We review the field of cavity optomechanics, which explores the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and nano- or micromechanical motion This review covers the basics of optical cavities and mechanical resonators, their mutual optomechanical interaction mediated by the radiation pressure force, the large variety of experimental systems which exhibit this interaction, optical measurements of mechanical motion, dynamical backaction amplification and cooling, nonlinear dynamics, multimode optomechanics, and proposals for future cavity quantum optomechanics experiments In addition, we describe the perspectives for fundamental quantum physics and for possible applications of optomechanical devices

Cavity Optomechanics

Photonic crystal fibers guide light by corralling it within a periodic array of microscopic air holes that run along the entire fiber length Largely through their ability to overcome the limitations of conventional fiber optics—for example, by permitting low-loss guidance of light in a hollow core—these fibers are proving to have a multitude of important technological and scientific applications spanning many disciplines The result has been a renaissance of interest in optical fibers and their uses

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/299/5605/358.full.pdf

Photonic crystal fibers

A fast-Fourier-transform method of topography and interferometry is proposed. By computer processing of a noncontour type of fringe pattern, automatic discrimination is achieved between elevation and depression of the object or wave-front form, which has not been possible by the fringe-contour-generation techniques. The method has advantages over moire topography and conventional fringe-contour interferometry in both accuracy and sensitivity. Unlike fringe-scanning techniques, the method is easy to apply because it uses no moving components.

Fourier-transform method of fringe-pattern analysis for computer-based topography and interferometry

We review the recent developments in the area of optical fiber grating sensors, including quasi-distributed strain sensing using Bragg gratings, systems based on chirped gratings, intragrating sensing concepts, long period-based grating sensors, fiber grating laser-based systems, and interferometric sensor systems based on grating reflectors.

Fiber grating sensors

A topical review of numerical and experimental studies of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber is presented over the full range of experimentally reported parameters, from the femtosecond to the continuous-wave regime. Results from numerical simulations are used to discuss the temporal and spectral characteristics of the supercontinuum, and to interpret the physics of the underlying spectral broadening processes. Particular attention is given to the case of supercontinuum generation seeded by femtosecond pulses in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime of photonic crystal fiber, where the processes of soliton fission, stimulated Raman scattering, and dispersive wave generation are reviewed in detail. The corresponding intensity and phase stability properties of the supercontinuum spectra generated under different conditions are also discussed.

Supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber

Controllable optically driven rotation of microscopic objects is desirable in many applications, but is difficult to achieve. Here we report a sustained self-starting orbital motion of a clamped el...

Sustained Self-Starting Orbital Motion of a Glass-Fiber “Nanoengine” Driven by Photophoretic Forces

A fiber-based supercontinuum system including: a pump laser; a ZBLAN or other fluoride-based microstructured glass fiber; and control electronics; wherein the control electronics control the pump laser to generate laser pulses into the ZBLAN or other fluoride-based microstructured glass fiber. The fabrication of a ZBLAN photonic crystal fiber with sub-micron features and large air- filling fraction and the use of the fiber to generate a stable supercontinuum (200 to 2500nm) from 140fs, 1nJ pulses at 1042nm are disclosed.

Supercontinuum system with microstructured photonic crystal fibers based on fluoride glass

Many fields such as biospectroscopy and photochemistry often require sources of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) pulses featuring a narrow line width and tunable over a wide frequency range. However, the m...

Narrowband vacuum ultraviolet light via cooperative Raman scattering in dual-pumped gas-filled photonic crystal fiber

Using a non-destructive side-scattering technique, the internal structure of a microstructured fibre is determined. The rotating fiber is illuminated by a laser beam and an inverse Radon transform is applied to the frequency-modulated scattered signal.

/pdf/doppler-assisted-tomography-of-photonic-crystal-fiber-1nwz9cn81c.pdf

Doppler-Assisted Tomography of Photonic Crystal Fiber Structure by Side-Scattering

We report long-range optical binding of multiple polystyrene nanoparticles (100-600 nm in diameter) at fixed interparticle distances that match multiples of the half-beat-lengths between the lowest order modes of a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Analysis suggests that each nanoparticle converts the incoming optical mode into a superposition of co-propagating modes, within the beat pattern of which further particles can become trapped. Strikingly, the entire particle arrangement can be moved over a distance of several cm, without changing the inter-particle spacing, by altering the ratio of backward-to-forward optical power. Potential applications are in multi-dimensional nanoparticle-based quantum optomechanical systems.

Philip St. J. Russell

Papers

Sustained Self-Starting Orbital Motion of a Glass-Fiber “Nanoengine” Driven by Photophoretic Forces

Supercontinuum system with microstructured photonic crystal fibers based on fluoride glass

Narrowband vacuum ultraviolet light via cooperative Raman scattering in dual-pumped gas-filled photonic crystal fiber

Doppler-Assisted Tomography of Photonic Crystal Fiber Structure by Side-Scattering

Long-range optical binding in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber using higher order modes