Mirror Interference Research Articles

Робастное обнаружение и оценивание широкополосных сигналов

An asymptotically robust invariant (ARI) algorithm for signal detection and time delay estimation is proposed. It is based on the q-point model of noise distributions. The algorithm is based on calculating the correlation statistics of the nonlinear transformation of the observed sample with the vector of reference signal samples. Time delay estimate is determined by special processing of the obtained statistics, taking into account the presence of mirror interference in the observed process. The algorithm is implemented in the frequency domain, which allows the use of the fast Fourier transform to reduce computational costs. The simulation results show that in the case of heavy-tailed noise distributions, ARI algorithm provides an energy gain compared to the classical correlation algorithm, and it has similar performance in the case of Gaussian noise.

Optical design mode based on fast automatic design process for freeform reflective imaging systems with modest FOV.

Traditional optical design methods require designer intervention in the system's evolution from the starting point to the final design. Trial-and-error during design optimization improves system performance step by step but requires much time and effort. A new optical design framework, end-to-end fast automatic design, is proposed and achieved for the freeform reflective optics in this paper, which promotes a new optical design mode. Compared with the traditional mode through improving performance after each trial, an optical system with good image quality can be directly obtained in the end-to-end design process with simple input and no human involvement within a short time. If there is still the possibility for performance improvement of the obtained system, the designer can vary the input parameters repeatedly to obtain multiple systems with good image quality. Finally, the desired system is selected from these systems. Compared with the step-by-step trials in traditional optimization, this new optical design mode involves high-speed trials of the end-to-end automatic design process, reducing the dependence on experience and skill. In this paper, an end-to-end fast automatic design method for freeform imaging systems is developed based on a new design route. Using an initial plane system as an input, a freeform system with excellent image quality can be designed automatically within 1-2 min. After several trials of the end-to-end fast design process, three high-performance freeform systems are designed successfully that consider volume control, beam obscuration, and mirror interference.

Source range and depth estimation of propeller cavitation bubble collapse transients in a multipath environment

An experiment is conducted in which a wide aperture array, which is proximate to the sea floor in water 20 m deep, records transits of two motorboats. Occasionally, acoustic transients, which are attributed to collapsing propeller cavitation bubbles, are observed to be superimposed on the continuous broadband radiated noise component of each of the array’s three widely spaced hydrophones. By measuring the time differences of arrival of the transient signals propagating via the direct path at adjacent pairs of hydrophones, passive ranging by wavefront curvature is used to estimate the range and bearing of the transient source. Next, the source depth is estimated by measuring the multipath delay of the surface reflected transient signal. Also, the spectrogram of a single hydrophone’s output is observed to display a Lloyd’s mirror interference pattern due to the direct propagation path of the broadband radiated noise combining with the indirect propagation path signal reflected from the sea floor. The reciprocal of the frequency difference between adjacent destructive interference fringe minima is equal to the multipath time delay. This multipath delay, which equates to the quefrency of the cepstrum’s first rahmonic, contains source range information. The results of the two passive ranging methods are presented.

Probing three-dimensional mesoscopic interfacial structures in a single view using multibeam X-ray coherent surface scattering and holography imaging

Visualizing surface-supported and buried planar mesoscale structures, such as nanoelectronics, ultrathin-film quantum dots, photovoltaics, and heterogeneous catalysts, often requires high-resolution X-ray imaging and scattering. Here, we discovered that multibeam scattering in grazing-incident reflection geometry is sensitive to three-dimensional (3D) structures in a single view, which is difficult in conventional scattering or imaging approaches. We developed a 3D finite-element-based multibeam-scattering analysis to decode the heterogeneous electric-field distribution and to faithfully reproduce the complex scattering and surface features. This approach further leads to the demonstration of hard-X-ray Lloyd’s mirror interference of scattering waves, resembling dark-field, high-contrast surface holography under the grazing-angle scattering conditions. A first-principles calculation of the single-view holographic images resolves the surface patterns’ 3D morphology with nanometer resolutions, which is critical for ultrafine nanocircuit metrology. The holographic method and simulations pave the way for single-shot structural characterization for visualizing irreversible and morphology-transforming physical and chemical processes in situ or operando.

Characterisation of the waveplate associated to layers in interferential mirrors

In this paper, first we present a review of experimental data corresponding to phase retardation per reflection of interferential mirrors. Then, we report our new measurements on both commercial and tailor-made mirrors. To be able to measure the phase retardation as a function of the number of layers, additional pairs of layers are deposited on some of the mirrors. The results obtained with this special set of mirrors allow us to fully characterise the waveplate associated with the additional pairs of layers. We finally implemented a computational study whose results are compared with the experimental ones. Thanks to the additional layers, we have achieved reflectivity never measured before at λ = 1064 nm, with an associated finesse of F = 895 000.

Optical vortex array generation of intense high-order harmonics

An ultra-short and ultra-intense optical vortex array (OVA) is generated when two intense counter-propagating Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) pulses with [Formula: see text]-polarization impinge on two solid thin targets. In this paper, we propose a method for generating an OVA of high intensity, short wavelength, and high-order mode. Three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation results demonstrated that the generated high-order vortex harmonics interfered with each other in the transmitted area. These interference patterns of the fundamental and high-order harmonics exhibit an OVA distribution. Furthermore, vortex oscillating mirror (VOM) and classic wave interference models are then used to explain the simulation results.

RF Analysis of a Sub-GHz InP-Based 1550 nm Monolithic Mode-Locked Laser Chip

We report a monolithic sub-GHz repetition rate mode-locked laser with record low pulse-to-pulse RMS timing jitter of 3.65 ps in the passive mode locking regime. We analyse the optical pulse generation in passive and hybrid mode-locking operating regimes, finding narrower RF tone linewidth in the passive regime, attributed to the improved contact structure of the gain sections. The noise performance is also characterized in passive and hybrid regimes, showing RMS integrated timing jitter of approximately 600 fs. For hybrid modelocking, the repetition rate can be varied over a large range from 880 to 990 MHz. We observe broad pulse widths of few hundred picoseconds attributed to the (long folded) waveguide architecture and on-chip multimode interference mirrors. This device subjects a stand-alone, ultra-compact, mode-locking based clock source to realize frequency synthesizers operating over a frequency range from sub-GHz up to approximately 15 GHz.

Polarized holographic lithography system for high-uniformity microscale patterning with periodic tunability

Periodic microscale array structures play an important role in diverse applications involving photonic crystals and diffraction gratings. A polarized holographic lithography system is proposed for patterning high-uniformity microscale two-dimensional crossed-grating structures with periodic tunability. Orthogonal two-axis Lloyd’s mirror interference and polarization modulation produce three sub-beams, enabling the formation of two-dimensional crossed-grating patterns with wavelength-comparable periods by a single exposure. The two-dimensional-pattern period can also be flexibly tuned by adjusting the interferometer spatial positioning. Polarization states of three sub-beams, defining the uniformity of the interference fringes, are modulated at their initial-polarization states based on a strict full polarization tracing model in a three-dimensional space. A polarization modulation model is established considering two conditions of eliminating the unexpected interference and providing the desired identical interference intensities. The proposed system is a promising approach for fabricating high-uniformity two-dimensional crossed gratings with a relatively large grating period range of 500–1500 nm. Moreover, our rapid and stable approach for patterning period-tunable two-dimensional-array microstructures with high uniformity could be applicable to other multibeam interference lithography techniques.

All-polymeric high-Q optofluidic Fabry-Perot resonator.

A full polymeric optofluidic Fabry-Perot (FP) resonator with a high quality factor (Q) is proposed and tested. The device is based on multilayer optical polymeric films that act as high reflectivity interference mirrors. The all-polymeric laminated structure avoids any deposition or etching process, simplifying the fabrication procedure while retaining a high quality optical surface. The measured quality factor of the FP resonator is 3.03×104, and the finesse is 91 around 700 nm. The refractometric sensing properties have been measured, and a sensitivity of 314 nm/RIU with a limit of detection of 2.55×10-5RIU could be achieved. The device exhibits a very high figure of merit of 1.36×104RIU-1 that is comparable with the performance attainable with sensors based on photonic crystal and whispering gallery mode resonators.

Эффект вынужденного радиального рассеяния в оптических средах с возбуждением в них сходящихся акустических волн при накачке мощными наносекундными импульсами с широким спектром

The mechanism of stimulated radial scattering and the specific damages caused by it in the surface layers of optical media, which are most clearly manifested in media with a low threshold of the bree transition phases, are considered. These fractures are the result of plastic deformation of the surface under the action of converging acoustic waves generated by radial scattering. It is shown that stimulated radial scattering can be responsible for laser destruction of interference mirrors, and a mechanism for its excitation in thin layers is proposed.

Application of induced mechanical stresses in formation of spherical surfaces of interference mirror substrates

Application of induced mechanical stresses in formation of spherical surfaces of interference mirror substrates

Experimental Insights on Factors Influencing Sensitivity of Thin Film Narrow Band-Pass Filters

First time study for development of relationship between design and fabrication of thin film narrow-pass filters simulated using the Essential Macleod optical coating design program and verified through experimental data. In thin film narrow band-pass filter's design, can design better filter by changing some parameters, but the theoretical designs are often difficult to achieve. The sensitivity of thin film narrow band-pass filters are mainly influenced by the refractive index of cavity layers, number of mirror layers, interference order and number of cavities. Based on analysis of all these aspects, laws of influence are obtained. A narrow band-pass filter with super wide rejection band was designed and fabricated to verify the simulation results, showing a good agreement between the experimental and theoretical observations.

Reflective metamaterial polarizer enabled by solid-immersion Lloyd's mirror interference lithography

Metamaterials with induced form birefringence arising from orderly arrangements of subwavelength structures can realize effective refractive indices that do not exist in nature. Using lithographically-defined thin film or multilayered metasurfaces, such form birefringence can be used for polarization and phase control in thin-film elements. In this work, the authors experimentally demonstrate a highly birefringent omnidirectional broadband reflective metamaterial polarizer (RMP), fabricated using a solid-immersion Lloyd's mirror interference lithography (SILMIL) technique. This technique can create 55 nm half-pitch gratings, up to 200 nm tall, using single 405 nm exposures. Angle-resolved reflection spectra of SILMIL-fabricated subwavelength dual-silver grating RMPs exhibit excellent omnidirectionality over a broad spectral bandwidth in the optical range. The behavior and mechanism of the double-layer RMP has been analyzed with finite-difference time domain and rigorous coupled wave analysis simulations, showing coupling between excited surface plasmon polaritons and multiple Fabry–Perot resonances. Furthermore, the authors propose via simulation that by switching from a dielectric resonator to a metallic resonator, the SILMIL technique can be used to fabricate dual-layer thin-film metamaterials that have the capability of phase retardation control, providing a new scheme for reflective thin-film waveplates.

Optical properties of high-quality oxide coating materials used in gravitational-wave advanced detectors

High-reflection interference mirrors for current gravitational wave detectors (aLIGO, Advanced Virgo, KAGRA) are made of high-quality oxide multi-layers deposited by ion beam sputtering (IBS) at the Laboratoire des Matériaux Avancés (LMA). For this task, LMA uses a large IBS custom-made machine (the grand coater GC) able to deposit very uniform coatings over very large surfaces, with diameter of some tens of cm. We report for the first time about the optical characterization by spectroscopic ellipsometry of oxide coatings deposited by the GC under strictly the same conditions used for the production of interference mirrors. We have investigated oxide materials like silica (SiO2), tantala (Ta2O5) and titania-doped tantala (Ti:Ta2O5), providing for each material a broad-band (190–1700 nm) accurate determination of the complex index of refraction, with particular attention to wavelengths used in interferometers. Particular focus has been dedicated to the influence of Ti-doping on tantala coating. The doping induces a red-shift of the optical gap and an increase of the NIR refractive index. Furthermore, doping induces a decrease of the so-called Urbach energy, consistent with the well-known reduction of the internal friction in these kind of systems.

Multilayer X-Ray Image-Forming Optics

An overview is presented of the current state of research underway at the Institute for the Physics of Microstructures in the field of multilayered X-ray imaging optics. New ways of studying the surfaces of mirror substrates and aberrations of optical systems are described, along with the ion-beam technology of super-polishing, aspherization, and correcting local errors in shape. The development of new diagnostic methods is described, as are the obtained record reflection coefficients of multilayer interference mirrors based on beryllium.

The Optics and Optimal Control Theory Interpretation of the Parametric Resonance

The aim of the article is the elaboration of parametric resonance theory at piecewise constant frequency modulation. The investigation is based on the analogy with optics and optimal control theory (OCT) application. The exact expressions of oscillation frequency, gain/damping coefficients, dependencies of these coefficients on the modulation depth, duty ratio and initial phase are derived. First of all, the results obtained on the basis of the energy behavior analysis (at the conjunction conditions execution) in frictionless systems are presented. The well-known parametric resonance triggering condition is revised and adjusted. The heuristic feedback introduction (based on the energy behavior analysis) in the oscillation equation permits one to prove that the frequency modulation satisfying the parametric resonance condition is not necessary and sufficient condition of the oscillations unlimited increase. Their damping/shaking up formally corresponds by the frequency and duty ratio to the condition of the equality of optical paths to the quarter-wavelength characteristic of the interference filter or mirror. The unity of space-time coordinates shows itself in this specific form of the optical-mechanical analogy due to the general Hill’s equation description. It is marked that this equation theory underlies most of metamaterials advantages because all transport phenomena imply different wave – electromagnetic, acoustic, spin etc. propagation one way or another. The question about control uniqueness arises that is modulating frequency, duty ratio and signature sign uniqueness. Another question of characteristic index extremum at different controls is tightly bound with the former. The answers to these questions are obtained on the basis of OCT. The similarity of the optimal control problem solution and the one obtained at the heuristic feedback introduction through fundamental solutions product permits one to introduced the new form named general or mixed Hamiltonian along with the ordinary and OCT Hamiltonians. Besides this mixed Hamiltonian equality to zero together with the Wronskian constancy (almost everywhere) is the useful analogous in form to the Liouville’s theorem equation. The nonlinearity accounting using the OCT formalism is described too.

Flexible and stretchable guided-mode resonant optical sensor: single-step fabrication on a surface engineered polydimethylsiloxane substrate

We present an unconventional yet simple and effective surface re-engineering method to hydrophilize the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface for the direct fabrication of a flexible and stretchable guided mode resonance (GMR) sensor. It enables us to directly spin coat photoresist as a planar waveguide on a PDMS substrate without any oxygen or UV treatment. To fabricate a GMR structure, a 1D grating is surface-patterned on this coated photoresist layer through Lloyd mirror interference lithography. A sensing experiment is performed with the obtained GMR structure and is validated by FDTD simulations. The sensor performance is consistent over repeated measurements, making the PDMS surface highly resistant to hydrophobic recovery.

Absolutely calibrated EUV spectra of Xe laser plasma radiation for lithography needs

Spectra of Xe laser plasma radiation were measured using Si/Mo and Mo/Be interference mirrors. The intensity within the 11.0-11.8 nm wavelength band has been shown to be 6-7 times as high than that in the 12.5-14 nm range. The spectra obtained by means of the mirrors are compared with those measured earlier using a spectrometer.

A Special Section on X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Multilayer Coatings.

Soft X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (defined as light with wavelength in the 1 to 100 nm range) has been playing a growing role in major scientific and industrial applications over the last 20 years: astrophysics and solar physics, materials sciences, biology, semiconductor industry, plasma diagnostics. Especially the emergence of novel EUV/X-ray sources with unprecedented brightness and coherence (4th generation synchrotrons, free-electron lasers, tabletop lasers, high-harmonic generation and attosecond sources) has ushered a new era in the fields of materials science, chemistry, plasma physics, biology and life sciences. Several scientific and technological breakthroughs have been achieved recently. X-ray radiation from the SPRING-8 synchrotron light source in Japan has been focused on a spot with diameter smaller than 10 nm; this constitutes the smallest spot of light ever produced and could enable studies with the most exquisite spatial resolution. The generation of ultrashort EUV pulses with a duration less than 0.1 femtosecond (= 100 attosec-onds) made it possible for the first time to observe electron orbitals in molecules. Photolithography scanners based on EUV light have entered the world of semiconductor manufacturing in order to produce the next generation of computer chips. In 2007, the EUV telescopes aboard NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission provided the first 3D images of the solar corona with its protuberances. Furthermore, since 2010, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), NASA's most advanced solar mission , has been continuously transmitting full-disk images of the solar corona every 10 seconds, simultaneously at 7 EUV wavelengths with 1 arcsec resolution. Observing the Sun with such unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution has led to groundbreaking discoveries related to the Sun's extremely complex magnetic field and has led to better understanding of extreme events such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can seriously affect earth and space environments. These breakthroughs have been enabled by the development of new optical components dedicated to the EUV/ X-ray spectral range. The main challenges in fabricating EUV/X-ray optics come from the properties of materials in this spectral range. With the refractive index of any material being very close to 1, the refractive phenomena at any interface are weak and the reflectivity of any single material at non-grazing incidence angles is near zero. Moreover, all materials strongly absorb X-rays, so the transmission of any component is almost zero. Multi-layer interference mirrors are enabling optical components in most EUV/X-ray optical systems. Demonstrated experimentally for the first time in the 1970s by E. Spiller, these mirrors consist of periodic or aperiodic structures of alternating thin film layers of 2 or more materials with nanometer-scale thickness, deposited on an optical sub-strate. The constructive interference between the layers results in efficient reflectance at EUV/X-ray wavelengths even at near-normal incidence angles thus enabling the operation of a wide range of optical components including imaging and illumination systems, reflective filters, grating spectrometers and polarizers. However, the fabrication of high-performance multi-layer coatings poses serious technical challenges. Multi-layer coatings need to obey several stringent (and often conflicting) requirements, including: (i) contain materials with good optical contrast in the wavelength region of operation (ii) contain tens or hundreds of layers with nanometer-scale thickness, where each layer is deposited with picometer-scale precision (iii) form stable layer interfaces with minimal interdiffusion and with smoothness on the order of the atomic dimension, (iv) have low thin film stress, (v) have stable reflective performance for periods up to 10 years, or even longer. This special section aims to provide a survey of current topics and major development lines in the very active research area of X-ray and EUV multilayer coating development. It gathers studies of the properties of these nanoscale structures (microstructure, mechanical stress, lifetime stability) with a focus on new promising material combinations and on short-period multilay-ers, with individual layer thicknesses around (or less than) 1 nm. Technological developments, new characterization 516

An Orthogonal Type Two-Axis Lloyd’s Mirror for Holographic Fabrication of Two-Dimensional Planar Scale Gratings with Large Area

In this paper, an orthogonal type two-axis Lloyd’s mirror interference lithography technique was employed to fabricate two-dimensional planar scale gratings for surface encoder application. The two-axis Lloyd’s mirror interferometer is composed of a substrate and two reflective mirrors (X- and Y-mirrors), which are placed edge by edge perpendicularly. An expanded and collimated beam was divided into three beams by this interferometer, a direct beam and two reflected beams, projected onto the substrate, X- and Y-mirrors, respectively. The unexpected beam sections having twice reflected off the mirrors were blocked by a filter. The remaining two reflected beams interfered with the direct beam on the substrate, generating perpendicularly cross patterns thus forming two-dimensional scale gratings. However, the two reflected beams undesirably interfere with each other and generate a grating pattern along 45-degree direction against the two orthogonal direction, which influence the pattern uniformity. Though an undesired grating pattern can be eliminated by polarization modulation with introduction of waveplates, spatial configuration of waveplates inevitably downsized the eventual grating, which is a key parameter for grating interferometry application. For solving this problem, theoretical and experimental study was carefully carried out to evaluate the fabrication quality with and without polarization modulation. Two-dimensional scale gratings with a 1 μm period in X- and Y-directions were achieved by using the constructed experiment system with a 442 nm He-Cd laser source. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images and the result of diffraction performances demonstrated that the orthogonal type two-axis Lloyd’s mirror interferometer can stand a small order undesired interference, that is, a degree of orthogonality between two reflected beams, denoted by γ, no larger than a nominal value of 0.1.