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arXiv:1007.0811 · Applied Optics

Coherent optical ultrasound detection with rare-earth ion dopants

Jian Wei Tay, Patrick M. Ledingham, Jevon J. Longdell

Published Aug 2, 2010• 15 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We describe theoretical and experimental demonstration for optical detection of ultrasound using a spectral hole engraved in cryogenically cooled rare-earth ion-doped solids. Our method utilizes the dispersion effects due to the spectral hole to perform phase-to-amplitude modulation conversion. Like previous approaches using spectral holes, it has the advantage of detection with large étendue. The method also has the benefit that high sensitivity can be obtained with moderate absorption contrast for the spectral holes.

DOI
10.1364/ao.49.004331

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We describe theoretical and experimental demonstration for optical detection of ultrasound using a spectral hole engraved in cryogenically cooled rare-earth ion-doped solids. Our method utilizes the dispersion effects due to the spectral hole to perform phase-to-amplitude modulation conversion. Like previous approaches using spectral holes, it has the advantage of detection with large étendue. The method also has the benefit that high sensitivity can be obtained with moderate absorption contrast for the spectral holes.
We demonstrate the optical detection of ultrasound using spectral hole burning in a cryogenic rare earth ion doped crystal. The dispersion due to the hole is used to perform phase to amplitude modulation conversion. This method allows sensitive detection of ultrasonic displacements with the advantage of large étendue. This method is also attractive as it requires only moderate absorption contrast to achieve high sensitivity. We also describe a method for diode laser stabilisation using optical feedback through spectral holes which dramatically reduces the laser phase noise.
The present work addresses critical issues in constructing high suppression, narrowband spectral filters in rare-earth-ion-doped crystals, mainly targeting the application of ultrasound optical tomography but is also applicable for areas such as quantum memories, self-filtering of laser frequencies, and other applications relying on high absorption in rare-earth-ion-doped crystals. The polarization of light transmitted through a highly absorbing crystal is experimentally analyzed. Additionally, an existing wave propagation method is used to simulate beam propagation through a spectral hole to study the high étendue requirements of ultrasound optical tomography.
We present results of a novel and highly sensitive technique for the optical detection of ultrasound using the selective storage of frequency shifted photons in an inherently highly efficient and low noise atomic frequency comb (AFC) based quantum memory. The ultrasound ‘tagged’ optical sidebands are absorbed within a pair of symmetric AFCs, generated via optical pumping in a Pr3+:Y2SiO5 sample (tooth separation Δ = 150 kHz, comb finesse fc ~ 2 and optical depth αL ~ 2), separated by twice the ultrasound modulation frequency (1.5 MHz) and centered on either side of a broad spectral pit (1.7 MHz width) allowing transmission of the carrier. The stored sidebands are recovered with 10-20% efficiency as a photon echo (as defined by the comb parameters), and we demonstrate a record 49 dB discrimination between the sidebands and the carrier pulse, high discrimination being important for imaging tissues at depth. We further demonstrate detector limited discrimination (~29 dB) using a highly scattered beam, confirming that the technique is immune to speckle decorrelation. We show that it also remains valid in the case of optically thin samples, and thus represents a significant improvement over other ultrasound detection methods based on rare-earth-ion-doped crystals. These results strongly suggest the suitability of our technique for high-resolution non-contact real-time imaging of biological tissues.
Unique spectroscopic properties of isolated rare earth ions in solids offer optical linewidths rivaling those of trapped single atoms and enable a variety of recent applications. We design rare-earth-doped crystals, ceramics, and fibers with persistent or transient "spectral hole" recording properties for applications including high-bandwidth optical signal processing where light and our solids replace the high-bandwidth portion of the electronics; quantum cryptography and information science including the goal of storage and recall of single photons; and medical imaging technology for the 700-900 nm therapeutic window. Ease of optically manipulating rare-earth ions in solids enables capturing complex spectral information in 105 to 108 frequency bins. Combining spatial holography and spectral hole burning provides a capability for processing high-bandwidth RF and optical signals with sub-MHz spectral resolution and bandwidths of tens to hundreds of GHz for applications including range-Doppler radar and high bandwidth RF spectral analysis. Simply stated, one can think of these crystals as holographic recording media capable of distinguishing up to 108 different colors. Ultra-narrow spectral holes also serve as a vibration-insensitive sub-kHz frequency reference for laser frequency stabilization to a part in 1013 over tens of milliseconds. The unusual properties and applications of spectral hole burning of rare earth ions in optical materials are reviewed. Experimental results on the promising Tm3+:LiNbO3 material system are presented and discussed for medical imaging applications. Finally, a new application of these materials as dynamic optical filters for laser noise suppression is discussed along with experimental demonstrations and theoretical modeling of the process.
Quantum memories are inherently highly efficient and display low noise, making them particularly suitable for the optical detection of ultrasound. Here, we use an atomic-frequency-comb based quantum memory to demonstrate sensitive ultrasound detection, realising a 49 dB discrimination between the sidebands and the carrier. The method remains valid in the case of optically thin samples and thus represents a significant improvement over other ultrasound detection methods based on rare-earth-ion-doped crystals. Furthermore, we show that this non-destructive non-contact approach is also compatible with highly scattering samples and suggest its particular suitability for the real-time imaging of biological tissues.
By spectrally hole burning an inhomogeneously broadened ensemble of ions while applying a controlled perturbation, one can obtain spectral holes that are functionalized for maximum sensitivity to different perturbations. We propose to use such hole-burned structures for the dispersive optical interaction with rare-earth-ion dopants whose frequencies are sensitive to crystal strain due to the bending motion of a crystal cantilever. A quantitative analysis shows that good optical sensitivity to the bending motion is obtained if a magnetic-field gradient is applied across the crystal during hole burning and that the resulting optomechanical coupling strength is sufficient for observing quantum features such as zero-point vibrations.