应用于治疗扩散随机激光，这是一种因其极端开放性而抵制传统方法的系统。 将研究该理论在介质腔激光器的形状设计、介质中的散斑相关测量和可调谐随机激光器中的应用。此外，将发展一个完整的随机激光器的统计理论，以表征它们的频率分布，激射模式的数量，它们的频率和模式强度在泵浦和杂质配置的变化下的稳定性。最后，理论将扩展到半经典极限之外，包括场量子化效应，这决定了激光线宽和噪声特性。 一个长期的目标是开发一个现实的激光模拟代码的基础上的理论模型开发的这项工作，这可能会有非常广泛的技术影响。非技术总结这个奖项支持理论研究和教育与量子光学和光子学领域的潜在影响。 该奖项支持的研究有可能改变我们对激光的基本理解，激光被广泛用于包括CD播放器和一些手术工具在内的各种技术中。与灯泡不同，激光产生的光波中，每一波都与另一波同步。 相干性的这一特性使得利用干扰现象进行操作的设备技术成为可能。这个研究项目发展了一种新的激光器理论，随机激光器，像其他激光器一样，发射相干光，但与其他激光器不同的是，在随机方向。普通激光器使用战略性放置的精密反射镜将激光捕获在增益材料中以放大光。相比之下，随机激光器中的光通过从增益材料中随机定位的散射中心散射的激光而被捕获在该材料中。光局域化的概念类似于电子被困在不完美材料中的局域量子力学状态。凝聚态物理学中研究的一种现象，它的某些方面使问题处于该领域的前沿。私家侦探？他的研究对新开发的激光器有潜在的影响，这种激光器的尺寸约为一千万分之一英寸，具有许多潜在的实际应用，包括检测人体组织中的损伤，揭示水中的化学杂质，以及确定文件的真实性。PI旨在基于该理论模型开发一个现实的激光仿真代码，该代码将具有广泛的技术影响，然后用于激光器设计和优化。 这项研究处于科学和光学工程的前沿，将有可能在真实的世界中应用，造福社会。