Field resolving spectrometer for mid-infrared molecular spectroscopy

The interrogation of molecular samples with broadband mid-infrared (MIR) radiation results in highly specific “vibrational fingerprints,” containing a wealth of information on molecular structure and composition. This renders vibrational spectroscopy a powerful and versatile tool for applications ranging from fundamental science to the life sciences and to industrial applications. Conventional MIR spectroscopic techniques face severe limitations in detection sensitivity, in particular due to the poor coherence properties of common MIR sources as well as to the moderate detectivity and dynamic range of broadband MIR detectors. The research reported in this thesis has addressed the quest for novel routes towards tapping the potential of MIR spectral fingerprinting, harnessing modern, high-power femtosecond laser technology. The first part of the work reports the construction of octave-spanning, coherent femtosecond MIR sources, employing state-of-the-art 100-W-average-power-level thin-disk Yb:YAG modelocked oscillators. We demonstrated ultrabroadband coherent MIR sources with a brilliance exceeding that of MIR beamlines at 3rd-generation synchrotrons, and found that pulses emerging via intra-pulse difference frequency generation offer superior (and unparalleled) optical-waveform stability as compared to standard optical-parametric amplification. The temporal confinement of broadband MIR radiation to trains of sub-100-femtosecond pulses, together with field-resolved detection via electro-optic sampling (EOS) affords detection of the molecular fingerprint signal in the near-infrared region, where highly-efficient, high-dynamic-range detectors exist. Optimized EOS detection enabled a linear response over an intensity dynamic range of 150 dB at a central wavelength of 8.6 µm. This exceeds the previous state of the art by a large margin and has paved the way to high-signal-to-noise-ratio transmission measurements of aqueous biological samples like living cells and tissue. The waveform stability of the mid-infrared pulses plays a crucial role for real-life field-resolved spectroscopy measurements, and is of paramount importance for precision-metrological applications. In the second part of this thesis, high-quantum-efficiency EOS was employed for precision measurements of waveform jitter, evaluated for millions of pulses. This study demonstrated few-attosecond temporal jitter in the 1-Hz-to-0.625-MHz band, between the centre of mass of the driving near-infrared pulses, and individual field zero-crossings of the emerging, broadband mid-infrared field. This confirms the outstanding waveform stability achievable with second-order parametric processes with an order-of-magnitude improved accuracy compared to previous measurements. Furthermore, chirping the MIR pulse revealed attosecond-level optical-frequency-dependent waveform jitter, whose dynamics were quantitatively traced back to excessive intensity noise of the mode-locked oscillator. Thus, this study validated EOS as a broadband (both in the radio-frequency and in the optical domain), high-sensitivity measurement technique for the dynamics of optical waveforms beyond the standard, optical-spectrum-integrating carrier-envelope phase model. The instrument developed during this thesis was utilized for the first highly sensitive field-resolved measurements in the MIR molecular fingerprint region. It enabled the detection of molecular concentrations spanning 5 orders of magnitude down to 200-ng/mL in aqueous solutions and the examination of living biological systems with a thickness of up to 0.2 mm. Currently, the instrument is being used for the first large-scale studies on disease recognition based on vibrational fingerprinting of human blood serum. The implementation of intra-scan referencing, successfully carried out in the last weeks of this doctoral work, together with fast-scanning techniques and the extension of the MIR spectral bandwidth which are underway at our laboratory, promise to extend the technology pioneered in this thesis to new levels of sensitivity and reproducibility in vibrational spectroscopy. In addition to directly benefitting analytical applications, these developments are likely to afford novel insights into light-matter interactions

60 GHz photonic millimeter-wave communication systems

Currently available copper-based Internet access technologies like xDSL and DOCSIS cover data transmission speeds in the range of some 10 Mb/s. With new applications, an increase in bandwidth demand up to the Gb/s-range is expected for the next years. Therefore, an evolution of access networks by gradual replacement of copper-based by fiber-optic infrastructure is presently ongoing. A similar development can be predicted for wireless access technology operating within the classical microwave range. Due to regulatory requirements and a lack of bandwidth alternatives need to be developed in the millimeter-wave band. In this regard, the frequency range around 60 GHz has a special importance due to a worldwide available unlicensed spectrum of several GHz of bandwidth. In this context, the integration of wireless networks in fiber-optic networks by the fiber-optic transport of the radio signal (radio-over-fiber, RoF) is of particular importance. Besides the low-loss optical transport of a 60 GHz radio signal RoF technology furthermore allows to shift complexity from base stations to a central office by a centralized provision of the millimeter-wave carrier. This work deals with the modeling, realization and characterization of 60 GHz RoF systems providing data rates within the multi-Gb/s range. On the theoretical side, a system model has been developed comprising relevant electrical and optical noise sources and the transmission properties of fiber-optic and wireless links as well. This allows for instance to make reliable predictions of the expected system performance in the run-up to RoF system planning and thus to identify optimization potential. Using innovative approaches and technologies, 12.5 Gb/s data transmission has been realized via fiber and wirelessly for the first time over technical relevant distances. Also, if compared to conventional RoF systems the dispersion-limited fiber-optic range has been multiplied. Another RoF system in the frame of this work aimed for an uncompressed HDTV transmission, for instance for video conferencing with high resolution (1080p) and extremely low latency (telemedicine). The wireless transmission of an uncompressed HDTV signal has been successfully demonstrated. Including the previously achieved results and experiences, the system complexity has been significantly reduced

1996 Laboratory directed research and development annual report

This report summarizes progress from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program during fiscal year 1996. In addition to a programmatic and financial overview, the report includes progress reports from 259 individual R&D projects in seventeen categories. The general areas of research include: engineered processes and materials; computational and information sciences; microelectronics and photonics; engineering sciences; pulsed power; advanced manufacturing technologies; biomedical engineering; energy and environmental science and technology; advanced information technologies; counterproliferation; advanced transportation; national security technology; electronics technologies; idea exploration and exploitation; production; and science at the interfaces - engineering with atoms

Space Communications: Theory and Applications. Volume 3: Information Processing and Advanced Techniques. A Bibliography, 1958 - 1963

Annotated bibliography on information processing and advanced communication techniques - theory and applications of space communication