Instrumentation for the Research and Education in the Field of Nanophotonic Lasers with Parity-Time Symmetry
Abstract
PUBLICLY RELEASABLE PROJECT ABSTRACT The application is submitted in response to DoD Research and Education Program for HBCU/MI Equipment/Instrumentation Fiscal Year 2019, FOA W911NF-18-S-0006. The requested instrumentation includes: (1) Work station based on spin processor H6H23N-UD-3 from Laurell; (2) Film thickness measurement system F20-EXR from Filmetrics; (3) Tunable light source TLS260-300X, CS260, 300W XE from Newport; (4) Laser diode 08-NLD from Cobolt; (5) Light radiation power and energy measurement system PM320E from Thorlabs; (6) PyLoN-IR InGaAs camera system PYR-1024-22 from Princeton Instruments; and (7) Customized system for the experiments with parity-time symmetry lasers PTL-001X from SSS Optical Technologies. The instrumentation will support the three-year research project of Dr. Patel, the PI, ÒNanocolloid laser with parity-time symmetryÓ in response to DoD Research and Education Program for HBCU/MI, FY 2018 FOA W911NF-17-S-0010 that will start in fall 2018. The requested instrumentation is also to enhance the relevant research education, and general STEM education capabilities of Oakwood University. The research matches the needs of AROÕs Technical Area/Program: Physics, Topic: Optical Physics and Fields. Dr. Patel, with the support from ARO research Grant W911NF-11-1-0192, has recently demonstrated a capillary optical amplifier using the nanocolloids of rare-earth (RE) doped compounds. Nanocolloid, liquid and solid, amplifiers/lasers have a potential to be used as flexible and inexpensive high-power light sources using non-toxic and non-degradable gain media. However, due to their multimode operation they have strong noise produced by the mode competition. This issue can be addressed with a relatively new, advanced method of selection of the active modes down to a single-mode in the parity-time (PT) symmetry lasers. The method originates from the analogy between the Schršdinger wave function equation in quantum mechanics and the wave propagation equation in optics. PT symmetry in the context of laser physics demands spatially inhomogeneous optical pumping of a gain medium with the gain in the pumped region equal to the magnitude of the loss factor in the no-pumping region. It has been predicted that, when the pump power in such inhomogeneous pumping scheme increases, at some point PT symmetry breaking occurs and the laser modes split in the active modes amplified in the cavity and those that decay. The process can continue until a single active mode will remain. Dr. Patel thus hypothesized that the PT symmetry approach can be used to efficiently control the number of active modes in the nanocolloid capillary lasers. The requested instrumentation is to verify the hypothesis. The spin coater will be used to make plastic nanocomposite waveguide lasers. System F20 will be used to measure the thickness and the refractive index of the waveguides. The light sources will be used to pump the lasers. The light detectors to analyze the laser emission, and PTL-001X will be used to integrate the requested and existing instruments in an experimental rig for testing the PT laser performance. The instrumentation will also have a positive impact on the STEM education at three departments of Oakwood University: Mathematics and Computer Science (Physics program), Chemistry, and Biology. Additionally, the equipment will be made available to the faculty and students of Alabama A&M University, the University of Alabama and colleges located in Huntsville area and collaborating with Dr. Patel. There will be multiple occasions that the local high-school teachers and students will visit the lab of Dr. Patel to become familiar with the requested instrumentation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910506
Entities
People
- Darayas Patel
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Oakwood University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense