Current Search: photon (x)
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Title
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Nonlinear integrated photonics on silicon and gallium arsenide substrates.
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Creator
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Ma, Jichi, Fathpour, Sasan, Hagan, David, Li, Guifang, Peale, Robert, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Silicon photonics is nowadays a mature technology and is on the verge of becoming a blossoming industry. Silicon photonics has also been pursued as a platform for integrated nonlinear optics based on Raman and Kerr effects. In recent years, more futuristic directions have been pursued by various groups. For instance, the realm of silicon photonics has been expanded beyond the well-established near-infrared wavelengths and into the mid-infrared (3 (-) 5 (&)#181;m). In this wavelength range,...
Show moreSilicon photonics is nowadays a mature technology and is on the verge of becoming a blossoming industry. Silicon photonics has also been pursued as a platform for integrated nonlinear optics based on Raman and Kerr effects. In recent years, more futuristic directions have been pursued by various groups. For instance, the realm of silicon photonics has been expanded beyond the well-established near-infrared wavelengths and into the mid-infrared (3 (-) 5 (&)#181;m). In this wavelength range, the omnipresent hurdle of nonlinear silicon photonics in the telecommunication band, i.e., nonlinear losses due to two-photon absorption, is inherently nonexistent. With the lack of efficient light-emission capability and second-order optical nonlinearity in silicon, heterogeneous integration with other material systems has been another direction pursued. Finally, several approaches have been proposed and demonstrated to address the energy efficiency of silicon photonic devices in the near-infrared wavelength range. In this dissertation, theoretical and experimental works are conducted to extend applications of integrated photonics into mid-infrared wavelengths based on silicon, demonstrate heterogeneous integration of tantalum pentoxide and lithium niobate photonics on silicon substrates, and study two-photon photovoltaic effect in gallium arsenide and plasmonic-enhanced structures.Specifically, performance and noise properties of nonlinear silicon photonic devices, such as Raman lasers and optical parametric amplifiers, based on novel and reliable waveguide technologies are studied. Both near-infrared and mid-infrared nonlinear silicon devices have been studied for comparison. Novel tantalum-pentoxide- and lithium-niobate-on-silicon platforms are developed for compact microring resonators and Mach-Zehnder modulators. Third- and second-harmonic generations are theoretical studied based on these two platforms, respectively. Also, the two-photon photovoltaic effect is studied in gallium arsenide waveguides for the first time. The effect, which was first demonstrated in silicon, is the nonlinear equivalent of the photovoltaic effect of solar cells and offers a viable solution for achieving energy-efficient photonic devices. The measured power efficiency achieved in gallium arsenide is higher than that in silicon and even higher efficiency is theoretically predicted with optimized designs. Finally, plasmonic-enhanced photovoltaic power converters, based on the two-photon photovoltaic effect in silicon using subwavelength apertures in metallic films, are proposed and theoretically studied.
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Date Issued
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2014
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Identifier
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CFE0005373, ucf:50441
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005373
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Title
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Parity-time and supersymmetry in optics.
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Creator
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Miri, Mohammad, Christodoulides, Demetrios, Abouraddy, Ayman, Likamwa, Patrick, Choudhury, Sudipto, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Symmetry plays a crucial role in exploring the laws of nature. By exploiting some of the underlying analogies between the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and that of electrodynamics, in this dissertation we show that optics can provide a fertile ground for studying, observing, and utilizing some of the peculiar symmetries that are currently out of reach in other areas of physics. In particular, in this work, we investigate two important classes of symmetries, parity-time symmetry ...
Show moreSymmetry plays a crucial role in exploring the laws of nature. By exploiting some of the underlying analogies between the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and that of electrodynamics, in this dissertation we show that optics can provide a fertile ground for studying, observing, and utilizing some of the peculiar symmetries that are currently out of reach in other areas of physics. In particular, in this work, we investigate two important classes of symmetries, parity-time symmetry (PT) and supersymmetry (SUSY), within the context of classical optics. The presence of PT symmetry can lead to entirely real spectra in non-Hermitian systems. In optics, PT-symmetric structures involving balanced regions of gain and loss exhibit intriguing properties which are otherwise unattainable in traditional Hermitian systems. We show that selective PT symmetry breaking offers a new method for achieving single mode operation in laser cavities. Other interesting phenomena also arise in connection with PT periodic structures. Along these lines, we introduce a new class of optical lattices, the so called mesh lattices. Such arrays provide an ideal platform for observing a range of PT-related phenomena. We show that defect sates and solitons exist in such periodic environments exhibiting unusual behavior. We also investigate the scattering properties of PT-symmetric particles and we show that such structures can deflect light in a controllable manner. In the second part of this dissertation, we introduce the concept of supersymmetric optics. In this regard, we show that any optical structure can be paired with a superpartner with similar guided wave and scattering properties. As a result, the guided mode spectra of these optical waveguide systems can be judiciously engineered so as to realize new families of mode filters and mode division multiplexers and demultiplexers. We also present the first experimental demonstration of light dynamics in SUSY ladders of photonic lattices. In addition a new type of transformation optics based on supersymmetry is also explored. Finally, using the SUSY formalism in non-Hermitian settings, we identify more general families of complex optical potentials with real spectra.
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Date Issued
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2014
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Identifier
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CFE0005844, ucf:50915
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005844
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Title
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LIQUID CRYSTAL MATERIALS AND TUNABLE DEVICES FOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS.
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Creator
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Du, Fang, Wu, Shin-Tson, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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In this dissertation, liquid crystal materials and devices are investigated in meeting the challenges for photonics and communications applications. The first part deals with polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) materials and devices. Three polymer-stabilized liquid crystal systems are developed for optical communications. The second part reports the experimental investigation of a novel liquid-crystal-infiltrated photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and explores its applications in fiber-optic...
Show moreIn this dissertation, liquid crystal materials and devices are investigated in meeting the challenges for photonics and communications applications. The first part deals with polymer-stabilized liquid crystal (PSLC) materials and devices. Three polymer-stabilized liquid crystal systems are developed for optical communications. The second part reports the experimental investigation of a novel liquid-crystal-infiltrated photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and explores its applications in fiber-optic communications. The curing temperature is found to have significant effects on the PSLC performance. The electro-optic properties of nematic polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) at different curing temperatures are investigated experimentally. At high curing temperature, a high contrast, low drive voltage, and small hysteresis PNLC is obtained as a result of the formed large LC micro-domains. With the help of curing temperature effect, it is able to develop PNLC based optical devices with highly desirable performances for optical communications. Such high performance is generally considered difficult to realize for a PNLC. In fact, the poor performance of PNLC, especially at long wavelengths, has hindered it from practical applications for optical communications for a long time. Therefore, the optimal curing temperature effect discovered in this thesis would enable PSLCs for practical industrial applications. Further more, high birefringence LCs play an important role for near infrared photonic devices. The isothiocyanato tolane liquid crystals exhibit a high birefringence and low viscosity. The high birefringence LC dramatically improves the PSLC contrast ratio while keeping a low drive voltage and fast response time. A free-space optical device by PNLC is experimentally demonstrated and its properties characterized. Most LC devices are polarization sensitive. To overcome this drawback, we have investigated the polymer-stabilized cholesteric LC (PSCLC). Combining the curing temperature effect and high birefringence LC, a polarization independent fiber-optical device is realized with over 30 dB attenuation, ~12 Vrms drive voltage and 11/28 milliseconds (rise/decay) response times. A polymer-stabilized twisted nematic LC (PS TNLC) is also proposed as a variable optical attenuator for optical communications. By using the polarization control system, the device is polarization independent. The polymer network in a PS TNLC not only results in a fast response time (0.9/9 milliseconds for rise/decay respectively), but also removes the backflow effect of TNLC which occurs in the high voltage regime.
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Date Issued
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2005
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Identifier
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CFE0000485, ucf:46361
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000485
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Title
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL MICRON-SCALE METAL PHOTONIC CRYSTALS VIA MULTI-PHOTON DIRECT LASER WRITING AND ELECTROLESS METAL DEPOSITION.
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Creator
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Tal, Amir, Kuebler, Stephen, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Three-dimensional (3D) metal photonic crystals (MPCs) can exhibit interesting electromagnetic properties such as ultra-wide photonic or "plasmonic" band gaps, selectively tailored thermal emission, extrinsically modified absorption, and negative refractive index. Yet, optical-wavelength 3D MPCs remain relatively unexplored due to the challenges posed by their fabrication. This work explores the use of multi-photon direct laser writing (DLW) coupled with electroless metallization as a means...
Show moreThree-dimensional (3D) metal photonic crystals (MPCs) can exhibit interesting electromagnetic properties such as ultra-wide photonic or "plasmonic" band gaps, selectively tailored thermal emission, extrinsically modified absorption, and negative refractive index. Yet, optical-wavelength 3D MPCs remain relatively unexplored due to the challenges posed by their fabrication. This work explores the use of multi-photon direct laser writing (DLW) coupled with electroless metallization as a means for preparing MPCs. Multi-photon DLW was used to prepare polymeric photonic crystal (PC) templates having a targeted micron-scale structure and form. MPCs were then created by metallizing the polymeric PCs via wet-chemical electroless deposition. The electromagnetic properties of the polymeric PCs and the metallized structures were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It is shown that metallization transforms the optical properties of the structures from those of conventional 3D dielectric PCs to those consistent with 3D MPCs that exhibit ultra-wide photonic band gaps. These data demonstrate that multi-photon DLW followed by electroless deposition provides a viable and highly flexible route to MPCs, opening a new path to metal photonic materials and devices.
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Date Issued
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2007
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Identifier
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CFE0001787, ucf:47261
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001787
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Title
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POLARIZATION DEPENDENT TWO-PHOTON ABSORPTION PROPERTIES OF CHIRAL MOLECULES.
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Creator
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Toro, Carlos, Hernandez, Florencio, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Molecules that are non-superimposable on their mirror image are named chiral or optically active compound. Over the years, molecular chirality has played an essential role in the understanding of fundamental aspects associated the origin of life, drug and food technologies and, asymmetric catalysis, among others. Moreover, most of the groundbreaking discoveries and advances made in this field have happened due to the development of spectroscopic techniques based on the natural asymmetry of...
Show moreMolecules that are non-superimposable on their mirror image are named chiral or optically active compound. Over the years, molecular chirality has played an essential role in the understanding of fundamental aspects associated the origin of life, drug and food technologies and, asymmetric catalysis, among others. Moreover, most of the groundbreaking discoveries and advances made in this field have happened due to the development of spectroscopic techniques based on the natural asymmetry of the enantiomers and their ability to preferentially absorb right or left polarized light. For instance, circular dichroism (CD), which measures the difference in absorption between these two states of polarized light, has emerged as one of the most useful spectroscopic methods to identify and characterize chiral compounds. Unfortunately, CD is based on linear absorption which, in most common organic molecules, takes place in the UV region of the spectrum where the majority of organic solvents absorb as well. This certainly imposes limitations in the indiscriminated applicability of this technique to the study of chiral chromophores of biological interest in non-aqueous solutions. Consequently, a systematic and comprehensive characterization of the electronic and optical properties of such molecular entities still remains a major issue to be addressed. On this regard, nonlinear optics offers new alternatives to overcome some of the shortcomings of the standard linear CD-based spectroscopy. In order to surmount the existent limitations in this field and deepen in the fundamental understanding of chiral systems, we have mainly directed the attention of our research to the experimental and theoretical study of the polarization dependent two-photon absorption (2PA) of several chiral azo-compounds and binaphthol derivatives in solution. The first part of this dissertation (Chapters I-IV) covers a full characterization of the linear and nonlinear optical properties of a series of non-chiral and chiral azo derivatives. The combination of experimental techniques such as absorption, fluorescence, excitation anisotropy, circular dichroism, two-photon absorption and two-photon absorption circular-linear dichroism in combination with density functional theory calculations allowed us to unambiguously distinguish and assign the spectral position of the main electronic transitions (n-* and -*) in azobenzene derivatives. Our results represent a major contribution to the understanding of the electronic structure of these organic chromophores which have been reported of potential interest in the design of optoelectronic devices. Then, Chapter V describes the development of a novel experimental technique called the synchronized double L-scan for the study of polarization dependent multiphoton absorption in chiral samples. The high sensitivity of this technique resides in the use of ÃÂ"twinÃÂ" pulses to account for energy and mode fluctuations of the excitation pulse when determining absorption nonlinearities as a function of the light polarization. The robustness of this method was validated by measuring the first ever reported two-photon absorption circular dichroism (2PA-CD) spectrum on a chiral binaphthol derivative in solution. Finally, Chapters VI and VII compile an ample experimental and theoretical investigation of the chirality-dependent 2PA of axial enantiomers in solution. We combined the use of the synchronized double L-scan technique with state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations to provide a precise and reliable description of the contribution of the different electronic excited states to the 2PA-CD and 2PA-CLD spectra. Our findings are foreseen to have a tremendous impact in the comprehension of some of the most fundamental aspects of chiral phenomena.
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Date Issued
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2010
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Identifier
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CFE0003284, ucf:48529
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003284
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Title
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Photophysics of Organic Probes and their Applications in Bioimaging (&) Photodynamic Therapy.
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Creator
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Kim, Bosung, Belfield, Kevin, Zou, Shengli, Campiglia, Andres, Frazer, Andrew, Ali, Gul Shad, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Over the past several decades the phenomenon of luminescence (divided into fluorescence and phosphorescence) has received great attention in the field of biological science. This quest has motivated scientists for a variety of applications, including fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence microscopy techniques that provide unique advantages, such as high spatial resolution and superior sensitivity, have been regarded as attractive tools in biophotonics. With the progress of ultrafast laser...
Show moreOver the past several decades the phenomenon of luminescence (divided into fluorescence and phosphorescence) has received great attention in the field of biological science. This quest has motivated scientists for a variety of applications, including fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence microscopy techniques that provide unique advantages, such as high spatial resolution and superior sensitivity, have been regarded as attractive tools in biophotonics. With the progress of ultrafast laser sources, two-photon absorption (2PA), in which a molecule absorbs two photons simultaneously, has opened possibilities of using it for various applications. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM), which affords deeper tissue penetration and excellent three-dimensional (3D) images, is now being widely employed for bioimaging. This dissertation focuses on the design, synthesis, and photophysical characterization of new fluorophores, as well as desirable applications. Chapter 1 gives an account of a brief introduction of luminescence and 2PA, as well as their utilities in biological applications. In chapter 2, a series of new BODIPY derivatives are presented along with their comprehensive linear and nonlinear characteristics. They exhibited excellent photophysical properties including large extinction coefficients, high fluorescence quantum yields, good photostability, and reasonable two-photon absorption cross sections. Two promising compounds were further evaluated as NIR fluorescent probes in one-photon and two-photon fluorescence imaging. Chapter 3 provides the design, synthesis, and photophysical characterization of two BODIPY dyes. In order to assess the potential of using the dye as a fluorescent probe, Lysotracker Red, a commercial lysosomal marker, was investigated for comparison purposes. The results indicate that figure of merit of both compounds were three orders of magnitude higher than that of Lysotracker Red. With an eye towards applications, one of the compounds was encapsulated in silica-based nanoparticles for in vitro and ex vivo one-photon and two-photon fluorescence imaging, in which the surface of the nanoparticle was modified with RGD peptides for specific targeting. The nanoprobe exhibited good biocompatibility and highly selective RGD-mediated uptake in ?V?3 integrin-overexpressing cancers, while maintaining efficient fluorescence quantum yield and high photostability. In chapter 4, the synthesis and photophysical properties of a novel photosensitizer with heavy atoms (halogen) were presented. The dye exhibited low fluorescence quantum yield, resulting in high singlet oxygen generation quantum yield. In vitro photodynamic studies demonstrated that photosensitization of the agent can induce cellular damage, subsequently leading to cell death by a necrotic cell death mechanism, supporting the therapeutic potential of using the agent for photodynamic therapy.
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Date Issued
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2015
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Identifier
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CFE0006041, ucf:50977
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006041
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Title
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Multimaterial fibers in photonics and nanotechnology.
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Creator
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Tao, Guangming, Abouraddy, Ayman, Li, Guifang, Glebov, Leonid, Peale, Robert, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Recent progress in combing multiple materials with distinct optical, electronic, and thermomechanical properties monolithically in a kilometer-long fiber drawn from a preform offers unique multifunctionality at a low cost. A wide range of unique in-fiber devices have been developed in fiber form-factor using this strategy. Here, I summary my recent results in this nascent field of 'multimaterial fibers'. I will focus on my achievements in producing robust infrared optical fibers and in...
Show moreRecent progress in combing multiple materials with distinct optical, electronic, and thermomechanical properties monolithically in a kilometer-long fiber drawn from a preform offers unique multifunctionality at a low cost. A wide range of unique in-fiber devices have been developed in fiber form-factor using this strategy. Here, I summary my recent results in this nascent field of 'multimaterial fibers'. I will focus on my achievements in producing robust infrared optical fibers and in appropriating optical fiber production technology for applications in nanofabrication.The development of optical components suitable for the infrared (IR) is crucial for applications in this spectral range to reach the maturity level of their counterparts in the visible and near-infrared spectral regimes. A critical class of optical components that has yet to be fully developed is that of IR optical fibers. Here I will present several unique approaches that may result in low-cost, robust IR fibers that transmit light from 1.5 microns to 15 microns drawn from multimaterial preforms. These preforms are prepared exploiting the newly developed procedure of multimaterial coextrusion, which provides unprecedented flexibility in material choices and structure engineering in the extruded preform. I will present several different 'generations' of multimaterial extrusion that enable access to a variety of IR fibers. Examples of the IR fibers realized using this methodology include single mode IR fibers, large index-contrast IR fibers, IR imaging fiber bundles, IR photonic crystal and potentially photonic band-gap fibers.The complex structures produced in multimaterial fibers may also be used in the fabrication of micro- and nano-scale spherical particles by exploiting a recently discovered in-fiber Plateau-Rayleigh capillary instability. Such multimaterial structured particles have promising application in drug delivery, optical sensors, and nanobiotechnology. The benefits accrued from the multimaterial fiber methodology allow for the scalable fabrication of micro- and nano-scale particles having complex internal architectures, such as multi-shell particles, Janus-particles, and particles with combined control over the radial and azimuthal structure.Finally, I will summarize my views on the compatibility of a wide range of amorphous and crystalline materials with the traditional thermal fiber drawing process and with the more recent multimaterial fiber strategy.
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Date Issued
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2014
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Identifier
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CFE0005555, ucf:50289
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005555
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Title
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Optically isotropic liquid crystals for display and photonic applications.
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Creator
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Yan, Jin, Wu, Shintson, Zeldovich, Boris, Schoenfeld, Winston, Fang, Jiyu, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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For the past few decades, tremendous progress has been made on liquid crystal display (LCD) technologies in terms of stability, resolution, contrast ratio, and viewing angle. The remaining challenge is response time. The state-of-the-art response time of a nematic liquid crystal is a few milliseconds. Faster response time is desirable in order to reduce motion blur and to realize color sequential display using RGB LEDs, which triples the optical efficiency and resolution density. Polymer...
Show moreFor the past few decades, tremendous progress has been made on liquid crystal display (LCD) technologies in terms of stability, resolution, contrast ratio, and viewing angle. The remaining challenge is response time. The state-of-the-art response time of a nematic liquid crystal is a few milliseconds. Faster response time is desirable in order to reduce motion blur and to realize color sequential display using RGB LEDs, which triples the optical efficiency and resolution density. Polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal (PS-BPLC) is a strong candidate for achieving fast response time because its self-assembled cubic structure greatly reduces the coherence length. The response time is typically in the submillisecond range and can even reach microsecond under optimized conditions. Moreover, it exhibit several attractive features, such as no need for surface alignment layer, intrinsic wide viewing angle, and cell gap insensitivity if an in-plane-switching (IPS) cell is employed. In this dissertation, recent progresses in polymer-stabilized blue phases, or more generally optically-isotropic liquid crystals, are presented. Potential applications in display and photonic devices are also demonstrated.In Chapter 1, a brief introduction of optically isotropic liquid crystals is given. In Chapter 2, we investigate each component of polymer-stabilized blue phase materials and provide guidelines for material preparation and optimization. In Chapter 3, the electro-optical properties of PS-BPLCs, including electric-field-induced birefringence and dynamic behaviors are characterized. Theoretical models are proposed to explain the physical phenomena. Good agreements between experimental data and models are obtained. The proposed models also provide useful guidelines for both material and device optimizations. Four display and photonic devices using PS-BPLCs are demonstrated in Chapter 4. First, by red-shifting the Bragg reflection and using circular polarizers, we reduce the LCD driving voltage by 35% as compared to a short-pitch BPLC while maintaining high contrast ratio and submillisecond response time. Second, a turning film which is critically needed for widening the viewing angle of a vertical field switching (VFS) BPLC mode is designed. With this film, the viewing angle of VFS is widened to (&)#177; 80(&)deg; in horizontal direction and (&)#177; 50(&)deg; in vertical direction. Without this turning film, the viewing angle is only (&)#177;30(&)deg;, which is too narrow for most applications. Third, a reflective BPLC display with vivid colors, submillisecond response time, and natural grayscales is demonstrated for the first time. The proposed BPLC reflective display opens a new gateway for 3D reflective displays; it could make significant impact to display industry. Finally, we demonstrate a tunable phase grating with a high diffraction efficiency of 40% and submillisecond response time. This tunable grating exhibits great potential for photonic and display applications, such as optical interconnects, beam steering, and projection displays.
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Date Issued
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2013
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Identifier
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CFE0005279, ucf:50551
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005279
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Title
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THREE-PHOTON ABSORPTION PROCESS IN ORGANIC DYES ENHANCED BY SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE.
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Creator
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Cohanoschi, Ion, Hernandez, Florencio, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Multi-photon absorption processes have received significant attention from the scientific community during the last decade, mainly because of their potential applications in optical limiting, data storage and biomedical fields. Perhaps, one of the most investigated processes studied so far has been two-photon absorption (2PA). These investigations have resulted in successful applications in all the fields mentioned above. However, 2PA present some limitations in the biomedical field when...
Show moreMulti-photon absorption processes have received significant attention from the scientific community during the last decade, mainly because of their potential applications in optical limiting, data storage and biomedical fields. Perhaps, one of the most investigated processes studied so far has been two-photon absorption (2PA). These investigations have resulted in successful applications in all the fields mentioned above. However, 2PA present some limitations in the biomedical field when pumping at typical 2PA wavelengths. In order to overcome these limitations, three-photon absorption (3PA) process has been proposed. However, 3PA in organic molecules has a disadvantage, typical values of σ3' are small (10-81 cm6s2/photon2), therefore, 3PA excitation requires high irradiances to induce the promotion of electrons from the ground state to the final excited state. To overcome this obstacle, specific molecules that exhibit large 3PA cross-section must be designed. Thus far, there is a lack of systematic studies that correlate 3PA processes with the molecular structure of organic compounds. In order to fill the existent gap in 3PA molecular engineering, in this dissertation we have investigated the structure/property relationship for a new family of fluorene derivatives with very high three-photon absorption cross-sections. We demonstrated that the symmetric intramolecular charge transfer as well as the -electron conjugation length enhances the 3PA cross-section of fluorene derivatives. In addition, we showed that the withdrawing electron character of the attractor groups in a pull-pull geometry proved greater 3PA cross-section. After looking for alternative ways to enhance the effective σ3' of organic molecules, we investigated the enhancement of two- and three-photon absorption processes by means of Surface Plasmon. We demonstrated an enhancement of the effective two- and three-photon absorption cross-section of an organic compound of 480 and 30 folds, respectively. We proved that the enhancement is a direct consequence of the electric field enhancement at a metal/buffer interface. Next, motivated by the demands for new materials with enhanced nonlinear optical properties, we studied the 3PA of Hematoporphyrin IX and J-aggregate supramolecular systems. As a result, we were able to propose the use of 3PA in photodynamic therapy using Photofrin, the only drug approved by the FDA for PDT.
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Date Issued
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2006
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Identifier
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CFE0001362, ucf:46981
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001362
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Title
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HYBRID PHOTONIC SIGNAL PROCESSING.
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Creator
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Ghauri, Farzan, Riza, Nabeel, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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This thesis proposes research of novel hybrid photonic signal processing systems in the areas of optical communications, test and measurement, RF signal processing and extreme environment optical sensors. It will be shown that use of innovative hybrid techniques allows design of photonic signal processing systems with superior performance parameters and enhanced capabilities. These applications can be divided into domains of analog-digital hybrid signal processing applications and free-space-...
Show moreThis thesis proposes research of novel hybrid photonic signal processing systems in the areas of optical communications, test and measurement, RF signal processing and extreme environment optical sensors. It will be shown that use of innovative hybrid techniques allows design of photonic signal processing systems with superior performance parameters and enhanced capabilities. These applications can be divided into domains of analog-digital hybrid signal processing applications and free-space--fiber-coupled hybrid optical sensors. The analog-digital hybrid signal processing applications include a high-performance analog-digital hybrid MEMS variable optical attenuator that can simultaneously provide high dynamic range as well as high resolution attenuation controls; an analog-digital hybrid MEMS beam profiler that allows high-power watt-level laser beam profiling and also provides both submicron-level high resolution and wide area profiling coverage; and all optical transversal RF filters that operate on the principle of broadband optical spectral control using MEMS and/or Acousto-Optic tunable Filters (AOTF) devices which can provide continuous, digital or hybrid signal time delay and weight selection. The hybrid optical sensors presented in the thesis are extreme environment pressure sensors and dual temperature-pressure sensors. The sensors employ hybrid free-space and fiber-coupled techniques for remotely monitoring a system under simultaneous extremely high temperatures and pressures.
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Date Issued
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2007
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Identifier
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CFE0001983, ucf:47423
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001983
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Title
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SQUARAINE DYES FOR TWO-PHOTON FLUORESCENCE BIOIMAGING APPLICATIONS.
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Creator
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Colon Gomez, Maria, Belfield, Kevin, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Near-infrared emitting squaraine dyes are promising candidates for bioimaging applications. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) imaging is a powerful tool being used for studying biological function since it produces 3D images with minimal damage to cells and lower fluorophore photobleaching. The fluorescence wavelength of squaraine dyes normally falls in the near infrared region, providing deeper penetration through biological samples such as thick tissue sections. Squaraine dyes that...
Show moreNear-infrared emitting squaraine dyes are promising candidates for bioimaging applications. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) imaging is a powerful tool being used for studying biological function since it produces 3D images with minimal damage to cells and lower fluorophore photobleaching. The fluorescence wavelength of squaraine dyes normally falls in the near infrared region, providing deeper penetration through biological samples such as thick tissue sections. Squaraine dyes that could work for imaging cells and tissues for 2PFM imaging were synthesized and underwent comprehensive photophysical characterization, such as UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence, and anisotropy. The squaraine dyes were tested for cell toxicity to determine the concentration at which the cells should be incubated with the dye for 2PFM. In addition, the squaraine dyes were incubated with cancer cells to evaluate their utility in the bioimaging process. The squaraine dye that is not soluble in water can be incorporated in silica nanoparticles or micelles to facilitate dispersal in water for evaluation of its use as a probe. The prospective squaraine dyes can be used in cells and tissues for imaging that can then be analyzed to ascertain its use as a probe for biomedical applications, such as early cancer detection.
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Date Issued
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2013
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Identifier
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CFH0004338, ucf:45020
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004338
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Title
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Thin-film Lithium Niobate Photonics for Electro-optics, Nonlinear Optics, and Quantum Optics on Silicon.
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Creator
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Rao, Ashutosh, Fathpour, Sasan, Delfyett, Peter, Li, Guifang, Thomas, Jayan, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Ion-sliced thin-film lithium niobate (LN) compact waveguide technology has facilitated the resurgence of integrated photonics based on lithium niobate. These thin-film LN waveguides offer over an order of magnitude improvement in optical confinement, and about two orders of magnitude reduction in waveguide bending radius, compared to conventional LN waveguides. Harnessing the improved confinement, a variety of miniaturized and efficient photonic devices are demonstrated in this work. First,...
Show moreIon-sliced thin-film lithium niobate (LN) compact waveguide technology has facilitated the resurgence of integrated photonics based on lithium niobate. These thin-film LN waveguides offer over an order of magnitude improvement in optical confinement, and about two orders of magnitude reduction in waveguide bending radius, compared to conventional LN waveguides. Harnessing the improved confinement, a variety of miniaturized and efficient photonic devices are demonstrated in this work. First, two types of compact electrooptic modulators are presented (-) microring modulators, and Mach-Zehnder modulators. Next, two distinct approaches to nonlinear optical frequency converters are implemented (-) periodically poled lithium niobate, and mode shape modulation (grating assisted quasi-phase matching). Following this, stochastic variations are added to the mode shape modulation approach to demonstrate random quasi-phase matching. Afterward, broadband photon-pair generation is demonstrated in the miniaturized periodically poled lithium niobate, and spectral correlations of the biphoton spectrum are reported. Finally, extensions of the aforementioned results suitable for future work are discussed.
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Date Issued
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2018
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Identifier
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CFE0007085, ucf:52013
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007085
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Title
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Improved system for fabrication and characterization of nanophotonic devices by multi-photon lithography.
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Creator
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Sharma, Rashi, Kuebler, Stephen, Zou, Shengli, Huo, Qun, Beazley, Melanie, Phanstiel, Otto, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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A new system for multi-photon lithography (MPL) was developed and used to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) structures with higher aspect ratio, better resolution, improved fidelity, and reduced structural distortion relative to a conventional implementation of MPL.A set of curved waveguides (Rbend = 19 (&)#181;m, and 38 (&)#181;m) and straight waveguides (length = 50 (&)#181;m, Rbend = ?) were fabricated in an epoxide photopolymer and optically characterized using light having a wavelength in...
Show moreA new system for multi-photon lithography (MPL) was developed and used to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) structures with higher aspect ratio, better resolution, improved fidelity, and reduced structural distortion relative to a conventional implementation of MPL.A set of curved waveguides (Rbend = 19 (&)#181;m, and 38 (&)#181;m) and straight waveguides (length = 50 (&)#181;m, Rbend = ?) were fabricated in an epoxide photopolymer and optically characterized using light having a wavelength in vacuum of ?0 = 2.94 (&)#181;m. The optical performance of the waveguides was compared to novel spatially-variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) previously studied in the group. The waveguides were found to guide light with 90% lower efficiency, due to mode leakage. The study provides further evidence that SVPCs operate not through total internal reflection, but rather through self-collimation, as designed.3D uniform-lattice photonic crystals (ULPCs) were fabricated by MPL using a commercial acrylate photopolymer. The ULPCs were optically characterized at ?0 = 1.55 (&)#181;m. A laser beam with adjustable bandwidth was used to measure the self-collimation in the ULPCs. For the low bandwidth beam, vertically polarized light was self-collimated, whereas horizontally polarized light diverged. The transmission efficiency of the ULPCs was also measured as a function of fill factor. The ULPC having a fill factor of 48% exhibited 80% transmission.An etching process was also developed for non-destructively removing Au/Pd coatings that must be deposited onto structures to image them by scanning electron microscopy. The structural and optical integrity of the samples was found to be maintained despite etching. The sputter-coated sample sustained no structural damage when exposed to the ?0 = 1.55 (&)#181;m. However, the metal coating resulted in diminished transmission efficiency due to the high reflection of the 1.55 (&)#181;m beam by the metal coating.
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Date Issued
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2018
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Identifier
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CFE0007767, ucf:52380
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007767
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Title
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Third-order optical nonlinearities for integrated microwave photonics applications.
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Creator
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Malinowski, Marcin, Fathpour, Sasan, Delfyett, Peter, Christodoulides, Demetrios, Lyakh, Arkadiy, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The field of integrated photonics aims at compressing large and environmentally-sensitive opticalsystems to micron-sized circuits that can be mass-produced through existing semiconductor fabri-cation facilities. The integration of optical components on single chips is pivotal to the realizationof miniature systems with high degree of complexity. Such novel photonic chips find abundant ap-plications in optical communication, spectroscopy and signal processing. This work concentrateson...
Show moreThe field of integrated photonics aims at compressing large and environmentally-sensitive opticalsystems to micron-sized circuits that can be mass-produced through existing semiconductor fabri-cation facilities. The integration of optical components on single chips is pivotal to the realizationof miniature systems with high degree of complexity. Such novel photonic chips find abundant ap-plications in optical communication, spectroscopy and signal processing. This work concentrateson harnessing nonlinear phenomena to this avail.The first part of this dissertation discusses, both from component and system level, the developmentof a frequency comb source with a semiconductor mode-locked laser at its heart. New nonlinear de-vices for supercontinuum and second-harmonic generations are developed and their performance isassessed inside the system. Theoretical analysis of a hybrid approach with synchronously-pumpedKerr cavity is also provided. The second part of the dissertation investigates stimulated Brillouinscattering (SBS) in integrated photonics. A fully-tensorial open-source numerical tool is developedto study SBS in optical waveguides composed of crystalline materials, particularly silicon. SBS isdemonstrated in an all-silicon optical platform.
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Date Issued
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2019
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Identifier
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CFE0007674, ucf:52497
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007674
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Title
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NONLINEAR ABSORPTION AND FREE CARRIER RECOMBINATION IN DIRECT GAP SEMICONDUCTORS.
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Creator
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Olszak, Peter, Van Stryland, Eric, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Nonlinear absorption of Indium Antimonide (InSb) has been studied for many years, yet due to the complexity of absorption mechanisms and experimental difficulties in the infrared, this is still a subject of research. Although measurements have been made in the past, a consistent model that worked for both picosecond and nanosecond pulse widths had not been demonstrated. In this project, temperature dependent two-photon (2PA) and free carrier absorption (FCA) spectra of InSb are measured using...
Show moreNonlinear absorption of Indium Antimonide (InSb) has been studied for many years, yet due to the complexity of absorption mechanisms and experimental difficulties in the infrared, this is still a subject of research. Although measurements have been made in the past, a consistent model that worked for both picosecond and nanosecond pulse widths had not been demonstrated. In this project, temperature dependent two-photon (2PA) and free carrier absorption (FCA) spectra of InSb are measured using femtosecond, picosecond, and nanosecond IR sources. The 2PA spectrum is measured at room temperature with femtosecond pulses, and the temperature dependence of 2PA and FCA is measured at 10.6m using a nanosecond CO2 laser giving results consistent with the temperature dependent measurements at several wavelengths made with a tunable picosecond system. Measurements over this substantial range of pulse widths give results for FCA and 2PA consistent with a recent theoretical model for FCA. While the FCA cross section has been generally accepted in the past to be a constant for the temperatures and wavelengths used in this study, this model predicts that it varies significantly with temperature as well as wavelength. Additionally, the results for 2PA are consistent with the band gap scaling (Eg-3) predicted by a simple two parabolic band model. Using nanosecond pulses from a CO2 laser enables the recombination rates to be determined through nonlinear transmittance measurements. Three-photon absorption is also observed in InSb for photon energies below the 2PA band edge. Prior to this work, data on three-photon absorption (3PA) in semiconductors was scarce and most experiments were performed over narrow spectral ranges, making comparison to the available theoretical models difficult. There was also disagreement between the theoretical results generated by different models, primarily in the spectral behavior. Therefore, we studied the band gap scaling and spectra of 3PA in several semiconductors by the Z-scan technique. The 3PA coefficient is found to vary as (Eg-7), as predicted by the scaling rules of simple two parabolic band models. The spectral behavior, which is considerably more complex than for 2PA, is found to agree well with a recently published theory based on a four-band model.
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Date Issued
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2010
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Identifier
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CFE0003402, ucf:48418
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003402
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Title
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Fabrication and Characterization of Spatially-Variant Self-Collimating Photonic Crystals.
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Creator
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Digaum, Jennefir, Kuebler, Stephen, Kik, Pieter, Schoenfeld, Winston, Likamwa, Patrick, Gesquiere, Andre, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Spatially-variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) created using materials having a low refractive index are shown to be capable of abruptly controlling light beams with high polarization selectivity. SVPCs are photonic crystals for which the orientation of the unit cell is controllably varied throughout the lattice to control the flow of light. Multi-photon lithography in a photo polymer was used to fabricate three-dimensional SVPCs that direct the flow of light around a 90 degree bend. The optical...
Show moreSpatially-variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) created using materials having a low refractive index are shown to be capable of abruptly controlling light beams with high polarization selectivity. SVPCs are photonic crystals for which the orientation of the unit cell is controllably varied throughout the lattice to control the flow of light. Multi-photon lithography in a photo polymer was used to fabricate three-dimensional SVPCs that direct the flow of light around a 90 degree bend. The optical performance of the SVPCs was characterized using a scanning optical-fiber system that introduced light onto the input face of a structure and measured the intensity of light emanating from the output faces.As a proof-of-concept, SVPCs that can bend a beam at a wavelength of ?0 = 2.94 ?m were fabricated in the photo-polymer SU-8. The SVPCs were shown to direct infrared light of one polarization through a sharp bend, while the other polarization propagated straight through the SVPC, when the volumetric fill-factor is near 50%. The peak-to-peak ratio of intensities of the bent- and straight-through beams was 8:1, and a power efficiency of 8% was achieved. The low efficiency is attributed to optical absorption in SU-8 at ?0 = 2.94 ?m.SVPCs that can bend a beam at telecommunications wavelengths near ?0 = 1.55 ?m were fabricated by multi-photon lithography in the photo-polymer IP-Dip. IP-Dip was chosen over SU 8 to enable fabrication of finer features, as are needed for an SVPC scaled in size to operate at shorter wavelengths. Experimental characterization shows that these particular SVPCs provide effective control of the vertically polarized beam at ?0 = 1.55 ?m, when the volumetric fill-factor is around 46%. The beam bending peak efficiency was found to be 52.5% with a peak-to-peak ratio between the bent- and straight-through beams of 78.7. Additionally, these SVPCs can bend a light beam with a broad bandwidth of 153 nm that encompasses both the C- and S-bands of the telecommunications window. Furthermore, the SVPCs have high tolerance to misalignment, in which an offset of the input beam by as much as 6 ?m causes the beam-bending efficiency to drop no more than 50%. Finally, it is shown that these particular SVPCs can bend beams without significantly distorting the mode profile. This work introduces a new scheme for controlling light that should be useful for integrated photonics.The penultimate chapter discusses nonlinear phenomena that were observed during the optical characterization of the SVPCs using a high peak-power amplified femtosecond laser system. The first of these effects is referred to as "super-collimation", in which the beam bending peak efficiency of certain SVPCs increases with input intensity, reaching as high as 68%. The second effect pertains to nonlinear imaging of light at ?0 = 1.55 ?m scattered from an SVPC and detected using a silicon-CCD camera. This effect enables beam bending within the device to be imaged in real time. The dissertation concludes with an outlook for SVPCs, discussing potential applications and challenges that must be addressed to advance their use in photonics.
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Date Issued
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2016
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Identifier
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CFE0006527, ucf:51371
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006527
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Title
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Structure-Property Relationship of the Two-Photon Circular Dichroism of Compounds with Axial and Helical Chirality.
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Creator
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Diaz, Carlos, Hernandez, Florencio, Uribe Romo, Fernando, Kuebler, Stephen, Masunov, Artem, Del Barco, Enrique, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Back in 1894 Lord Kelvin coined the term (")chiral(") in order to refer to molecules whose mirror images were not superimposable with themselves. Over the years, research has demonstrated the important role that chiral molecules play in life, chemistry, and biology as well as their importance in the development of new drugs and technologies.The efforts to understand chiral systems have been mainly driven by spectroscopic methods that leverage on the opposite responses that enantiomers have to...
Show moreBack in 1894 Lord Kelvin coined the term (")chiral(") in order to refer to molecules whose mirror images were not superimposable with themselves. Over the years, research has demonstrated the important role that chiral molecules play in life, chemistry, and biology as well as their importance in the development of new drugs and technologies.The efforts to understand chiral systems have been mainly driven by spectroscopic methods that leverage on the opposite responses that enantiomers have to linear or circularly polarized light of both handedness. More specifically, Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) which measures the differences in linear absorption of left and right circularly polarized light has been the method par excellence for the spectroscopic characterization of chiral compounds. Unfortunately, the fact that ECD is based on linear absorption severely limits the use of this method in the near to far UV region. This is mainly due to the interferences generated by the strong linear absorption of common organic solvents and buffers in this portion of the light spectrum. Nevertheless, the fact remains that many chiral biomolecules of interest related to deceases like Alzheimer and Parkinson, exhibit most of their linear absorption in the near to far UV region where ECD cannot be employed for their study. Therefore, it has become an urgent necessity to develop spectroscopic methods to study chiral molecules that can circumvent the limitations of ECD at shorter wavelengths. In order to overcome the existent limitations in linear chiral spectroscopy, the nonlinear equivalent of ECD arises as a promising alternative, i.e. Two-Photon Circular Dichroism (TPCD). Although, this phenomenon was theoretically predicted in 1975, it was not until 2008, with the introduction of the double-L scan, that a reliable and versatile method for the measurement of TPCD was introduced. The high sensitivity of this method is based on the use of (")twin(") pulses that allow accounting for fluctuations in the excitation source that prevented the experimental realization of the measurement. The first measurement of a full TPCD spectrum was performed on BINOL enantiomers and the results were supported and discussed with the help of theoretical calculations. After that seminal work, we embarked in expanding the understanding of the structure-property relationship of TPCD by performing, systematically, a series of theoretical-experimental studies in chiral biaryl derivatives and compounds with helical chirality.In Chapter 2 we present the theoretical-experimental study of the effect of the ?-electron delocalization curvature on the TPCD of molecules with axial chirality. The targeted molecules for this part of our investigation were S-BINOL, S-VANOL, and S-VAPOL. Our findings revealed that an increase in the TPCD signal, within this series of compounds, was related to the curvature of the ?(-)electron delocalization. The contributions of the different transition moments to the two-photon rotatory strength support our outcomes. Then, in Chapter 3 we introduce the development of the Fragment-Recombination Approach (FRA) for the calculation of the TPCD spectra of large molecules. This simple but powerful method is based on the additivity of the TPCD signal, and is subject to a strict conditional fragmentation approach. FRA-TPCD is demonstrated, theoretically, in two hypothetical molecular systems from the biaryl derivatives family. Afterward, in Chapter 4 we show the first experimental demonstration of FRA-TPCD through the conformational analysis of an axially-chiral Salen ligand in solution (AXF-155). The FRA-TPCD spectra calculated for the different isomers of AXF-155 allowed narrowing the number of possible isomers of this complex molecule in THF solution to only two. This represents a significant improvement from previously reported results using ECD. Subsequently, in Chapter 5 we present the study of the effect of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) in S-BINAP, an axially dissymmetric diphosphine ligand with strong ICT. The evaluation of the performance of two different exchange-correlation functional (XCF) confirmed that in order to properly predict the theoretical TPCD spectrum of a molecule exhibiting strong ICT, it is required to use an XCF such as CAM-B3LYP. In addition, our findings revealed the importance of considering an adequate number of excited states in order to be able to fully reproduce the experimental TPCD spectrum, thus avoiding wrong assignments of theoretical transitions to experimental spectral features. Finally, and expanding on our previous study, in Chapter 6 we investigated the effect of the nature of ICT on two hexahelicene derivatives. Our investigation demonstrated that the TPCD signal of chiral molecules with strong ICT does not only depend on the strength of this effect but on its nature, i.e. extension of the ?(-)electronic delocalization increasing beyond (EXO-ICT) or within (ENDO-ICT) the helicene core. In summary, with the results presented in this thesis we closed a first loop in the understanding of the structure-property relationship of TPCD. In the future, we expect to deepen in our knowledge of the structure-property relationship of this phenomenon by studying further helicene derivatives with donor-acceptor motif, and through the application of FRA-TPCD to the conformational analysis of amino acids in peptides. We foresee numerous applications of TPCD for the study of optically active molecules with implications in biology, medicine, and the drug and food industry, and applications in nanotechnology, asymmetric catalysis and photonics.
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Date Issued
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2015
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Identifier
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CFE0005787, ucf:50067
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005787
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Title
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Non-Degenerate Two Photon Gain in Bulk Gallium Arsenide.
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Creator
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Turnbull, Brendan, Hagan, David, Vanstryland, Eric, Christodoulides, Demetrios, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the nonlinear phenomena known as doubly-stimulated, non-degenerate two-photon emission (ND-2PE) in Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). 2PE refers to the simultaneous emission of two-photons as electrons move from the conduction band in a direct gap semiconductor to the valence band. Following the same path for describing one-photon emission (1PE) we describe 2PE as a product of the irradiance, I, and the negative of the loss which in this case is two-photon...
Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to investigate the nonlinear phenomena known as doubly-stimulated, non-degenerate two-photon emission (ND-2PE) in Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). 2PE refers to the simultaneous emission of two-photons as electrons move from the conduction band in a direct gap semiconductor to the valence band. Following the same path for describing one-photon emission (1PE) we describe 2PE as a product of the irradiance, I, and the negative of the loss which in this case is two-photon absorption, ?_2, the negative coming from the population inversion. We attempt to observe 2PE by using a frequency non-degenerate pump-probe experiment in which a third beam optically excites a 4 (&)#181;m thick GaAs sample. We use non-degenerate beams in hopes of utilizing the 3-orders of magnitude enhancement seen in two-photon absorption (2PA) by going to extreme nondegeneracy (END) to enhance 2PE. GaAs is chosen due to the availability of the appropriate wavelengths, the maturity of the GaAs technology, its use in optoelectronic devices and its ability to be electrically pumped. During the experimental development we learn how to effectively etch and manipulate thin GaAs samples and model the transmission spectrum of these samples using thin film transmission matrices. We are able to match the measured transmission spectrum with the theoretical transmission spectrum. Here we etch the bulk GaAs left on the sample leaving only the 4 (&)#181;m thickness of molecular beam epitaxial grown GaAs plus additional layers of aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs). These samples were grown for us by Professor Gregory Salamo of the University of Arkansas.Using the pump-probe experiment on the 4 (&)#181;m GaAs sample, we measure the change of the 2PA due to the presence of optically excited carriers. The goal is to reduce the 2PA signal to zero and then invert the 2PA signal indicating an increase in transmission indicative of 2PE when the population is inverted. Our results show that we achieve a 45% reduction in the 2PA signal in a 4 ?m thick GaAs sample due to the excited carriers. Unfortunately, we currently cannot experimentally determine whether the reduction is strictly due to free-carrier absorption (FCA) of our pump or possibly due to a change in the two-photon absorption coefficient. We measure the transmission of various wavelengths around the bang gap of GaAs as a function of excitation wavelength and achieve a transmittance of ~80% which we attribute to possibly be one photon gain (1PG) at 880 nm. We also go to cryogenic temperatures to concentrate the carriers near the bottom of the conduction band and improve the theoretical gain coefficient for 2PE. Unfortunately, we do not observe a measurable change in 2PA with the addition of optically excited carriers. Along with FCA of our infrared pump we suspect that the difficulties in this first set of experiments are also a result or radiative recombination due to amplified spontaneous emission reducing our free carrier density along with the fact that 4 ?m is too thick for uniform excitation. We now have 1 ?m samples from Professor Gregory Salamo which we hope will give better and more definitive results.
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Date Issued
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2013
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Identifier
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CFE0004762, ucf:49776
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Format
-
Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004762
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Title
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COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF THE NEAR FIELD SPONTANEOUS CREATION OF PHOTONIC STATES COUPLED TO FEW LEVEL SYSTEMS.
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Creator
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Tafur, Sergio, Leuenberger, Michael, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Models of the spontaneous emission and absorption of photons coupled to the electronic states of quantum dots, molecules, N-V (single nitrogen vacancy) centers in diamond, that can be modeled as artificial few level atoms, are important to the development of quantum computers and quantum networks. A quantum source modeled after an effective few level system is strongly dependent on the type and coupling strength the allowed transitions. These selection rules are subject to the Wigner-Eckert...
Show moreModels of the spontaneous emission and absorption of photons coupled to the electronic states of quantum dots, molecules, N-V (single nitrogen vacancy) centers in diamond, that can be modeled as artificial few level atoms, are important to the development of quantum computers and quantum networks. A quantum source modeled after an effective few level system is strongly dependent on the type and coupling strength the allowed transitions. These selection rules are subject to the Wigner-Eckert theorem which specifies the possible transitions during the spontaneous creation of a photonic state and its subsequent emission. The model presented in this dissertation describes the spatio-temporal evolution of photonic states by means of a Dirac-like equation for the photonic wave function within the region of interaction of a quantum source. As part of this aim, we describe the possibility to shift from traditional electrodynamics and quantum electrodynamics, in terms of electric and magnetic fields, to one in terms of a photonic wave function and its operators. The mapping between these will also be presented herein. It is further shown that the results of this model can be experimentally verified. The suggested method of verification relies on the direct comparison of the calculated density matrix or Wigner function, associated with the quantum state of a photon, to ones that are experimentally reconstructed through optical homodyne tomography techniques. In this non-perturbative model we describe the spontaneous creation of photonic state in a non-Markovian limit which does not implement the Weisskopf-Wigner approximation. We further show that this limit is important for the description of how a single photonic mode is created from the possibly infinite set of photonic frequencies $\nu_k$ that can be excited in a dielectric-cavity from the vacuum state. We use discretized central-difference approximations to the space and time partial derivatives, similar to finite-difference time domain models, to compute these results. The results presented herein show that near field effects need considered when describing adjacent quantum sources that are separated by distances that are small with respect to the wavelength of their spontaneously created photonic states. Additionally, within the future scope of this model,we seek results in the Purcell and Rabi regimes to describe enhanced spontaneous emission events from these few-level systems, as embedded in dielectric cavities. A final goal of this dissertation is to create novel computational and theoretical models that describe single and multiple photon states via single photon creation and annihilation operators.
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Date Issued
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2011
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Identifier
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CFE0003881, ucf:48739
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Format
-
Document (PDF)
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PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003881
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Title
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SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND EVALUATION OF NEW REACTIVE TWO-PHOTON ABSORBING DYES FOR TWO-PHOTON EXCITED FLUORESCENCE IMAGING APPLICATIONS.
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Creator
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Hales, Katherine, Belfield, Kevin, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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Recent, cooperative advances in chemistry, computing, optics, and microelectronics have resulted in extraordinary developments in the biological sciences, resulting in the emergence of a novel area termed ¡¥biophotonics¡¦. The interdisciplinary nature of biophotonics cuts across virtually all disciplines, extending the frontiers of basic cellular, molecular, and biology research. This holds true for the development and application of the novel imaging modality utilizing...
Show moreRecent, cooperative advances in chemistry, computing, optics, and microelectronics have resulted in extraordinary developments in the biological sciences, resulting in the emergence of a novel area termed ¡¥biophotonics¡¦. The interdisciplinary nature of biophotonics cuts across virtually all disciplines, extending the frontiers of basic cellular, molecular, and biology research. This holds true for the development and application of the novel imaging modality utilizing multiphoton absorption and its extraordinary contribution to advances in bioimaging. Intimately involved in the revolution of nonlinear bioimaging has been the development of optical probes for probing biological function and activity. The focus of this dissertation is in the area of probe development, particularly à-conjugated organic probes, optimized for efficient two-photon absorption followed by upconverted fluorescence for multiphoton bioimaging. Specifically, fluorene molecules, with enhanced two-photon absorbing (2PA) properties and high photostability, were prepared and characterized. Contemporary synthetic methods were utilized to prepare target fluorene derivatives expected to be highly fluorescent and, in particular, exhibit high two-photon absorptivity, suitable for two-photon excitation (2PE) fluorescence microscopy. The flexibility afforded through synthetic manipulation for integrating hydrophilic moieties into the fluorophore architecture to enhance compatibility with aqueous systems, more native to biological samples, was attempted. Incorporation of functional groups for direct covalent attachment onto biomolecules was also pursued to prepare fluorene derivatives as efficient 2PA reactive probes. Linear and two-photon spectroscopic characterizations on these novel compounds reveal they exhibit relatively high 2PA cross-sections on the order of ~100 GM units, which is greater than typical, commonly used fluorophores utilized in multiphoton bioimaging. Extensive photostability studies of representative fluorene compounds demonstrate these derivatives are photostable under one- and two-photon excitation conditions, exhibiting photodecomposition quantum yields on the order of 10-5. Additionally, preliminary cytotoxicity studies indicate these fluorene derivatives exhibit minimal cytotoxic effects on proliferating cells. Finally, their utility as high-performance, 2PA fluorescent probes in 2PE fluorescence microscopy imaging of biological samples was demonstrated in both fixed and live cells. Due to the low cytotoxicity, high photostability, efficient 2PA, and high fluorescence quantum yield, the probes were found suitable for relatively long-term, two-photon fluorescence imaging of live cells, representing a significant advance in biophotonics.
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Date Issued
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2005
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Identifier
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CFE0000685, ucf:46487
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000685
Pages