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Abdeldayem, Hossin

Publications and source records attributed to Abdeldayem, Hossin.

White-Light Phase-Conjugate Mirrors as Distortion Correctors

White-light phase-conjugate mirrors would be incorporated into some optical systems, according to a proposal, as means of correcting for wavefront distortions caused by imperfections in large optical components. The proposal was given impetus by a recent demonstration that white, incoherent light can be made to undergo phase conjugation, whereas previously, only coherent light was known to undergo phase conjugation. This proposal, which is potentially applicable to almost any optical system, was motivated by a need to correct optical aberrations of the primary mirror of the Hubble Space telescope. It is difficult to fabricate large optical components like the Hubble primary mirror and to ensure the high precision typically required of such components. In most cases, despite best efforts, the components as fabricated have small imperfections that introduce optical aberrations that adversely affect imaging quality. Correcting for such aberrations is difficult and costly. The proposed use of white-light phase conjugate mirrors offers a relatively simple and inexpensive solution of the aberration-correction problem. Indeed, it should be possible to simplify the entire approach to making large optical components because there would be no need to fabricate those components with extremely high precision in the first place: A white-light phase-conjugate mirror could correct for all the distortions and aberrations in an optical system. The use of white-light phase-conjugate mirrors would be essential for ensuring high performance in optical systems containing lightweight membrane mirrors, which are highly deformable. As used here, "phase-conjugate mirror" signifies, more specifically, an optical component in which incident light undergoes time-reversal phase conjugation. In practice, a phase-conjugate mirror would typically be implemented by use of a suitably positioned and oriented photorefractive crystal. In the case of a telescope comprising a primary and secondary mirror (see figure) white light from a distant source would not be brought to initial focus on one or more imaging scientific instrument(s) as in customary practice. Instead, the light would be brought to initial focus on a phase-conjugate mirror. The phase-conjugate mirror would send a phase-conjugate image back, along the path of the incoming light, to the primary mirror. A transparent, highly efficient diffractive thin film deposited on the primary mirror would direct the phase-conjugate image to the imaging instrument(s).

Frazier, Donald↗

Recent Advances in Photonic Devices for Optical Computing and the Role of Nonlinear Optics-Part II

The twentieth century has been the era of semiconductor materials and electronic technology while this millennium is expected to be the age of photonic materials and all-optical technology. Optical technology has led to countless optical devices that have become indispensable in our daily lives in storage area networks, parallel processing, optical switches, all-optical data networks, holographic storage devices, and biometric devices at airports. This chapters intends to bring some awareness to the state-of-the-art of optical technologies, which have potential for optical computing and demonstrate the role of nonlinear optics in many of these components. Our intent, in this Chapter, is to present an overview of the current status of optical computing, and a brief evaluation of the recent advances and performance of the following key components necessary to build an optical computing system: all-optical logic gates, adders, optical processors, optical storage, holographic storage, optical interconnects, spatial light modulators and optical materials.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Multipurpose Microspheres-Fiber Laser

Doped silica microspheres are used to build a novel, rugged, and tunable laser system. The injected microspheres into a hollow fiber are pumped externally and their emission is collected along the cladding of the fiber.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Looking for Speed!! Go Optical Ultra-Fast Photonic Logic Gates for the Future Optical Communication and Computing

Recently, we developed two ultra-fast all-optical switches in the nanosecond and picosecond regimes. The picosecond switch is made of a polydiacetylene thin film coated on the interior wall of a hollow capillary of approximately 50 micron diameter by a photo-polymerization process. In the setup a picosecond Nd:YAG laser at 10 Hz and at 532 nm with a pulse duration of approximately 40 ps was sent collinearly along a cw He-Ne laser beam and both were waveguided through the hollow capillary. The setup functioned as an Exclusive OR gate. On the other hand, the material used in the nanosecond switch is a phthalocyanine thin film, deposited on a glass substrate by a vapor deposition technique. In the setup a nanosecond, 10 Hz, Nd:YAG laser of 8 ns pulse duration was sent collinearly along a cw He-Ne laser beam and both were wave-guided through the phthalocyanine thin film. The setup in this case functioned as an all-optical AND logic gate. The characteristic table of the ExOR gate in polydiacetylene film was attributed to an excited state absorption process, while that of the AND gate was attributed to a saturation process of the first excited state. Both mechanisms were thoroughly investigated theoretically and found to agree remarkably well with the experimental results. An all-optical inverter gate has been designed but has not yet been demonstrated. The combination of all these three gates form the foundation for building all the necessary gates needed to build a prototype of an all-optical system.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

An All-Optical Picosecond Switch in Polydiacetylene

Polydiacetylene derivative of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (PDAMNA) showed a picosecond switching property. This phenomenon was demonstrated by wave guiding a cw He-Ne laser collinearly with a mode-locked picosecond Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm through a hollow fiber coated on the inside with a thin film of PDAMNA. The z-scan investigations of PDAMNA thin film revealed that the PDAMNA system is a three level system and the switching is caused by excited state absorption of the He-Ne beam.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Nonlinear Optical Properties and Applications of Polydiacetylene

Recently, we have demonstrated a picosecond all-optical switch, which also functions as a partial all-optical NAND logic gate using a novel polydiacetylene that is synthesized in our laboratory. The nonlinear optical properties of the polydiacetylene material are measured using the Z-scan technique. A theoretical model based on a three level system is investigated and the rate equations of the system are solved. The theoretical calculations are proven to match nicely with the experimental results. The absorption cross-sections for both the first and higher excited states are estimated. The analyses also show that the material suffers a photochemical change beyond a certain level of the laser power and its physical properties suffer radical changes. These changes are the cause for the partial NAND gate function and the switching mechanism.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Structure and Morphology of Phthalocyanine Films Grown in Electrical Fields by Vapor Deposition

Phthalocyanine is a very stable organic material in the atmosphere and has been used in numerous applications, such as optical switching and optical storage devices. Although this material has already been discovered for several decades and has had extensive studies conducted on it, many properties still need to be better understood, for example, the mechanisms of forming different solid phases and of changing film morphology by external forces. Phthalocyanine has two preferred solid phases (alpha and beta phases) for which the crystal structures, surface morphology and optical properties are different. In order to investigate these phenomena and the relationship among them, phthalocyanine films have been synthesized by vapor deposition on quartz substrates with and without an external electrical field. Some substrates were coated with a very thin gold film for the electrical field. These films have been characterized using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, and Z-scan technique. The films have excellent chemical and thermal stability. However, the surface of these films grown without the electrical field shows flower-like morphology. When films are deposited under an electrical field (approximately 3000 V/cm), an aligned structure is revealed on the surface. A comparison of the structure, morphology, optical properties, and the growth mechanism for these films with and without an electrical field will be discussed.

Zhu, Shen↗

Electrical Field Effects in Phthalocyanine Film Growth by Vapor Deposition

Phthalocyanine, an organic material, is a very good candidate for non-linear optical application, such as high-speed switching and optical storage devices. Phthalocyanine films have been synthesized by vapor deposition on quartz substrates. Some substrates were coated with a very thin gold film for introducing electrical field. These films have been characterized by surface morphology, material structure, chemical and thermal stability, non-linear optical parameters, and electrical behaviors. The films have excellent chemical and optical stability. However, the surface of these films grown without electrical field shows flower-like morphology. When films are deposited under an electrical field ( an aligned structure is revealed on the surface. A comparison of the optical and electrical properties and the growth mechanism for these films grown with and without an electrical field will be discussed.

Banks, Curtis E.↗

Novel Electric Nucleation Technique for Growing Large Single Crystal in Space

We present, herein, an electrical model for growing crystals without a seed which might not be free of defects and thereby still hinder the growth of a perfect crystal in space. The system is designed to confine nucleation to a single site automatically in an under saturated solution to avoid multiple nucleation. The technique is based on the effect of electrostriction, which is the tendency of a material to become more compressed in the presence of an electric field. The system is designed to create an electrical potential well between two hyperboloid electrodes with applied voltage at low frequency. The induced potential well between the electrodes oscillates at low frequency and attracts the solute and condenses it into the region of maximum field intensity. The alternating voltage prevents molecules with intrinsic charge from being attracted to the electrodes. The continuous presence of the electric field during the duration of the experiment, provides a continuous migration of the molecules toward the trapping site. This will eliminate the creation of a depletion region around the nucleation center and will enhance the crystal growth rate. Aside from the above mentioned advantages, the system is compact, safe to operate, and inexpensive to build.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Nonlinear Optical Properties of Organic and Polymeric Thin Film Materials of Potential for Microgravity Processing Studies

In this paper, we will take a closer look at the state of the art of polydiacetylene, and metal-free phthalocyanine films, in view of the microgravity impact on their optical properties, their nonlinear optical properties and their potential advantages for integrated optics. These materials have many attractive features with regard to their use in integrated optical circuits and optical switching. Thin films of these materials processed in microgravity environment show enhanced optical quality and better molecular alignment than those processed in unit gravity. Our studies of these materials indicate that microgravity can play a major role in integrated optics technology. Polydiacetylene films are produced by UV irradiation of monomer solution through an optical window. This novel technique of forming polydiacetylene thin films has been modified for constructing sophisticated micro-structure integrated optical patterns using a pre-programmed UV-Laser beam. Wave guiding through these thin films by the prism coupler technique has been demonstrated. The third order nonlinear parameters of these films have been evaluated. Metal-free phthalocyanine films of good optical quality are processed in our laboratories by vapor deposition technique. Initial studies on these films indicate that they have excellent chemical, laser, and environmental stability. They have large nonlinear optical parameters and show intrinsic optical bistability. This bistability is essential for optical logic gates and optical switching applications. Waveguiding and device making investigations of these materials are underway.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Waveguides in Thin Film Polymeric Materials

Results on the fabrication of integrated optical components in polymeric materials using photo printing methods will be presented. Optical waveguides were fabricated by spin coating preoxidized silicon wafers with organic dye/polymer solution followed by soft baking. The waveguide modes were studied using prism coupling technique. Propagation losses were measured by collecting light scattered from the trace of a propagation mode by either scanning photodetector or CCD camera. We observed the formation of graded index waveguides in photosensitive polyimides after exposure of UV light from a mercury arc lamp. By using a theoretical model, an index profile was reconstructed which is in agreement with the profile reconstructed by the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin calculation technique using a modal spectrum of the waveguides. Proposed mechanism for the formation of the graded index includes photocrosslinking followed by UV curing accompanied with optical absorption increase. We also developed the prototype of a novel single-arm double-mode interferometric sensor based on our waveguides. It demonstrates high sensitivity to the chance of ambient temperature. The device can find possible applications in aeropropulsion control systems.

Sakisov, Sergey↗

Integrated optical components in thin films of polymers

The results will be reported on the study of integrated optical components based on nonlinear optical polymeric films. Polymers poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polyimide (PI) doped with organic laser dyes 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-p dimethylaminostyryl-4H pyran (DCM) and 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 - pentamethyl-2,6 -diethyl-pyrromethene -BF2-complex (Pyrommethene 567, PM-567) were selected as materials for light guiding films. Additionally, UV polymerized polydiacetylene (PDA) on glass substrate was used as a waveguide material. Optical waveguides were fabricated using spin coating of preoxidized silicon wafers (1.5 micrometer silicon oxide layer) with organic dye/polymer solution followed by soft baking. the modes in slab waveguides were studied using prism coupling techniques. Measured values of mode coupling angles in multimode waveguides were used to calculate film thickness and refractive index for different polarizations. Refractive index anisotropy was found in PDA waveguide. The optimal conditions of spin coating for single mode waveguide fabrication were estimated. Propagation losses were measured by collecting the light scattered from the trace of a propagating mode either by scanning photo detector or by CCD camera. Different types of light coupling techniques were used including end-dire coupling, prism and grating coupling. Mechanical printing technique was developed for coupling grating fabrication resulting in gratings with 4% diffraction efficiency. The gratings demonstrated good stability with diffraction efficiency relaxation rate 2.4 dB/hour at a temperature approximately 15-20 C below glass transition point. Dye doped waveguides were transversally pumped with frequency doubled Nd:YAG Q-switched laser producing intensive light emission with apparent 6 kW/sq cm pump threshold and spectrum narrowing near 617 nm peak in the case of DCM doped waveguide. PM-567 doped waveguide pumped with CW Ar(+) laser (514 nm wavelength) far below threshold (0.1 W/sq.cm pump power) demonstrated emission spectrum narrowing near 616 nm peak with 18% power conversion slope efficiency. In this case emission spectrum modification was caused by the enhanced light absorption along the direction of propagating waveguide modes. Changing length, thickness, and other morphlogical waveguide parameters one can modify emission spectrum in predictable direction. The results show that polymeric waveguides, especially based on high temperature polymers such as Pl, can be used to produce a varietiy of active and passive silicon compatible integrated optical components for aerospace applications.

Sarkisov, Sergey↗

Continuous-Wave Laser Beam Fanning in Organic Solutions: A Novel Phenomenon

If a low-power cw Ar(+) laser beam (approx. 50 mW) is sent horizontally and focused on the entrance side of a cuvette containing an absorptive solution, the beam fans into the lower half of the cuvette instead of propagating through and forming self-phase-modulation fringes. We call this phenomenon self-beam fanning, which has been observed in several organic solutions. We present here several experimental results and a descriptive model of the phenomenon.

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗

Phase conjugation by degenerate four wave mixing in disodium fluorescein solution in methanol

Organic dyes are known to show the resonant type of nonlinear optical properties, including phase conjugation. In the present work, disodium fluorescein in methanol is used as an organic nonlinear medium for degenerate four wave mixing at 532 nm to see the intensity dependence of the phase conjugate signal at different concentrations of the solution. It is observed that the maximum reflectivity of the signal occurs in a concentration range of 5 x 10(exp -3)/cu cm to 1.2 x 10(exp -2) g/cu cm. It is also observed that the intensity of the signal drops suddenly to less than half of its maximum outside the concentration range mentioned above. An investigation of the phase conjugate signal intensity by changing the delay time between probe signal and the forward pump is also examined. Briefly discussed is the possibility of population grating in dye liquids as a source of enhancing the third order susceptibility besides the other techniques mentioned in reference. The experiment is done by beam splitting the second harmonic (532 nm) of Nd:YAG laser, Q-switched at 20 pulses/sec (pulse width is approximately 8 and 200 mJ per pulse).

Abdeldayem, Hossin↗