Seminar Reminder: 2.2.12 / CREOL 102 / 3-4pm / Seminar: “Organic VECSELs: Towards Low-Cost UV-Visible Lasers”, Sébastien Chénais

Seminar: “Organic VECSELs: Towards Low-Cost UV-Visible Lasers”, Sébastien Chénais

CREOL 102

Thursday, February 2, 2012 / 3-4pm

Sébastien Chénais
Laser Physics Laboratory, University of Paris 13, 93430 Villetaneuse, France

Abstract:
Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Organic Lasers (VECSOLs) are the counterparts of VECSELs with organic solid-state gain materials, i.e. dye-doped polymer thin films or organic semiconductors. They combine the well-known properties of VECSELs (high conversion efficiency, excellent beam quality, power scaling capability, high versatility offered by the open cavity) with the key properties offered by organic thin films : low cost, ease of fabrication (by high-throughput processes such as spin coating, potentially ink-jet printing on large areas), broad emission spectra (typ. 100-nm wide) offering a high potential for wavelength tunability, easy chemical tuning (from near-UV to near-IR), and high gain. With a simple structure consisting of a plane highly-reflective mirror onto which a thin film of Rhodamine-640-doped PMMA layer was spin-cast and a concave output coupler closing the cavity, pumped by the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 7 ns, 10 Hz), we achieved a record conversion efficiency of 60% with a diffraction-limited output at 620 nm. The open cavity allowed us to perform intracavity frequency doubling and obtaining a deep-UV laser continuously tunable from 309 to 322 nm, with 2% efficiency, in a very compact setup (1-cm long). Dynamical numerical simulations based on Statz-DeMars equations revealed that the very high gain cross sections (~10-16 cm²) combined to the short lifetime (~ns) of organics make the device performance highly dependent on cavity length and pump pulse duration. Photobleaching issues which are common to all organic solid-state lasers will be discussed.

For More Information:
Dr. Romain Gaume
gaume @ ucf. edu

2.3.12 / CREOL 102 / 1-1:30pm / Overview: “AFOSR: Basic Research for the United States Air Force”, Thomas W. Hussey

Overview: “AFOSR: Basic Research for the United States Air Force”, Thomas W. Hussey

CREOL 102

Friday, February 3, 2012 / 1-1:30pm

Dr. Thomas W. Hussey, Chief Scientist

Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Abstract:

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) is the arm of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) that focuses exclusively on the far term. Across the Air Force there is a shared vision of dominating air, space, and cyber. The AFOSR vision and mission have the unique feature of focusing on revolutionary, transformational basic research, producing today’s breakthrough science for tomorrow’s Air Force. In addition to supporting AFRL in-house basic research, AFOSR provides over $300M/year in funding to over 200 leading U.S. universities. This presentation describes the strategy that underlies AFOSR investment in basic research and the broad technology areas in which its investment is focused. Examples of leading edge basic research will be provided and funding mechanisms will be described.

Biography:

Dr. Thomas W. Hussey is the Chief Scientist of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), located in Arlington, VA. AFOSR is the Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) responsible for executing the Laboratory’s basic research portfolio. Dr. Hussey is a member of the scientific and professional cadre of AF senior executives and is responsible for assuring the quality of AFOSR research and advising the Director on future emphasis for funding priorities. He is a Fellow of the IEEE. Dr. Hussey joined the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in 1975 as an active-duty AF officer and was responsible for the theoretical and numerical modeling of high-energy-density z-pinch plasmas for nuclear weapons effects simulation. He was first to quantify the effect of non-linear Rayleigh-Taylor instability on fast, hollow-core z pinches. He left the Air Force in 1979 and joined Sandia National Laboratories where he worked on a number of high-energy-density plasma problems, including z pinches, x-ray lasers, cathode plasma formation and evolution, hohlraum physics, and high-current-density electrodes. In 1991, Dr. Hussey joined the Phillips Laboratory, a predecessor organization to AFRL, to stand up a group responsible for the numerical simulation of high-energy-density plasmas. That group has subsequently been instrumental in developing and distributing, both inside and outside DOD, a series of plasma physics simulation codes. In 1995 he took over management of a division with responsibility for high-power microwave (HPM) source and pulsed-power development. From 1997 to 2000 he was a program manager for a customer-directed HPM effort and initiated development of a one-on-one engagement model effort for HPM electronic attack. In 2000 he was promoted to ST, named Senior Scientist for HPM Plasma Science, and served as Technical Advisor for the HPM division. In 2006 he was named Chief Scientist of AFOSR.

For More Information:

Bahaa E. A. Saleh

Dean, College of Optics and Photonics

besaleh @ creol. ucf. edu

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Seminar: 2.2.12 / CREOL 102 / 3-4pm / Seminar: “Organic VECSELs: Towards Low-Cost UV-Visible Lasers”, Sébastien Chénais

Seminar: “Organic VECSELs: Towards Low-Cost UV-Visible Lasers”, Sébastien Chénais

CREOL 102

Thursday, February 2, 2012 / 3-4pm

Sébastien Chénais
Laser Physics Laboratory, University of Paris 13, 93430 Villetaneuse, France

Abstract:
Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Organic Lasers (VECSOLs) are the counterparts of VECSELs with organic solid-state gain materials, i.e. dye-doped polymer thin films or organic semiconductors. They combine the well-known properties of VECSELs (high conversion efficiency, excellent beam quality, power scaling capability, high versatility offered by the open cavity) with the key properties offered by organic thin films : low cost, ease of fabrication (by high-throughput processes such as spin coating, potentially ink-jet printing on large areas), broad emission spectra (typ. 100-nm wide) offering a high potential for wavelength tunability, easy chemical tuning (from near-UV to near-IR), and high gain. With a simple structure consisting of a plane highly-reflective mirror onto which a thin film of Rhodamine-640-doped PMMA layer was spin-cast and a concave output coupler closing the cavity, pumped by the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 7 ns, 10 Hz), we achieved a record conversion efficiency of 60% with a diffraction-limited output at 620 nm. The open cavity allowed us to perform intracavity frequency doubling and obtaining a deep-UV laser continuously tunable from 309 to 322 nm, with 2% efficiency, in a very compact setup (1-cm long). Dynamical numerical simulations based on Statz-DeMars equations revealed that the very high gain cross sections (~10-16 cm²) combined to the short lifetime (~ns) of organics make the device performance highly dependent on cavity length and pump pulse duration. Photobleaching issues which are common to all organic solid-state lasers will be discussed.

For More Information:
Dr. Romain Gaume
gaume @ ucf. edu

TODAY: Seminar: 1.30.12 / CREOL 102 / 11-12 / Seminar: “Some properties of speckle from smooth surfaces”, Joseph W. Goodman

Seminar: “Some Properties of Speckle From Smooth Surfaces”, Joseph W. Goodman

CREOL 102

Monday, January 30, 2012 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Joseph W. Goodman

Stanford University

Abstract:
In this talk I will discuss certain symmetries in the Fourier spectrum of speckle from smooth surfaces and the effects these symmetries have on image speckle contrast. The cases examined are bright-field imaging, dark-field imaging, and single-sideband imaging.

Biography:
Joseph W. Goodman received the A.B. Degree in Engineering and Applied Physics from Harvard University in 1958, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1960 and 1963, respectively.

From 1958 through 1962, he was a Research Assistant in the Stanford Electronics Laboratories. During 1962 and 1963, he was a post-doctoral Fellow at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, under the auspices of the Royal Norwegian Society for Scientific and Industrial Research. He returned to Stanford in 1963 as a Research Associate, a position he held until 1967. In 1967 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1969 and to Professor in 1972. In 1988 he was appointed Chairman of the Department of Electrical Engineering and named the William E. Ayer Professor of Electrical Engineering. In 1996 he stepped down as Chairman and assumed the position Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs in the School of Engineering . For the duration of the Summer of 1999, he was the Acting Dean of Engineering. Prof. Goodman assumed Emeritus status on January 1, 2000.

Please click on the link below for more information about Dr. Goodman
http://www-ee.stanford.edu/%7Egoodman/resume.html

For More Information:
Dr. Bahaa E. A. Saleh
Dean & Director, Professor of Optics
besaleh @ creol. ucf. edu

Special Seminar: Dr. A. Mammoto (Cardio)

Seminar: 1.31.12 / CREOL 102 / 11-12pm / Seminar: “Underlying Physics of Biomedical Optical Imaging”, Robert R. Alfano

Seminar: “Underlying Physics of Biomedical Optical Imaging”, Robert R. Alfano

CREOL 102

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 / 11-12pm

Robert R. Alfano

CCNY

Abstract:

This talk will focus on the salient properties of light for imaging and propagation through scattering media. The following will be discussed: salient properties of light, imaging through scattering walls with smart photons, shadowgram gates for imaging, optical mammography and light propagation in dielectric water –like media.

Biography:

Robert R. Alfano, Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering at The City College of the City University of New York, is a pioneer in the application of light and photonics technology to the study of biological, biomedical and condensed matter systems and a leader in inventing and using novel light sources as well as developing ultrafast laser spectroscopic techniques. His contributions to the field of photonics over the past 30 years of his professional career are documented in over 700 research articles, 108 patents, several edited volumes and conference proceedings, and well as over 10,000 citations. His research achievements include pioneering contributions in discovering new tunable Cr³⁺/Cr⁴⁺ lasers, developing laser spectroscopic and biomedical optical spectroscopy and imaging techniques for noninvasive, pain-free detection and diagnosis of diseases. He has received his Ph.D. in physics from New York University. Received OSA Charles Hard Townes Award in 2008 for supercontinuum discovery and tunable laser development and recently the 2012 SPIEs Britton Chance Biomedical Optics Award .

For More Information:
Dr. Bahaa E. A. Saleh
Dean & Director, Professor of Optics
besaleh @ creol. ucf. edu