Electromagnetic Resonances In Nonlinear Optics

This book is devoted to the numerous phenomena arising from the interplay between electromagnetic resonances and nonlinear optical interactions. These resonances are associated with surface plasmas or guided waves, excited in nonlinear optical resonators such as prisms or grating couplers. Topics include rigorous theories of diffraction by gratings in nonlinear optics, presented in a form ready for numerical implementations; scattering the matrix description in nonlinear optics leading to the phenomological approach based on the use of poles and zeros and other behaviours.

Intended for readers with a background in classical electromagnetic theory, this book develops the basic principles that underlie nonlinear optical phenomena in matter. It begins with a discussion of linear wave propagation in dispersive media, moves into weak nonlinearities which can be discussed in a pertuberative manner, then it examines strong nonlinear effects (solitons, chaos). The emphasis is on the macroscopic description on nonlinear phenomena, within a semiclassical framework. Two new chapters cover surface optics and magneto-optic phenomena. The book is aimed at the student or researcher who is not a specialist in optics but needs an introduction to the principal concepts.

Many years spent in an industrial engineering laboratory have convinced me that there is ever-increasing need to present recent and current research in forms which can be easily assimilated by engineers, technical managers, and others concerned with applications and the development of new tech nology. There is a forbidding gap between the typical research paper, addressed by specialists to other specialists, and the popular-level account addressed to the layman. The second does not adequately prepare the engi neer for profitably studying the first; it does not impart sufficient depth of understanding to the manager who must make decisions on the relative merits of various approaches to a problem or on the potential contributions various specialists might make to his program. This book is the outgrowth of a review prepared to fill this need for engineers in a large corporation who were concerned with the industrial application of lasers. That review was written hurriedly, on a fixed budget, to a deadline; consequently, it contained oversimplifications and errors, not all of which were trivial. Nevertheless, the favorable response proved that such a review is indeed needed. It is hoped that this more finished work will prove useful to a wide variety of potential users of laser-centered devices and systems, and may even stimulate the generation of useful ideas.

This book is devoted primarily to the various kinds of resonant nonlinear in teractions of light with two-level (or, in many cases, multilevel) systems. The interactions can involve one-photon as well as multiphoton processes in which some combinations of frequencies of participating photons are close to tran sitions of atoms or molecules (e.g., we consider stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) as a resonant interaction). This approach involves a broad spectrum of problems. Discussion of some of the basic phenomena as well as the pertinent theory could be found, for instance, in such well-known books as the ones due to N. Bloembergen; S.A. Akhmanov and R.V. Khokhlov; L. Allen and J.H. Eberly, and to V.M. Fain and Ya.1. Khanin. The book "Quantum Electronics" by A. Yariv could serve as an introductory guide to the subject. Thus, some of the basic material in the present book will already be well known to the reader who is an expert in the field. There are, for instance, general density matrix equations; two-level model and basic effects associated with this model, such as saturation of one-photon absorption and Raby oscillations; some basic multiphoton processes such as two-photon absorption, SRS, etc.

This textbook, based on the authors’ class-tested material, is accessible to students at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level in physics and engineering. While its primary function is didactic, this book’s comprehensive choice of topics and its clear and authoritative synthesis of ideas make it a useful reference for researchers, device engineers, and course instructors who wish to consolidate their knowledge of this field. The book takes the semi-classical approach where light is treated as a wave in accordance with the classical Maxwell equations, while matter is governed by quantum theory. It begins by introducing the postulates and mathematical framework of quantum theory, followed by the formalism of the density matrix which allows the transition from microscopic (quantum) quantities to macroscopic (classical) ones. Consequently, the equations describing the reaction of matter to the electromagnetic field in the form of polarization, magnetization, and current are derived. These equations (together with the Maxwell equations) form the complete system of equations sufficient to model a wide class of problems surrounding linear and nonlinear interactions of electromagnetic fields with matter. The nonlinear character of the governing equations determines parameters of the steady-state mode of the quantum generator and is also demonstrated in harmonic generation via propagation of laser radiation in various media. The touchstone description of magnetic phenomena will be of interest to scientists who deal with applications of magneto-resonance phenomena in biology and medicine. Other advanced topics covered include electric dipole transitions, magnetic dipole transitions, plasma transitions, and the devices that can be based on these and other electro-optical and nonlinear-optical systems. This textbook features numerous exercises, some of which are investigatory and some of which require computational solutions.

Clear, comprehensive graduate-level account of basic principles involved in all quantum optical resonance phenomena, hailed in Contemporary Physics as "a valuable contribution to the literature of non-linear optics." 53 illustrations.

In this paper we investigated the dynamics of the processes occurring in a Q-switched laser. This work was stimulated by the lack of data on the spatial and temporal development of generation, despite the obvious importance of such data in the use of giant light pulses in in vestigations of the nonlinear interaction of radiation and matter. From a systematic con sideration of a relatively simple model of a Q-switched laser we analytically investigated two main phases of development of the giant pulse - the phase of linear development of generation, which begins with amplification of the spontaneous emission in the modes, and the phase of nonlinear transverse development, during which the giant light pulse proper is emitted. In ad dition, fo r a thorough inve stigation of the picture of development of the pulse as a whole the equations were numerically integrated. ' Subsequent experiments [26, 27] confirmed the occurrence of transverse development of the giant pulse, while recent experiments on nonlinear amplification [28] have shown the sig nificance of this effect in the propagation of the giant pulse in a nonlinear medium. A know ledge of the transverse development of the giant pulse would appear to be essential for the exact determination of the true strength of the light field in experiments on multi photon pro cesses [29]. The developed theory also leads to recommendations for the design of lasers to generate giant light pulses of minimum length and minimum divergence of emission.