CAREER: Understanding and Controlling Nonlinear Frequency Conversion with Counter Propagating Light

职业：理解和控制反向传播光的非线性频率转换

基本信息

批准号：
1653079
负责人：
Amy Lytle
金额：
$ 40.76万
依托单位：
Franklin and Marshall College
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-05-01 至 2023-04-30
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1653079&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
CAREER Understanding Controlling Nonlinear Frequency

项目摘要

Nonlinear optics provides a unique means for creating accessible and cost-effective laser sources, through a process called frequency conversion. The natural response of some transparent materials, in fact, is to convert intense laser light from one color, or frequency, to another, enabling applications ranging from green laser pointers to laser-ignited fusion. Efficient conversion of laser light from one frequency to another requires careful and sometimes complex engineering of the material component in this light-material interaction. These techniques have been very successful for a large range of applications, but are limited by what materials can be engineered for this purpose. Instead of engineering materials in the light-material interaction, the research supported by this CAREER award explores how we can engineer the light. While the main application of this research is the development of new light sources, engineering of light fields could also reveal fundamental physics of the light conversion process, as well as provide an extremely precise tool for performing measurements of the materials themselves. This research will be integrated with education at a research-intensive liberal arts college through mentoring of undergraduates in experimental optical science, as well as the development of curricula for improved scientific literacy through an interdisciplinary first-year seminar course, and providing students early engagement with applications of optics in research through an intermediate-level Optics course. The main challenge for the efficiency of nonlinear frequency conversion processes such as second harmonic generation is the chromatic dispersion of the nonlinear optical material. Recently, a novel method for correcting the dispersion effects has been developed, in which sequences of counterpropagating pulses are used to interfere periodically with the harmonic generation process, achieving an all-optical version of quasi-phase matching. While experimental demonstrations of this technique have been shown only for high-order harmonic generation, the technique should be applicable to a much wider range of nonlinear processes. In this project, direct experimental testing of current theoretical models will be performed for second harmonic generation, providing a better understanding of the physics involved in the interference. Building on this knowledge and in concert with development of numerical models, the efficiency of phase matching will be optimized using shaping of the ultrafast counterpropagating pulses. The results from these studies are applicable not only to low-order nonlinear optical processes, but also high harmonics, the major source for attosecond science. Additionally, the use of ultrafast counterpropagating pulses will be investigated as a high-resolution, in-situ probe of the dispersion properties of complex nonlinear materials, which may be used in the characterization of periodically-poled media or imaging of biological materials.

非线性光学器件通过称为频率转换的过程提供了一种独特的手段，用于创建可访问且具有成本效益的激光源。实际上，某些透明材料的自然响应是将激光的激光从一种颜色或频率转换为另一种颜色或频率，从而使从绿色激光指针到激光命令融合的应用。在这种光材料相互作用中，有时将激光光从一个频率转换为一个频率需要仔细的材料组件工程。这些技术在大量应用中非常成功，但受到为此目的可以设计的材料的限制。该职业奖支持的研究探讨了我们如何设计光线，而不是在轻型互动中进行工程材料。虽然这项研究的主要应用是开发新的光源，但光场的工程也可以揭示光转换过程的基本物理，并提供了一种非常精确的工具，用于对材料本身进行测量。这项研究将通过指导实验性光学科学的本科生，以及通过跨学科的第一年研讨会改善科学素养的课程，并为学生提供早期通过中间级别的Optics在研究中的应用程序，从而通过中间级别的Optics课程为学生提供早期参与。非线性频率转换过程（例如第二个谐波生成）效率的主要挑战是非线性光学材料的色散。最近，已经开发了一种纠正分散效应的新方法，其中使用反向传播脉冲的序列定期干扰谐波生成过程，从而实现了准阶段的全光学版本。尽管该技术的实验演示仅用于高阶谐波生成，但该技术应适用于更广泛的非线性过程。在该项目中，将对当前的理论模型进行直接实验测试，以进行第二次谐波生成，从而更好地了解干扰中涉及的物理学。在这些知识的基础上并协同发展数值模型，相匹配的效率将通过超快反向传播脉冲的形状进行优化。这些研究的结果不仅适用于低阶非线性光学过程，而且还适用于高谐波，这是Attosecond科学的主要来源。此外，将使用超快反向脉冲的使用作为高分辨率的，原位探针，对复杂非线性材料的分散性质，可用于表征定期推销的培养基或生物学材料的成像。