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Optical Engineering

Split-step birefringence simulation method for optical Kerr gates

Lei Liang, Zhenqiang Huang, Yipeng Zheng, Jiaxuan Tang, Kaili Ren, Dongdong Han, Nan Liu, Feng Zhao, Jinhai Si

Published Feb 3, 2023• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A split-step birefringence simulation method is proposed to investigate the gating efficiency and intensity distribution of the Kerr signal field considering the evolution of the switch beam and probe beam in their path. Using this simulation method, we investigated the switch-beam power-dependent gating efficiency and conducted an experiment to prove its reliability. Furthermore, we analyzed the optical intensity distribution of the Kerr signal exiting the Kerr medium under different switch-beam powers. This study provides an effective theoretical tool for the design and optimization of optical Kerr gates.

DOI
10.1117/1.oe.62.2.024101

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A split-step birefringence simulation method is proposed to investigate the gating efficiency and intensity distribution of the Kerr signal field considering the evolution of the switch beam and probe beam in their path. Using this simulation method, we investigated the switch-beam power-dependent gating efficiency and conducted an experiment to prove its reliability. Furthermore, we analyzed the optical intensity distribution of the Kerr signal exiting the Kerr medium under different switch-beam powers. This study provides an effective theoretical tool for the design and optimization of optical Kerr gates.
An optical Kerr gate (OKG) is an ultrafast optical switch based on the optical Kerr effect. The performance of a conventional OKG depends mainly on Kerr materials. Traditional Kerr materials do not demonstrate both large optical nonlinearity and an ultrafast response time. Therefore, the performance of a conventional OKG is limited by an inherent trade-off between high signal transmittance and fast switching time, which limits its application in many fields. We propose an improved femtosecond OKG with double gate pulses, based on the use of a birefringent crystal to realize an ultrashort switching time, even with a slow-response optical Kerr medium. We assessed the dependence of the double gate pulsed OKG (D-OKG)’s performance on the intensity ratio of the double gate pulses. A transmittance of 50% and a switching time of 142 fs were achieved. The D-OKG is convenient to construct, and its integrated performance is superior to that of a conventional OKG.
Abstract Based on the light-induced polarization ellipse rotation effect, we propose an optical Kerr gate (OKG) in which elliptically polarized probe light is used by introducing a pair of crossed quarter-wave plates into the conventional OKG arrangement, placed just before and after the Kerr medium. Transient birefringence induced by the pump beam in the Kerr medium leads to a rotation of the polarization ellipse of the probe beam, hence part of the probe beam would pass through the OKG. Theoretical calculations and experimental results both indicate that the OKG signal intensity would reach the optimum value independent of the pump polarization direction when the probe beam is circularly polarized. This modified OKG measurement is suitable to detect the third-order nonlinearities induced in anisotropic materials.
The self-Kerr-nonlinearity of a four-level N\mathsf{N}N-type atomic system is studied both experimentally and theoretically. The self-Kerr-nonlinear coefficient n2{n}_{2}n2​ of the probe beam is greatly enhanced near atomic resonance, and can be dramatically modified by changing the switching laser power. With an increasing switching laser power, the slope of the Kerr nonlinear coefficient n2{n}_{2}n2​ around the atomic resonance changes from negative to positive, and the value of n2{n}_{2}n2​ varies from \ensuremath{\sim}--4 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 10${}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ to 4 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 10${}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ cm2{}^{2}2/W at certain near-resonant probe frequency detunings. Such controllable Kerr nonlinearity can find applications in optoelectronic devices, such as all-optical switching and logic gates.
Effect of relaxation time on the performance of photonic crystal optical bistable switches based on Kerr nolinearity is discussed. This paper deals with optical pulses with the duration of about 50 ps. In such cases the steady state response of the optical device can be used to approximate the pulse evolution if the nonlinearity is assumed instantaneous, hence analytical solutions such as the coupled mode theory can be used to obtain the time evolution of the electromagnetic fields. However if the relaxation time of the material nonlinear response is also considered, changes in the power levels and in the shape of the hystersis loop is observed. In this case, we use the nonlinear finite difference time domain method (NL-FDTD) to follow the system dynamics and get the bistability hystersis loop. Codes are developed to analyze the instantaneous Kerr materials and the Kerr materials with finite response times. Depending on the material, the relaxation times of the order of 1-10fs should be considered in studying bistability to obtain the right shape of the output pulses. It is observed that the relaxation leads to larger input power and threshold and hence degrades the performance of the switch in pulse shaping.
A recent theory of polarization switching and beam amplification effect in Kerr-like media is extended to birefringent photorefractive crystals. In this class of material, the birefringence allows a new mechanism for coherent nonlinear mixing effects among the extraordinary and ordinary waves, leading to amplification and polarization switching effects. Analytic solutions of the parametric equations governing these interacting waves are solved for both the phase-matched and phase-mismatched geometries. The authors also present an experimental confirmation of the predicted polarization switching effect.>