0000000000007113

AUTHOR

Albert Ferrando

Femtosecond pulse compression in a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber by tuning its cross section

Abstract We present a numerical study of soliton pulse compression in a seven-cell hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber. We analyze the enhancement of both the compression factor and the pulse shape quality of 360 nJ femtosecond pulses at the wavelength of 800 nm by tuning the cross section size of the fiber. We use the generalized non-linear Schrodinger equation in order to modeled the propagation of light pulses along the fiber. Our numerical results show that output compressed pulses can be obtained, in a propagation length of 31 cm, with a compression factor of 5.7 and pulse shape quality of 77% for a reduction of 4.5% of the cross section size of the fiber. The predicted compression fact…

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Photonic Nambu-Goldstone bosons

We study numerically the spatial dynamics of light in periodic square lattices in the presence of a Kerr term, emphasizing the peculiarities stemming from the nonlinearity. We find that, under rather general circumstances, the phase pattern of the stable ground state depends on the character of the nonlinearity: the phase is spatially uniform if it is defocusing whereas in the focusing case, it presents a chess board pattern, with a difference of $\pi$ between neighboring sites. We show that the lowest lying perturbative excitations can be described as perturbations of the phase and that finite-sized structures can act as tunable metawaveguides for them. The tuning is made by varying the in…

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Vector description of higher-order modes in photonic crystal fibers

We extensively study the propagation features of higher-order modes in a photonic crystal fiber (PCF). Our analysis is based on a full-vector modal technique specially adapted to accurately describe light propagation in PCF's. Unlike conventional fibers, PCF's exhibit a somewhat unusual mechanism for the generation of higher-order modes. Accordingly, PCF's are characterized by the constancy of the number of modes below a wavelength threshold. An explicit verification of this property is given through a complete analysis of the dispersion relations of higher-order modes in terms of the structural parameters of this kind of fiber. The transverse irradiance distributions for some of these high…

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Dipole soliton-vortices

On universal symmetry grounds, we analyze the existence of a new type of discrete-symmetry vortex solitons that can be considered as coherent states of dipole solitons carrying a nonzero topological charge. Remarkably, they can be also interpreted as excited angular Bloch states. The stability of new soliton states is elucidated numerically.

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Discrete-Gauss states and the generation of focussing dark beams

Discrete-Gauss states are a new class of gaussian solutions of the free Schr\"odinger equation owning discrete rotational symmetry. They are obtained by acting with a discrete deformation operator onto Laguerre-Gauss modes. We present a general analytical construction of these states and show the necessary and sufficient condition for them to host embedded dark beams structures. We unveil the intimate connection between discrete rotational symmetry, orbital angular momentum, and the generation of focussing dark beams. The distinguishing features of focussing dark beams are discussed. The potential applications of Discrete-Gauss states in advanced optical trapping and quantum information pro…

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Supercontinuum optimization for dual-soliton based light sources using genetic algorithms in a grid platform

We present a numerical strategy to design fiber based dual pulse light sources exhibiting two predefined spectral peaks in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime. The frequency conversion is based on the soliton fission and soliton self-frequency shift occurring during super- continuum generation. The optimization process is carried out by a genetic algorithm that provides the optimum input pulse parameters: wavelength, temporal width and peak power. This algorithm is implemented in a Grid platform in order to take advantage of distributed computing. These results are useful for optical coherence tomography applications where bell-shaped pulses located in the second near-infrared wi…

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Spatial soliton formation in photonic crystal fibers

We demonstrate the existence of spatial soliton solutions in photonic crystal fibers (PCF's). These guided localized nonlinear waves appear as a result of the balance between the linear and nonlinear diffraction properties of the inhomogeneous photonic crystal cladding. The spatial soliton is realized self-consistently as the fundamental mode of the effective fiber defined simultaneously by the PCF linear and the self-induced nonlinear refractive indices. It is also shown that the photonic crystal cladding is able to stabilize these solutions, which would be unstable otherwise if the medium was entirely homogeneous.

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Symmetry breaking and singularity structure in Bose-Einstein condensates

We determine the trajectories of vortex singularities that arise after a single vortex is broken by a discretely symmetric impulse in the context of Bose-Einstein condensates in a harmonic trap. The dynamics of these singularities are analyzed to determine the form of the imprinted motion. We find that the symmetry-breaking process introduces two effective forces: a repulsive harmonic force that causes the daughter trajectories to be ejected from the parent singularity, and a Magnus force that introduces a torque about the axis of symmetry. For the analytical non-interacting case we find that the parent singularity is reconstructed from the daughter singularities after one period of the tra…

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Resonant Plasmon-Soliton Interaction

We describe an effective resonant interaction between two localized wave modes of different nature: a plasmon-polariton at a metal surface and a self-focusing beam (spatial soliton) in a non-linear dielectric medium. Propagating in the same direction, they represent an exotic coupled-waveguide system, where the resonant interaction is controlled by the soliton amplitude. This non-linear system manifests hybridized plasmon-soliton eigenmodes, mutual conversion, and non-adiabatic switching, which offer exciting opportunities for manipulation of plasmons via spatial solitons.

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Outstanding nonlinear optical properties of methylammonium- and Cs-PbX3 (X = Br, I, and Br–I) perovskites: Polycrystalline thin films and nanoparticles

Metal Halide Perovskites (MHPs) have arisen as promising materials to construct cost-effective photovoltaic and light emission devices. The study of nonlinear optical properties of MHPs is necessary to get similar success in nonlinear photonic devices, which is practically absent in the literature. The determination of the third order nonlinear coefficients is typically done by the Z-scan technique, which is limited by the scattering of polycrystalline thin films. In this work, we have studied nonlinear optical properties of polycrystalline CH3NH3PbX3 (MAPbX3) thin films and colloidal CsPbX3 nanoparticles with three different bandgaps (X3 = I3, Br3, and Br1.5I1.5). Their bright generation o…

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Variational theory of soliplasmon resonances

We present a first-principles derivation of the variational equations describing the dynamics of the interaction of a spatial soliton and a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) propagating along a metal/dielectric interface. The variational ansatz is based on the existence of solutions exhibiting differentiated and spatially resolvable localized soliton and SPP components. These states, referred to as soliplasmons, can be physically understood as bound states of a soliton and a SPP. Their respective dispersion relations permit the existence of a resonant interaction between them, as pointed out in Ref.[1]. The existence of soliplasmon states and their interesting nonlinear resonant behavior has …

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Ansatz-independent solution of a soliton in a strong dispersion-management system

We introduce a theoretical approach to the study of propagation in systems with periodic strong-management dispersion. Our approach does not assume any ansatz about the form of the solution nor does it make use of any average procedure. We find an explicit solution for the pulse evolution in the fast dynamics regime (distances smaller than the dispersion period). We also establish the equation of motion governing the slow dynamics of an arbitrary pulse and prove that the pulse evolution is nonlinear and Hamiltonian. We solve this equation and find that a nonlinear solitonlike solution occurs self-consistently in the form of an asymptotic stationary eigenfunction of the Hamiltonian.

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All-optical discrete vortex switch

We introduce discrete vortex solitons and vortex breathers in circular arrays of nonlinear waveguides. The simplest vortex breather in a four-waveguide coupler is a nonlinear dynamic state changing its topological charge between $+1$ and $\ensuremath{-}1$ periodically during propagation. We find the stability domain for this solution and suggest an all-optical vortex switching scheme.

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Supersolid Behavior of Light

We will show how light can form stationary structures on dielectric periodic media such that their dynamics present simultaneous features of spatial long range order and superfluidity. This phenomenon is normally referred to as supersolidity.

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Spatial Solitons in Nonlinear Photonic Crystal Fibers

This chapter aims to review the most relevant results on solitons in nonlinear solid-core photonic crystal fibers since their introduction about fifteen years ago. These include fundamental solitons and vortices, as well as vector systems of two fundamental, vortex or mixed components. Also other related systems as solitons in double-core photonic crystal fibers will be reviewed. The presentation will describe the mode families as well as their stability properties. The work is intended to be a comprehensive document on the field and provide a fast update to the reader as well as the necessary sources for a further detailed documentation.

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Transparent Boundary Condition for Oseen-Frank Model. Application for NLC Cells With Patterned Electrodes

In the present work a novel application of Transparent Boundary Conditions (TBC) to nematic liquid crystal cells (NLCC) with planar alignment and a patterned electrode is studied. This device is attracting great interest since it allows soliton steering by optically and externally induced waveguides. We employ the continuum Oseen-Frank theory to find the tilt and twist angle distributions in the cell under the one-constant approximation. The electric field distribution takes into account the whole 2D permittivity tensor for the transverse coordinates. Standard finite difference time domain methods together with an iterative method is applied to find an approximate solution to our coupled pr…

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The mesonic spectrum of bosonized QCD2 in the chiral limit

Abstract By studying an equivalent non-abelian bosonic theory we resolve the mesonic spectrum of quantum chromodynamics in one space-one time dimension for massless quarks. The emphasis is placed in the non-chiral sector described be colored meson fields. Two and four point functions of these fields are explicitly calculated in the large N limit. Some of the relevant issues: chiral symmetry realization, phases, anomaly saturation, etc…, are revisited.

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Stability of soliplasmon excitations at metal/dielectric interfaces

We show the stability features of different families of soliplasmon excitations by analyzing their different propagation patterns under random perturbations of the initial profile. The role of phase and dispersive waves is also unveiled.

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Differential operator formalism for axial optical vortex beam and the double-phase-ramp converter

A systematic study of the properties of the output dark rays or singular skeleton for the Laguerre-Gaussian beam LG 01 passed through double-phase-ramp converter is presented. When the DOE is discontinuous at the origin, as is the case here, the transfer function is not analytical, so that a special theoretical approach is needed. The previously reported formalism of scattering modes, which permitted the analytical calculation of arbitrary multisingular Gaussian beams, requires analyticity everywhere. We present here an adaption of this formalism that overcomes this limitation. The procedure is based on the differential operator algebra used in the previous construction. We give an example …

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Topological charge selection rule for phase singularities

We present a study of the dynamics and decay pattern of phase singularities due to the action of a system with a discrete rotational symmetry of finite order. A topological charge conservation rule is identified. The role played by the underlying symmetry is emphasized. An effective model describing the short range dynamics of the vortex clusters has been designed. A method to engineer any desired configuration of clusters of phase singularities is proposed. Its flexibility to create and control clusters of vortices is discussed.

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Symmetry-induced forces on phase singularities

We show the existence of external forces acting on phase singularities whose origin can be attributed to the presence of short-term discrete-symmetry potentials. These special forces can break highly charged phase singularities into single-charged ones and provide them with non-zero orbital angular momentum even when the potential no longer acts.

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Polychromatic Cherenkov radiation and supercontinuum in tapered optical fibers

We numerically demonstrate that bright solitons in tapered optical fibers can emit polychromatic Cherenkov radiation providing they remain spectrally close to the zero dispersion wavelength during propagation along the fiber. The prime role in this phenomenon is played by the soliton self-frequency shift driving efficiency of the radiation and tuning of its frequency. Depending on tapering and input pulse power, the radiation is emitted either as a train of pulses at different frequencies or as a single temporally broad and strongly chirped pulse.

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Noncommutative space and the low-energy physics of quasicrystals

We prove that the effective low-energy, nonlinear Schroedinger equation for a particle in the presence of a quasiperiodic potential is the potential-free, nonlinear Schroedinger equation on noncommutative space. Thus quasiperiodicity of the potential can be traded for space noncommutativity when describing the envelope wave of the initial quasiperiodic wave.

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A topological charge selection rule for phase singularities

We present a study of the dynamics and decay pattern of phase singularities due to the action of a system with a discrete rotational symmetry of finite order. A topological charge conservation rule is identified.

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The spectrum of bosonized QCD2 in the chiral limit

Abstract By studying an equivalent non-abelian bosonic theory we resolve the spectrum of Quantum Chromodynamics in one space-one time dimensions for massless quarks. The emphasis is placed in the non chiral sector described by colored meson fields. Two and four point functions of these fields are explicitly calculated in the large N limit. Some of the relevant issues: chiral symmetry realization, phases, baryon spectrum, topology etc …, are revisited.

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Nonlinear higher-order polariton topological insulator

We address the resonant response and bistability of the exciton-polariton corner states in a higher-order nonlinear topological insulator realized with kagome arrangement of microcavity pillars. Such states are resonantly excited and exist due to the balance between pump and losses, on the one hand, and between nonlinearity and dispersion in inhomogeneous potential landscape, on the other hand, for pump energy around eigen-energies of corresponding linear localized modes. Localization of the nonlinear corner states in a higher-order topological insulator can be efficiently controlled by tuning pump energy. We link the mechanism of corner state formation with symmetry of the truncated kagome…

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Sloped-wall thin-film photonic crystal waveguides

The effect of the slope of the groove walls in the behavior of thin-film one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides is extensively studied. In this respect, we point out its influence on the modal dispersion relations and then on the bandgap structure in general. Likewise, we also prove the lack of accuracy in the evaluation of the bandgap edges when material dispersion is ignored. The extreme importance of both facts, the wall slope and the material dispersion, in the analysis and design of realistic photonic crystal devices is emphasized. In particular, we exploit the wall slope as a new design parameter. By suitably choosing the value of the above parameter, sloped-wall photonic crystal…

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Soliton-plasmon resonances as Maxwell nonlinear bound states

We demonstrate that soliplasmons (soliton–plasmon bound states) appear naturally as eigenmodes of nonlinear Maxwell’s equations for a metal/Kerr interface. Conservative stability analysis is performed by means of finite element numerical modeling of the time-independent nonlinear Maxwell equations. Dynamical features are in agreement with the presented nonlinear oscillator model.

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Vortex replication in Bose-Einstein condensates trapped in double-well potentials

In this work we demonstrate, by means of numerical simulations, the possibility of replicating matter-wave vortices in a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a double-well potential. The most remarkable result is the generation of replicas of an initial vortex state located in one side of the double potential, which evolves into two copies, each one located in one of the potential minima. A simple linear theory gives the basic explanation of the phenomenon and predicts experimental realistic conditions for observation. A complementary strategy of easy experimental implementation to dramatically decrease the replication time is presented and numerically tested for the general case of nonlinea…

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Lieb polariton topological insulators

We predict that the interplay between the spin-orbit coupling, stemming from the TE-TM energy splitting, and the Zeeman effect in semiconductor microcavities supporting exci- ton-polariton quasi-particles results in the appearance of unidirectional linear topological edge states when the top microcavity mirror is patterned to form a truncated dislocated Lieb lattice of cylindrical pillars. Periodic nonlinear edge states are found to emerge from the linear ones. They are strongly localized across the interface and they are remarkably robust in comparison to their counterparts in hexagonal lattices. Such robustness makes possible the existence of nested unidirectional dark solitons that move …

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Designing a photonic crystal fibre with flattened chromatic dispersion

Using a full-vector modal method, the authors have identified a region of nearly zero flattened chromatic dispersion in a specially designed photonic crystal fibre. The approach permits an accurate control of the dispersion features of these fibres in terms of their structural parameters.

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Search forBs0→μ+μ−andB0→μ+μ−Decays with CDF II

A search has been performed for B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -} and B{sup 0} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -} decays using 7 fb{sup -1} of integrated luminosity collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The observed number of B{sup 0} candidates is consistent with background-only expectations and yields an upper limit on the branching fraction of {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -}) < 6.0 x 10{sup -9} at 95% confidence level. We observe an excess of B{sub s}{sup 0} candidates. The probability that the background processes alone could produce such an excess or larger is 0.27%. The probability that the combination of background and the expe…

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Continuum generation by dark solitons

We demonstrate that the dark soliton trains in optical fibers with a zero of the group velocity dispersion can generate broad spectral distribution (continuum) associated with the resonant dispersive radiation emitted by solitons. This radiation is either enhanced or suppressed by the Raman scattering depending on the sign of the third order dispersion.

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Multi-peak-spectra generation with Cherenkov radiation in a non-uniform single mode fiber

We propose, by means of numerical simulations, a simple method to design a non-uniform standard single mode fiber to generate spectral broadening in the form of "ad-hoc" chosen peaks from dispersive waves. The controlled multi-peak generation is possible by an on/off switch of Cherenkov radiation, achieved by tailoring the fiber dispersion when decreasing the cladding diameter by segments. The interplay between the fiber dispersion and the soliton self-frequency shift results in discrete peaks of efficiently emitted Cherenkov radiation from low order solitons, despite the small amount of energy contained in a pulse. These spectra are useful for applications that demand low power bell-shaped…

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Symmetry, winding number, and topological charge of vortex solitons in discrete-symmetry media

[EN] We determine the functional behavior near the discrete rotational symmetry axis of discrete vortices of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation. We show that these solutions present a central phase singularity whose charge is restricted by symmetry arguments. Consequently, we demonstrate that the existence of high-charged discrete vortices is related to the presence of other off-axis phase singularities, whose positions and charges are also restricted by symmetry arguments. To illustrate our theoretical results, we offer two numerical examples of high-charged discrete vortices in photonic crystal fibers showing hexagonal discrete rotational invariance

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Vanillin cell sensor

Our project for iGEM 2006 consisted of designing a cellular vanillin biosensor. We used an EnvZ -E. coli strain as a chassis, and constructed two different devices: a sensor and an actuator, assembled using OmpR-P as a standardised mediator. The sensor device contained a computation- ally designed vanillin receptor and a synthetic two-component signal transduction protein (Trz). The receptor protein was based on a ribose-binding protein as scaffold. The Trz was built by fusion of the periplasmic and transmembrane domains of a Trg protein with an EnvZ kinase domain. When the receptor complex binds Trg, an allosteric motion is propagated to the cyto- plasmic EnvZ kinase domain, resulting in a…

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Toward Metal Halide Perovskite Nonlinear Photonics.

The possibility of controlling light using the nonlinear optical properties of photonic devices opens new points of view in information and communications technology applications. In this Perspective, we review and analyze the potential role of metal halide perovskites in a framework different from their usual one in photovoltaic and light-emitting devices, namely, the one where they can play as nonlinear photonic materials. We contextualize this new role by comparing the few extant results on their nonlinear optical properties to those of other known nonlinear materials. As a result of this analysis, we provide a vision of future developments in photonics that can be expected from this new…

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Optical Amplification in Hollow-Core Negative-Curvature Fibers Doped with Perovskite CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals

| openaire: EC/H2020/820423/EU//S2QUIP We report a hollow-core negative-curvature fiber (HC-NCF) optical signal amplifier fabricated by the filling of the air microchannels of the fiber with all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs). The optimum fabrication conditions were found to enhance the optical gain, up to +3 dB in the best device. Experimental results were approximately reproduced by a gain assisted mechanism based on the nonlinear optical properties of the PNCs, indicating that signal regeneration can be achieved under low pump powers, much below the threshold of stimulated emission. The results can pave the road of new functionalities of the HC-NCF with PNCs, such as op…

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Signal Amplification in CsPbBr3 Nanoparticle-Doped Photonic Crystal Fibers

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been proved for various photonic and optoelectronic applications with superior performance. Doping holey-fibers with colloidal NPs is an idea with precedents in the optical literature. For example, CdZnS/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) based lasers at visible wavelengths [1, 2]; and PbS QDs doped fiber amplifiers operating at telecommunication wavelengths [3]. In this paper we harness the potential of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) doped with chemically synthesized CsPbBr 3 Colloidal-NPs [4] to demonstrate gain functionalities in all-fiber optical microdevices.

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Ansatz independent solution of a soliton in a strong dispersion-management system

We introduce a theoretical approach to the study of propagation in systems with periodic strongmanagement dispersion. Our approach does not assume any ansatz about the form of the solution nor does it make use of any average procedure. We find an explicit solution for the pulse evolution in the fast dynamics regime ~distances smaller than the dispersion period!. We also establish the equation of motion governing the slow dynamics of an arbitrary pulse and prove that the pulse evolution is nonlinear and Hamiltonian. We solve this equation and find that a nonlinear solitonlike solution occurs self-consistently in the form of an asymptotic stationary eigenfunction of the Hamiltonian.

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Forward-backward equations for nonlinear propagation in axially invariant optical systems

We present a novel general framework to deal with forward and backward components of the electromagnetic field in axially-invariant nonlinear optical systems, which include those having any type of linear or nonlinear transverse inhomogeneities. With a minimum amount of approximations, we obtain a system of two first-order equations for forward and backward components explicitly showing the nonlinear couplings among them. The modal approach used allows for an effective reduction of the dimensionality of the original problem from 3+1 (three spatial dimensions plus one time dimension) to 1+1 (one spatial dimension plus one frequency dimension). The new equations can be written in a spinor Dir…

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Designing the properties of dispersion-flattened photonic crystal fibers

We present a systematic study of group-velocity-dispersion properties in photonic crystal fibers (PCF's). This analysis includes a thorough description of the dependence of the fiber geometrical dispersion on the structural parameters of a PCF. The interplay between material dispersion and geometrical dispersion allows us to established a well-defined procedure to design specific predetermined dispersion profiles. We focus on flattened, or even ultraflattened, dispersion behaviors both in the telecommunication window (around 1.55 microm) and in the Ti-Za laser wavelength range (around 0.8 microm}. We show the different possibilities of obtaining normal, anomalous, and zero dispersion curves…

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Hadron correlators and the structure of the quark propagator

The structure of the quark propagator of $QCD$ in a confining background is not known. We make an Ansatz for it, as hinted by a particular mechanism for confinement, and analyze its implications in the meson and baryon correlators. We connect the various terms in the K\"allen-Lehmann representation of the quark propagator with appropriate combinations of hadron correlators, which may ultimately be calculated in lattice $QCD$. Furthermore, using the positivity of the path integral measure for vector like theories, we reanalyze some mass inequalities in our formalism. A curiosity of the analysis is that, the exotic components of the propagator (axial and tensor), produce terms in the hadron c…

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Soliton topology versus discrete symmetry in optical lattices

We address the existence of vortex solitons supported by azimuthally modulated lattices and reveal how the global lattice discrete symmetry has fundamental implications on the possible topological charges of solitons. We set a general ``charge rule'' using group-theory techniques, which holds for all lattices belonging to a given symmetry group. Focusing in the case of Bessel lattices allows us to derive also a overall stability rule for the allowed vortex solitons.

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Characterization of different regimes in nonlinear liquid crystal models

[EN] The range of validity of two models for nonlocal nonlinear optics in Nematic Liquid Crystals (NLC) is studied. Particularly the influence of the optical power and the initial position of the beam over its trajectory is studied when launching the beam with an offset in a planar cell. The main difference between both models is the dependence of the orientational angle with the optical field, either linear or nonlinear. The results demonstrate the critical role of the nonlinearity in the propagation of nematicons in NLC planar cells. © 2012 World Scientific Publishing Company.

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Pulse quality analysis on soliton pulse compression and soliton self-frequency shift in a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber.

A numerical investigation of low-order soliton evolution in a proposed seven-cell hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber is reported. In the numerical simulation, we analyze the pulse quality evolution in soliton pulse compression and soliton self-frequency shift in three fiber structures with different cross-section sizes. In the simulation, we consider unchirped soliton pulses (of 400 fs) at the wavelength of 1060 nm. Our numerical results show that the seven-cell hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, with a cross-section size reduction of 2%, promotes the pulse quality on the soliton pulse compression and soliton self-frequency shift. For an input soliton pulse of order 3 (which corresponds to…

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Nonlinear plasmonic amplification via dissipative soliton-plasmon resonances

In this contribution we introduce a new strategy for the compensation of plasmonic losses based on a recently proposed nonlinear mechanism: the resonant interaction between surface plasmon polaritons and spatial solitons propagating in parallel along a metal/dielectric/Kerr structure. This mechanism naturally leads to the generation of a quasi-particle excitation, the so-called soliplasmon resonance. We analyze the role played by the effective nonlinear coupling inherent to this system and how this can be used to provide a new mechanism of quasi-resonant nonlinear excitation of surface plasmon polaritons. We will pay particular attention to the introduction of asymmetric linear gain in the …

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Precision tests of QED and non-standard models by searching photon-photon scattering in vacuum with high power lasers

We study how to search for photon-photon scattering in vacuum at present petawatt laser facilities such as HERCULES, and test Quantum Electrodynamics and non-standard models like Born-Infeld theory or scenarios involving minicharged particles or axion-like bosons. First, we compute the phase shift that is produced when an ultra-intense laser beam crosses a low power beam, in the case of arbitrary polarisations. This result is then used in order to design a complete test of all the parameters appearing in the low energy effective photonic Lagrangian. In fact, we propose a set of experiments that can be performed at HERCULES, eventually allowing either to detect photon-photon scattering as du…

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Self-Trapped Localized Modes in Photonic Crystal Fibers

We demonstrate the existence of self-trapped localized modes in photonic crystal fibers. We analyze these solutions in terms of the parameters of the photonic crystal cladding and the nonlinear coupling.

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Topological edge states of nonequilibrium polaritons in hollow honeycomb arrays

We address topological currents in polariton condensates excited by uniform resonant pumps in finite honeycomb arrays of microcavity pillars with a hole in the center. Such currents arise under combined action of the spin–orbit coupling and Zeeman splitting, which breaks the time-reversal symmetry and opens a topological gap in the spectrum of the structure. The most representative feature of this structure is the presence of two interfaces, inner and outer ones, where the directions of topological currents are opposite. Due to the finite size of the structure, polariton–polariton interactions lead to coupling of the edge states at the inner and outer interfaces, which depends on the size o…

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The baryonic spectrum of QCD 2 in the chiral limit

Abstract A description of the baryonic spectrum of quantum chromodynamics in one-space-one-time dimensions for massless quarks is presented. The theory has been studied in the equivalent non-abelian bosonic representation, and four-point functions of the colored meson fields under the simplifying assumption of two colors have been calculated. The crucial role of the chiral sector in providing baryon number has been unveiled. Excited baryon states appear as pseudomesonic excitations on top of the massless baryons associated with the chiral fields.

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Discrete-ring vortex solitons

We study analytically and numerically the existence and stability of discrete vortex solitons in the circular arrays of nonlinear optical waveguides, governed by the discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation. Stable vortex breathers with periodically oscillating topological charge are identified and a continuous interpolating map is constructed which allows to recover trajectories of individual phase dislocations in the form of hyperbolic avoided crossings.

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Analysis of inhomogeneously filled waveguides using a bi-orthonormal-basis method

A general theoretical formulation to analyze inhomogeneously filled waveguides with lossy dielectrics is presented in this paper. The wave equations for the tranverse-field components are written in terms of a nonself-adjoint linear operator and its adjoint. The eigenvectors of this pair of linear operators define a biorthonormal-basis, allowing for a matrix representation of the wave equations in the basis of an auxiliary waveguide. Thus, the problem of solving a system of differential equations is transformed into a linear matrix eigenvalue problem. This formulation is applied to rectangular waveguides loaded with an arbitrary number of dielectric slabs centered at arbitrary points. The c…

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Soliplasmon excitations at metal/dielectric/Kerr structures

We present novel optical phenomena based on the existence of a new type of quasi-particle excitation in metal/dielectric/Kerr structures. We discuss the possibility of excitation of surface plasmon polaritons via spatial solitons in these systems.

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Two Dimensional Quantum Chromodynamics as the Limit of Higher Dimensional Theories

We define pure gauge $QCD$ on an infinite strip of width $L$. Techniques similar to those used in finite $TQCD$ allow us to relate $3D$-observables to pure $QCD_2$ behaviors. The non triviality of the $L \arrow 0$ limit is proven and the generalization to four dimensions described. The glueball spectrum of the theory in the small width limit is calculated and compared to that of the two dimensional theory.

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Nearly zero ultraflattened dispersion in photonic crystal fibers.

We present a procedure for achieving photonic crystal fibers with nearly zero ultraflattened group-velocity dispersion. Systematic knowledge of the special guiding properties of these fibers permits the achievement of qualitatively novel dispersion curves. Unlike the behavior of conventional fibers, this new type of dispersion behavior permits remarkably improved suppression of third-order dispersion, particularly in the low-dispersion domain.

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Nodal solitons and the nonlinear breaking of discrete symmetry

We present a new type of soliton solutions in nonlinear photonic systems with discrete point-symmetry. These solitons have their origin in a novel mechanism of breaking of discrete symmetry by the presence of nonlinearities. These so-called nodal solitons are characterized by nodal lines determined by the discrete symmetry of the system. Our physical realization of such a system is a 2D nonlinear photonic crystal fiber owning C6v symmetry.

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Non-abelian gauge dynamics of slowly moving fermions

We study the dynamics generated by local gauge invariance under a non-abelianSU(N) group for two nonrelativistic particles interacting through the effect of the group charges. We describe the local gauge invariant potential which contains the exchange of infinitely many gluons. We discuss the possible implications of our result.

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Maxwell's equations approach to soliton excitations of surface plasmonic resonances

We demonstrate that soliton-plasmon bound states appear naturally as propagating eigenmodes of nonlinear Maxwell's equations for a metal/dielectric/Kerr interface. By means of a variational method, we give an explicit and simplified expression for the full-vector nonlinear operator of the system. Soliplasmon states (propagating surface soliton-plasmon modes) can be then analytically calculated as eigenmodes of this non-selfadjoint operator. The theoretical treatment of the system predicts the key features of the stationary solutions and gives physical insight to understand the inherent stability and dynamics observed by means of finite element numerical modeling of the time independent nonl…

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Propagation length enhancement of surface plasmon polaritons in gold nano-/micro-waveguides by the interference with photonic modes in the surrounding active dielectrics

Abstract In this work, the unique optical properties of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), i.e. subwavelength confinement or strong electric field concentration, are exploited to demonstrate the propagation of light signal at 600 nm along distances in the range from 17 to 150 μm for Au nanostripes 500 nm down to 100 nm wide (30 nm of height), respectively, both theoretically and experimentally. A low power laser is coupled into an optical fiber tip that is used to locally excite the photoluminescence of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) dispersed in their surroundings. Emitted light from these QDs is generating the SPPs that propagate along the metal waveguides. Then, the above-referred propagat…

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Interface states in polariton topological insulators

We address linear and nonlinear topological interface states in polariton condensates excited at the interface of the honeycomb and Lieb arrays of microcavity pillars in the presence of spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman splitting in the external magnetic field. Such interface states appear only in total energy gaps of the composite structure when parameters of the honeycomb and Lieb arrays are selected such that some topological gaps in the spectrum of one of the arrays overlap with topological or nontopological gaps in the spectrum of the other array. This is in contrast to conventional edge states at the interface of periodic topological and uniform trivial insulators, whose behavior is dete…

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Vector Description of a Realistic Photonic Crystal Fiber

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Vortex solitons in photonic crystal fibers

We demonstrate the existence of vortex soliton solutions in photonic crystal fibers. We analyze the role played by the photonic crystal fiber defect in the generation of optical vortices. An analytical prediction for the angular dependence of the amplitude and phase of the vortex solution based on group theory is also provided. Furthermore, all the analysis is performed in the non-paraxial regime.

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Graded-index optical fiber emulator of an interacting three-atom system: illumination control of particle statistics and classical non-separability

[EN] We show that a system of three trapped ultracold and strongly interacting atoms in one-dimension can be emulated using an optical fiber with a graded-index profile and thin metallic slabs. While the wave-nature of single quantum particles leads to direct and well known analogies with classical optics, for interacting many-particle systems with unrestricted statistics such analoga are not straightforward. Here we study the symmetries present in the fiber eigenstates by using discrete group theory and show that, by spatially modulating the incident field, one can select the atomic statistics, i.e., emulate a system of three bosons, fermions or two bosons or fermions plus an additional di…

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Pulse nonlinear optical switching in plasmonic structures

We study switching operation in a plasmonic coupler using fs-pulses. Simulations using the finite difference time-domain method (FDTD) are carried out showing how the output changes as the pulse energy increases raising from zero to a maximum. Both cases of neglecting and realistic losses are considered in order to compare. The work is intended to explore the use of pulses for all-optical signal processing in a potentially interesting system for integrated photonics at the nanometric scale.

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Vorticity cutoff in nonlinear photonic crystals

Using group theory arguments, we demonstrate that, unlike in homogeneous media, no symmetric vortices of arbitrary order can be generated in two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear systems possessing a discrete-point symmetry. The only condition needed is that the non-linearity term exclusively depends on the modulus of the field. In the particular case of 2D periodic systems, such as nonlinear photonic crystals or Bose-Einstein condensates in periodic potentials, it is shown that the realization of discrete symmetry forbids the existence of symmetric vortex solutions with vorticity higher than two.

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Donor and acceptor guided modes in photonic crystal fibers.

We present a triangular photonic-crystal-fiber structure that exhibits guided modes simultaneously above and below the first conduction band. We achieve this configuration by decreasing the size of one of the airholes (the defect) in a specific triangular lattice. More generally, we analyze the behavior of guided modes that depends on the size of the defect. Defects generated by decreasing or increasing the size of one of the holes produce donor or acceptor guided modes, respectively, in analogy with impurity levels in solid-state crystals. We conclude that the guiding mechanism for both donor and acceptor modes is produced by a unique phenomenon of multiple interference by a periodic struc…

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Angular Pseudomomentum Theory for the Generalized Nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger Equation in Discrete Rotational Symmetry Media

We develop a complete mathematical theory for the symmetrical solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation based on the new concept of angular pseudomomentum. We consider the symmetric solitons of a generalized nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation with a nonlinearity depending on the modulus of the field. We provide a rigorous proof of a set of mathematical results justifying that these solitons can be classified according to the irreducible representations of a discrete group. Then we extend this theory to non-stationary solutions and study the relationship between angular momentum and pseudomomentum. We illustrate these theoretical results with numerical examples. Finally, we…

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