Active engineering of four-wave mixing spectral correlations in multiband hollow-core fibers.

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a high level of control of the four-wave mixing process in an inert gas-filled inhibited-coupling guiding hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. The specific multiple-branch dispersion profile in such fibers allows both correlated and separable bi-photon states to be produced. By controlling the choice of gas and its pressure and the fiber length, we experimentally generate various joint spectral intensity profiles in a stimulated regime that is transferable to the spontaneous regime. The generated profiles may cover both spectrally separable and correlated bi-photon states and feature frequency tuning over tens of THz, demonstrating a large dynamic control that will be very useful when implemented in the spontaneous regime as a photon pair source.

Raman-tailored photonic crystal fiber for telecom band photon-pair generation.

We report on the experimental characterization of a novel nonlinear liquid-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber for the generation of photon pairs at a telecommunication wavelength through spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM). We show that the optimization procedure in view of this application links the choice of the nonlinear liquid to the design parameters of the fiber, and we give an example of such an optimization at telecom wavelengths. Combining the modeling of the fiber and classical characterization techniques at these wavelengths, we identify for the chosen fiber and liquid combination SFWM phase-matching frequency ranges with no Raman scattering noise contamination. This is a first step toward obtaining a telecom band fibered photon-pair source with a high signal-to-noise ratio.

Gold-silver catalyzed straightforward one pot synthesis of pyrano[3,4-b]pyrrol-7(1H)-ones.

Pyrano[3,4-b]pyrrol-7(1H)-one is a bicyclic structure that is rarely described in the literature but is found in numerous polycyclic natural products as lamellarins. This work presents a one-pot synthesis of pyrano[3,4-b]pyrrol-7(1H)-one substituted in the 2- and 5-position. The reaction proceeds via a one-pot two step 5-endo-dig and 6-endo-dig cyclization catalyzed by a cationic gold complex with high regioselectivity.

Regiocontrolled functionalization of 2,3-dihalogenoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines by Suzuki-Miyaura and Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions.

An efficient method for regiocontrolled functionalization of 2,3-dihalogenoimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine was developed. This sequence allowed the selective introduction of aryl, heteroaryl, alkyl and alkynyl substituents at both 2- and 3-positions, by using Suzuki-Miyaura and Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions. A library of compounds diversely substituted on 2- and 3-positions can be easily prepared from a common, stable and easily accessible starting material.

Acousto-optical coherence tomography using random phase jumps on ultrasound and light.

Imaging objects embedded within highly scattering media by coupling light and ultrasounds (US) is a challenging approach. In deed, US enable direct access to the spatial localization, though resolution can be poor along their axis (cm). Up to now, several configurations have been studied, giving a millimetric axial resolution by applying to the US a microsecond pulse regime, as is the case with conventional echography. We introduce a new approach called Acousto-Optical Coherence Tomography (AOCT), enabling us to get a millimetric resolution with continuous US and light beams by applying random phase jumps on US and light. An experimental demonstration is performed with a self-adaptive holographic setup containing a photorefractive GaAs bulk crystal and a single large area photodetector.

Detection of the tagged or untagged photons in acousto-optic imaging of thick highly scattering media by photorefractive adaptive holography.

We propose an original adaptive wavefront holographic setup based on the photorefractive effect (PR), to make real-time measurements of acousto-optic signals in thick scattering media, with a high flux collection at high rates for breast tumor detection. We describe here our present state of the art and understanding on the problem of breast imaging with PR detection of the acousto-optic signal.

In situ monitoring of the photorefractive response time in a self-adaptive wavefront holography setup developed for acousto-optic imaging.

The measurement of optical contrasts within thick biological tissues can be performed with the hybrid technique of acousto-optic imaging, but it has been shown that an acquisition rate in the 1-10kHz range is required for a good efficiency. This comes from the interferometric nature of the signal, blurred by speckle decorrelation in a time t(c), due to a decrease of the speckle pattern contrast at the exit of the sample. An holographic setup that associates a fast and large area single photodetector and a photorefractive crystal, can measure in real-time the acousto-optic signal: this is the so-called self-adaptive wavefront holography technique. Nevertheless, it is essential to size the photorefractive response time ( t(PR)) of the crystal with t(c) in order to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement. This time mainly depends on the overall light intensity within the crystal. We have developed an original in situ method to determine t(PR) with the combination of acoustic pulses and a frequency de-tuning of the reference beam. We can measure precisely this time but also monitor it according to a theoretical model that we have previously described. We are able to adapt the response time of the setup to the decorrelation time of the medium under study.

Theoretical description of the photorefractive detection of the ultrasound modulated photons in scattering media.

Acousto-optic imaging of thick biological tissues can be obtained in real-time with an adaptive-wavefront holographic setup, where the holographic media is a self-developping photorefractive crystal. As a consequence, the interference signal resulting from the acousto-optic effect can be easily collected with a high etendue and fast single photodetector. We present a statistical model of the field propagating through the scattering media and show why the various acoustic frequency components contained in the speckle output pattern are uncorrelated. We then give a detailed description of the signal measured through the photorefractive effect, in order to explain the quadratic pressure response observed for the two commonly used configurations setup e.g an amplitude or a phase modulation of the ultrasound.

Photorefractive detection of tagged photons in ultrasound modulated optical tomography of thick biological tissues.

We present a new and simple method to obtain ultrasound modulated optical tomography images in thick biological tissues with the use of a photorefractive crystal. The technique offers the advantage of spatially adapting the output speckle wavefront by analysing the signal diffracted by the interference pattern between this output field and a reference beam, recorded inside the photorefractive crystal. Averaging out due to random phases of the speckle grains vanishes, and we can use a fast single photodetector to measure the ultrasound modulated optical contrast. This technique offers a promising way to make direct measurements within the decorrelation time scale of living tissues.

Photon extrabunching in ultrabright twin beams measured by two-photon counting in a semiconductor.

For many years twin beams originating from parametric down-converted light beams have aroused great interest and attention in the photonics community. One particular aspect of the twin beams is their peculiar intensity correlation functions, which are related to the coincidence rate of photon pairs. Here we take advantage of the huge bandwidth offered by two-photon absorption in a semiconductor to quantitatively determine correlation functions of twin beams generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. Compared with classical incoherent sources, photon extrabunching is unambiguously and precisely measured, originating from exact coincidence between down-converted pairs of photons, travelling in unison. These results strongly establish that two-photon counting in semiconductors is a powerful tool for the absolute measurement of light beam photon correlations at ultrashort timescales.

Dislocation density-dependent photorefractive effect in (001)-cut GaAs.

We present studies of the photorefractive effect in nonphotorefractive orientations of liquid-encapsulated Czochralski-grown GaAs crystals. Picosecond diffraction experiments conducted in different samples show that a forbidden photorefractive signal correlates well with dislocation density, which points out that the effect arises from strain fields and growth defects.