Multiferroic materials, which show simultaneous ferroelectric and magnetic ordering, exhibit unusual physical properties — and in turn promise new device applications — as a result of the coupling between their dual order parameters. We review recent progress in the growth, characterization and understanding of thin-film multiferroics. The availability of high-quality thin-film multiferroics makes it easier to tailor their properties through epitaxial strain, atomic-level engineering of chemistry and interfacial coupling, and is a prerequisite for their incorporation into practical devices. We discuss novel device paradigms based on magnetoelectric coupling, and outline the key scientific challenges in the field.

Multiferroics: progress and prospects in thin films.

(b) Write out the equations for the time dependence of ρ11, ρ22, ρ12 and ρ21 assuming that a light field interaction V = -μ12Ee iωt + c.c. couples only levels |1> and |2>, and that the excited levels exhibit spontaneous decay. (8 marks) (c) Under steady-state conditions, find the ratio of populations in states |2> and |3>. (3 marks) (d) Find the slowly varying amplitude ̃ ρ 12 of the polarization ρ12 = ̃ ρ 12e iωt . (6 marks) (e) In the limiting case that no decay is possible from intermediate level |3>, what is the ground state population ρ11(∞)? (2 marks) 2. (15 marks total) In a 2-level atom system subjected to a strong field, dressed states are created in the form |D1(n)> = sin θ |1,n> + cos θ |2,n-1> |D2(n)> = cos θ |1,n> sin θ |2,n-1>

The Quantum Theory of Light

The absorption and emission properties of transition metal (TM)-doped zinc chalcogenides have been investigated to understand their potential application as room-temperature, mid-infrared tunable laser media. Crystals of ZnS, ZnSe, and ZnTe, individually doped with Cr/sup 2+/, Co/sup 2+/, Ni/sup 2+/, or Fe/sup 2+/ have been evaluated. The absorption and emission properties are presented and discussed in terms of the energy levels from which they arise. The absorption spectra of the crystals studied exhibit strong bands between 1.4 and 2.0 /spl mu/m which overlap with the output of strained-layer InGaAs diodes. The room-temperature emission spectra reveal wide-band emissions from 2-3 /spl mu/m for Cr and from 2.8-4.0 /spl mu/m for Co, Cr luminesces strongly at room temperature; Co exhibits significant losses from nonradiative decay at temperatures above 200 K, and Ni and Fe only luminesce at low temperatures, Cr/sup 2+/ is estimated to have the highest quantum yield at room temperature among the media investigated with values of /spl sim/75-100%. Laser demonstrations of Cr:ZnS and Cr:ZnSe have been performed in a laser-pumped laser cavity with a Co:MgF/sub 2/ pump laser. The output of both lasers were determined to peak at wavelengths near 2.35 /spl mu/m, and both lasers demonstrated a maximum slope efficiency of approximately 20%. Based on these initial results, the Cr/sup 2+/ ion is predicted to be a highly favorable laser ion for the mid-IR when doped into the zinc chalcogenides; Co/sup 2+/ may also serve usefully, but laser demonstrations yet remain to be performed.

Transition metal-doped zinc chalcogenides: Spectroscopy and laser demonstration of a new class of gain media

The induced nonlinear electric dipole and higher moments in an atomic system, irradiated simultaneously by two or three light waves, are calculated by quantum-mechanical perturbation theory. Terms quadratic and cubic in the field amplitudes are included. An important permutation symmetry relation for the nonlinear polarizability is derived and its frequency dependence is discussed. The nonlinear microscopic properties are related to an effective macroscopic nonlinear polarization, which may be incorporated into Maxwell's equations for an infinite, homogeneous, anisotropic, nonlinear, dielectric medium. Energy and power relationships are derived for the nonlinear dielectric which correspond to the Manley-Rowe relations in the theory of parametric amplifiers. Explicit solutions are obtained for the coupled amplitude equations, which describe the interaction between a plane light wave and its second harmonic or the interaction between three plane electromagnetic waves, which satisfy the energy relationship ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{3}={\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}$, and the approximate momentum relationship ${\mathrm{k}}_{3}={\mathrm{k}}_{1}+{\mathrm{k}}_{2}+\ensuremath{\Delta}\mathrm{k}$. Third-harmonic generation and interaction between more waves is mentioned. Applications of the theory to the dc and microwave Kerr effect, light modulation, harmonic generation, and parametric conversion are discussed.

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Interactions between Light Waves in a Nonlinear Dielectric

Recent advances in coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy: Fundamental developments and applications in reacting flows

Infrared (2–12 μm) solid-state laser sources: a review

Although the bunching of photons emitted from an incoherent source is well known, this has only ever been measured down to a temporal resolution of nanoseconds. This has now been improved by many orders of magnitude to the level of femtoseconds, with the elegantly simple use of a GaAs two-photon detector.

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Measuring photon bunching at ultrashort timescale by two-photon absorption in semiconductors

Photon bunching in highly chaotic sources (true blackbody and amplified spontaneous emission) is detected for the first time with femtosecond temporal resolution by use of a Hanbury-Brown-Twiss experiment relying on two-photon absorption in semiconductors.

For many years twin beams originating from parametric down-converted light beams have aroused great interest and attention in the photonics community One particular aspect of the twin beams is their peculiar intensity correlation functions, which are related to the coincidence rate of photon pairs Here we take advantage of the huge bandwidth offered by two-photon absorption in a semiconductor to quantitatively determine correlation functions of twin beams generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion Compared with classical incoherent sources, photon extrabunching is unambiguously and precisely measured, originating from exact coincidence between down-converted pairs of photons, travelling in unison These results strongly establish that two-photon counting in semiconductors is a powerful tool for the absolute measurement of light beam photon correlations at ultrashort timescales

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Photon extrabunching in ultrabright twin beams measured by two-photon counting in a semiconductor

The operating points of pulsed dual-cavity doubly resonant optical parametric oscillators have been investigated, taking into account the influence of the optical dispersion. A diagram is proposed to determine the spectral separation of doubly resonant positions for any optical lengths of both cavities. From the analysis of the distribution of doubly resonant coincidences, original conditions for stable single-mode operation are specified. This approach is validated by use of a type II phase-matched β-barium borate crystal. Frequency stability and tuning characteristics are also reported. To our best knowledge, this is the first demonstration of single-mode operation that uses a dual-cavity doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator in the nanosecond pulsed regime.

Antoine Godard

Papers

Infrared (2–12 μm) solid-state laser sources: a review

Measuring photon bunching at ultrashort timescale by two-photon absorption in semiconductors

Measuring photon bunching at ultrashort timescale by two-photon absorption in semiconductors

Photon extrabunching in ultrabright twin beams measured by two-photon counting in a semiconductor

Dual-cavity doubly resonant optical parametric oscillators: demonstration of pulsed single-mode operation