Near-normal Incidence Research Articles

High spatial resolution underwater confocal LiDAR: reduction of optical aberrations in air-water interfaces using a dome port.

We study the impact of optical aberrations in underwater scanning confocal inelastic imaging arising from refraction at oblique incidences on a refractive index-mismatched air-glass-water interface. We experimentally demonstrate that optical aberrations at non-normal incidence drastically reduce the intensity of the inelastic signal and deteriorate the system resolution. At a 2.5° incidence angle, the return signal decreases to about 20% of its peak value at normal incidence. We implement passive correction using a spherical glass dome that is co-centered with the pivot point of the scanning mirror to ensure near-normal incidence on the interface irrespective of the scanning angle and depth. This configuration provides a drastic reduction in the optical aberrations within an angular range from -20° to 20°. The optical system is modeled in ray tracing software for validation. The interfacing of a scanning confocal system with a dome port unlocks near-diffraction-limited underwater imaging over wide areas without resorting to complex adaptive wavefront manipulation.

Optical functions of uniaxial rutile and anatase (TiO2) revisited

The optical functions of uniaxial rutile and anatase (TiO2) were determined from 200 to 850 nm (6.2 to 1.46 eV) using several of four optical techniques: (1) standard spectroscopic two-modulator generalized ellipsometry (2-MGE), (2) near-normal-incidence two-modulator generalized ellipsometry microscopy (2-MGEM), (3) Mueller matrix transmission of rutile, and (4) polarized transmission of rutile. The 2-MGE measurements yielded highly accurate values of the dielectric functions and error estimates from 1.46 to 6.2 eV, whereas the polarization-dependent transmission yielded more accurate values of the absorption coefficient below the band edge of rutile. The 2-MGEM also measured the diattenuation, which is related to the birefringence, and other parameters but at near-normal incidence at a single wavelength (577 nm).

Evaluation of an x-ray multilayer mirror for radiography at sub-1-keV photon energies.

An x-ray multilayer mirror on a spherical substrate designed for near-normal incidence with a photon energy of ∼738eV (F Heα) was procured and tested. This device is intended to be used for in-flight radiography of the shell in inertial confinement fusion experiments with cryogenic targets on the OMEGA laser at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Experiments in self-emission on a small (∼10J) laser system showed that the reflectivity of the mirror is high enough to record an image at laser energies as low as 0.1J. A second set of tests in backlighting geometry on a larger (kJ)-scale, short-pulse laser yielded usable radiographs with laser energies as low as 40J with a spatial resolution of ∼10μm.

Optimization of Cr/Sc-based multilayer mirrors for water window soft x-rays.

The development of efficient multilayer mirrors for the water window (a spectral region between absorption edges of carbon and oxygen, from 284 to 543 eV) remains a challenge. As the best candidate, the Cr/Sc multilayer provides maximum theoretical reflectivity of about 60% at near-normal incidence around the Sc L2,3 absorption edge (397 eV). However, the maximum measured peak reflectance published so far just slightly exceeds 20%. We report on a new (to the best of our knowledge) approach to design more efficient Cr/Sc-based multilayer coatings using the process of nitridation of chromium during deposition and adding boron carbide as a third material in the multilayer structure. We discuss our strategy of optimization of the CrN/B4C/Sc multilayer system based on experimental studies. The peak reflectance as high as 32% at 396 eV was measured with this type of coating, which is of main interest for various water window applications such as x-ray microscopy.

Development of a narrowband multilayer mirror for extracting a single order component from high harmonics in the 63–70 eV region

The Y/AlSi multilayer with narrowband performance was developed for extracting a single order component from high harmonics. We compared the performance and thermal stability of Y/AlSi with another EUV mirror, Zr/AlSi multilayer, which has shown promising performance in the EUV region. At near-normal incidence, the measured peak reflectances of Y/AlSi and Zr/AlSi multilayers are 43% and 52% at ∼63.8eV, and the energy bandwidths (FWHM) are 1.7 eV and 2.5 eV, respectively. The narrower bandwidth feature obtained in the Y/AlSi multilayer allows better suppression on adjacent high harmonic lines. After heating up to 200°C, there is no significant decrease in the reflectance of either multilayer. No decrease in reflectivity was observed after storage in air for one year.

Sc/SiC/Al Multilayer Optimization for Li K Spectroscopy

This paper presents an X-ray reflectivity study of a Sc/SiC/Al periodic multilayer deposited via magnetron sputtering and its possible adaptation to be used as a dispersive element in the crystal spectrometers equipping scanning electron microscopes and electron probe microanalyzers. This multilayer is designed for the spectral range of 45–60 eV. The results reveal a reflectance of 40.8% at 54.1 eV for a near-normal incidence angle of 7° with a narrow bandwidth of 2.6 eV. The measured and simulated reflectivity curves are very close, suggesting that this system has smooth interfaces and low interdiffusion. Owing to the growing importance of lithium and lack of spectroscopic data, we simulate a new Sc/SiC/Al stack based on the reflectivity data and optimize it to perform spectroscopy in the range near the Li K absorption edge around 55 eV, which is in the spectral range of the Li Kα emission band. This optimization is achieved by tuning the thicknesses of the different layers and the number of periods of the multilayer using an in-house Python script. The optimization results are compared with the performances of other multilayers employed in the same energy range and at a working angle close to 30° grazing, including Be/Si/Al. This analysis indicates that the Sc/SiC/Al multilayer could be a good candidate for performing spectroscopy in the Li K range.

Chiral tunneling through double barrier structure in twisted graphene bilayer

The paper discusses the chiral tunneling of charge carriers through double barrier structure in twisted graphene bilayer. The theoretical analysis investigates the transmission probability for various system parameters under both symmetric and asymmetric barrier conditions. The results reveal that the transmission probability of quasiparticles in the K cone is mirror symmetric to that of Kθ cone about φ=0. Furthermore, the study shows that the transmission changes gradually from perfect transmission to perfect reflection in the normal direction by increasing the incident energy and the barrier height, which is different from the case of monolayer and AB-stacked bilayer graphene. It is also found that the double barrier structure remains, only in certain cases, perfectly transparent for normal or near-normal incidence. The chiral nature of the quasiparticles in graphene causes the tunneling to be highly dependent on the direction and also on the double barrier structure. Interestingly, this characteristic provides additional parameter that allows us to tune the electronic properties of the twisted graphene bilayer. Additionally, we found that the transmission exhibits some sharp resonance peaks, the number and amplitude of which depend on the system parameters. Our results provide a better understanding of chiral tunneling in twisted graphene bilayers through double barrier structures, which may thus offer efficient tools to control the transport properties in future graphene-based nanodevices like transistors and photodetectors.

Phonon Characteristics of Gas-Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy-Grown InAs1−xNx/InP (001) with Identification of Si, Mg and C Impurities in InAs and InN

The lattice dynamical properties of dilute InAs1−xNx/InP (001) epilayers (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03) grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy were carefully studied experimentally and theoretically. A high-resolution Brüker IFS 120 v/S spectrometer was employed to measure the room-temperature infrared reflectivity (IRR) spectra at near-normal incidence (θi = 0). The results in the frequency range of 180–500 cm−1 revealed accurate values of the characteristic In-As-like and In-N-like vibrational modes. For InAs1−xNx alloys, a classical “Drude–Lorentz” model was constructed to obtain the dielectric functions ε~ω in the far IR regions by incorporating InAs-like and InN-like transverse optical ωTO modes. Longitudinal optical ωLO phonons were achieved from the imaginary parts of the simulated dielectric loss functions. The theoretical results of IRR spectra for InAs1−xNx/InP (001) epilayers using a multi-layer optics methodology provided a very good agreement with the experimental data. At oblique incidence (θi ≠ 0), our study of s- and p-polarized reflectance (Rs,p(ω)) and transmission (Ts,p(ω)) spectra allowed the simultaneous perception of the ωTO and ωLO phonons of the InAs, InN and InAs0.97N0.03 layers. Based on the average t-matrix Green’s function theory, the results of local vibrational modes for light SiIn+ donors and SiAs−, CAs− acceptors in InAs were found in good agreement with the existing Raman scattering and infrared spectroscopy data. InInN, however, the method predicted an in-band mode for the MgIn− acceptor while projecting an impurity mode of the SiIn+ donor to appear just above the maximum ωmaxInN[≡595 cm−1] phonon frequency region. In InAs1−xNx/InP (001) epifilms, the comparison of reflectivity/transmission spectra with experiments and the predictions of impurity modes for isoelectronic donor and acceptor impurities in InAs and InN can be valuable for appraising the role of defects in other technologically important semiconductors.

Dual-polarization strong nonreciprocal thermal radiation under near-normal incidence

Performance of irreversible radiation is limited by the single polarization and large incident angles. Given potential applications of nonreciprocal thermal radiation, the implementation of irreversible radiation for both TE and TM polarizations at small angles is highly demanded. A solution that combines periodic silicon-based nanopore arrays with magneto-optical material (InAs) is proposed in this work. The results show that the absorptivity and emissivity of two polarizations are close to 98% with an incident angle of 1.5° and a high Q factor over 1680. By adjusting the applied magnetic field, the emissivity and transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect can be dynamically tuned. The validity of the calculation results is verified by the rigorous coupled-wave analysis and finite element method. Impedance matching theory and coupled mode theory are adopted to further analyze the physical origin. The proposed scheme and thermal radiator that allow nonreciprocal thermal radiation for both TE and TM polarizations at an extremely small incident angle offer valuable guidance to the development of dual-polarization nonreciprocal radiation devices.

Optical functions of uniaxial zinc oxide (ZnO) revisited

The optical functions of uniaxial ZnO are determined from 200 to 850 nm (6.2–1.46 eV) using three different ellipsometric techniques: (1) standard spectroscopic two-modulator generalized ellipsometry (2-MGE), (2) transmission two-modulator generalized ellipsometry, and (3) near-normal incidence two modulator generalized ellipsometry microscopy (2-MGEM). The 2-MGE results in very accurate values of the dielectric functions and error estimates from 1.46 to 6.2 eV, while the transmission 2-MGE results in more accurate values of the birefringence and associated errors below the band edge where ZnO is transparent. The 2-MGEM also measures the diattenuation (which is related to the birefringence) and other parameters, but at near-normal incidence at a single wavelength (577 nm). The 2-MGEM is designed as a scanning instrument resulting in these parameters being measured over a surface.

Measurement of surface chirality at near-normal incidence

The chirality of a medium is typically measured either by transmitting a beam of light through it or by single or multiple interface reflection at large and/or special angles of incidence. We propose and demonstrate here the experimental measurement of surface chirality of z-cut quartz crystal by reflecting a focused beam of light at a near-normal angle of incidence. A small difference in the reflection coefficients between orthogonal elliptically polarized incident beam of 10−4 is measured in the dark-field region of the reflected light via the weak measurement method, taking advantage of the significant transverse spin-shift (TSS) that arises due to the interaction. The TSS behavior is simulated for different chiral parameters (±γ) of the material. The experimental results match well with the theoretically simulated behavior to quantify γ of quartz crystal used as an example interface. The significance of our method can be of interest for a wide variety of fundamental and applied investigations.

The impact of light polarization and the nature of modes in the formation of quasi-bound states in the continuum at near-normal incidence

Bound states in the continuum (BIC) is a peculiar resonant mode with an infinite radiative lifetime and quality factor (Q-factor) embedded within the radiation continuum, which find applications in sensing, lasing, and quantum photonics. While an ideal BIC with an infinite Q-factor can only occur in theory, observing quasi-BIC in realistic samples with finite sizes is possible. However, the robustness of quasi-BIC depends primarily on the trapped electromagnetic modes. Here, we discuss the polarization dependence and the nature of quasi-BIC mode in a two-dimensional array of gallium arsenide (GaAs) scatterers through finite difference time domain simulations and analytical calculations. The calculated angle- and polarization-dependent transmission spectra show quasi-BIC evolution with high Q-factor at near-normal incidence only for transverse magnetic polarization. The calculated total scattering cross-section implies the dominant contribution from electric dipole moments in generating the quasi-BIC. The evolution of quasi-BIC mode is discussed in terms of Mie or Fabry–Perot modes using geometry-dependent transmission and field intensity calculations. The proposed GaAs metasurfaces with quasi-BIC at 638 nm, corresponding to the zero phonon line of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond are useful for applications in photonic quantum technologies.

Anisotropy in the dielectric function of Bi2Te3 from first principles: From the UV-visible to the infrared range

The dielectric properties of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$, a layered compound crystallizing in a rhombohedral structure, are investigated by means of first-principles calculations at the random phase approximation level. A special attention is devoted to the anisotropy in the dielectric function and to the local field effects that strongly renormalize the optical properties in the UV-visible range when the electric field is polarized along the stacking axis. Furthermore, both the Born effective charges for each atom and the zone center phonon frequencies and eigenvectors needed to describe the dielectric response in the infrared range are computed. Our theoretical near-normal incidence reflectivity spectra in both the UV-visible and infrared range are in fairly good agreement with the experimental spectra, provided that the free carriers Drude contribution arising from defects is included in the infrared response. The anisotropic plasmon frequencies entering the Drude model are computed within the rigid band approximation, suggesting that a measurement of the reflectivity in the infrared range for both polarizations might allow one to infer not only the type of doping but also the level of doping.

Vortex Dynamics and Structured Darkness of Laguerre-Gaussian Beams Transmitted Through Q-Plates Under Weak Axial-Asymmetric Incidence

We describe the rich vortex dynamics at normal and near-normal or off-centered Laguerre-Gaussian beam transmission through the q-plate – a waveplate capable of generating vortex beams from circularly polarized incident beams. First, we explore the basics of the spin-to-orbit angular momentum conversion and show the vortex constellations under normal incidence for the case of quarter-wave retardation. Second, we analyze the optical Gaussian and vortex beam profile transformations accompanying the giant beam shifts under axial-asymmetric incidence. Namely, we consider the near-normal (for the Fourier-space q-plate) and off-centered (for the real-space q-plate) incidence, when the incident angle becomes comparable with beam angular divergence and off-center distance becomes comparable with beam width, respectively. In this regime, one can control the positions of the single-charge vortices with the specified polarization components of the beam, including those residing in its structured darkness. All mentioned effects arise due to the extreme spin-orbit coupling. The results obtained form a novel platform for a plethora of optical vortex transformation and structured light phenomena.

Reflection from uniaxial crystals: symmetries, and formulae for near-normal incidence.

The following symmetries and interrelationships are established: the direct reflection amplitudes r ss,r pp are independent of the signs of the direction cosines of the optic axis. For example, they are unchanged by ϕ→π-ϕ or ϕ→-ϕ, where ϕ is the azimuthal angle of the optic axis. The cross-polarization amplitudes r sp a n d r ps are both odd in ϕ; they also satisfy the general relations r sp(ϕ)=r ps(π+ϕ) and r sp(ϕ)+r ps(π-ϕ)=0. All of these symmetries apply equally to absorbing media with complex refractive indices, and thus complex reflection amplitudes. Analytic expressions are given for the amplitudes which characterize the reflection from a uniaxial crystal when the incidence is close to normal. The amplitudes for reflection in which the polarization is unchanged (r ss a n d r pp) have corrections which are second order in the angle of incidence. The cross-reflection amplitudes r sp a n d r ps are equal at normal incidence and have corrections (equal and opposite) which are first order in the angle of incidence. Examples for normal incidence and small-angle (6°) and large-angle (60°) incidence reflection are given for non-absorbing calcite and absorbing selenium.

Potential and kinetic energy of underwater noise measured at steep grazing angles over contrasting seafloors

Observed near the seabed, broadband noise emissions from a source or vessel passing directly above the sensor exhibit frequency bands where potential acoustic energy is greater than kinetic energy while the opposite occurs in neighboring frequency bands. The condition where the dynamic and kinematic energy forms differ in this manner is characteristic to interference involving steep angles or near-normal incidence reflection from the seafloor. Recent experiments conducted on the New England Mud Patch (NEMP) and the neighboring (towards offshore) shelf break waters demonstrate the sensitivity to seabed structure, which evolves from the soft mud layers at the NEMP into the harder sediments that are exposed on the continental slope. Results are expressed as a ratio of kinetic to potential energy as a function of frequency, with resulting data series yielding information on seabed properties. Variance components as function of frequency are also isolated based on a singular value decomposition of a matrix constructed from the data series (known as singular spectrum analysis). The components are associated with different sub- bottom layering features. A model for kinetic and potential energy combined with candidate geoacoustic models is used to interpret both the data series and components.

The influence of solvents on the appearance of the absorption bands of the polystyrene films deposited from solutions on metal mirrors

Infrared reflection-absorption spectra (IRRAS) at the near-normal incidence of polystyrene films from benzene, toluene, and chloroform solutions were analyzed in this paper. The appearance of the spectrum can be affected so that false conclusions can be drawn about the positions and the shape of the absorption bands. The knowledge of these influences of residual solvents in the polymer film is important for the correct interpretation of the reflection-absorption spectra. Unlike other approaches, a single reflection at a 20° incidence angle was used. A new drop-carting technique was used for the deposition of polymer film solutions on metal mirrors. Reflection-absorption spectra at a near-normal incidence angle were obtained using a dispersive infrared spectrometer.

Strengthened Spin Hall Effect of Circularly Polarized Light Enabled by a Single-Layered Dielectric Metasurface.

The spin Hall effect of light, referring to the spin-dependent and transverse splitting of light at an optical interface, is an interface-dependent phenomenon. In contrast to this commonly accepted statement, it has been recently reported that the spin Hall effect under circularly polarized light is interface-independent. Despite this interface-independence, however, the reflection of the spin Hall shifted beam is mostly suppressed under near-normal incidence, where the spin Hall shift is large because of the handedness reversal that occurs during the reflection. Here we present a single-layered dielectric metasurface to realize the interface-independent and strengthened spin Hall effect of light. Numerical simulation results confirmed that the anisotropic geometry of the metasurface induced phase-reversed reflection for one linear polarization and phase-preserved reflection for the other, thereby strongly strengthening the reflection of the spin-Hall-shifted beam. Our work will pave a route toward the precise displacement of the beam at the nanoscale without perturbing its polarization state.

Potential and kinetic energy of underwater noise measured below a passing ship and response to sub-bottom layering.

Observed near the seafloor, broadband noise emissions from a vessel passing directly above exhibit frequency bands where potential acoustic energy is greater than kinetic energy while the opposite occurs in neighboring frequency bands. The condition where the dynamic and kinematic energy forms differ in this manner is characteristic to interference involving steep angles or near-normal incidence reflection from the seafloor. Measurements are made at two experimental sites using a research vessel passing above a vector sensor, positioned ∼1.5 m above the seabed, resulting in a vessel horizontal range approaching ∼0. The data are expressed as a ratio of kinetic to potential energy in decibels and yield information on seabed properties. A model for kinetic and potential energy is developed from the method of images using a layered seabed and is used to invert data collected in Puget Sound. A higher-impedance seabed is identified via inversion, which is consistent with the thin Holocene sediments in the region. For data collected on the New England Mud Patch, the model is instead applied directly to nominal seabed parameters originating from prior studies that identify a low-speed mud layer atop a higher-speed transition layer separating the mud substrate from a sediment basement.

Absorption of charged particles in perfectly matched layers by optimal damping of the deposited current

Perfectly matched layers (PMLs) are widely used in particle-in-cell simulations, in order to absorb electromagnetic waves that propagate out of the simulation domain. However, when charged particles cross the interface between the simulation domain and the PMLs, a number of numerical artifacts can arise. In order to mitigate these artifacts, we introduce a PML algorithm whereby the current deposited by the macroparticles in the PML is damped by an analytically derived optimal coefficient. The benefits of this algorithm are illustrated in practical simulations. In particular, it is shown that this algorithm is well suited for particles exiting the box in near-normal incidence, in the sense that the fields behave as if the exiting particle is propagating in an infinite vacuum.