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Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena
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Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Optics and Lasers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2019) | Viewed by 31798

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Germano Montemezzani

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Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of Lorraine, Laboratoire Matériaux Optiques, Photoniques et Systèmes, CentraleSupélec, 2 Rue Edouard Belin, 57070 Metz, France
Interests: nonlinear optics; wave mixing and dynamic holography; guided wave optics; light diffraction in anisotropic materials; photorefractive materials and effects
Prof. Dr. Marko Zgonik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Jadranska 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, and J. Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: nonlinear optics; laser physics; new materials for photonics applications; THz generation and spectroscopy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nonlinear optics is one of the crucial constituents of modern photonics and enables technological progress in several fields including laser technology, optical signal processing or quantum optics. Inorganic and organic nonlinear crystals, polymers and composites in various forms are at the hearth of these developments. For instance, frequency conversion applications profit in large extent from several crystalline or domain engineered materials that enable generation of ultraviolet light by second- or third-harmonic generation, of THz radiation by optical rectification or difference frequency generation, or of intermediate wavelengths in the visible and infrared range by various parametric processes. In this context, besides new materials, also novel phase matching techniques and configurations are being explored to allow simultaneous generation of several wavelengths in a single device or to accommodate a larger spectral bandwidth for the conversion process. Besides those exhibiting the fast direct electronic nonlinearity as the above, several materials present an indirect optical nonlinearity that can be extremely strong and enables wave interaction already at very moderate power levels. These include photorefractive crystals, liquid crystals- and liquid crystal light valves-based devices, as well as different polymer-based compounds. These materials and the related processes are widely investigated and are useful for various applications in optical signal processing and adaptive holography or interferometry. They are also used for the realization of reconfigurable optical devices and the study of fundamental aspects of photonics.

This Special Issue will provide a forum for the most recent advances in nonlinear optical materials and their related phenomena. Submissions are expected in relation to the development and characterization of new nonlinear optical materials, both for high power and moderate power applications. We welcome also manuscripts reporting new concepts and devices based on such materials, as well as experimental and theoretical approaches for the optimization of the involved nonlinear optical processes.

Prof. Dr. Germano Montemezzani;

Prof. Dr. Marko Zgonik

Guest Editors

Keywords

  • Inorganic and organic crystals for frequency conversion
  • New electro-optic materials
  • Nonlinear optics of liquid crystals
  • Photorefractive crystals and effects
  • Nonlinear optical THz generation and detection
  • New phase-matching techniques
  • Nonlinear optical parametric processes
  • All optical light switches and modulators
  • Microresonators and cavities
  • Wave mixing and phase conjugation
  • Nonlinear lattices
  • Spatio-temporal effects in beam propagation
  • Solitons

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 3014 KiB  
Article
Addressable Refraction and Curved Soliton Waveguides Using Electric Interfaces
by Eugenio Fazio, Massimo Alonzo and Alessandro Belardini
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(2), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9020347 - 21 Jan 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2923
Abstract
A great deal of interest over the years has been directed to the optical space solitons for the possibility of realizing 3D waveguides with very low propagation losses. A great limitation in their use for writing complex circuits is represented by the impossibility [...] Read more.
A great deal of interest over the years has been directed to the optical space solitons for the possibility of realizing 3D waveguides with very low propagation losses. A great limitation in their use for writing complex circuits is represented by the impossibility of making curved structures. In the past, solitons in nematic liquid crystals, called nematicons, were reflected on electrical interfaces, and more recently photorefractive spatial solitons have been, as well. In the present work, we investigate refraction and total reflection of spatial solitons with saturable electro-optic nonlinearity, such as the photorefractive ones, on an electric wall acting as a reflector. Using a custom FDTD code, the propagation of a self-confined beam was analyzed as a function of the applied electric bias. The electrical reflector was simulated by applying different biases in two adjacent volumes. We observed both smaller and larger angles of refraction, up to the critical π/2-refraction condition, and then the total reflection. The radii of curvature of the associated guides can be varied from centimeters down to hundreds of microns. The straight guides showed losses as low as 0.07 dB/cm as previously observed, while the losses associated with single curves were estimated to be as low as 0.2 dB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena)
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9 pages, 3235 KiB  
Article
Propagation Property of an Astigmatic sin–Gaussian Beam in a Strongly Nonlocal Nonlinear Media
by Kaicheng Zhu, Jie Zhu, Qin Su and Huiqin Tang
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9010071 - 25 Dec 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3079
Abstract
Based on the Snyder and Mitchell model, a closed-form propagation expression of astigmatic sin-Gaussian beams through strongly nonlocal nonlinear media (SNNM) is derived. The evolutions of the intensity distributions and the corresponding wave front dislocations are discussed analytically and numerically. It is generally [...] Read more.
Based on the Snyder and Mitchell model, a closed-form propagation expression of astigmatic sin-Gaussian beams through strongly nonlocal nonlinear media (SNNM) is derived. The evolutions of the intensity distributions and the corresponding wave front dislocations are discussed analytically and numerically. It is generally proved that the light field distribution varies periodically with the propagation distance. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the astigmatism and edge dislocation nested in the initial sin-Gaussian beams greatly influence the pattern configurations and phase singularities during propagation. In particular, it is found that, when the beam parameters are properly selected, a vortex beam with perfect doughnut-shaped profile can be obtained for astigmatic sin-Gaussian beams with two-lobe pattern propagating in SNNM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena)
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13 pages, 3011 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Manipulation of Diffractive Properties of Optical Holographic Gratings from Liquid Crystalline Elastomers
by Dejan Bošnjaković, Marko Gregorc, Hui Li, Martin Čopič, Valentina Domenici and Irena Drevenšek-Olenik
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(8), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8081330 - 9 Aug 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4361
Abstract
An appealing property of optical diffractive structures from elastomeric materials is a possibility to regulate their optical patterns and consequently also their diffractive features with mechanical straining. We investigated the effect of strain on diffraction characteristics of holographic gratings recorded in a monodomain [...] Read more.
An appealing property of optical diffractive structures from elastomeric materials is a possibility to regulate their optical patterns and consequently also their diffractive features with mechanical straining. We investigated the effect of strain on diffraction characteristics of holographic gratings recorded in a monodomain side-chain liquid crystalline elastomer. The strain was imposed either parallel or perpendicular to the initial alignment direction of the material. At temperatures far below the nematic–paranematic phase transition, straining along the initial alignment affects mainly the diffraction pattern, while the diffraction efficiency remains almost constant. In contrast, at temperatures close to the nematic–paranematic phase transition, the diffraction efficiency is also significantly affected. Straining in the direction perpendicular to the initial alignment strongly and diversely influences both the diffraction pattern and the diffraction efficiency. The difference between the two cases is attributed to shear–stripe domains, which form only during straining perpendicular to the initial alignment and cause optical diffraction that competes with the diffraction from the holographic grating structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena)
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10 pages, 1512 KiB  
Article
Second-Harmonic Generation of Blue Light in GaN Waveguides
by Martin Rigler, Tinkara Troha, Wei Guo, Ronny Kirste, Isaac Bryan, Ramon Collazo, Zlatko Sitar and Marko Zgonik
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(8), 1218; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8081218 - 25 Jul 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5143
Abstract
Second-harmonic generation was studied in III-metal-polar GaN films grown on sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and formed into ridge waveguides. Broadband near-IR femtosecond pulses of an optical parametric amplifier system were injected by end-fire coupling and the nonlinear response was measured [...] Read more.
Second-harmonic generation was studied in III-metal-polar GaN films grown on sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and formed into ridge waveguides. Broadband near-IR femtosecond pulses of an optical parametric amplifier system were injected by end-fire coupling and the nonlinear response was measured while tuning the central wavelength. A prominent peak was found at 450 nm for 1140 nm thick and 10 μm wide GaN waveguides. The measured second-harmonic peak was in agreement with the modal-dispersion phase matching condition calculated using the dispersion of the extraordinary refractive indices of GaN obtained by prism coupling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena)
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Review

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44 pages, 6655 KiB  
Review
Organic Crystals for THz Photonics
by Mojca Jazbinsek, Uros Puc, Andreja Abina and Aleksander Zidansek
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(5), 882; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9050882 - 1 Mar 2019
Cited by 147 | Viewed by 10704
Abstract
Organic crystals with second-order optical nonlinearity feature very high and ultra-fast optical nonlinearities and are therefore attractive for various photonics applications. During the last decade, they have been found particularly attractive for terahertz (THz) photonics. This is mainly due to the very intense [...] Read more.
Organic crystals with second-order optical nonlinearity feature very high and ultra-fast optical nonlinearities and are therefore attractive for various photonics applications. During the last decade, they have been found particularly attractive for terahertz (THz) photonics. This is mainly due to the very intense and ultra-broadband THz-wave generation possible with these crystals. We review recent progress and challenges in the development of organic crystalline materials for THz-wave generation and detection applications. We discuss their structure, intrinsic properties, and advantages compared to inorganic alternatives. The characteristic properties of the most widely employed organic crystals at present, such as DAST, DSTMS, OH1, HMQ-TMS, and BNA are analyzed and compared. We summarize the most important principles for THz-wave generation and detection, as well as organic THz-system configurations based on either difference-frequency generation or optical rectification. In addition, we give state-of-the-art examples of very intense and ultra-broadband THz systems that rely on organic crystals. Finally, we present some recent breakthrough demonstrations in nonlinear THz photonics enabled by very intense organic crystalline THz sources, as well as examples of THz spectroscopy and THz imaging using organic crystals as THz sources for various scientific and technological applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena)
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21 pages, 7036 KiB  
Review
Coherent Optical Field Manipulation and Optical Information Processing Based on Electromagnetically-Induced Transparency Effect in Pr3+:Y2SiO5 Crystal
by Jianji Liu, Zhixiang Li, Hongming Fan and Guoquan Zhang
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(7), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8071179 - 19 Jul 2018
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3724
Abstract
We reviewed the recent progress in coherent manipulation on light fields based on the electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) effect in Pr3+-doped Y2SiO5 crystal. The results show that, on one hand, the atomic coherence grating, formed when the light [...] Read more.
We reviewed the recent progress in coherent manipulation on light fields based on the electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) effect in Pr3+-doped Y2SiO5 crystal. The results show that, on one hand, the atomic coherence grating, formed when the light pulse is stored in Pr3+:Y2SiO5 crystal under the EIT condition has similar properties to the traditional holographic grating. On the other hand, the atomic coherence grating has its own unique characteristics that are different from those of traditional holographic grating. The EIT-induced nonlinearity and atomic coherence gratings can be used to manipulate the amplitude, the phase and the polarization state of light fields; therefore, they are of important applications for optical signal processing, quantum information processing and imaging processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optical Materials and Phenomena)
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