Visualization of a gas-based acousto-optic modulator (source: Science Communication Lab for DESY)
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Description
Gas-phase sono-photonics is a promising research topic, targeting novel light control schemes based on the interaction of intense ultrasonic waves and light in gases. Using intense ultrasound, the refractive index of a gaseous medium is tailored so that transmitted light can be controlled like in conventional bulk-based optical elements. Key advantages of employing gases instead of solids for light control are their considerably wider spectral transmission windows, orders of magnitude higher accepted optical peak and average power, and their effective immunity to damage.
We recently realised a first demonstration of this approach by acousto-optically deflecting more than 50% of a high power laser at peak powers of 20 GW in ambient air, while omitting transmissive solid optics entirely. This proof-of-principle experiment proves the viability of this approach while opening the door to new gas-phase photonics system which may support light control and applications using entirely new parameter regimes.
Current investigations include the use of other types of gases for even more efficient deflection, gas-phase light control at longer wavelength as well as novel interaction geometries which may enable to translate other optical elements into the gas phase.
Our research results covering this topic have been highlighted in a number of news articles and outlets. As an example, we here link the DESY news article about this topic here.
Publications
Y. Schrödel et al., “Berührungslose Lichtkontrolle in Luft: Photonik”, Physik in unserer Zeit (2024) DOI: 10.1002/piuz.202470206
Schrödel, Y., Hartmann, C., Zheng, J. et al. Acousto-optic modulation of gigawatt-scale laser pulses in ambient air. Nat. Photon. 18, 54–59 (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-023-01304-y
News
We here link selected News and Highlight articles covering this research topic:
Nature Review Physics research highlight
Nature Photonics News & Views
OSA Optics & Photonics News: Highlight 2023
News article Physics World
News article Spectrum.de
Funding
This research is or has been funded by the below listed organisations / funding instruments:
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