Method and apparatus for producing a non-linear interaction between two electromagnetic waves
AssigneeMax-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
InventorsReinald Kallenbach, Claus Zimmermann, Dieter Meschede, Theodor Hansch
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for producing a non-linear interaction between two electromagnetic waves, e.g. a laser beam and a microwave beam, in a non-linear optical medium, wherein one wave passes through a predetermined region of the medium in a zig-zag path, and the other traverses the predetermined region of the non-linear medium in two opposed directions in such a manner that an interaction-production phase-matching of the two waves is obtained not only in the departing but also in the approaching segments of the zig-zag path.
Claims10
Apparatus for the modulation of a first electromagnetic wave with a second electromagnetic wave by non-linear interaction of the two waves, comprising
- (a) a first wave-generator (12) for the first wave,
- (b) a second wave-generator (14) for the second wave,
- (c) a non-linear optical medium (22), bounded by two essentially parallel surfaces, for the production of the non-linear interaction,
- (d) a first beam path going out from the first radiation generator (12) for the first wave, which runs in a predetermined direction in the non-linear medium (22), in a segment between two consecutive reflections of the first wave at the said surfaces,
- (e) a second beam path going out from the second radiation generator (14) for the second wave, which goes substantially perpendicularly through the said surfaces and occupies a predetermined cross-sectional region in the non-linear medium in which the second wave propagate in a predetermined direction of propagation,
- (f) whereby the predetermined direction of the first wave forms such an angle with the predetermined direction of propagation of the second wave, that there results a phase relationship between the two waves which causes the interaction, characterized in that:
- (g) the beam path of the first electromagnetic wave travels in a zig-zag path in the non-linear medium in the cross-section region occupied by the second wave, which zig-zag path exhibits several segments (28a, 28b) running alternately in the first direction and in a second direction between consecutive reflections at the said surfaces,
- (h) a reflecting apparatus (20) is provided in the beam path of the second wave, which acts in such a way that the second wave propagates through the non-linear medium (22) also in the direction substantially opposite to that of the said direction of propagation, and
- (i) the segments (28b) of the beam path of the first electromagnetic wave in the non-linear medium (22) which run in the second direction form such an angle with the opposite direction of propagation of the second wave that also in the second segments (28b) a phase relationship between the two waves arises which causes the interaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.