Generation of High-Power, High-Order Orbital Angular Momentum Laser Beams and Application in Atom Trapping

非技术描述：携带轨道角动量的激光束在经典光学和量子光学中都引起了极大的兴趣。在这些光束中，拉盖尔-高斯模式因其强度分布而非常独特，使其在粒子操纵，光通信，探测，原子捕获和量子应用中特别有趣。目前这些光束的产生方法有许多局限性。这项合作研究旨在设计、开发和应用一种新型的高功率、可调谐、轨道角动量激光源，其波长难以到达。它结合了一种新颖的垂直外腔面发射激光器设计和腔内高阶轨道角动量光束的产生。所提出的激光源将非常高效，紧凑和低成本，为新的应用打开大门。然后，这些激光器将被用于进行超冷原子、原子俘获和量子湍流的产生和研究方面的新实验。该研究的广泛影响集中在激光、光子学和量子物理学领域的研究生和本科生的教育和培训上。该研究将寻求通过实习和暑期REU项目扩大妇女和代表性不足的少数民族的参与。技术描述：包括拉盖尔-高斯光束在内的产生轨道角动量光束的激光器在科学和工程的各个领域引起了极大的兴趣。这些光束有许多应用，包括粒子操纵，水下和自由空间光通信，成像和检测。可见波段的瓦特级高阶拉盖尔-高斯光束在量子光学和原子俘获中特别需要。提出了利用瓦特级高阶拉盖尔-高斯光束作为超冷原子和玻色凝聚原子的陷阱以及量子湍流实验的方法。目前的轨道角动量源在功率、可调性、紧凑性和工作波长等方面存在局限性，制约了其广泛应用。该研究的目标是开发一种新型的高功率、可调谐激光源，具有难以达到的波长的目标拉盖尔-高斯模式。该方法基于双色垂直外腔面发射激光器的厄米-高斯和拉盖尔-高斯模式的腔内模式转换，以及在可见光和中红外波长产生高阶拉盖尔-高斯模式的有效非线性频率转换。该研究融合了半导体激光工程、非线性模式转换、原子分子和光学物理等概念。这项高风险、高回报的研究在半导体量子阱设计和生长、腔内激光模式混合和操纵、非线性光学材料、激光腔设计和在原子俘获、冷却和量子湍流研究和应用中的应用等领域具有显著的技术进步。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical Description: Laser beams carrying orbital angular momentum are of great interest in both classical and quantum optics. Among these beams, Laguerre-Gaussian modes are very unique for their intensity profiles making them of particular interest in particle manipulation, optical communications, detection, atom trapping and quantum applications. The current generation methods of these beams have many limitations. This collaborative research aims at the design, development and application of a novel high power, tunable, orbital angular momentum laser source at hard-to-reach wavelengths. It combines a novel vertical external cavity surface emitting laser design and intra-cavity generation of high order orbital angular momentum beams. The proposed laser source will be very efficient, compact and low cost, opening doors to new applications. The lasers will then be used to conduct novel experiments in the generation and study of ultra-cold atoms, atom trapping and quantum turbulence. The broader impact of the research focuses on the education and training of graduate and undergraduate students in the areas of lasers, photonics and quantum physics. The research will seek to broaden participation of women and underrepresented minorities through internship and summer REU programs. Technical Description: Lasers generating orbital angular momentum beams including Laguerre-Gaussian beams are of great interest in various fields of science and engineering. These beams have numerous applications including particle manipulation, underwater and free-space optical communications, imaging and detection. Watt-level, high-order Laguerre-Gaussian beams in the visible band are particularly desirable in quantum optics and atom trapping. Experiments using Watt-level high-order Laguerre-Gaussian beams are proposed as traps for ultra-cold and Bose-condensed atoms and for experiments in quantum turbulence. The current orbital angular momentum sources have limitations in power, tunability, compactness or wavelength of operation, thereby constraining their broad deployment. The goal of the research is to develop a novel high-power, tunable laser source with targeted Laguerre-Gaussian modes at hard-to-reach wavelengths. The approach is based on intracavity mode conversion of Hermite-Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian modes in a two-color Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser and efficient nonlinear frequency conversion for the generation of higher-order Laguerre-Gaussian modes in the visible and mid-IR wavelengths. The research merges concepts of semiconductor laser engineering, nonlinear mode conversion, atomic molecular and optical physics. The intellectual merits of this high-risk high-reward research includes significant technical advancement in areas of semiconductor quantum well design and growth, intracavity laser mode mixing and manipulation, nonlinear optical materials, laser cavity design and applications in atom trapping, cooling and quantum turbulence research and applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.