Christian, JM ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2742-0569, McDonald, GS
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1304-5182, Heyes, AS and Huang, JG
2010,
Fractal laser sources: new analyses, results and contexts
, in: National Photonics Conference, Photon 10, 23-26 Aug, 2010, Southampton, UK.
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Abstract
A series of significant new extensions concerning fractal light generation are reported. Firstly, we summarise techniques and results from the first full analysis of the linear modes of ‘fractal lasers’ [1] – unstable-cavity geometries with arbitrary Fresnel number Neq and arbitrary round-trip magnification M. Secondly, simulations and analyses for new contexts of laser-driven ‘nonlinear fractal generators’ [2] – where analogous nonlinear processes spontaneously generate fractals – are presented. Finally, we outline why such fractal laser sources may play a pivotal role in future Nature-inspired devices and system architectures. Our discovery of fractal laser modes from unstable-cavity lasers [1] uncovered a general class of linear systems (with repeated magnification) that possess fractal eigenmodes. However, numerical or analytical analyses was limited to modes of either: very limited fractality, laser cavities with Neq ≈ O(1); or unlimited fractality, when Neq >> O(1). General properties of fractal modes from these two extremes are, perhaps unsurprisingly, different. Building on Fresnel diffraction theory developments [3], we report fractal mode characteristics in the important intermediate regime – corresponding to real-world systems with significant and exploitable fractality (see Figure 1). <FIGURE 1> Figure 1. Lowest-loss eigenmode patterns for ‘kaleidoscope fractals lasers’ with Neq = 30 and M = 1.5. We further proposed fractal light generation through entirely-nonlinear mechanisms [2]. The context examined was a single configuration with a particular nonlinearity. Generalisation of this work to new contexts - with profoundly different nonlinearities and experimental configurations, such as ring cavities and cavity-less contexts – will be summarised. The huge spatial bandwidths associated with fractal sources have potential exploitation within novel technological contexts. We conclude with a brief account of such potential new technologies. References [1] Karman G P, McDonald G S, New G H C and Woerdman JP, Nature 402, 138 (1999). [2] Huang J G and McDonald G S, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 174101 (2005). [3] Huang J G, Christian J M and McDonald G S, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 23, 2768 (2006).
Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) |
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Themes: | Energy Media, Digital Technology and the Creative Economy Subjects outside of the University Themes |
Schools: | Schools > School of Computing, Science and Engineering > Salford Innovation Research Centre |
Journal or Publication Title: | Technical Digest: National Photonics Conference, Photon 10, Southampton, 2010 |
Publisher: | Institute of Physics (IoP) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Depositing User: | GS McDonald |
Date Deposited: | 13 Oct 2011 08:25 |
Last Modified: | 28 Oct 2020 14:02 |
URI: | http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/18269 |
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