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43450-B7
Experimental Study of Novel Photorefractive Organic Glasses

Zhigang Chen, San Francisco State University

The initial objective of this project is to study nonlinear optical effects in photorefractive (PR) monolithic organic glasses and inorganic crystals. In the last three project years, a series of experiments has been performed to understand the orientational nonlinearity in DCDHF-based organic glasses as well as in SBN inorganic crystals. For the fundamental research, we have focused on formation of solitary waves and surface waves in optical periodic structures (waveguide arrays or photonic lattices) induced in these photorefractive materials. In particular, the P.I. and his students have designed and performed many experiments for demonstration of optically induced self-switching between focusing and defocusing nonlinearities, transition between different Bloch waves and defect states, and controlling light in optically-induced photonic lattices with structured defects and surfaces. Another objective is to promote education and research of students at San Francisco State University, one of the national HBCU/MI undergraduate institutions, in the fields of physical sciences and engineering.  These objectives are fully in line with the goal of PRF grant support.

We must say, with the support from PRF and other funding resources, we have made significant progress and successfully completed this project. Over 20 scientific research papers have been published or soon to be published in top-rated refereed journals including Physical Review Letters and Optics Letters. Work from these papers have also been selected and featured in premier magazines such as Optics & Photonics News, as well as in Technology Research News, and Virtual Journal of Nanotechnologies, and have presented in several invited talks in conferences and workshops. Equally important is that several students supported by this grant have made remarkable contribution to the project and co-authored papers. Our major achievements from this project include:

1.   Demonstrated novel nonlinear effects in photorefractive monolithic organic glass
2.   Demonstrated localized solitary waves photorefractive materials
3.   Demonstrated photonic bandgap guidance in lattices with structured defects
4.   Demonstrated nonlinear two-dimensional surface waves (Tamm and Shockley states)
5.   Demonstrated nonlinear spectrum reshaping and associated novel soliton states.

Overall, we have made significant progress in this project, with active participation of undergraduate and graduate students. We very much appreciate the support from PRF!!!

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