Nonlinear Optics and Laser Emission Through Random Media

ISBN-13: 9789400745124 / Angielski / Twarda / 2012 / 120 str.

Viola Folli

Opis

Disorder is everywhere, inherently present in nature, and is commonly believed to be a synonymous with disturbance. As a consequence, the methodical and customary study of the dynamics of the electromagnetic field, both in the linear and nonlinear optical regimes, leans to rule out it from the treatment.
On the other hand, nonlinearity enriches the physical disciplines and brings them closer to reality with respect to the linear approximation. Nonlinearity allows to stimulate a wide and rich ensemble of optical responses that beautifies the role of matter in the active processes with electromagnetic fields.
Independently of each other, both of these mechanisms foster localization of light. What happens when light enlightens their synergistic interaction?
When pushed together, light, disorder and nonlinearity make new and intriguing phenomena emerge. This text provides a comprehensive investigation of the role of disorder in the nonlinear optical propagation both in transparent media and lasers. Eventually, disorder promotes and enhances complex nonlinear dynamics opening new perspectives in applied research driven by the processes of localization of the electromagnetic field. The first experimental study of laser emission in granular media unveils how randomness magnifies and largely affect laser-matter interactions.
Viola Folli in her research work touches and deepens the leading milestones of the new science named Complex Photonics.

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"This 117 pages long monograph from the series 'Springer theses', 'a selection of the very best Ph.D. thesis from around the world and across the physical sciences', treats the interplay between light and matter in the interaction with intense fields taking into account the rule of nonlinearity and disorder. ... The book is intended for newcomers in this field as well as for professionals who are interested in more detailed background information, and could stimulate new developments." (Georg Hebermehl, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1259, 2013)

Spis treści

Foreword by Prof. Dr. Claudio Conti.- Acknowledgements.- 1 Introduction.- 1.1 Light and Nonlinearity.- 1.2 Light and Disorder.- 1.3 Overview of this thesis.- Part I: Non-resonant systems.- 2 Nonlinear Schroedinger Equation.- 2.1 Introduction.-  2.2 Local Case.- 2.3 Nonlocal case.- 3 Weakly Disordered Nonlinear Schroedinger Equation.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 The Model.- 3.3 Soliton Perturbation Theory in Nonlocal Media.- 3.4 Application to the Disordered Nonlocal NLS.- 3.5 Nonparaxial Corrections.- 4 Disordered Nonlinear Schroedinger Equation.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Anderson Localization.- 4.3 The Model.- 4.4 Highly Nonlocal Limit.- 4.5 Instability of Anderson States.- 4.6 Nonlocal Responses.- 4.7 Numerical Results.- 4.8 Beating of Anderson Localizations.- 5 Scale-Free Nonlinearity in Disordered Ferroelectrics.- 5.1 Diffusive Nonlinearity in Disordered Ferroelectrics.- 5.2 Scale-Free Solitons.- 5.3 Scale-Free Instability.- Part II: Resonant systems.- 6 The Maxwell-Bloch equations.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Generalities.- 6.3 The Numerical Approach.- 6.4 The Soliton Solution of the MB Equations.- 7 Disordered Maxwell-Bloch Equations.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Soliton Perturbation Theory in Resonant Media.- 7.3 Anderson Localization in Resonant Media.- 8 Glassy Behavior of Laser.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 The Model.- 8.3 Averaged Free Energy.- 8.4 Complexity.- The Phase Diagram.- 9 The Granular Laser.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Introduction to Random Laser.- 9.3 Experimental Setup and Procedures.- 9.4 The Diffusive Random Laser.- 9.5 The Granular Random Laser.-  10 Conclusions.

O autorze

Dr. Viola Folli is a Post Doctoral scientist working on the theory of nonlinear disordered systems, and on experiments on Random Lasers in the lab of the Institute for Complex Systems, led by Prof. Dr. Claudio Conti, at the Department of Physics of the University of Rome – La Sapienza. The program encompasses applying paradigms and methods from the science of complex systems to light propagation, and investigating the development of complexity and self-organization in nonlinear waves.