1,585 research outputs found
Model for reflection and transmission matrices of nanowire end facets
Nanowires show a large potential for various electrooptical devices, such as
light emitting diodes, solar cells and nanowire lasers. We present a direct
method developed to calculate the modal reflection and transmission matrix at
the end facets of a waveguide of arbitrary cross section, resulting in a
generalized version of the Fresnel equations. The reflection can be
conveniently computed using Fast Fourier Transforms. We demonstrate that the
reflection is qualitatively described by two main parameters, the modal field
confinement and the average Fresnel reflection of the plane waves constituting
the waveguide mode.Comment: 11 pages,14 figure
Eco-aesthetic dimensions: Herbert Marcuse, ecollogy and art
In his last book, The Aesthetic Dimension (1978), Marcuse argued that a concern for aesthetics is justified when political change is unlikely. But the relation between aesthetics and politics is oblique: “Art cannot change the world, but it can contribute to changing the consciousness … of the men and women who could change the world.” (p. 33). Marcuse also linked his critique of capitalism to environmentalism in the early 1970s: “the violation of the Earth is a vital aspect of the counterrevolution.” (Ecology and Revolution, in The New Left and the 1960s, Collected Papers 3, 2005, p. 173). This article revisits Marcuse’s ideas on aesthetics and ecology, and reviews two recent art projects which engage their audiences in ecological issues: The Jetty Project (2014) by Wolfgang Weileder—which used recycled material and community participation to construct a temporary monument within a wider conservation project on the Tyne, N-E England—and Fracking Futures by HeHe (Helen Evans and Heiko Hansen)—which turned the interior of the gallery at FACT, Liverpool, into what appeared to be a fracking site. The aim is not to evaluate the projects, nor to test the efficacy of Marcuse’s ideas, more to ask again whether art has a role in a shift of attitude which might contribute to dealing with the political and economic causes of climate change
Bound whispering gallery modes in circular arrays of dielectric spherical particles
Low-dimensional ordered arrays of optical elements can possess bound modes
having an extremely high quality factor. Typically, these arrays consist of
metal elements which have significantly high light absorption thus restricting
performance. In this paper we address the following question: can bound modes
be formed in dielectric systems where the absorption of light is negligible?
Our investigation of circular arrays of spherical particles shows that (1) high
quality modes in an array of 10 or more particles can be attained at least for
a refractive index , so optical materials like TiO or GaAs can
be used; (2) the most bound modes have nearly transverse polarization
perpendicular to the circular plane; (3) in a particularly interesting case of
TiO particles (rutile phase, ), the quality factor of the most
bound mode increases almost by an order of magnitude with the addition of 10
extra particles, while for particles made of GaAs the quality factor increases
by almost two orders of magnitude with the addition of ten extra particles. We
hope that this preliminary study will stimulate experimental investigations of
bound modes in low-dimensional arrays of dielectric particles.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review
Scarring in a driven system with wave chaos
We consider acoustic wave propagation in a model of a deep ocean acoustic
waveguide with a periodic range-dependence. Formally, the wave field is
described by the Schrodinger equation with a time-dependent Hamiltonian. Using
methods borrowed from the quantum chaos theory it is shown that in the driven
system under consideration there exists a "scarring" effect similar to that
observed in autonomous quantum systems.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure
Effect of an atom on a quantum guided field in a weakly driven fiber-Bragg-grating cavity
We study the interaction of an atom with a quantum guided field in a weakly
driven fiber-Bragg-grating (FBG) cavity. We present an effective Hamiltonian
and derive the density-matrix equations for the combined atom-cavity system. We
calculate the mean photon number, the second-order photon correlation function,
and the atomic excited-state population. We show that, due to the confinement
of the guided cavity field in the fiber cross-section plane and in the space
between the FBG mirrors, the presence of the atom in the FBG cavity can
significantly affect the mean photon number and the photon statistics even
though the cavity finesse is moderate, the cavity is long, and the probe field
is weak.Comment: Accepted for Phys. Rev.
Comparison of Quantum and Classical Local-field Effects on Two-Level Atoms in a Dielectric
The macroscopic quantum theory of the electromagnetic field in a dielectric
medium interacting with a dense collection of embedded two-level atoms fails to
reproduce a result that is obtained from an application of the classical
Lorentz local-field condition. Specifically, macroscopic quantum
electrodynamics predicts that the Lorentz redshift of the resonance frequency
of the atoms will be enhanced by a factor of the refractive index n of the host
medium. However, an enhancement factor of (n*n+2)/3 is derived using the
Bloembergen procedure in which the classical Lorentz local-field condition is
applied to the optical Bloch equations. Both derivations are short and
uncomplicated and are based on well-established physical theories, yet lead to
contradictory results. Microscopic quantum electrodynamics confirms the
classical local-field-based results. Then the application of macroscopic
quantum electrodynamic theory to embedded atoms is proved false by a specific
example in which both the correspondence principle and microscopic theory of
quantum electrodynamics are violated.Comment: Published version with rewritten abstract and introductio
Long beating wavelength in the Schwarz-Hora effect
Thirty years ago, H.Schwarz has attempted to modulate an electron beam with
optical frequency. When a 50-keV electron beam crossed a thin crystalline
dielectric film illuminated with laser light, electrons produced the
electron-diffraction pattern not only at a fluorescent target but also at a
nonfluorescent target. In the latter case the pattern was of the same color as
the laser light (the Schwarz-Hora effect). This effect was discussed
extensively in the early 1970s. However, since 1972 no reports on the results
of further attempts to repeat those experiments in other groups have appeared,
while the failures of the initial such attempts have been explained by Schwarz.
The analysis of the literature shows there are several unresolved up to now
contradictions between the theory and the Schwarz experiments. In this work we
consider the interpretation of the long-wavelength spatial beating of the
Schwarz-Hora radiation. A more accurate expression for the spatial period has
been obtained, taking into account the mode structure of the laser field within
the dielectric film. It is shown that the discrepancy of more than 10% between
the experimental and theoretical results for the spatial period cannot be
reduced by using the existing quantum models that consider a collimated
electron beam.Comment: 3 pages, RevTe
Coherent Control of Ultra-High Frequency Acoustic Resonances in Photonic Crystal Fibers
Ultra-high frequency acoustic resonances (2 GHz) trapped within the
glass core (1 m diameter) of a photonic crystal fiber are
selectively excited through electrostriction using laser pulses of duration 100
ps and energy 500 pJ. Using precisely timed sequences of such driving pulses,
we achieve coherent control of the acoustic resonances by constructive or
destructive interference, demonstrating both enhancement and suppression of the
vibrations. A sequence of 27 resonantly-timed pulses provides a 100-fold
increase in the amplitude of the vibrational mode. The results are explained
and interpreted using a semi-analytical theory, and supported by precise
numerical simulations of the complex light-matter interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 3 avi movies (external link) - accepted in PR
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