218 research outputs found
Observation of electro-activated localized structures in broad area VCSELs
We demonstrate experimentally the electro-activation of a localized optical
structure in a coherently driven broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting
laser (VCSEL) operated below threshold. Control is achieved by
electro-optically steering a writing beam through a pre-programmable switch
based on a photorefractive funnel waveguide.Comment: 5 Figure
Electron-lattice kinetics of metals heated by ultrashort laser pulses
We propose a kinetic model of transient nonequilibrium phenomena in metals
exposed to ultrashort laser pulses when heated electrons affect the lattice
through direct electron-phonon interaction. This model describes the
destruction of a metal under intense laser pumping. We derive the system of
equations for the metal, which consists of hot electrons and a cold lattice.
Hot electrons are described with the help of the Boltzmann equation and
equation of thermoconductivity. We use the equations of motion for lattice
displacements with the electron force included. The lattice deformation is
estimated immediately after the laser pulse up to the time of electron
temperature relaxation. An estimate shows that the ablation regime can be
achieved.Comment: 7 pages; Revtex. to appear in JETP 88, #1 (1999
Observation of Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou Recurrence and Its Exact Dynamics
One of the most controversial phenomena in nonlinear dynamics is the reappearance of initial
conditions. Celebrated as the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou problem, the attempt to understand how these
recurrences form during the complex evolution that leads to equilibrium has deeply influenced the entire
development of nonlinear science. The enigma is rendered even more intriguing by the fact that integrable
models predict recurrence as exact solutions, but the difficulties involved in upholding integrability for a
sufficiently long dynamic has not allowed a quantitative experimental validation. In natural processes,
coupling with the environment rapidly leads to thermalization, and finding nonlinear multimodal systems
presenting multiple returns is a long-standing open challenge. Here, we report the observation of more than
three Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou recurrences for nonlinear optical spatial waves and demonstrate the
control of the recurrent behavior through the phase and amplitude of the initial field. The recurrence period
and phase shift are found to be in remarkable agreement with the exact recurrent solution of the nonlinear
Schrödinger equation, while the recurrent behavior disappears as integrability is lost. These results identify
the origin of the recurrence in the integrability of the underlying dynamics and allow us to achieve one of
the basic aspirations of nonlinear dynamics: the reconstruction, after several return cycles, of the exact
initial condition of the system, ultimately proving that the complex evolution can be accurately predicted in
experimental conditions
Photorefractive light needles in glassy nanodisordered KNTN
We study the formation of 2D self-trapped beams in nanodisordered potassium-sodium-tantalate-niobate (KNTN) cooled below the dynamic glass transition. Supercooling is shown to accelerate the photorefractive response and enhance steady-state anisotropy. Effects in the excited state are attributed to the anomalous slim-loop polarization curve typical of relaxors dominated by non-interacting polar-nano-regions
Anti-diffracting beams through the diffusive optical nonlinearity
Anti-diffraction is a theoretically predicted nonlinear optical
phenomenon that occurs when a light beam spontaneously focalizes independently of its intensity. We observe anti-diffracting beams supported by the peak-intensity-independent diffusive nonlinearity that are able to shrink below their diffraction-limited size in photorefractive lithium-enriched potassium-tantalate-niobate (KTN:Li)
Topological control of extreme waves
From optics to hydrodynamics, shock and rogue waves are widespread. Although they appear as distinct phenomena, transitions between extreme waves are allowed. However, these have never been experimentally observed because control strategies are still missing. We introduce the new concept of topological control based on the one-to-one correspondence between the number of wave packet oscillating phases and the genus of toroidal surfaces associated with the nonlinear Schrödinger equation solutions through Riemann theta functions. We demonstrate the concept experimentally by reporting observations of supervised transitions between waves with different genera. Considering the box problem in a focusing photorefractive medium, we tailor the time-dependent nonlinearity and dispersion to explore each region in the state diagram of the nonlinear wave propagation. Our result is the first realization of topological control of nonlinear waves. This new technique casts light on shock and rogue waves generation and can be extended to other nonlinear phenomena
Aging solitons in photorefractive dipolar glasses
We study experimentally the aging of optical spatial solitons in a dipolar glass hosted by a nanodisordered sample of photorefractive potassium-sodium-tantalate-niobate (KNTN). As the system ages, the waves erratically explore varying strengths of the nonlinear response, causing them to break up and scatter. We show that this process can still lead to solitons, but in a generalized form for which the changing response is compensated by changing the normalized wave size and intensity so as to maintain fixed the optical waveform
Observation of an intrinsic nonlinearity in the electro-optic response of freezing relaxors ferroelectrics
We demonstrate an electro-optic response that is linear in the
amplitude but independent of the sign of the applied electric field. The
symmetry-preserving linear electro-optic effect emerges at low applied
electric fields in freezing nanodisordered KNTN above the dielectric peak
temperature, deep into the nominal paraelectric phase. Strong temperature
dependence allows us to attribute the phenomenon to an anomalously
reduced thermal agitation in the reorientational response of the underlying
polar-nanoregions
Nonequilibrium Magnetization Dynamics of Nickel
Ultrafast magnetization dynamics of nickel has been studied for different
degrees of electronic excitation, using pump-probe second-harmonic generation
with 150 fs/800 nm laser pulses of various fluences. Information about the
electronic and magnetic response to laser irradiation is obtained from sums and
differences of the SHG intensity for opposite magnetization directions. The
classical M(T)-curve can be reproduced for delay times larger than the electron
thermalization time of about 280 fs, even when electrons and lattice have not
reached thermal equilibrium. Further we show that the transient magnetization
reaches its minimum approx. 50 fs before electron thermalization is completed.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, revte
MHz Unidirectional Rotation of Molecular Rotary Motors
A combination of cryogenic UV-vis and CD spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy at ambient temperature is used to study a new class of unidirectional rotary molecular motors. Stabilization of unstable intermediates is achieved below 95 K in propane solution for the structure with the fastest rotation rate, and below this temperature measurements on the rate limiting step in the rotation cycle can be performed to obtain activation parameters. The results are compared to measurements at ambient temperature using transient absorption spectroscopy, which show that behavior of these motors is similar over the full temperature range investigated, thereby allowing a maximum rotation rate of 3 MHz at room temperature under suitable irradiation conditions
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