Fabrication of hybrid optical line generator by direct machining.

In this study, a mold of a line generator consisting of a cylindrical lens array with a triangular diffractive grating was ultra-precision diamond machined with Moore 350FG 5-axis ultra-precision machine. The design and the simulation of the hybrid structure were performed using ray tracing and exact electromagnetic theory. The machined hybrid lens structure was replicated to a UV-curable polymer and was then characterized and tested. The optical measurements show that the hybrid element works as designed.

Fabrication of terahertz wire-grid polarizers.

Wire-grid polarizers for terahertz region were fabricated by manufacturing triangular grating using a ruling-based, ultraprecision diamond machining process and replicating the pattern into polymethylpentene (TPX) and cyklo-olefin copolymer (COC) sheets using hot embossing. On top of the imprinted structures, aluminum was evaporated in an oblique angle, forming an aluminum wire grid. The achieved extinction rate was over 150 for TPX polarizers and near 1000 for COC polarizers.

High efficiency half-wave retardation in diffracted light by coupled waves.

We demonstrate high-efficiency half-wave retardation in diffracted light in the 2nd order Littrow mounting. The diffracting structure is a slanted crossed grating with subwavelength period in the direction of the second grating vector, which makes it possible to mix the polarization states of the input light inside the grating layer, and hence to create the half-wave retardation. We present an experimental result with 58.9 % diffraction efficiency and a near perfect half-wave retardation. We explain the effect qualitatively using the classical coupled-wave approach.

Dissipative dispersion-managed soliton 2 µm thulium/holmium fiber laser.

We report a first dissipative dispersive-managed soliton fiber laser operating at 2 µm. The cavity comprised of all-anomalous-dispersion fiber employs chirped fiber Bragg grating, which ensures net-normal cavity dispersion and semiconductor saturable absorber for mode-locking.

Dispersion compensation technologies for femtosecond fiber system.

Developed highly chirped broadband fiber Bragg gratings and suspended-core fibers are shown to offer flexible dispersion management and allow for femtosecond oscillators with transform-limited pulse quality. Such dispersion compensators could have potential, particularly for all-fiber chirped-pulse amplification systems.