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At least 955 records · Page 53
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NASA NTRS2008

Microwave-to-Optical Conversion in WGM Resonators

Microwave-to-optical frequency converters based on whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators have been proposed as mixers for the input ends of microwave receivers in which, downstream of the input ends, signals would be processed photonically. A frequency converter as proposed (see figure) would exploit the nonlinearity of the electromagnetic response of a WGM resonator made of LiNbO3 or another suitable ferroelectric material. Up-conversion would take place by three-wave mixing in the resonator. The WGM resonator would be de - signed and fabricated to obtain (1) resonance at both the microwave and the optical operating frequencies and (2) phase matching among the input and output microwave and optical signals as described in the immediately preceding article. Because the resonator would be all dielectric there would be no metal electrodes signal losses would be very low and, consequently, the resonance quality factors (Q values) of the microwave and optical fields would be very large. The long lifetimes associated with the large Q values would enable attainment of high efficiency of nonlinear interaction with low saturation power. It is anticipated that efficiency would be especially well enhanced by the combination of optical and microwave resonances in operation at input signal frequencies between 90 and 300 GHz.

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS2008

Bimaterial Thermal Compensators for WGM Resonators

Bimaterial thermal compensators have been proposed as inexpensive means of preventing (to first order) or reducing temperature-related changes in the resonance frequencies of whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators. A bimaterial compensator would apply, to a WGM resonator, a pressure that would slightly change the shape of the resonator and thereby change its resonance frequencies. Through suitable choice of the compensator dimensions and materials, it should be possible to make the temperature dependence of the pressure-induced frequency shift equal in magnitude and opposite in sign to the temperature dependence of the frequency shift of the uncompensated resonator so that, to first order, a change in temperature would cause zero net change in frequency.

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Effect of Spray Initial Conditions on Heat Release and Emissions in LDI CFD Calculations

The mass and velocity distribution of liquid spray has a primary effect on the combustion heat release process. This heat release process then affects emissions like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). Computational Fluid Dynamics gives the engineer insight into these processes, but various setup options exist (number of droplet groups, and initial droplet temperature) for spray initial conditions. This paper studies these spray initial condition options using the National Combustion Code (NCC) on a single swirler lean direct injection (LDI) flame tube. Using laminar finite rate chemistry, comparisons are made against experimental data for velocity measurements, temperature, and emissions (NOx, CO).

Iannetti, Anthony C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Phase-Noise and Amplitude-Noise Measurement of Low-Power Signals

Measuring the phase fluctuation between a pair of low-power microwave signals, the signals must be amplified before detection. In such cases the phase noise of the amplifier pair is the main cause of 1/f background noise of the instrument. this article proposes a scheme that makes amplification possible while rejecting the close in 1/f (flicker) noise of the two amplifiers. Noise rejection, which relies upon the understanding of the amplifier noise mechanism does not require averaging. Therefore, our scheme can also be the detector of a closed loop noise reduction system. the first prototype, compared to a traditional saturated mixer system under the same condition, show a 24 dB noise reduction of the 1/f region.

phase noise↗
NASA NTRS2009

Precise Stabilization of the Optical Frequency of WGMRs

Crystalline whispering gallery mode resonators (CWGMRs) made of crystals with axial symmetry have ordinary and extraordinary families of optical modes. These modes have substantially different thermo-refractive constants. This results in a very sharp dependence of differential detuning of optical frequency on effective temperature. This frequency difference compared with clock gives an error signal for precise compensation of the random fluctuations of optical frequency. Certain crystals, like MgF2, have turnover points where the thermo-refractive effect is completely nullified. An advantage for applications using WGMRs for frequency stabilization is in the possibility of manufacturing resonators out of practically any optically transparent crystal. It is known that there are crystals with negative and zero thermal expansion at some specific temperatures. Doping changes properties of the crystals and it is possible to create an optically transparent crystal with zero thermal expansion at room temperature. With this innovation s stabilization technique, the resultant WGMR will have absolute frequency stability The expansion of the resonator s body can be completely compensated for by nonlinear elements. This results in compensation of linear thermal expansion (see figure). In three-mode, the MgF2 resonator, if tuned at the turnover thermal point, can compensate for all types of random thermal-related frequency drift. Simplified dual-mode method is also available. This creates miniature optical resonators with good short- and long-term stability for passive secondary frequency ethalon and an active resonator for active secondary frequency standard (a narrowband laser with long-term stability).

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS2009

Trajectory Calculator for Finite-Radius Cutter on a Lathe

A computer program calculates the two-dimensional trajectory (radial vs. axial position) of a finite-radius-of-curvature cutting tool on a lathe so as to cut a workpiece to a piecewise-continuous, analytically defined surface of revolution. (In the original intended application, the tool is a diamond cutter, and the workpiece is made of a crystalline material and is to be formed into an optical resonator disk.) The program also calculates an optimum cutting speed as F/L, where F is a material-dependent empirical factor and L is the effective instantaneous length of the cutting edge.

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS2009

Atomic References for Measuring Small Accelerations

Accelerometer systems that would combine the best features of both conventional (e.g., mechanical) accelerometers and atom interferometer accelerometers (AIAs) have been proposed. These systems are intended mainly for use in scientific research aboard spacecraft but may also be useful on Earth in special military, geological, and civil-engineering applications. Conventional accelerometers can be sensitive, can have high dynamic range, and can have high frequency response, but they lack accuracy and long-term stability. AIAs have low frequency response, but they offer high sensitivity, and high accuracy for measuring small accelerations. In a system according to the proposal, a conventional accelerometer would be used to perform short-term measurements of higher-frequency components of acceleration, while an AIA would be used to provide consistent calibration of, and correction of errors in, the measurements of the conventional accelerometer in the lower-frequency range over the long term. A brief description of an AIA is prerequisite to a meaningful description of a system according to the proposal. An AIA includes a retroreflector next to one end of a cell that contains a cold cloud of atoms in an ultrahigh vacuum. The atoms in the cloud are in free fall. The retroreflector is mounted on the object, the acceleration of which is to be measured. Raman laser beams are directed through the cell from the end opposite the retroreflector, then pass back through the cell after striking the retroreflector. The Raman laser beams together with the cold atoms measure the relative acceleration, through the readout of the AIA, between the cold atoms and the retroreflector.

Maleki, Lute↗
NASA NTRS2008

Assessment of Microphysical Models in the National Combustion Code (NCC) for Aircraft Particulate Emissions: Particle Loss in Sampling Lines

This paper at first describes the fluid network approach recently implemented into the National Combustion Code (NCC) for the simulation of transport of aerosols (volatile particles and soot) in the particulate sampling systems. This network-based approach complements the other two approaches already in the NCC, namely, the lower-order temporal approach and the CFD-based approach. The accuracy and the computational costs of these three approaches are then investigated in terms of their application to the prediction of particle losses through sample transmission and distribution lines. Their predictive capabilities are assessed by comparing the computed results with the experimental data. The present work will help establish standard methodologies for measuring the size and concentration of particles in high-temperature, high-velocity jet engine exhaust. Furthermore, the present work also represents the first step of a long term effort of validating physics-based tools for the prediction of aircraft particulate emissions.

Wey, Thomas↗
NASA NTRS2009

Numerical Study of Outlet Boundary Conditions for Unsteady Turbulent Internal Flows Using the NCC

This paper presents the results of studies on the outlet boundary conditions for turbulent internal flow simulations. Several outlet boundary conditions have been investigated by applying the National Combustion Code (NCC) to the configuration of a LM6000 single injector flame tube. First of all, very large eddy simulations (VLES) have been performed using the partially resolved numerical simulation (PRNS) approach, in which both the nonlinear and linear dynamic subscale models were employed. Secondly, unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier- Stokes (URANS) simulations have also been performed for the same configuration to investigate the effects of different outlet boundary conditions in the context of URANS. Thirdly, the possible role of the initial condition is inspected by using three different initial flow fields for both the PRNS/VLES simulation and the URANS simulation. The same grid is used for all the simulations and the number of mesh element is about 0.5 million. The main purpose of this study is to examine the long-time behavior of the solution as determined by the imposed outlet boundary conditions. For a particular simulation to be considered as successful under the given initial and boundary conditions, the solution must be sustainable in a physically meaningful manner over a sufficiently long period of time. The commonly used outlet boundary condition for steady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation is a fixed pressure at the outlet with all the other dependent variables being extrapolated from the interior. The results of the present study suggest that this is also workable for the URANS simulation of the LM6000 injector flame tube. However, it does not work for the PRNS/VLES simulation due to the unphysical reflections of the pressure disturbances at the outlet boundary. This undesirable situation can be practically alleviated by applying a simple unsteady convection equation for the pressure disturbances at the outlet boundary. The numerical results presented in this paper suggest that this unsteady convection of pressure disturbances at the outlet works very well for all the unsteady simulations (both PRNS/VLES and URANS) of the LM6000 single injector flame tube.

Liu, Nan-Suey↗
NASA NTRS2008

Efficient Coupler for a Bessel Beam Dispersive Element

A document discusses overcoming efficient optical coupling to high orbital momentum modes by slightly bending the taper dispersive element. This little shape distortion is not enough to scramble the modes, but it allows the use of regular, free-beam prism coupling, fiber coupling, or planar fiber on-chip coupling with, ultimately, 100 percent efficiency. The Bessel-beam waveguide is bent near the contact with the coupler, or a curved coupler is used. In this case, every Bessel-beam mode can be successfully coupled to a collimated Gaussian beam. Recently developed Bessel-beam waveguides allow long optical delay and very high dispersion. Delay values may vary from nanoseconds to microseconds, and dispersion promises to be at 100 s/nm. Optical setup consisted of a red laser, an anamorphic prism pair, two prism couplers, and a bent, single-mode fiber attached to prisms. The coupling rate increased substantially and corresponded to the value determined by the anamorphic prism pair.

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS2009

Manipulating Neutral Atoms in Chip-Based Magnetic Traps

Several techniques for manipulating neutral atoms (more precisely, ultracold clouds of neutral atoms) in chip-based magnetic traps and atomic waveguides have been demonstrated. Such traps and waveguides are promising components of future quantum sensors that would offer sensitivities much greater than those of conventional sensors. Potential applications include gyroscopy and basic research in physical phenomena that involve gravitational and/or electromagnetic fields. The developed techniques make it possible to control atoms with greater versatility and dexterity than were previously possible and, hence, can be expected to contribute to the value of chip-based magnetic traps and atomic waveguides. The basic principle of these techniques is to control gradient magnetic fields with suitable timing so as to alter a trap to exert position-, velocity-, and/or time-dependent forces on atoms in the trap to obtain desired effects. The trap magnetic fields are generated by controlled electric currents flowing in both macroscopic off-chip electromagnet coils and microscopic wires on the surface of the chip. The methods are best explained in terms of examples. Rather than simply allowing atoms to expand freely into an atomic waveguide, one can give them a controllable push by switching on an externally generated or a chip-based gradient magnetic field. This push can increase the speed of the atoms, typically from about 5 to about 20 cm/s. Applying a non-linear magnetic-field gradient exerts different forces on atoms in different positions a phenomenon that one can exploit by introducing a delay between releasing atoms into the waveguide and turning on the magnetic field.

Aveline, David↗
NASA NTRS2009

Optical Injection Locking of a VCSEL in an OEO

Optical injection locking has been demonstrated to be effective as a means of stabilizing the wavelength of light emitted by a vertical-cavity surface- emitting laser (VCSEL) that is an active element in the frequency-control loop of an opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) designed to implement an atomic clock based on an electromagnetically- induced-transparency resonance. This particular optical-injection- locking scheme is expected to enable the development of small, low-power, high-stability atomic clocks that would be suitable for use in applications involving precise navigation and/or communication. In one essential aspect of operation of an OEO of the type described above, a microwave modulation signal is coupled into the VCSEL. Heretofore, it has been well known that the wavelength of light emitted by a VCSEL depends on its temperature and drive current, necessitating thorough stabilization of these operational parameters. Recently, it was discovered that the wavelength also depends on the microwave power coupled into the VCSEL. Inasmuch as the microwave power circulating in the frequency-control loop is a dynamic frequency-control variable (and, hence, cannot be stabilized), there arises a need for another means of stabilizing the wavelength. The present optical-injection-locking scheme satisfies the need for a means to stabilize the wavelength against microwave- power fluctuations. It is also expected to afford stabilization against temperature and current fluctuations. In an experiment performed to demonstrate this scheme, wavelength locking was observed when about 200 W of the output power of a commercial tunable diode laser was injected into a commercial VCSEL, designed to operate in the wavelength range of 795+/-3 nm, that was generating about 200 microW of optical power. (The use of relatively high injection power levels is a usual practice in injection locking of VCSELs.)

Strekalov, Dmitry↗
NASA NTRS2009

Dynamic Self-Locking of an OEO Containing a VCSEL

A method of dynamic self-locking has been demonstrated to be effective as a means of stabilizing the wavelength of light emitted by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) that is an active element in the frequency-control loop of an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) designed to implement an atomic clock based on an electromagnetically- induced-transparency (EIT) resonance. This scheme can be considered an alternative to the one described in Optical Injection Locking of a VCSEL in an OEO (NPO-43454), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 7 (July 2009), page 33. Both schemes are expected to enable the development of small, low-power, high-stability atomic clocks that would be suitable for use in applications involving precise navigation and/or communication. To recapitulate from the cited prior article: In one essential aspect of operation of an OEO of the type described above, a microwave modulation signal is coupled into the VCSEL. Heretofore, it has been well known that the wavelength of light emitted by a VCSEL depends on its temperature and drive current, necessitating thorough stabilization of these operational parameters. Recently, it was discovered that the wavelength also depends on the microwave power coupled into the VCSEL. This concludes the background information. From the perspective that led to the conception of the optical injection-locking scheme described in the cited prior article, the variation of the VCSEL wavelength with the microwave power circulating in the frequency-control loop is regarded as a disadvantage and optical injection locking is a solution of the problem of stabilizing the wavelength in the presence of uncontrolled fluctuations in the microwave power. The present scheme for dynamic self-locking emerges from a different perspective, in which the dependence of VCSEL wavelength on microwave power is regarded as an advantageous phenomenon that can be exploited as a means of controlling the wavelength. The figure schematically depicts an atomic-clock OEO of the type in question, wherein (1) the light from the VCSEL is used to excite an EIT resonance in selected atoms in a gas cell (e.g., 87Rb atoms in a low-pressure mixture of Ar and Ne) and (2) the power supplied to the VCSEL is modulated by a microwave signal that includes components at beat frequencies among the VCSEL wavelength and modulation sidebands. As the VCSEL wavelength changes, it moves closer to or farther from a nearby absorption spectral line, and the optical power transmitted through the cell (and thus the loop gain) changes accordingly. A change in the loop gain causes a change in the microwave power and, thus, in the VCSEL wavelength. It is possible to choose a set of design and operational parameters (most importantly, the electronic part of the loop gain) such that the OEO stabilizes itself in the sense that an increase in circulating microwave power causes the VCSEL wavelength to change in a direction that results in an increase in optical absorption and thus a decrease in circulating microwave power. Typically, such an appropriate choice of operational parameters involves setting the nominal VCSEL wavelength to a point on the shorter-wavelength wing of an absorption spectral line.

Strekalov, Dmitry↗
NASA NTRS2009

Nonlinear Thermal Compensators for WGM Resonators

In an alternative version of a proposed bimaterial thermal compensator for a whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonator, a mechanical element having nonlinear stiffness would be added to enable stabilization of a desired resonance frequency at a suitable fixed working temperature. The previous version was described in "Bimaterial Thermal Compensators for WGM Resonators." Both versions are intended to serve as inexpensive means of preventing (to first order) or reducing temperature-related changes in resonance frequencies.

Savchenkov, Anatoliy↗
NASA NTRS2009

A Very Large Eddy Simulation of the Nonreacting Flow in a Single-Element Lean Direct Injection Combustor Using PRNS with a Nonlinear Subscale Model

Very large eddy simulation (VLES) of the nonreacting turbulent flow in a single-element lean direct injection (LDI) combustor has been successfully performed via the approach known as the partially resolved numerical simulation (PRNS/VLES) using a nonlinear subscale model. The grid is the same as the one used in a previous RANS simulation, which was considered as too coarse for a traditional LES simulation. In this study, we first carry out a steady RANS simulation to provide the initial flow field for the subsequent PRNS/VLES simulation. We have also carried out an unsteady RANS (URANS) simulation for the purpose of comparing its results with that of the PRNS/VLES simulation. In addition, these calculated results are compared with the experimental data. The present effort has demonstrated that the PRNS/VLES approach, while using a RANS type of grid, is able to reveal the dynamically important, unsteady large-scale turbulent structures occurring in the flow field of a single-element LDI combustor. The interactions of these coherent structures play a critical role in the dispersion of the fuel, hence, the mixing between the fuel and the oxidizer in a combustor.

Shih, Tsan-Hsing↗
NASA NTRS2009

Very-Long-Distance Remote Hearing and Vibrometry

A proposed development of laser-based instrumentation systems would extend the art of laser Doppler vibrometry beyond the prior limits of laser-assisted remote hearing and industrial vibrometry for detecting defects in operating mechanisms. A system according to the proposal could covertly measure vibrations of objects at distances as large as thousands of kilometers and could process the measurement data to enable recognition of vibrations characteristic of specific objects of interest, thereby enabling recognition of the objects themselves. A typical system as envisioned would be placed in orbit around the Earth for use as a means of determining whether certain objects on or under the ground are of interest as potential military targets. Terrestrial versions of these instruments designed for airborne or land- or sea-based operation could be similarly useful for military or law-enforcement purposes. Prior laser-based remote-hearing systems are not capable of either covert operation or detecting signals beyond modest distances when operated at realistic laser power levels. The performances of prior systems for recognition of objects by remote vibrometry are limited by low signal-to-noise ratios and lack of filtering of optical signals returned from targets. The proposed development would overcome these limitations. A system as proposed would include a narrow-band laser as its target illuminator, a lock-in-detection receiver subsystem, and a laser-power-control subsystem that would utilize feedback of the intensity of background illumination of the target to adjust the laser power. The laser power would be set at a level high enough to enable the desired measurements but below the threshold of detectability by an imaginary typical modern photodetector located at the target and there exposed to the background illumination. The laser beam would be focused tightly on the distant target, such that the receiving optics would be exposed to only one speckle. The return signal would be extremely-narrow-band filtered (to sub-kilohertz bandwidth) in the optical domain by a whispering-gallery- mode filter so as to remove most of the background illumination. The filtered optical signal would be optically amplified. This combination of optical filtering and optical amplification would provide an optical signal that would be strong enough to be detectable but not so strong as to saturate the detector in the lock-in detection subsystem.

Maleki, Lute↗
NASA NTRS2010

Measuring a Fiber-Optic Delay Line Using a Mode-Locked Laser

The figure schematically depicts a laboratory setup for determining the optical length of a fiber-optic delay line at a precision greater than that obtainable by use of optical time-domain reflectometry or of mechanical measurement of length during the delay-line-winding process. In this setup, the delay line becomes part of the resonant optical cavity that governs the frequency of oscillation of a mode-locked laser. The length can then be determined from frequency-domain measurements, as described below. The laboratory setup is basically an all-fiber ring laser in which the delay line constitutes part of the ring. Another part of the ring - the laser gain medium - is an erbium-doped fiber amplifier pumped by a diode laser at a wavelength of 980 nm. The loop also includes an optical isolator, two polarization controllers, and a polarizing beam splitter. The optical isolator enforces unidirectional lasing. The polarization beam splitter allows light in only one polarization mode to pass through the ring; light in the orthogonal polarization mode is rejected from the ring and utilized as a diagnostic output, which is fed to an optical spectrum analyzer and a photodetector. The photodetector output is fed to a radio-frequency spectrum analyzer and an oscilloscope. The fiber ring laser can generate continuous-wave radiation in non-mode-locked operation or ultrashort optical pulses in mode-locked operation. The mode-locked operation exhibited by this ring is said to be passive in the sense that no electro-optical modulator or other active optical component is used to achieve it. Passive mode locking is achieved by exploiting optical nonlinearity of passive components in such a manner as to obtain ultra-short optical pulses. In this setup, the particular nonlinear optical property exploited to achieve passive mode locking is nonlinear polarization rotation. This or any ring laser can support oscillation in multiple modes as long as sufficient gain is present to overcome losses in the ring. When mode locking is achieved, oscillation occurs in all the modes having the same phase and same polarization. The frequency interval between modes, often denoted the free spectral range (FSR), is given by c/nL, where c is the speed of light in vacuum, n is the effective index of refraction of the fiber, and L is the total length of optical path around the ring. Therefore, the length of the fiber-optic delay line, as part of the length around the ring, can be calculated from the FSRs measured with and without the delay line incorporated into the ring. For this purpose, the FSR measurements are made by use of the optical and radio-frequency spectrum analyzers. In experimentation on a 10-km-long fiber-optic delay line, it was found that this setup made it possible to measure the length to within a fractional error of about 3 10(exp -6), corresponding to a length error of 3 cm. In contrast, measurements by optical time-domain reflectometry and mechanical measurement were found to be much less precise: For optical time-domain reflectometry, the fractional error was found no less than 10(exp -4) (corresponding to a length error of 1 m) and for mechanical measurement, the fractional error was found to be about 10(exp -2) (corresponding to a length error of 100 m).

Tu, Meirong↗
NASA NTRS2007

Opto-Electronic Oscillator Using Suppressed Phase Modulation

A proposed opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) would generate a microwave signal having degrees of frequency stability and spectral purity greater than those achieved in prior OEOs. The design of this system provides for reduction of noise levels (including the level of phase noise in the final output microwave signal) to below some of the fundamental limits of the prior OEOs while retaining the advantages of photonic generation of microwaves.

Dick, G. John↗