arXiv subjects

Xianfeng Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Xianfeng Chen.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Transverse Anderson localization of light near Dirac points of photonic nanostructures

We perform a comparative study of the Anderson localization of light beams in disordered layered photonic nanostructures that, in the limit of periodic layer distribution, possess either a Dirac point or a Bragg gap in the spectrum of the wavevectors. In particular, we demonstrate that the localization length of the Anderson modes increases when the width of the Bragg gap decreases, such that in the vanishingly small bandgap limit, namely when a Dirac point is formed, even extremely high levels of disorders are unable to localize the optical modes located near the Dirac point. A comparative analysis of the key features of the propagation of Anderson modes formed in the Bragg gap or near the Dirac point is also presented. Our findings could provide valuable guidelines in assessing the influence of structural disorder on the functionality of a broad array of optical nanodevices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Generation of Subwavelength Plasmonic Nanovortices via Helically Corrugated Metallic Nanowires

We demonstrate that plasmonic helical gratings consisting of metallic nanowires imprinted with helical grooves or ridges can be used efficiently to generate plasmonic vortices with radius much smaller than the operating wavelength. In our proposed approach, these helical surface gratings are designed so that plasmon modes with different azimuthal quantum numbers (topological charge) are phase-matched, thus allowing one to generate optical plasmonic vortices with arbitrary topological charge. The general principles for designing plasmonic helical gratings that facilitate efficient generation of such plasmonic vortices are derived and their applicability to the conversion of plasmonic vortices with zero angular momentum into plasmonic vortices with arbitrary angular momentum is illustrated in several particular cases. Our analysis, based both on the exact solutions for the electromagnetic field propagating in the helical plasmonic grating and a coupled-mode theory, suggests that even in the presence of metal losses the fundamental mode with topological charge m=0 can be converted to plasmon vortex modes with topological charge m=1 and m=2 with a conversion efficiency as large as 60%. The plasmonic nanovortices introduced in this study open new avenues for exciting applications of orbital angular momentum in the nanoworld.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Tunable temporal gap based on simultaneous fast and slow light in electro-optic photonic crystals

We demonstrated a tunable temporal gap based on simultaneous fast and slow light in electro-optic photonic crystals. The light experiences an anomalous dispersion near the transmission center and a normal dispersion away from the center, where it can be accelerated and slowed down, respectively. We also obtained the switch between fast and slow light by adjusting the external electric filed. The observed largest temporal gap is 541 ps, which is crucial in practical event operation inside the gap. The results offer a new solution for temporal cloak.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Optically and Electrically Tunable Dirac Points and Zitterbewegung in Graphene-Based Photonic Superlattices

We demonstrate that graphene-based photonic superlattices provide a versatile platform for electrical and all-optical control of photonic beams with deep-subwavelength accuracy. Specifically, by inserting graphene sheets into periodic metallo-dielectric structures one can design optical superlattices that posses photonic Dirac points (DPs) at frequencies at which the spatial average of the permittivity of the superlattice, $\bar{ \varepsilon}$, vanishes. Similar to the well-known zero-$\bar{n}$ bandgaps, we show that these zero-$\bar{\varepsilon}$ DPs are highly robust against structural disorder. We also show that, by tuning the graphene permittivity via the optical Kerr effect or electrical doping, one can induce a spectral variation of the DP exceeding \SI{30}{\nano\meter}, at mid-IR and THz frequencies. The implications of this wide tunability for the photonic Zitterbewegung effect in a vicinity of the DP are explored too.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Self-deflecting plasmonic lattice solitons and sur-face modes in chirped plasmonic arrays

We show that chirped metal-dielectric waveguide arrays with focusing cubic nonlinearity can support plasmonic lattice solitons that undergo self-deflection in the transverse plane. Such lattice solitons are deeply-subwavelength self-sustained excitations, although they cover several periods of the array. Upon propagation,the excitations accelerate in the transverse plane and follow trajectories curved in the direction in which the separation between neighboring metallic layers decreases, a phenomenon that yields considerable deflection angles. The deflection angle can be controlled by varying the array chirp. We also reveal the existence of surface modes at the boundary of truncated plasmonic chirped arraythat form even in the absence of nonlinearity.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Dielectric Optical-Controlled Magnifying Lens by Nonlinear Negative Refraction

A simple optical lens plays an important role for exploring the microscopic world in science and technology by refracting light with tailored spatially varying refractive index. Recent advancements in nanotechnology enable novel lenses, such as, superlens, hyperlens, Luneburg lens, with sub-wavelength resolution capabilities by specially designing materials' refractive indices with meta-materials and transformation optics. However, these artificially nano/micro engineered lenses usually suffer high losses from metals and are highly demanding in fabrication. Here we experimentally demonstrate for the first time a nonlinear dielectric magnifying lens using negative refraction by degenerate four-wave mixing in a plano-concave glass slide, obtaining magnified images. Moreover, we transform a nonlinear flat lens into a magnifying lens by introducing transformation optics into nonlinear regime, achieving an all-optical controllable lensing effect through nonlinear wave mixing, which may have many potential applications in microscopy and imaging science.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Metal-Free Flat Lens Using Negative Refraction by Nonlinear Four-wave Mixing

A perfect lens with unlimited resolution has always posed a challenge to both theoretical and experimental physicists. Recent developments in optical meta-materials promise an attractive approach towards perfect lenses using negative refraction to overcome the diffraction limit, improving resolution. However, those artificially engineered meta-materials usually company by high losses from metals and are extremely difficult to fabricate. An alternative proposal using negative refraction by four-wave mixing has attracted much interests recently, though most of existing experiments still require metals and none of them has been implemented for an optical lens. Here we experimentally demonstrate a metal-free flat lens for the first time using negative refraction by degenerate four-wave mixing with a thin glass slide. We realize optical lensing effect utilizing a nonlinear refraction law, which may have potential applications in microscopy.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Mode pairs in $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric multimode waveguides

We study mode properties in multimode optical waveguides with parity-time($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry. We find that two guiding modes with successive orders 2\emph{m}-1 and 2\emph{m} form a mode pair in the sense that the two components of the pair evolve into the same mode when the loss and gain coefficient increases to some critical values, and they experience $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry breaking simultaneously. For waveguides that in their conservative limit support an odd number of guiding modes, a new mode with a proper order emerges upon the increase of the gain/loss level, so that it pairs with the already existing highest-order mode and then break their $\mathcal{PT}$ symmetry simultaneously. Depending on the specific realizations of $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric potentials, higher-order mode pair may experience symmetry breaking earlier or later than the lower-order mode pairs do.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2014

PT-symmetry in optics beyond the paraxial approximation

The concept of the PT-symmetry, originating from the quantum field theory, has been intensively investigated in optics, stimulated by the similarity between the Schrödinger equation and the paraxial wave equation that governs the propagation of light in a guiding structure. We go beyond the bounds of the paraxial approximation and demonstrate, using the solution of the Maxwell's equations for light beams propagating in deeply subwavelength waveguides and periodic lattices with "balanced" gain and loss, that the PT symmetry may stay unbroken in this setting. Moreover, the PT-symmetry in subwavelength optical structures may be restored after being initially broken upon the increase of gain and loss. Critical gain/loss levels, at which the breakup and subsequent restoration of the PT symmetry occur, strongly depend on the scale of the structure.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

Anderson Localization at the Subwavelength Scale and Loss Compensation for Surface-Plasmon Polaritons in Disordered Arrays of Metallic Nanowires

Using a random array of coupled metallic nanowires as a generic example of disordered plasmonic systems, we demonstrate that the structural disorder induces localization of light in these nanostructures at a deep-subwavelength scale. The ab initio analysis is based on solving the complete set of 3D Maxwell equations. We find that random variations of the radius of coupled plasmonic nanowires are sufficient to induce the Anderson localization (AL) of surface-plasmon polaritons (SPPs), the size of these trapped modes being significantly smaller than the wavelength. Remarkably, the optical-gain coefficient, needed to compensate losses in the plasmonic components of the system, is much smaller than the loss coefficient of the metal, which is obviously beneficial for the realization of the AL in plasmonic nanostructures. The dynamics of excitation and propagation of the Anderson-localized SPPs are addressed too.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Tunneling inhibition for subwavelength light

We show that light tunneling inhibition may take place in suitable dynamically modulated waveguide arrays for light spots whose features are remarkably smaller than the wavelength of light. We found that tunneling between neighboring waveguides can be suppressed for specific frequencies of the out-of-phase refractive index modulation, affording undistorted propagation of the input subwavelength light spots over hundreds of Rayleigh lengths. Tunneling inhibition turns out to be effective only when the waveguide separation in the array is above a critical threshold. Inclusion of a weak focusing nonlinearity is shown to improve localization. We analyze the phenomenon in purely dielectric structures and also in arrays containing periodically spaced metallic layers.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Solitary vortices supported by localized parametric gain

We demonstrate the existence and stability of bright vortex solitons sustained by a ring-shaped parametric gain, for both focusing and defocusing Kerr nonlinearities in lossy optical media. With the defocusing nonlinearity, the vortices are stable at all values of the detuning parameter, while under the focusing nonlinearity their stability region is limited to some positive values of the detuning. Unstable vortices in the focusing medium transform into stable rotating azimuthons.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2013

Multiband Vector Plasmonic Lattice Solitons

We predict multiband vector Plasmonic Lattice Solitons (PLSs) in metal-dielectric waveguide arrays, in both focusing and defocusing nonlinearities. Such vector solitons consist of two components originating from different transmission bands. By simulating the full nonlinear Maxwell equations (MEs), we demonstrate the diffractionless propagation of vector PLSs and their discrete diffraction when only one component is present. Their subwavelength size characteristics and the influences of metallic losses are also studied.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

Time-reversed wave mixing in nonlinear optics

Time-reversal symmetry is important to optics. In linear optics, a time-reversed process to laser emission enables total absorption of coherent light fields into an optical cavity of loss by time-reversing the original gain medium. In nonlinear optics, time symmetry exists for some well-known processes such as parametric up/down conversion, sum/difference frequency generation, however, combining exact time-reversal symmetry with nonlinear wave mixings is yet explored till now. Here, we demonstrate time reversed wave mixings for second harmonic generation (SHG) and optical parametric amplification (OPA). This enables us to observe the annihilation of coherent beams under time-reversal symmetry by varying the relative phase of the incident fields. Our study offers new avenues for flexible control in nonlinear optics and potential applications in efficient wavelength conversion, all-optical computing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Surface Plasmonic Lattice Solitons

We reveal the existence of the surface plasmonic lattice solitons (surface PLSs) at the boundary of a semi-infinite metallic-dielectric periodic nano-structure. We find that the truncation of the periodic structure imposes a threshold power for the existence of surface PLSs, and enhances significantly the modal localization. The propagation and excitation of surface PLSs as well as their potential application in the all-optical subwavelength switching are also demonstrated.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Symmetric and asymmetric solitons in a nonlocal nonlinear coupler

We study effects of nonlocality of the cubic self-focusing nonlinearity on the stability and symmetry-breaking bifurcation (SBB) of solitons in the model of a planar dual-core optical waveg- uide with nonlocal (thermal) nonlinearity. In comparison with the well-known coupled systems with the local nonlinearity, the present setting is affected by the competition of different spatial scales, viz., the coupling length and correlation radius of the nonlocality, $\sqrt{d}$. By means of numer- ical methods and variational approximation (VA, which is relevant for small d), we find that, with the increase of the correlation radius, the SBB changes from subcritical into supercritical, which makes all the asymmetric solitons stable. On the other hand, the nonlocality has little influence on the stability of antisymmetric solitons. Analytical results for the SBB are also obtained (actually, for antisymmetric "accessible solitons") in the opposite limit of the ultra-nonlocal nonlinearity, using a coupler based on the Snyder-Mitchell model. The results help to grasp the general picture of the symmetry breaking in nonlocal couplers.

nlin.PS↗

arXiv2012

Chirality control by electric field in periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate

We study the chirality of periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate (MgO:PPLN) by electro-optic (EO) effect. It shows that optical propagation is reciprocal in MgO:PPLN when quasi-phase-matching (QPM) condition is satisfied, which is similar to natural optical active material like quartz. The specific rotation of MgO:PPLN by EO effect is shown to be proportional to the transverse electric field, making large polarization rotation in optical active material with small size possible. We also demonstrate that the chirality of MgO:PPLN can be controlled by external electric field.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2011

Tuning Optical Orbital Angular Momentum in Optical Superlattice under Electro-optic Effect

We introduce a new method to generate and tune the optical orbital angular momentum of a focused Gaussian beam passing through the optical superlattice under the electro-optic effect. The orbital angular momentum (OAM) arises from the curl of polarization in our calculation. We see that adjusting the external electric field, the beam waist radius and the crystal length provides dramatic variation of OAM of light across the transverse section. It is believed that this invention will find its application in optical manipulation area.

physics.optics↗