Nonlinear optic glassy fibers, methods of making and applications of the same
A nonlinear optic article for difference frequency generation is provided. The article comprises a wave mixer configured to generate a difference frequency mixing signal, the wave mixer comprising a compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials comprising one or more chalcogenide compounds that are structurally one dimensional and comprise a polymeric 1 ∞ [PSe 6 − ] chain or a polymeric 1 ∞ [P 2 Se 6 2− ] chain, wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds are capable of difference frequency generation.
1. A nonlinear optic article comprising a wave mixer configured to generate a difference frequency mixing signal, the wave mixer comprising a compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials comprising one or more chalcogenide compounds that are structurally one dimensional and comprise a polymeric 1 ∞ [PSe 6 − ] chain or a polymeric 1 ∞ [P 2 Se 6 2− ] chain, wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds are capable of difference frequency generation.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds comprise a compound having one of the formulas APSe 6 or A 2 P 2 Se 6 , where A is an alkali metal element.
3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds comprise a compound having the formula APSe 6 , where A is K or Rb.
4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds comprise a compound having the formula A 2 P 2 Se 6 , where A is K, Rb or Cs.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds are capable of difference frequency generation in the near-IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the wave mixer comprises a glassy fiber comprising the compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials.
7. A method of generating a difference frequency mixing signal using the article of claim 6 , the method comprising:
focusing a signal beam onto the proximal end of the glassy fiber;
focusing a idler beam onto the proximal end of the glassy fiber, the idler beam comprising light of different wavelengths than the signal beam, wherein a difference frequency generation beam is produced by the compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials, and
collecting the difference frequency generation beam from the distal end of the glassy fiber.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the difference frequency generation beam comprises wavelengths in the near-IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds comprise a compound having one of the formulas APSe 6 or A 2 P 2 Se 6 , where A is an alkali metal element.
10. The article of claim 1 , further comprising an idler beam source configured to focus an idler beam onto the compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials and a signal beam source configured to focus a signal beam onto the compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials.
11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the idler beam source and the signal beam source comprise an optical parametric oscillator.