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Mid‐infrared (MIR) spectroscopy, which has important applications in medicine, environmental monitoring, materials, and food science, is widely performed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers as gold standard. Despite decades of development, FTIR systems are vulnerable to vibration and have limited temporal resolution due to reliance on mechanically scanned mirrors and MIR direct detectors that have a slower response than their near‐infrared counterparts. Using cryogenically cooled detectors, state‐of‐the‐art FTIR systems have reached a signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of ≈6000 at 1 s integration time (at 4 cm−1 spectral resolution). Here, a novel MIR upconversion spectrometer (MIRUS) is presented with a record‐high SNR > 10 000 at 1 s (6 cm−1 resolution), outperforming FTIR systems by circumventing the need for sophisticated cooling and any moving part, thus enabling operation in harsh environments. It has a spectral coverage of 6–12 µm—the broadest for an upconversion spectrometer to date. The MIRUS uses broadband intracavity upconversion to convert the signal spanning the MIR fingerprint region to the near‐infrared where sensitive Si‐detector based spectrometers operate with rates easily reaching kilo spectra per second. Applications of MIRUS for gas sensing, plastic identification, and rapid photopolymerization monitoring are demonstrated.

We model the spectral quantum-mechanical purity of heralded single photons from a photon-pair source based on nondegenerate spontaneous four-wave mixing taking the impact of distributed dispersion fluctuations into account. The considered photon-pair-generation scheme utilizes pump-pulse walk-off to produce pure heralded photons and phase matching is achieved through the dispersion properties of distinct spatial modes in a few-mode silica step-index fiber. We show that fiber-core-radius fluctuations in general severely impact the single-photon purity. Furthermore, by optimizing the fiber design we show that generation of single photons with very high spectral purity is feasible even in the presence of large core-radius fluctuations. At the same time, contamination from spontaneous Raman scattering is greatly mitigated by separating the single-photon frequency by more than 32 THz from the pump frequency. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America

We derive from Maxwell's equations full-vectorial nonlinear propagation equations of four-wave mixing valid in straight semiconductor-on-insulator waveguides. Special attention is given to the resulting effective mode area, which takes a convenient form known from studies in photonic crystal fibers, but has not been introduced in the context of integrated waveguides. We show that the difference between our full-vectorial effective mode area and the scalar equivalent often referred to in the literature may lead to mistakes when evaluating the nonlinear refractive index and optimizing designs of new waveguides. We verify the results of our derivation by comparing it to experimental measurements in a silicon-on-insulator waveguide, taking tolerances on fabrication parameters into account. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America

We demonstrate efficient four-wave mixing among different spatial modes in a 1-km long two-mode fiber at telecommunication wavelengths. Two pumps excite the LP01 and LP11 modes, respectively, while the probe signal excites the LP01 mode, and the phase conjugation (PC) and Bragg scattering (BS) idlers are generated in the LP11 mode. For these processes we experimentally characterize their phase matching efficiency and bandwidth and find that they depend critically on the wavelength separation of the two pumps, in good agreement with the numerical study we carried out. We also confirm experimentally that BS has a larger bandwidth than PC for the optimum choice of the pump wavelength separation.

Mode-division multiplexing has the potential to further increase data transmission capacity through optical fibers. In addition, distributed Raman amplification is a promising candidate for multi-mode signal amplification due to its desirable noise properties and the possibility of mode-equalized gain. In this paper, we present an experimental characterization of the intermodal Raman intensity overlaps of a few-mode fiber using backward-pumped Raman amplification. By varying the input pump power and the degree of higher order mode-excitation for the pump and the signal in a 10km long two-mode fiber, we are able to characterize all intermodal Raman intensity overlaps. Using these results, we perform a Raman amplification measurement and demonstrate a mode-differential gain of only 0.25dB per 10dB overall gain. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the lowest mode differential gain achieved for amplification of mode division multiplexed signals in a single fiber.

Diatoms are unicellular algae enclosed in intricate bio - silicified walls with repetitive nanostructures in a size range which makes them potentially relevant for a broad spectrum of industrial applications. How to optimize the nano - scale structures of the frustule for utilization of diatoms in nanotechnology is one of the technological challenges for these applications. Light is one of the most important abiotic factors for algal photosynthetic growth, and the frustule may play an important role in mediatin g light for these biological functions, as well as being central for its nano - technological applications. In this study, we tested the influence of light quality on the nanostructure of the frustule of Coscinodiscus granii and compared this to growth rate response. The results showed that colored light (red, yellow, green and blue) at 300 μmol photons m - 2 s - 1 resulted in a statistically significant change in nanostructure compared to white light. Green light at 100 μmol photon m - 2 s - 1 led to a significant dec rease in mean frustule diameter and mean foramen diameter. Numerical simulations confirmed that the morphological changes obtained were sufficient to induce clear differences in the photonics properties of the frustule. The wavelength had no effect on the growth rate at high light intensity (300 μmol photons m - 2 s - 1 ). However, at 100 μmol photons m - 2 s - 1 , yellow, red - orange and green light resulted in significantly lower maximum growth rates than the other wavelengths. This response of the frustule structure to different light treatment indicates th e possibility of a light - based frustule nanostructure manipulation method, which is simple and environmentally friendly

Diatoms are single cellular algae encapsulate d in an external wall of micro-structured porous silica called the frustule. Diatoms are present in all water environments and contribute with 20-25 % of the global primary production of oxygen by photosynthesis. The appearance of the frustule is very species dependent with huge variety in size, shape, and micro- structure. We have experimentally investigated optical properties of frustules of several species of diatoms to further understand light harvesting properties together with commo n traits, effects and differences between the different frustules. We have observed, when incident light interacts w ith the micro-structured frustule it is multiple diffracted giving rise to wavelength dependent multiple focal points and other optical effects. Experimental results have been simulated and well confirmed by free space FFT propagation routine analysis software. The software uses parameters which are extracted from experimental im ages as basis for simulation and allows us to extract the influence of the different elements of the frustule. The information could be used both for predicting optical properties of diatoms and by changing frustule parameters, maybe by altering growth conditions of the diatoms tailor their optical properties.

We report experimental and theoretical verification of the nature and position of multiple interference points of visible light transmitted through the valve of the centric diatom species Coscinodiscus granii. Furthermore, by coupling the transmitted light into an optical fiber and moving the diatom valve between constructive and destructive interference points, an extinction ratio of 20 dB is shown

We analyse frequency conversion by Bragg scattering numerically including Raman scattering. The frequency configuration that performs the best under influence of Raman noise results in 95% conversion over a 3.25 THz bandwidth with a 2.5-dB noise figure.

We present a semi-classical approach for predicting the quantum noise properties of fiber optical parametric amplifiers. The unavoidable contributors of noise, vacuum fluctuations, loss-induced noise, and spontaneous Raman scattering, are included in the analysis of both phase-insensitive and phase-sensitive amplifiers. We show that the model agrees with earlier fully quantum approaches in the linear gain regime, whereas in the saturated gain regime, in which the classical equations are valid, we predict that the amplifier increases the signal-to-noise ratio by generating an amplitude-squeezed state of light. Also, in the same process, we analyze the quantum noise properties of the pump, which is difficult using standard quantum approaches, and we discover that the pump displays complicated dynamics in both the linear and the nonlinear gain regimes.

The noise properties of both phase-sensitive and phase-insensitive saturated parametric amplifiers are studied using a semi-classical approach. Vacuum fluctuations as well as spontaneous Raman scattering are included in the analysis.

We study the quantum noise properties of phase-sensitive fiber optical parametric amplifiers in deep pump depletion using a semiclassical approach. Amplified spontaneous emission and spontaneous Raman scattering are included in the analysis.