Search

Optical amplification was observed in electro-optic (EO) ceramic plates of neodymium doped lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (Nd3+:PLZT), when the pumping and seeding beams are not overlapped temporarily. This striking feature in the gain measurement and the accompanying slowly trailing-off both seen in the optical amplification as well as in the lasing action are satisfactorily explained by electron releasing from the rich vacancy-based carrier traps in the intrinsically disordered ceramics, i.e., the consecutively optical, thermal stimuli are found responsible for the long persistent optoenergy storage, and consequently the slow response of the gain dynamics. These findings in optical amplification, the slowly trailing-off, and the underlying mechanism have opened a new way of developing novel controllable optical devices. The model thus established could serve as a guide in design and refinement of a new generation of products out of this excellent, well commercialized EO PLZT ceramics family and similar others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propagation properties of terahertz (THz) waves in a bounded atmospheric-pressure microplasma (AMP) are analyzed in this study. A modified Epstein profile model is used to simulate the electron density distribution caused by the plasma sheaths. By introducing the dielectric constant of a Drude-Lorentz model and using the method of dividing the plasma into a series of subslabs with uniform electron density, the coefficients of power reflection, transmission, and absorption are derived for a bounded microplasma structure. The effects of size of microplasma, electron density profile, and collision frequency on the propagation of THz waves are analyzed numerically. The results indicate that the propagation of THz waves in AMPs depend greatly on the above three parameters. It is demonstrated that the THz wave can play an important role in AMPs diagnostics; meanwhile, the AMP can be used as a novel potential tool to control THz wave propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterize the behavior of split ring resonators made up of high transition temperature yttrium barium copper oxide superconductor using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy measurements and numerical simulations. The superconductor metamaterial is found to show a remarkable change in the transmission spectra at the fundamental inductive-capacitive resonance as the temperature dips below the critical transition temperature. This resonance switching effect is normally absent in traditional metamaterials made up of regular metals. The temperature-dependent resonance behavior of the superconducting metamaterial would lead to development of low loss terahertz switches at cryogenic temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]