Somnath Ghosh

Bio: Somnath Ghosh is an academic researcher from Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur. The author has contributed to research in topics: Microstructured optical fiber & Optical fiber. The author has an hindex of 28, co-authored 287 publications receiving 3318 citations. Previous affiliations of Somnath Ghosh include University of Calcutta & Indian Institute of Science.

Optical waveguide hosting multiple exceptional points: Toward selective mode conversion

Abstract: We investigate the astonishing physical aspects of Exceptional Points (EPs) in a 1D planar few-mode optical waveguide. The waveguide hosts four quasi-guided modes. Here interactions between the selected pair of modes are modulated by a spatial distribution of inhomogeneous gain-loss profile. Both the coupled pairs approach two different second-order EPs in parameter plane. Considering a proper parametric loop to encircle the identified EPs simultaneously, we establish a specific topological feature where one round encirclement in parameter space yields the switching between the propagation constants ({\beta}) of the corresponding pairs of couple modes in complex {\beta}-plane. Choosing two different patterns of the parametric loop, we establish the immutable topology in {\beta}- switching phenomena. This robust mode conversion scheme shall provide a platform to realize selective mode switching devices or optical-mode converters.

Transverse Localization of Light in Laser Inscripted Disordered Coupled Waveguide Lattices

Abstract: We report direct observation of the signature of transverse localization of light in laser-inscripted disordered array of evanescently coupled one-dimensional optical waveguides in an Er-doped Bismuthate glass.

An efficient broad-band mid-wave IR fiber optic light source: Design and performance simulation

Abstract: Design of a mid-wave IR (MWIR) broad-band fiber-based light source exploiting four-wave mixing (FWM) in a meter long suitably designed highly nonlinear (NL) chalcogenide microstructured optical fiber (MOF) is reported. This superior FWM bandwidth (BW) was obtained through precise tailoring of the fibers dispersion profile so as to realize positive quartic dispersion at the pump wavelength. We consider an Erbium (Er3+) doped continuous wave (CW) ZBLAN fiber laser emitting at 2.8 micron as the pump source with an average power of 5 W. Amplification factor as high as 25 dB is achievable in the 3 to 3.9 microns spectral range with average power conversion efficiency more than 32 percent.

Confinement of Light in Disordered Photonic Lattices: A New Platform for Waveguidance

Abstract: A right amount of disorder in the form of refractive index variation has been introduced to achieve transverse localization of light 1D semi-infinite photonic lattices. Presence of longitudinally-invariant transverse disorder opens-up a new waveguiding mechanism.

A Specialty Endless-Core Photonic Bandgap Fiber with Ultra-wide Bandwidth for Short Pulse Propagation

Abstract: We present a novel fiber design concept based on the formation of concentric effective optical cores in a photonic bandgap geometry supporting ultra-large bandwidth for stable propagation of short optical pulses over longer distances.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Exceptional points in optics and photonics.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Singularities are critical points for which the behavior of a mathematical model governing a physical system is of a fundamentally different nature compared to the neighboring points. Exceptional points are spectral singularities in the parameter space of a system in which two or more eigenvalues, and their corresponding eigenvectors, simultaneously coalesce. Such degeneracies are peculiar features of nonconservative systems that exchange energy with their surrounding environment. In the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in investigating such nonconservative systems, particularly in connection with the quantum mechanics notions of parity-time symmetry, after the realization that some non-Hermitian Hamiltonians exhibit entirely real spectra. Lately, non-Hermitian systems have raised considerable attention in photonics, given that optical gain and loss can be integrated as nonconservative ingredients to create artificial materials and structures with altogether new optical properties. ADVANCES As we introduce gain and loss in a nanophotonic system, the emergence of exceptional point singularities dramatically alters the overall response, leading to a range of exotic functionalities associated with abrupt phase transitions in the eigenvalue spectrum. Even though such a peculiar effect has been known theoretically for several years, its controllable realization has not been made possible until recently and with advances in exploiting gain and loss in guided-wave photonic systems. As shown in a range of recent theoretical and experimental works, this property creates opportunities for ultrasensitive measurements and for manipulating the modal content of multimode lasers. In addition, adiabatic parametric evolution around exceptional points provides interesting schemes for topological energy transfer and designing mode and polarization converters in photonics. Lately, non-Hermitian degeneracies have also been exploited for the design of laser systems, new nonlinear optics phenomena, and exotic scattering features in open systems. OUTLOOK Thus far, non-Hermitian systems have been largely disregarded owing to the dominance of the Hermitian theories in most areas of physics. Recent advances in the theory of non-Hermitian systems in connection with exceptional point singularities has revolutionized our understanding of such complex systems. In the context of optics and photonics, in particular, this topic is highly important because of the ubiquity of nonconservative elements of gain and loss. In this regard, the theoretical developments in the field of non-Hermitian physics have allowed us to revisit some of the well-established platforms with a new angle of utilizing gain and loss as new degrees of freedom, in stark contrast with the traditional approach of avoiding these elements. On the experimental front, progress in fabrication technologies has allowed for harnessing gain and loss in chip-scale photonic systems. These theoretical and experimental developments have put forward new schemes for controlling the functionality of micro- and nanophotonic devices. This is mainly based on the anomalous parameter dependence in the response of non-Hermitian systems when operating around exceptional point singularities. Such effects can have important ramifications in controlling light in new nanophotonic device designs, which are fundamentally based on engineering the interplay of coupling and dissipation and amplification mechanisms in multimode systems. Potential applications of such designs reside in coupled-cavity laser sources with better coherence properties, coupled nonlinear resonators with engineered dispersion, compact polarization and spatial mode converters, and highly efficient reconfigurable diffraction surfaces. In addition, the notion of the exceptional point provides opportunities to take advantage of the inevitable dissipation in environments such as plasmonic and semiconductor materials, which play a key role in optoelectronics. Finally, emerging platforms such as optomechanical cavities provide opportunities to investigate exceptional points and their associated phenomena in multiphysics systems.