arXiv subjects

Jerome V. Moloney

Publications and source records attributed to Jerome V. Moloney.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Ionization clamping in ultrafast optical breakdown of transparent solids

We formulate a multi-physics model to describe the nonlinear propagation of a femtosecond, near-infrared, tightly focused laser pulse in a transparent dielectric. The application of our model to the case of bulk sapphire shows that even under extreme excitation conditions, ionization is universally clamped at about one tenth of the electron density in the upper valence band. The earlier estimate of ~10 TPa pressure that could be attainable through the internal excitation of transparent dielectrics by tightly focused ultrafast laser beams is shown to be off by two orders of magnitude.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Intrinsic Carrier Losses in Tellurium Due to Radiative and Auger Recombinations

Fully microscopic many-body models based on inputs from first principle density functional theory are used to calculate the carrier losses due to radiative- and Auger-recombinations in bulk tellurium. It is shown that Auger processes dominate the losses for carrier densities in the range typical for applications as lasers. The Auger loss depends crucially on the energetic position of the $H_6$ valence bands. At cryogenic temperatures of 50$\,$K (100$\,$K) the Auger coefficient, $C$, varies by about six (three) orders of magnitude within the range of published distances between these bands and the valence bandedge. Values for $C$ at the high and low end of these ranges are found if the distance is smaller or larger than the bandgap, respectively. At room temperature the sensitivity is reduced to about a factor of four with $C$ values ranging between $0.4$ and $1.6\times 10^{-27}$cm$^6$s$^{-1}$. Here, radiative losses dominate for carrier densities up to about $10^{16}/$cm$^3$ with a loss coefficient $B\approx 10^{-11}$cm$^3$s$^{-1}$. The radiative losses are about two to three times lower than in typical bulk III-V materials for comparable wavelengths.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Low-threshold operation of GaAs-based (GaIn)As/Ga(AsSb)/(GaIn)As W-quantum well lasers emitting in the O-band

The influence of the growth conditions as well as the device design on the device performance of (GaIn)As/Ga(AsSb)/(GaIn)As "W"-quantum well lasers is investigated. To this purpose, the epitaxy process is scaled to full two inch substrates for improved homogeneity while the growth process is carried out in a single run for an improved quality. Furthermore, the optical confinement factor is increased by increasing the aluminum concentration within the cladding layers to a value of 65%. The procedure is carried out for devices with emission wavelengths of 1.26 micrometer as well as 1.30 micrometer. Differential efficiencies as high as 58% and threshold current densities as low as 0.16 kA/cm^2 are observed in case of devices emitting at 1.26 micrometer at room temperature. Furthermore, excellent characteristic temperatures of T_0=(72 plus minus 5)K and T_1=(293 plus minus 16) K are recorded in the temperature range between 10 degree Celsius and 100 degree Celsius. Devices emitting at 1.30 micrometer exhibit differential efficiencies of 31% and threshold current densities of 0.50 kA/cm^2 at room temperature. Further improvements of these properties and wavelength extension schemes are briefly discssused.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Temperature-dependent spectral properties of (GaIn)As/Ga(AsSb)/(GaIn)As W-quantum well heterostructure lasers

This paper discusses the temperature-dependent properties of (GaIn)As/Ga(AsSb)/(GaIn)As W-quantum well heterostructures for laser applications based on theoretical modeling as well as experimental findings. A microscopic theory is applied to discuss band bending effects giving rise to the characteristic blue shift with increasing charge carrier density observed in type-II heterostructures. Furthermore, gain spectra for a W-quantum well heterostructure are calculated up to high charge carrier densities. At these high charge carrier densities, the interplay between multiple type-II transitions results in broad and flat gain spectra with a spectral width of approximately 160 nm. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent properties of broad-area edge-emitting lasers are analyzed using electroluminescence as well as laser characteristic measurements. A first indication for the theoretically predicted broad gain spectra is presented and the interplay between the temperature-dependent red shift and the charge carrier density-dependent blue shift is discussed. A combination of these effects results in a significant reduction of the temperature-induced red shift of the emission wavelengths and even negative shift rates of (-0.10 plusminus 0.04) nm/K are achieved.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Extension of the LDA-1/2 method to the material class of bismuth containing III-V semiconductors

The LDA-1/2 method is employed in density functional theory calculations for the electronic structure of III-V dilute bismide systems. For the representative example of Ga(SbBi) with Bi concentrations below $10 \%$, it is shown that this method works very efficiently, especially due to its reasonably low demand on computer memory. The resulting bandstructure and wavefunctions are used to compute the interaction matrix elements that serve as input to microscopic calculations of the optical properties and intrinsic losses relevant for optoelectronic applications of dilute bismides.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Lattice effect on electric and magnetic resonance overlap in periodic array

Designing the shape of silicon nanoparticles has been shown to be an effective approach to increasing overlap between electric and magnetic dipole resonances thereby achieving directional scattering and decrease of reflection. Variations of disk diameter and/or height affect resonances differently and can thus result in resonance overlap. In most of the studies, the disks are arranged in a periodic array where the periodicity is varied together with disk diameter, but the role of lattice effect is neglected. Here we theoretically study a periodic array of disks and show that the contribution of the lattice effect in shifting resonance positions is comparable to the effect of the diameter change. We demonstrate that the lattice effect is important even when the wavelength of diffraction remains on the blue side from electric and magnetic dipole resonances and there are no additional lattice resonances are excited. Period and disk dimensions are chosen so that the resonances overlap in the proximity of the telecommunication wavelength which is of great practical interest.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Microscopic calculation of the optical properties and intrinsic losses in the methylammonium lead iodide perovskite system

For opto-electronic and photo-voltaic applications of perovskites, it is essential to know the optical properties and intrinsic losses of the used materials. A systematic microscopic analysis is presented for the example of methylammonium lead iodide where density functional theory is used to calculate the electronic band structure as well as the dipole and Coulomb matrix elements. These results serve as input for a many-body quantum approach used to compute the absorption, photoluminescence, and the optical and Auger losses for a wide range of application conditions. To illustrate the theory, the excitonic properties of the material system are investigated and numerical results are presented for typical photo-voltaic operation conditions and for the elevated carrier densities needed for laser operation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Valence band splitting in bulk dilute bismides

The electronic structure of bulk GaAs$_{1-x}$Bi$_x$ systems for different atomic configurations and Bi concentrations is calculated using density functional theory. The results show a Bi-induced splitting between the light-hole and heavy-hole bands at the $Γ$-point. We find a good agreement between our calculated splittings and experimental data. The magnitude of the splitting strongly depends on the local arrangement of the Bi atoms but not on the uni-directional lattice constant of the supercell. The additional influence of external strain due to epitaxial growth on GaAs substrates is studied by fixing the in-plane lattice constants.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Configuration Dependence of Band Gap Narrowing and Localization in Dilute GaAs_{1-x} Bi_x Alloys

Anion substitution with bismuth (Bi) in III-V semiconductors is an effective method for experimental engineering of the band gap Eg at low Bi concentrations, in particular in gallium arsenide (GaAs). The inverse Bi-concentration dependence of Eg has been found to be linear at low concentrations x and dominated by a valence band-defect level anticrossing between As and Bi occupied p levels. This dependence breaks down at high concentrations where empirical models accounting only for the As-Bi interaction are not applicable. Predictive models for the valence band hybridization require a first-principle understanding which can be obtained by density functional theory with the main challenges being the proper description of Eg and the spin-orbit coupling. By using an efficient method to include these effects, it is shown here that at high concentrations Eg is modified mainly by a Bi-Bi p orbital interaction and by the large Bi atom-induced strain. This points to the role of different atomic configurations obtained by varying the experimental growth conditions in engineering arsenide band gaps, in particular for telecommunication laser technology.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Carrier field shock formation of long wavelength femtosecond pulses in dispersive media

We numerically demonstrate the formation of carrier field shocks in various dispersive media for a wide variety of input conditions using two different electric field propagation models. In addition, an investigation of the impact of numerous physical effects on carrier wave shock is performed. It is shown that in many cases a field shock is essentially unavoidable and therefore extremely important in the propagation of intense long wavelength pulses in weakly dispersive nonlinear media such as noble gases, air, and single-crystal diamond. The results presented here are expected to have a significant impact in the field of ultrashort nonlinear optics, attosecond pulse generation, and wavepacket synthesis where the use of mid-IR wavelengths is becoming increasingly more important.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Optical beam shaping and diffraction free waves: a variational approach

We investigate the problem of shaping radially symmetric annular beams into desired intensity patterns along the optical axis. Within the Fresnel approximation, we show that this problem can be expressed in a variational form equivalent to the one arising in phase retrieval. Using the uncertainty principle we prove rigorous lower bounds on the functional that capture how the various physical parameters in the problem determine the accuracy of the beam shaping. We also use the method of stationary phase to construct a natural ansatz for a minimizer in the short wavelength limit. We illustrate the implications of our results by applying the method of stationary phase coupled with the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm to beam shaping problems arising in remote delivery of beams and pulses.

math.OC↗

arXiv2014

Radiation pressure on a dielectric wedge

The force of electromagnetic radiation on a dielectric medium may be derived by a direct application of the Lorentz law of classical electrodynamics. While the light's electric field acts upon the (induced) bound charges in the medium, its magnetic field exerts a force on the bound currents. We use the example of a wedge-shaped solid dielectric, immersed in a transparent liquid and illuminated at Brewster's angle, to demonstrate that the linear momentum of the electromagnetic field within dielectrics has neither the Minkowski nor the Abraham form; rather, the correct expression for momentum density has equal contributions from both. The time rate of change of the incident momentum thus expressed is equal to the force exerted on the wedge plus that experienced by the surrounding liquid.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Radiation pressure and the distribution of electromagnetic force in dielectric media (II)

Using the Finite-Difference-Time-Domain (FDTD) method, we compute the electromagnetic field distribution in and around dielectric media of various shapes and optical properties. With the aid of the constitutive relations, we proceed to compute the bound charge and bound current densities, then employ the Lorentz law of force to determine the distribution of force-density within the regions of interest. For a few simple cases where analytical solutions exist, these solutions are found to be in complete agreement with our numerical results. We also analyze the distribution of fields and forces in more complex systems, and discuss the relevance of our findings to experimental observations. In particular, we demonstrate the single-beam trapping of a dielectric micro-sphere immersed in a liquid under conditions that are typical of optical tweezers.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Equivalence of total force (and torque) for two formulations of the Lorentz law

Two formulations of the Lorentz law of force in classical electrodynamics yield identical results for the total force (and total torque) of radiation on a solid object. The object may be surrounded by the free space or immersed in a transparent dielectric medium such as a liquid. We discuss the relation between these two formulations and extend the proof of their equivalence to the case of solid objects immersed in a transparent medium.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Classical theory of second-harmonic generation from magnetic metamaterials

Strong second-harmonic generation has recently been experimentally observed from metamaterials consisting of periodic arrays of metal split ring resonators with an effective negative magnetic permeability [Science, 313, 502 (2006)]. To explore the underlying physical mechanism, a classical model derived from microscopic theory is employed here. The quasi-free electrons inside the metal are approximated as a classical Coulomb-interacting electron gas, and their motion under the excitation of an external electromagnetic field is described by the cold-plasma wave equations. Through numerical simulations, it is demonstrated that the microscopic theory includes the dominant physical mechanisms bothqualitatively and quantitatively.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Third and fifth harmonics generation by tightly focused femtosecond pulses at 2.2 μm wavelength in air

We report experiments on the generation of third and fifth harmonics of millijoule-level, tightly focused, femtosecond laser pulses at 2.2 μm wavelength in air. The measured ratio of yields of the third and fifth harmonics in our setup is about 2 \cdot 10-4. This result contradicts the recent suggestion that the Kerr effect in air saturates and changes sign in ultra-intense optical fields.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2010

Experimental Tests of the New Paradigm for Laser Filamentation in Gases

Since their discovery in the mid-1990s, ultrafast laser filaments in gases have been described as products of a dynamic balance between Kerr self-focusing and defocusing by free electric charges that are generated via multi-photon ionization on the beam axis. This established paradigm has been recently challenged by a suggestion that the Kerr effect saturates and even changes sign at high intensity of light, and that this sign reversal, not free-charge defocusing, is the dominant mechanism responsible for the extended propagation of laser filaments. We report qualitative tests of the new theory based on electrical and optical measurements of plasma density in femtosecond laser filaments in air and argon. Our results consistently support the established paradigm.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Magnetic dipole moments in single and coupled split-ring resonators

We examine the role of magnetic dipoles in single and coupled pairs of metallic split-ring resonators by numerically computing their magnitude and examining their relative contributions to the scattering cross section. We demonstrate that magnetic dipoles can strongly influence the scattering cross section along particular directions. It is also found that the magnetic dipole parallel to the incident magnetic field and/or high-order multipoles may play a significant role in the linear response of coupled split-ring resonators.

physics.optics↗