Nanocolloid Laser With Parity-Time Symmetry
Abstract
PUBLICLY RELEASABLE PROJECT ABSTRACT DoD Research and Education Program for HBCU/MI, Fiscal Year 2018 FOA W911NF-17-S-0010. Project: Nanocolloid laser with parity-time symmetry Principal Investigator: Dr. Darays N. Patel, Oakwood University, Huntsville, Alabama 35896 (256)-726-7558 dpatel@oakwood.edu PI has recently demonstrated a capillary optical amplifier using the nanocolloids of rare-earth (RE) doped compounds with the support from the DoD ARO Grant W911NF-11-1-0192. Nanocolloid capillary amplifiers/lasers have a potential to be used as flexible and inexpensive high-power light sources using non-toxic and non-degradable liquid gain media. However, due to their large core and, as a result, multimode operation they have strong noise produced by mode competition. Dr. Patel proposes to control the mode spectrum of the nanocolloid capillary lasers using the inhomogeneous pumping schemes based on the parity-time (PT) symmetry approach. The approach assumes that the laser core filled with a nanocolloid gain medium will be unevenly side-pumped to create the adjacent regions with domination of either gains or losses. In case of pumping one half of the laser resonator, the increase of the pump power will lead to the PT symmetry breaking manifested as the mode bifurcation. One group of modes will concentrate in the pumped region and rapidly grow while the other modes will concentrate in the lossy half and decay. The spacing between the active modes will double. The prime goal of the project will be to verify the hypothesis that the PT symmetry approach will make possible to efficiently control the number of active modes in multi-mode nanocolloid capillary lasers. The prime goal will be reached via the attainment of the intermediate objectives: (1) Synthesis and characterization of the nanocolloid gain medium. (2) Building and testing a conventional nanocolloid capillary laser based on the existing design of the amplifier. (3) Building and testing the experimental setup of a PT symmetry laser with different spatially inhomogeneous pumping configurations. (4) Characterization of the PT symmetry laser. (5) Data analysis and conclusions on reaching the goal. (6) Training four undergraduate STEM students at Oakwood University. The major anticipated result will be the verification of the hypothesis. Other anticipated results: (1) A nanocolloid linear capillary laser will be built and tested. (2) PT symmetry linear capillary laser with side pumping will be built and tested. (3) Research capabilities of Oakwood university will be extended in the new field of optical physics. (4) Four undergraduate STEM students at Oakwood University will be trained through participation in the project. The proposed project will also contribute to ARO research interests in (a) Physical Sciences, Division ii: Physics, Research Topic 4 ÒOptical Physics and FieldsÓ described in the latest ARO BAA for Basic and Applied Scientific Research W911NF-17-S-0002, 01 April 2017 Ð 31 March 2022. The proposed research effort matches Topic ÒMeta-OpticsÓ seeking ÓÉproposals for new areas involving discrete symmetries, such as parity-time symmetriesÉÓ [ARO BAA W911NF-17-S-0002, p.13].
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1810446
Entities
People
- Darayas Patel
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Oakwood University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense