Optical limiter based on PT-symmetry breaking of reflectionless modes

Year: 2023

Authors: Riboli F., Kononchuk R., Tommasi F., Boschetti A., Suwunnarat S., Anisimov I., Vitebskiy I., Wiersma DS., Cavalieri S., Kottos T., Chabanov AA.

Autors Affiliation: CNR, Inst Nazl Ott, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; European Lab Nonlinear Spect LENS, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Wesleyan Univ, Dept Phys, Middletown, CT 06459 USA; Univ Texas San Antonio, Dept Phys & Astron, San Antonio, TX 78249 USA; Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis & Astron, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Air Force Res Lab, Sensors Directorate, Wright Patterson AFB, OH 45433 USA; Ist Nazl Ric Metrol, I-10125 Turin, Italy.

Abstract: The application of parity-time (PT) symmetry in optics, especially PT-symmetry breaking, has attracted considerable attention as an approach to controlling light propagation. Here, we report optical limiting by two coupled optical cavities with a PT-symmetric spectrum of reflectionless modes. The optical limiting is related to broken PT symmetry due to light-induced changes in one of the cavities. Our experimental implementation involves a three-mirror resonator of alternating layers of ZnS and cryolite with a PT-symmetric spectral degeneracy of two reflectionless modes. The passive optical limiting is demonstrated by measurements of single 532 nm 6 ns laser pulses and thermo-optical simulations. At fluences below 10 mJ /cm(2), the multilayer exhibits a flattop passband at 532 nm. At higher fluences, laser heating combined with the thermo-optic effect in ZnS leads to cavity detuning and PT-symmetry breaking of the reflectionless modes. As a result, the entire multilayer structure quickly becomes highly reflective, protecting itself from laser-induced damage. The cavity detuning mechanism can differ at much higher limiting thresholds and include nonlinearity. (c) 2023 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement

Journal/Review: OPTICA

Volume: 10 (10)      Pages from: 1302  to: 1309

More Information: Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) (FA9550-20-F-0005, FA9550-22-1-0290, LRIR 21RYCOR019); Office of Naval Research (ONR) (N00014-191-2480); National Science Foundation (NSF) (ECCS2148318); Simons Foundation (MPS-733698); Programma Operativo Nazionale Ricerca e Competitivita (MD.1062/2021); Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze.
KeyWords: Fullerenes; Excitation; Crystal; Na3alf6; Devices; Systems; Pulses
DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.497275

Citations: 2
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