High-harmonic generation by resonant plasmon field enhancement

High-harmonic generation by focusing a femtosecond laser onto a gas is a well-known method of producing coherent extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light. This nonlinear conversion process requires high pulse intensities, greater than 10(13) W cm(-2), which are not directly attainable using only the output power of a femtosecond oscillator. Chirped-pulse amplification enables the pulse intensity to exceed this threshold by incorporating several regenerative and/or multi-pass amplifier cavities in tandem. Intracavity pulse amplification (designed not to reduce the pulse repetition rate) also requires a long cavity. Here we demonstrate a method of high-harmonic generation that requires no extra cavities. This is achieved by exploiting the local field enhancement induced by resonant plasmons within a metallic nanostructure consisting of bow-tie-shaped gold elements on a sapphire substrate. In our experiment, the output beam emitted from a modest femtosecond oscillator (100-kW peak power, 1.3-nJ pulse energy and 10-fs pulse duration) is directly focused onto the nanostructure with a pulse intensity of only 10(11) W cm(-2). The enhancement factor exceeds 20 dB, which is sufficient to produce EUV wavelengths down to 47 nm by injection with an argon gas jet. The method could form the basis for constructing laptop-sized EUV light sources for advanced lithography and high-resolution imaging applications.     

Shaped-pulse optimization of coherent emission of high-harmonic soft X-rays

When an intense laser pulse is focused into a gas, the light-atom interaction that occurs as atoms are ionized results in an extremely nonlinear optical process--the generation of high harmonics of the driving laser frequency. Harmonics that extend up to orders of about 300 have been reported, some corresponding to photon energies in excess of 500 eV. Because this technique is simple to implement and generates coherent, laser-like, soft X-ray beams, it is currently being developed for applications in science and technology; these include probing the dynamics in chemical and materials systems and imaging. Here we report that by carefully tailoring the shapes of intense light pulses, we can control the interaction of light with an atom during ionization, improving the efficiency of X-ray generation by an order of magnitude. We demonstrate that it is possible to tune the spectral characteristics of the emitted radiation, and to steer the interaction between different orders of nonlinear processes.     

基于锁相环的调频脉冲发生器

研究了现代全相参体制脉冲压缩雷达所要求产生的相参的调频脉冲。为此设计了基于锁相环的调频脉冲发生器，其结构包括锁相环路，扫频控制模块和幅度加权模块。在一定的扫频波形下，选取合适的环路参数。基于锁相环的调频脉冲发生器可以灵活地更改脉冲参数，不仅可形成线性调频信号，也可形成非线性调频信号。此方案已在某全相参雷达中得到应用，并测量了输出信号的功率谱，测量结果与计算值相当一致。     

Nonlinear optics in the extreme ultraviolet

Nonlinear responses to an optical field are universal in nature but have been difficult to observe in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft X-ray regions owing to a lack of coherent intense light sources. High harmonic generation is a well-known nonlinear optical phenomenon and is now drawing much attention in attosecond pulse generation. For the application of high harmonics to nonlinear optics in the XUV and soft X-ray regime, optical pulses should have both large pulse energy and short pulse duration to achieve a high optical electric field. Here we show the generation of intense isolated pulses from a single harmonic (photon energy 27.9 eV) by using a sub-10-femtosecond blue laser pulse, producing a large dipole moment at the relatively low (ninth) harmonic order nonadiabatically. The XUV pulses with pulse durations of 950 attoseconds and 1.3 femtoseconds were characterized by an autocorrelation technique, based on two-photon above-threshold ionization of helium atoms. Because of the small cross-section for above-threshold ionization, such an autocorrelation measurement of XUV pulses with photon energy larger than the ionization energy of helium has not hitherto been demonstrated. The technique can be extended to the characterization of higher harmonics at shorter wavelengths.     

光子微波信号的亚谐波产生技术

光子微波信号的频率变换技术在光子微波技术中具有重要意义。然而由于光子器件的相对不成熟以及光子自身的物理特性,光子微波信号在亚谐波产生方面还面临许多困难。本文对外光注入激光器的倍周期、全光反馈、光电混合反馈以及光纤锁模腔结构的光子微波信号亚谐波产生的典型方法和原理进行介绍,并对这些方案进行总结评述,探讨光子微波信号亚谐波产生的发展方向。     

Laser technology: source of coherent kiloelectronvolt X-rays

Generating X-rays that have the properties of laser light has been a long-standing goal for experimental science. Here we describe the emission of highly collimated, spatially coherent X-rays, at a wavelength of about 1 nanometre and at photon energies extending to 1.3 kiloelectronvolts, from atoms that have been ionized by a 5-femtosecond laser pulse. This means that a laboratory source of laser-like, kiloelectronvolt X-rays, which will operate on timescales relevant to many chemical, biological and materials problems, is now within reach.     

高斯型调制相干态的零差测量原理

对高斯型调制相干态的零差测量技术进行分析,认为用平衡零差探测效果最佳。在量子力学的框架下,研究零差探测技术测量高斯型调制相干态的原理,确定光子数与相位的关系,阐述相干态的测量技术,分析了测量信号及其方差。     

光频梳技术在微波光子学中的应用

 光频梳是一种具有若干等频率间隔和窄线宽的相干谱线的一种新型光源。本文介绍了国内外电光调制和非线性微腔等光频梳产生技术,并分析了其在微波光子信号生成、变换和接收等方面的应用及前景。     

Resolving photon number states in a superconducting circuit

Electromagnetic signals are always composed of photons, although in the circuit domain those signals are carried as voltages and currents on wires, and the discreteness of the photon's energy is usually not evident. However, by coupling a superconducting quantum bit (qubit) to signals on a microwave transmission line, it is possible to construct an integrated circuit in which the presence or absence of even a single photon can have a dramatic effect. Such a system can be described by circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED)-the circuit equivalent of cavity QED, where photons interact with atoms or quantum dots. Previously, circuit QED devices were shown to reach the resonant strong coupling regime, where a single qubit could absorb and re-emit a single photon many times. Here we report a circuit QED experiment in the strong dispersive limit, a new regime where a single photon has a large effect on the qubit without ever being absorbed. The hallmark of this strong dispersive regime is that the qubit transition energy can be resolved into a separate spectral line for each photon number state of the microwave field. The strength of each line is a measure of the probability of finding the corresponding photon number in the cavity. This effect is used to distinguish between coherent and thermal fields, and could be used to create a photon statistics analyser. As no photons are absorbed by this process, it should be possible to generate non-classical states of light by measurement and perform qubit-photon conditional logic, the basis of a logic bus for a quantum computer.     

Tunable nanowire nonlinear optical probe

One crucial challenge for subwavelength optics has been the development of a tunable source of coherent laser radiation for use in the physical, information and biological sciences that is stable at room temperature and physiological conditions. Current advanced near-field imaging techniques using fibre-optic scattering probes have already achieved spatial resolution down to the 20-nm range. Recently reported far-field approaches for optical microscopy, including stimulated emission depletion, structured illumination, and photoactivated localization microscopy, have enabled impressive, theoretically unlimited spatial resolution of fluorescent biomolecular complexes. Previous work with laser tweezers has suggested that optical traps could be used to create novel spatial probes and sensors. Inorganic nanowires have diameters substantially below the wavelength of visible light and have electronic and optical properties that make them ideal for subwavelength laser and imaging technology. Here we report the development of an electrode-free, continuously tunable coherent visible light source compatible with physiological environments, from individual potassium niobate (KNbO3) nanowires. These wires exhibit efficient second harmonic generation, and act as frequency converters, allowing the local synthesis of a wide range of colours via sum and difference frequency generation. We use this tunable nanometric light source to implement a novel form of subwavelength microscopy, in which an infrared laser is used to optically trap and scan a nanowire over a sample, suggesting a wide range of potential applications in physics, chemistry, materials science and biology.     

The birth of a quasiparticle in silicon observed in time-frequency space

The concept of quasiparticles in solid-state physics is an extremely powerful tool for describing complex many-body phenomena in terms of single-particle excitations. Introducing a simple particle, such as an electron, hole or phonon, deforms a many-body system through its interactions with other particles. In this way, the added particle is 'dressed' or 'renormalized' by a self-energy cloud that describes the response of the many-body system, so forming a new entity--the quasiparticle. Using ultrafast laser techniques, it is possible to impulsively generate bare particles and observe their subsequent dressing by the many-body interactions (that is, quasiparticle formation) on the time and energy scales governed by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Here we describe the coherent response of silicon to excitation with a 10-femtosecond (10(-14) s) laser pulse. The optical pulse interacts with the sample by way of the complex second-order nonlinear susceptibility to generate a force on the lattice driving coherent phonon excitation. Transforming the transient reflectivity signal into frequency-time space reveals interference effects leading to the coherent phonon generation and subsequent dressing of the phonon by electron-hole pair excitations.     

激光与薄膜靶作用产生X射线阿秒脉冲两种方案的比较

运用一维粒子模拟对经由相对论电子束汤姆逊散射来产生阿秒X射线的两种方案进行了研究。第一种是激光驱动薄膜靶产生相对论电子束以及经过汤姆逊散射产生阿秒X射线,运用倍频探测光的方案可得到更短波长X射线。第二种方案添加了反射厚靶,通过厚靶对驱动激光的反射来减小电子束的横向动量但让其通过,而探测脉冲经过电子束汤姆逊散射后的多普勒频移因子提高,得到的X射线波长也明显减小,光子能量达到1KeV,反射光频谱也明显优与第一种方案．     

EUV光刻技术进展

极紫外光刻(Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography),是以波长为10-14纳米的极紫外光作为光源,EUV技术最明显的特点是曝光波长一下子降到13.5nm,它能够把光刻技术扩展到32nm以下的特征尺寸。本文介绍了EUV的光刻原理和EUV光源的选择,以及EUV对掩膜版和光刻胶的技术要求,以及EUV的发展趋势。     

“大连相干光源”为化学反应中的分子“拍电影”

 自由电子激光被称为第4代先进光源，是帮助人类探索物质微观世界的最先进的研究工具，在能源、物理、化学、材料、生物等多个学科领域具有变革性的推动作用。基于可调极紫外相干光源的综合实验研究装置（简称"大连相干光源"）的成功研制，填补了中国在这一领域的空白，有望成为推动中国科技实现跨越式发展的"利器"。介绍了大连相干光源的研制背景和国内外的发展现状，阐述了装置成功研制的意义，并展望了未来的应用前景。     

Parametric oscillation in vertical triple microcavities

Optical parametric oscillation is a nonlinear process that enables coherent generation of 'signal' and 'idler' waves, shifted in frequency from the pump wave. Efficient parametric conversion is the paradigm for the generation of twin or entangled photons for quantum optics applications such as quantum cryptography, or for the generation of new frequencies in spectral domains not accessible by existing devices. Rapid development in the field of quantum information requires monolithic, alignment-free sources that enable efficient coupling into optical fibres and possibly electrical injection. During the past decade, much effort has been devoted to the development of integrated devices for quantum information and to the realization of all-semiconductor parametric oscillators. Nevertheless, at present optical parametric oscillators typically rely on nonlinear crystals placed into complex external cavities, and pumped by powerful external lasers. Long interaction lengths are typically required and the phase mismatch between the parametric waves propagating at different velocities results in poor parametric conversion efficiencies. Here we report the demonstration of parametric oscillation in a monolithic semiconductor triple microcavity with signal, pump and idler waves propagating along the vertical direction of the nanostructure. Alternatively, signal and idler beams can also be collected at finite angles, allowing the generation of entangled photon pairs. The pump threshold intensity is low enough to envisage the realization of an all-semiconductor electrically pumped micro-parametric oscillator.     

半导体激光植物照明量子匹配

为提高植物光合作用效率,分析了光合作用与半导体激光照明、植物增产的关系.得出太阳光子与叶绿素a的量子频率相匹配的结论,并验证了半导体激光植物灯在大田种植与设施农业中应用的可行性.通过比较正常光照与半导体激光照射下的植物生长情况,可以得出半导体激光光子与太阳光子的光质高度相近的结论.     

非共振k光子调控光场量子统计特性

将双模纠缠相干光场中一束光场与腔中单个二能级原子发生非共振k光子相互作用,经腔QED演化之后,对原子作选择性测量,通过调节相互作用时间、跃迁光子数和失谐量,实现控制腔外光场量子统计特性的目的.经过比较分析发现相比于单光子过程和非简并多光子过程光场的反聚束和压缩效应变化更加明显.     

用于TDLAS甲烷检测的激光器电流驱动与温控系统

为了满足激光器在甲烷气体检测中对输出波长稳定的需求,自主设计以STM32F103RCT6为微处理器核心的电流驱动系统和温控系统,包括信号发生电路、滤波电路、温度采集与控制电路等,运用信号发生芯片生成锯齿扫频信号、正弦调制信号、直流偏置信号,把他们叠加作为激光器注入电流,同时对激光器整体构建二级制冷系统,通过温度和电流的调谐使激光器发出的波长在甲烷气体吸收峰1 653.72nm附近扫描,以使气体充分吸收。经验证,整个系统工作稳定,可持续工作时间超过36h,温度误差为±0.008℃,电流驱动误差≤0.09mA,波长误差在千分位,满足设计需求。     

Bose-Einstein condensation of photons in an optical microcavity

Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC)-the macroscopic ground-state accumulation of particles with integer spin (bosons) at low temperature and high density-has been observed in several physical systems, including cold atomic gases and solid-state quasiparticles. However, the most omnipresent Bose gas, blackbody radiation (radiation in thermal equilibrium with the cavity walls) does not show this phase transition. In such systems photons have a vanishing chemical potential, meaning that their number is not conserved when the temperature of the photon gas is varied; at low temperatures, photons disappear in the cavity walls instead of occupying the cavity ground state. Theoretical works have considered thermalization processes that conserve photon number (a prerequisite for BEC), involving Compton scattering with a gas of thermal electrons or photon-photon scattering in a nonlinear resonator configuration. Number-conserving thermalization was experimentally observed for a two-dimensional photon gas in a dye-filled optical microcavity, which acts as a 'white-wall' box. Here we report the observation of a Bose-Einstein condensate of photons in this system. The cavity mirrors provide both a confining potential and a non-vanishing effective photon mass, making the system formally equivalent to a two-dimensional gas of trapped, massive bosons. The photons thermalize to the temperature of the dye solution (room temperature) by multiple scattering with the dye molecules. Upon increasing the photon density, we observe the following BEC signatures: the photon energies have a Bose-Einstein distribution with a massively populated ground-state mode on top of a broad thermal wing; the phase transition occurs at the expected photon density and exhibits the predicted dependence on cavity geometry; and the ground-state mode emerges even for a spatially displaced pump spot. The prospects of the observed effects include studies of extremely weakly interacting low-dimensional Bose gases and new coherent ultraviolet sources.     

轻小型光子计数激光测距技术

为实现轻小型光子计数测距仪,利用905nm激光二极管（LD）以及硅基单光子探测器（SPAD）搭建了试验系统,通过外场测距试验研究了905nm激光二极管用于光子计数测距的测距性能。结果表明：905nm激光二极管由于其具有体积小、功率高的特点,同时硅基单光子探测器在905nm波段具有较高的响应率,基于以上两点,通过激光二极管以及小口径的接收望远镜能够实现远距离的光子计数激光测距。可见,激光二极管适合作为轻小型光子计数激光测距仪的光源,降低了系统的体积,有利于提高测距系统的集成度。