Optical
Technology| Optical
Technology |
In General > s.a. astronomy; microscopes;
mirrors; optics.
* Photonic crystal:
An example of metamaterial; Consists of stacks of tiny rods, or solid material
bored out with a honeycomb pattern of voids; The voids have a lower refractive
index than the host material, and the periodic variation of refractive index
excludes light at certain frequencies – the optical equivalent of the energy
gap in a semiconductor; > s.a. radiation [Cerenkov].
@ Fiber optics: NS(90)oct13, insert; Buck
95.
@ Optical communication:
Thomas et al PT(00)sep.
@ Halogen lights: McGowan SA(96)jul
[fill bulb with halogen gas to react with evaporated tungsten].
@ Photonic crystals: news pn(99)feb
+ PT(99)jan, pw(00)aug;
Yablonovitch SA(01)dec; Gersen et al PRL(05)
+ pw(05)apr
[measurement].
@ Optical / wave computers: Ahn et al Sci(00)jan;
Gibbs SA(04)nov.
@ Related topics: Sansone et al Sci(06)oct
+ pn(07)may
[shortest light pulse, 130 
10–18 s
long]; Stefani et al PT(09)feb
[blinking of nanoscale sources]; news sn(09)oct [device that converts light to
motion].
Imaging
* Photography: In a photographic
emulsion, incoming light knocks an electron loose from silver halide grains;
This allows the crystals of
atomic
silver
to form; These are later developed into images.
@ General references: Lloyd a0803 [quantum
illumination, with entangled photons]; Tsang PRL(09) + Anisimov & Dowling Phy(09)jul
[spatially entangled].
@ Lenses: Walther 95; news pn(07)may
[hyperlens resolves details down to 70 nm].
@ With IR radiation: news pn(98)jun.
Lasers > s.a. photons.
* Free electron lasers:
Amplified laser light comes from a beam of electrons passing through an undulator
cavity; Light is tunable; 2000, 
=
93 nm obtained.
* Applications: Generate intense streams of ions with laser pulses
on solids.
* Atom laser: A source
of atoms in a coherent state [@ Kleppner PT(97)aug].
* Most powerful: Petawatt, produces 1.3 PW for 0.5 × 10–12
s (1998).
@ General references:
Feld & An SA(98)jul [single-atom]; Townes
99 [history]; Shverdin et al
PRL(05)
+ pw(05)feb
[1.6 femtosecond pulses]; news pw(08)may
[random lasers]; Arnaud et al a0906 [quiet lasers].
@ Applications: Letokhov SA(88)sep [spectroscopy]; Rech(93)jun,
686 [medicine];
Downing et al Sci(96)aug
+ pn(96)sep
[3D
imaging]; Cowburn CP(08)
[Laser Surface Authentication]; Gabel CP(08)
[nanoscale surgery]; news wired(09)sep [laser cooling].
Holograms, Holography > s.a. holographic
field theory.
@ General references: Johnston 06 [r pw(06)aug].
@ Quantum holography: Weinacht et al Nat(99)jan
+ pn(99)jan.
@ Special topics: Vikram 92 [particle field]; Fadley & Len Nat(96)mar,
Tegze & Faigel Nat(96)mar [with
X-rays];
Burr et al pw(00)jul
[data storage].
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send feedback and suggestions to bombelli at olemiss.edu – modified 10
sep
2009