Fractal laser sources: new analyses, results and contexts
| Autor: | Christian, JM, McDonald, GS, Heyes, AS, Huang, JG |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Technical Digest: National Photonics Conference, Photon 10, Southampton, 2010 University of Salford |
| Popis: | A series of significant new extensions concerning fractal light generation are reported. Firstly, we summarise techniques and results from the first full analysis of the linear modes of ‘fractal lasers’ [1] – unstable-cavity geometries with arbitrary Fresnel number Neq and arbitrary round-trip magnification M. Secondly, simulations and analyses for new contexts of laser-driven ‘nonlinear fractal generators’ [2] – where analogous nonlinear processes spontaneously generate fractals – are presented. Finally, we outline why such fractal laser sources may play a pivotal role in future Nature-inspired devices and\ud system architectures.\ud \ud Our discovery of fractal laser modes from unstable-cavity lasers [1] uncovered a general class of linear systems (with repeated magnification) that possess fractal eigenmodes. However, numerical or analytical analyses was limited to modes of either: very limited fractality, laser cavities with Neq ≈ O(1); or unlimited fractality, when Neq >> O(1). General properties of fractal modes from these two extremes are, perhaps unsurprisingly, different. Building on Fresnel diffraction theory developments [3], we report\ud fractal mode characteristics in the important intermediate regime – corresponding to real-world systems with significant and exploitable fractality (see Figure 1).\ud \ud \ud \ud Figure 1. Lowest-loss eigenmode patterns for ‘kaleidoscope fractals lasers’ with Neq = 30 and M = 1.5. \ud \ud We further proposed fractal light generation through entirely-nonlinear mechanisms [2]. The context examined was a single configuration with a particular nonlinearity. \ud Generalisation of this work to new contexts - with profoundly different nonlinearities and experimental configurations, such as ring cavities and cavity-less contexts – will be summarised. The huge spatial bandwidths associated with fractal sources have potential exploitation within novel technological contexts. We conclude with a brief account of such potential new technologies.\ud \ud References\ud [1] Karman G P, McDonald G S, New G H C and Woerdman JP, Nature 402, 138 (1999).\ud [2] Huang J G and McDonald G S, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 174101 (2005).\ud [3] Huang J G, Christian J M and McDonald G S, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 23, 2768 (2006). |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|