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1. Single-shot ultrafast visualization and measurement of laser–matter interactions in flexible glass using frequency domain holography

   https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.382645  

   Dempsey, Dennis; Nagar, Garima_C; Renskers, Christopher_K; Grynko, Rostislav_I; Sutherland, James_S; Shim, Bonggu (February 2020, Optics Letters)

   We perform single-shot frequency domain holography to measure the ultrafast spatio-temporal phase change induced by the optical Kerr effect and plasma in flexible Corning Willow Glass during femtosecond laser–matter interactions. We measure the nonlinear index of refraction ( $n_2$) to be $(3.6\pm <\#comment/>0.1)\times <\#comment/>{10}^{-<\#comment/>16}{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^2/\mathrm{W}$and visualize the plasma formation and recombination on femtosecond time scales in a single shot. To compare with the experiment, we carry out numerical simulations by solving the nonlinear envelope equation. 

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2. Thermal-light heterodyne spectroscopy with frequency comb calibration

   https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.440389  

   Fredrick, Connor; Olsen, Freja; Terrien, Ryan; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Quinlan, Franklyn; Diddams, Scott_A (February 2022, Optica)

   Precision laser spectroscopy is key to many developments in atomic and molecular physics and the advancement of related technologies such as atomic clocks and sensors. However, in important spectroscopic scenarios, such as astronomy and remote sensing, the light is of thermal origin, and interferometric or diffractive spectrometers typically replace laser spectroscopy. In this work, we employ laser-based heterodyne radiometry to measure incoherent light sources in the near-infrared and introduce techniques for absolute frequency calibration with a laser frequency comb. Measuring the solar continuum, we obtain a signal-to-noise ratio that matches the fundamental quantum-limited prediction given by the thermal photon distribution and our system’s efficiency, bandwidth, and averaging time. With resolving power $R\sim <\#comment/>{10}^6$, we determine the center frequency of an iron line in the solar spectrum to sub-MHz absolute frequency uncertainty in under 10 min, a fractional precision 1/4000 the linewidth. Additionally, we propose concepts that take advantage of refractive beam shaping to decrease the effects of pointing instabilities by $100\times <\#comment/>$, and of frequency comb multiplexing to increase data acquisition rates and spectral bandwidths by comparable factors. Taken together, our work brings the power of telecommunications photonics and the precision of frequency comb metrology to laser heterodyne radiometry, with implications for solar and astronomical spectroscopy, remote sensing, and precise Doppler velocimetry. 

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3. High-power narrow spectrum GaSb-based DBR lasers emitting near 2.1  µm

   https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.422536  

   Jiang, Jiang; Shterengas, Leon; Kipshidze, Gela; Stein, Aaron; Belyanin, Alexey; Belenky, Gregory (April 2021, Optics Letters)

   Stable high-power narrow-linewidth operation of the 2.05–2.1 µm GaSb-based diode lasers was achieved by utilizing the sixth-order surface-etched distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors. The DBR multimode devices with 100 µm wide ridge waveguides generated $\sim <\#comment/>850\mathrm{m}\mathrm{W}$in the continuous wave (CW) regime at 20°C. The device CW output power was limited by thermal rollover. The laser emission spectrum was defined by Bragg reflector reflectivity at all operating currents in a wide temperature range. The devices operated at DBR line with detuning from gain peak exceeding 10 meV. 

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4. On the Size of the Singular Set of Minimizing Harmonic Maps

   https://doi.org/10.1090/memo/1519  

   Mazowiecka, Katarzyna; Miśkiewicz, Michał; Schikorra, Armin (October 2024, Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society)

   We consider minimizing harmonic maps $u$from $\mathrm{\Omega <\#comment/>}\subset <\#comment/>{\mathbb{R}}^n$into a closed Riemannian manifold $\mathcal{N}$and prove: 1. an extension to $n\ge <\#comment/>4$of Almgren and Lieb’s linear law. That is, if the fundamental group of the target manifold $\mathcal{N}$is finite, we have\[ ${\mathcal{H}}^{n-<\#comment/>3}(\mathrm{sing}<\#comment/>u)\le <\#comment/>C{\int <\#comment/>}_{\mathrm{\partial <\#comment/>}\mathrm{\Omega <\#comment/>}}|{\mathrm{\nabla <\#comment/>}}_{T}u{|}^{n-<\#comment/>1}\mathrm{d}{\mathcal{H}}^{n-<\#comment/>1};$\]2. an extension of Hardt and Lin’s stability theorem. Namely, assuming that the target manifold is $\mathcal{N}={\mathbb{S}}^2$we obtain that the singular set of $u$is stable under small $W^{1,n-<\#comment/>1}$-perturbations of the boundary data. In dimension $n=3$both results are shown to hold with weaker hypotheses, i.e., only assuming that the trace of our map lies in the fractional space $W^{s,p}$with $s\in <\#comment/>(\frac{1}{2},1]$and $p\in <\#comment/>[2,\mathrm{\infty <\#comment/>})$satisfying $sp\ge <\#comment/>2$. We also discuss sharpness. 

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5. Efficient and highly tunable second-harmonic generation in Z-cut periodically poled lithium niobate nanowaveguides

   https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.393445  

   Chen, Jia-Yang; Tang, Chao; Ma, Zhao-Hui; Li, Zhan; Meng_Sua, Yong; Huang, Yu-Ping (July 2020, Optics Letters)

   Thin-film lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) has emerged as a superior integrated-photonics platform for linear, nonlinear, and electro-optics. Here we combine quasi-phase-matching, dispersion engineering, and tight mode confinement to realize nonlinear parametric processes with both high efficiency and wide wavelength tunability. On a millimeter-long, Z-cut LNOI waveguide, we demonstrate efficient ( $1900\pm <\#comment/>500\mathrm{\%<\#comment/>}{\mathrm{W}}^{-<\#comment/>1}{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^{-<\#comment/>2}$) and highly tunable ( $-<\#comment/>1.71\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{K}$) second-harmonic generation from 1530 to 1583 nm by type-0 quasi-phase-matching. Our technique is applicable to optical harmonic generation, quantum light sources, frequency conversion, and many other photonic information processes across visible to mid-IR spectral bands. 

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