arXiv subjects

Nikolaos K. Efremidis

Publications and source records attributed to Nikolaos K. Efremidis.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Independent amplitude and trajectory/beam-width control of nonparaxial beams

We show that it is possible to generate non-paraxial optical beams with pre-engineered trajectories and designed maximum amplitude along these trajectories. The independent control of these two degrees of freedom is made possible by engineering both the amplitude and the phase of the optical wave on input plane. Furthermore, we come to the elegant conclusion that the beam width depends solely on the local curvature of the trajectory. Thus, we can generate beams with pre-defined amplitude and beam-width by appropriately selecting the local curvature. Our theoretical results are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations. We discuss about methods that can be utilized to experimentally generate such beam. Our work might be useful in applications where precise beam control is important such as particle manipulation, filamentation, and micromachining.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Precise amplitude, trajectory, and beam-width control of accelerating and abruptly autofocusing beams

We show that it is possible to independently control both the trajectory and the maximum amplitude along the trajectory of a paraxial accelerating beam. This is accomplished by carefully engineering both the amplitude and the phase of the beam on the input plane. Furthermore, we show that the width of an accelerating beam is related only on the curvature of the trajectory. Therefore, we are able to produce beams with predefined beam widths and amplitudes. These results are useful in applications where precise beam control is important. In addition we consider radially symmetric abruptly autofocusing beams. We identify the important parameters that affect the focal characteristics. Consequently, we can design autofocusing beams with optimized parameters (such as sharper focus and higher intensity contrast). In all our calculations the resulting formulas are presented in an elegant and practical form in direct connection with the geometric properties of the trajectory. Finally we discuss methods that can be utilized to experimentally realize such optical waves.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Excitation spectrum of a mixture of two Bose gases confined in a ring potential with interaction asymmetry

We study the rotational properties of a two-component Bose-Einstein condensed gas of distinguishable atoms which are confined in a ring potential using both the mean-field approximation, as well as the method of diagonalization of the many-body Hamiltonian. We demonstrate that the angular momentum may be given to the system either via single-particle, or "collective" excitation. Furthermore, despite the complexity of this problem, under rather typical conditions the dispersion relation takes a remarkably simple and regular form. Finally, we argue that under certain conditions the dispersion relation is determined via collective excitation. The corresponding many-body state, which, in addition to the interaction energy minimizes also the kinetic energy, is dictated by elementary number theory.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2017

Spatiotemporal diffraction-free pulsed beams in free-space of the Airy and Bessel type

We investigate the dynamics of spatiotemporal optical waves with one transverse dimension that are obtained as the intersections of the dispersion cone with a plane. We show that, by appropriate spectral excitations, the three different types of conic sections (elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic) can lead to optical waves of the Bessel, Airy, and modified Bessel type, respectively. We find closed form solutions that accurately describe the wave dynamics and unveil their fundamental properties.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Cross-phase modulation mediated pulse control with Airy pulses in optical fibers

We show that the velocity and thus the frequency of a signal pulse can be adjusted by the use of a control Airy pulse. In particular, we utilize a nonlinear Airy pulse which, via cross-phase modulation, creates an effective potential for the optical signal. Interestingly, during the interaction, the signal dispersion is suppressed. Importantly, the whole process is controllable and by using Airy pulses with different truncations leads to predetermined values of the frequency shifting. Such a functionality might be useful in wavelength division multiplexing networks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Exact bidirectional X-wave solutions in fiber Bragg gratings

We find exact solutions describing bidirectional pulses propagating in fiber Bragg gratings. They are derived by solving the coupled-mode theory equations and are expressed in terms of products of modified Bessel functions with algebraic functions. Depending on the values of the two free parameters the general bidirectional X-wave solution can also take the form of a unidirectional pulse. We analyze the symmetries and the asymptotic properties of the solutions and also discuss about additional waveforms that are obtained by interference of more than one solutions. Depending on their parameters such pulses can create a sharp focus with high contrast.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Nonlinear imaging in photonic lattices

We show that nonlinear imaging is possible in periodic waveguide configurations provided that we use two different segments of nonlinear media with opposite signs of the Kerr nonlinearity with, in general, no other restriction about their magnitudes. The second medium is used to implement effective "reverse propagation". A main ingredient in achieving nonlinear imaging is the control of the sign and the amplitude of the coupling coefficient. We numerically test our results in one and two dimensional square arrangement of waveguides.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Parity breaking with a nonlinear optical double-slit configuration

We consider an optical nonlinear interferometric setup based on Young's double-slit configuration where a nonlinear material is placed exactly after one of the two slits. We examine the effects of Kerr nonlinearity and multi-photon absorption in the resulting interference pattern. The presence of nonlinearity breaks the transverse spatial symmetry of the system, resulting to a modified intensity pattern at the observation plane as a function of the incident intensity. Our theoretical model, based on the modification of the optical path due to the presence of nonlinearity, is surprisingly accurate in predicting the intensity profile of the main lobes for a wide range of parameters. We discuss about potential applications of our model in nonlinear interferometry. Specifically, we show that it is possible to measure both the multi-photon and the Kerr coefficients of a nonlinear material based on the spatial translation of the interference pattern as a function of the incident intensity.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Rotating Bose-Einstein condensates with a finite number of atoms confined in a ring potential: Spontaneous symmetry breaking, beyond the mean-field approximation

Motivated by recent experiments on Bose-Einstein condensed atoms which rotate in annular/toroidal traps we study the effect of the finiteness of the atom number $N$ on the states of lowest energy for a fixed expectation value of the angular momentum, under periodic boundary conditions. To attack this problem, we develop a general strategy, considering a linear superposition of the eigenstates of the many-body Hamiltonian, with amplitudes that we extract from the mean field approximation. This many-body state breaks the symmetry of the Hamiltonian, it has the same energy to leading order in $N$ as the mean-field state and the corresponding eigenstate of the Hamiltonian, however it has a lower energy to subleading order in $N$ and thus it is energetically favorable.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2016

Nonparaxial abruptly autofocusing beams

We study nonparaxial autofocusing beams with pre-engineered trajectories. We consider the case of linearly polarized electric optical beams and examine their focusing properties such as contrast, beam width, and numerical aperture. Such beams are associated with larger intensity contrasts, can focus at smaller distances, and have smaller spot sizes as compared to the paraxial regime.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Modifying the optical path in a nonlinear double-slit experiment

In this letter, we study a nonlinear interferometric setup based on diffraction rather than beam combining. It consists of a nonlinear analogue of Young's double-slit experiment where a nonlinear material is placed exactly after one of the slits. The presence of nonlinearity breaks the transverse spatial symmetry of the system and thus modifies the optical path. For moderate nonlinearities this leads to a self-induced shift of the intensity pattern in the transverse plane. A simple theoretical model is developed which is surprisingly accurate in predicting the intensity profile of the main lobes for a wide range of parameters. We discuss about possible applications of our model in nonlinear interferometry, for example in measuring the nonlinearities of optical materials.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Mean-field yrast spectrum and persistent currents in a two-component Bose gas with interaction asymmetry

We analyze the mean-field yrast spectrum of a two-component Bose gas in the ring geometry with arbitrary interaction asymmetry. Of particular interest is the possibility that the yrast spectrum develops local minima at which persistent superfluid flow can occur. By analyzing the mean-field energy functional, we show that local minima can be found at plane-wave states and arise when the system parameters satisfy certain inequalities. We then go on to show that these plane-wave states can be yrast states even when the yrast spectrum no longer exhibits a local minimum. Finally, we obtain conditions which establish when the plane-wave states cease to be yrast states. Specific examples illustrating the roles played by the various interaction asymmetries are presented.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Closed-form expressions for nonparaxial accelerating beams with pre-engineered trajectories

In this letter, we propose a general real-space method for the generation of nonparaxial accelerating beams with arbitrary predefined convex trajectories. Our results lead to closed-form expressions for the required phase at the input plane. We present such closed-form results for a variety of caustic curves: besides circular, elliptic, and parabolic, we find for the first time general power-law and exponential trajectories. Furthermore, by changing the initial amplitude we can design different intensity profiles along the caustic.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Hysteresis and metastability of Bose-Einstein condensed clouds of atoms confined in ring potentials

We consider a Bose-Einstein condensed cloud of atoms which rotate in a toroidal/annular potential. Assuming one-dimensional motion, we evaluate the critical frequencies associated with the effect of hysteresis and the critical coupling for stability of the persistent currents. We perform these calculations using both the mean-field approximation and the method of numerical diagonalization of the many-body Hamiltonian which includes corrections due to the finiteness of the atom number.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Composite multi-vortex diffraction-free beams and van Hove singularities in honeycomb lattices

We find diffraction-free beams for graphene and MoS$_2$-type honeycomb optical lattices. The resulting composite solutions have the form of multi-vortices, with spinor topological charges ($n$, $n\pm1$). Exact solutions for the spinor components are obtained in the Dirac limit. The effects of the valley degree of freedom and the mass are analyzed. Passing through the van-Hove singularity the topological structure of the solutions is modified. Exactly at the singularity the diffraction-free beams take the form of strongly localized one-dimensional stripes.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Unveiling pseudospin and angular momentum in photonic graphene

Pseudospin, an additional degree of freedom inherent in graphene, plays a key role in understanding many fundamental phenomena such as the anomalous quantum Hall effect, electron chirality and Klein paradox. Unlike the electron spin, the pseudospin was traditionally considered as an unmeasurable quantity, immune to Stern-Gerlach-type experiments. Recently, however, it has been suggested that graphene pseudospin is a real angular momentum that might manifest itself as an observable quantity, but so far direct tests of such a momentum remained unfruitful. Here, by selective excitation of two sublattices of an artificial photonic graphene, we demonstrate pseudospin-mediated vortex generation and topological charge flipping in otherwise uniform optical beams with Bloch momentum traversing through the Dirac points. Corroborated by numerical solutions of the linear massless Dirac-Weyl equation, we show that pseudospin can turn into orbital angular momentum completely, thus upholding the belief that pseudospin is not merely for theoretical elegance but rather physically measurable.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Persistent currents in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a ring potential

We present variational and numerical solutions for the problem of stability of persistent currents in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate of distinguishable atoms which rotate in a ring potential. We consider the general class of solutions of constant density in the two components separately, thus providing an alternative approach of the solution of the same problem given recently by Zhigang Wu and Eugene Zaremba [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 88}, 063640 (2013)]. Our approach provides a physically transparent solution of this delicate problem. Finally, we give a unified and simple picture of the lowest-energy state of the system for large values of the coupling.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2013

Nonparaxial accelerating Bessel-like beams

A new class of nonparaxial accelerating optical waves is introduced. These are beams with a Bessel-like profile that are capable of shifting laterally along fairly arbitrary trajectories as the wave propagates in free space. The concept expands on our previous proposal of paraxial accelerating Bessel-like beams to include beams with subwavelength lobes and/or large trajectory angles. Such waves are produced when the phase at the input plane is engineered so that the interfering ray cones are made to focus along the prespecified path. When the angle of these cones is fixed, the beams possess a diffraction-free Bessel profile on planes that stay normal to their trajectory, which can be considered as a generalized definition of diffractionless propagation in the nonparaxial regime. The analytical procedure leading to these results is based on a ray optics interpretation of Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction and is presented in detail. The evolution of the proposed waves is demonstrated through a series of numerical examples and a variety of trajectories.

physics.optics↗