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Optical Engineering

optical filtWaveguide narrowband er using spectral hole burning

Marcel Tschanz, Aleksander Rebane, Urs P. Wild

Published Jul 1, 1995• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have developed a new integrated narrowband spectral filter, which consists of a planar waveguide covered with a thin polymer film containing molecules, which undergo persistent spectral hole burning at liquid helium temperature. We show that such a device performs as a miniature programmable narrowband spectral filter, with a transmission bandwidth less than 1 GHz. In such a filter the frequency resolution is limited by the width of the homogeneous zero-phonon lines of the chromophore molecules, and not by the geometrical dimensions of the device. Experimental measurements in the time domain using a picosecond dye laser, and in the frequency domain using a single-mode diode laser, are presented.

DOI
10.1117/12.200604

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Spectral Hole Burning and its Applications for Picosecond Optical Data-Processing

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Zero-phonon lines in impurity optical spectra and their inhomogeneous broadening are discussed. Photoburning of persistent spectral holes is not only an effective method to eliminate the inhomogeneous broadening and perform high resolution spectroscopy, but it serves also as a powerful tool to control by means of illumination the absorption coefficient and refractive index of the matter. It opens new horizons for frequency-selective optical memories, data storage and data processing. Hole burning by picosecond pulses and the time-and space-domain holography based on it are discussed and the results of the experiments described.

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Peter Pokrowsky, Frank Ghu, Gary C. Bjorklund

Recently there has been considerable interest in frequency domain optical memories based on the cryogenic phenomenon of photochemical hole burning.1 This phenomenon occurs whenever persistent photochemical changes can be induced by exposure to narrowband optical radiation tuned to a frequency within the inhomogeneously broadened zero phonon line of a photoactive material contained In a host. The narrowband radiation selectively excites that fraction of molecules whose homogeneous linewidth overlaps the excitation frequency. The ensuing photochemical reaction results in a persistent narrow dip or hole in the line shape. Since typical ratios of inhomogeneous- to-homogeneous widths are of the order of 103, 103 resolvable holes can be burned into the inhomogeneous line at each spatial location in the sample. Thus the storage density in such a frequency domain optical memory might ultimately be 103 higher than in a conventional optical memory.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics•Jan 1, 1983•0 citations
We have developed a new integrated narrowband spectral filter, which consists of a planar waveguide covered with a thin polymer film containing molecules, which undergo persistent spectral hole burning at liquid helium temperature. We show that such a device performs as a miniature programmable narrowband spectral filter, with a transmission bandwidth less than 1 GHz. In such a filter the frequency resolution is limited by the width of the homogeneous zero-phonon lines of the chromophore molecules, and not by the geometrical dimensions of the device. Experimental measurements in the time domain using a picosecond dye laser, and in the frequency domain using a single-mode diode laser, are presented.
We demonstrate a new integrated narrow-band spectral filter which consists of a planar waveguide covered with a thin polymer film donated with molecules liable to persistent spectral hole-burning (SHB) at liquid helium temperature. We show that such a device performs as a miniature programmable narrow-band spectral filter with a transmission bandwidth less than 1 angstrom. In contrast to currently used techniques, the frequency resolution of a SHB filter is limited, in first place, by the width of the homogeneous zero-phonon lines of the chromophore molecules, and not by the geometrical dimensions of the device.
At very low temperatures, the spread in the different environments of matrix embedded dye molecules results in an inhomogeneously broadened S1 ← S0 band. Spectroscopic techniques based on the appearence of optical zero phonon lines, such as fluorescence line narrowing, spectral hole-burning, and single molecule spectroscopy provide an experimental resolution limited by the homogeneous linewidth. From the investigation of the homogeneous line width as a function of different parameters (time, temperature) information on the guest host interactions responsible for the observed linewidth is obtained. Spectrally narrow features are extremely sensitive probes for external perturbations, such as electric fields, magnetic fields, or hydrostatic pressure.
Photochemically instable dye molecules in low-temperature polymers are distributed not only spatially in the medium but also spectrally along the axis of resonant optical transition frequencies and orientationally with reference to the polarization of the transition. Consequently, such composite organic materials -- spectral hole burning media1-4 -- can be considered as novel optical materials possessing not only three-dimensional photosensitivity but also sensitivity to the wavelength and polarization of the incident light.
We propose a novel, wideband spectrum analyzer based on spectral hole burning (SHB) technology. SHB crystals contain rare earth ions doped into a host lattice, and are cooled to cryogenic temperatures to allow sub-MHz hole burning linewidths. The signal spectrum is recorded in an SHB crystal by illuminating the crystal with an optical beam modulated by the RF signal of interest. The signal's spectral components excite those rare earth ions whose resonance frequencies coincide with the spectral component frequencies, engraving the RF spectrum into the crystal's absorption profile. Probing this altered absorption profile with a low power, chirped laser while measuring the transmitted intensity results in a time-domain readout of the accumulated RF signal spectrum. The resolution of the spectrum analyzer is limited only by the homogeneous linewidth of the rare earth ions (< 1 MHz when the SHB crystal is cooled to cryogenic temperatures). The spectrum analyzer bandwidth is limited by the inhomogeneous linewidth and by the electro-optic modulator bandwidth, both of which can be > 20 GHz.
Zero-phonon lines in impurity optical spectra and their inhomogeneous broadening are discussed. Photoburning of persistent spectral holes is not only an effective method to eliminate the inhomogeneous broadening and perform high resolution spectroscopy, but it serves also as a powerful tool to control by means of illumination the absorption coefficient and refractive index of the matter. It opens new horizons for frequency-selective optical memories, data storage and data processing. Hole burning by picosecond pulses and the time-and space-domain holography based on it are discussed and the results of the experiments described.
Recently there has been considerable interest in frequency domain optical memories based on the cryogenic phenomenon of photochemical hole burning.1 This phenomenon occurs whenever persistent photochemical changes can be induced by exposure to narrowband optical radiation tuned to a frequency within the inhomogeneously broadened zero phonon line of a photoactive material contained In a host. The narrowband radiation selectively excites that fraction of molecules whose homogeneous linewidth overlaps the excitation frequency. The ensuing photochemical reaction results in a persistent narrow dip or hole in the line shape. Since typical ratios of inhomogeneous- to-homogeneous widths are of the order of 103, 103 resolvable holes can be burned into the inhomogeneous line at each spatial location in the sample. Thus the storage density in such a frequency domain optical memory might ultimately be 103 higher than in a conventional optical memory.