Real-time and high-transmission middle-infrared optical imaging system based on a pixel-wise metasurface micro-polarization array

Real-time polarization medium-wave infrared(MIR)optical imaging systems enable the acquisition of infrared and polarization information for a target.At present,real-time polarization MIR devices face the following problems:poor real-time performance,low transmission and high requirements for fabrication and integration.Herein,we aim to improve the performance of real-time polarization imaging systems in the MIR waveband and solve the above-mentioned defects.Therefore,we propose a MIR polarization imaging system to achieve real-time polarization-modulated imaging with high transmission as well as improved performance based on a pixel-wise metasurface micro-polarization array(PMMPA).The PMMPA element comprises several linear polarization(LP)filters with different polarization angles.The optimization results demonstrate that the transmittance of the center field of view for the LP filters is up to 77%at a wavelength of4.0μm and an extinction ratio of 88 d B.In addition,a near-diffraction-limited real-time MIR imaging optical system is designed with a field of view of 5°and an F-number of 2.The simulation results show that an MIR polarization imaging system with excellent real-time performance and high transmission is achieved by using the optimized PMMPA element.Therefore,the method is compatible with the available optical system design technologies and provides a way to realize real-time polarization imaging in MIR wavebands.

Widely Tunable Middle Infrared Optical Parametric Oscillator Pumped by the Q-Switched Ho：GdVO_4 Laser

We demonstrate a middle infrared ZnGeP_2 optical parametric oscillator pumped by the Q-switched Ho：GdVO_4 laser. When the incident Ho pump power is 4.12 W, the maximum average output power of the ZGP-OPO laser is 2.05 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 74.6%. The ZGP-OPO laser produces 4.2 ns mid-infrared pulses at a pulse repetition rate of 5 kHz. In addition, we obtain 0.8 um of tunable range for the signal wave and 2.1 um of tunable range for the idler wave.

Optical Design and Stray Light Analysis of the Space Infrared Optical System

This article describes a novel configuration design for a re-imaging off-axis catadioptric space infrared optical system,and in order to satisfy the signal noise ratio requirements of the system,the stray light of the system is necessary to analyze and restrain. The optical system with a focal length of 1 200 mm,an entrance pupil diameter of 600 mm,an F-number of 2,a field of view of 3°× 0. 15°,a working wave band of 8 μm-10 μm,and the image quality of the optical system almost approach to diffraction limits in all field of view.Then the mathematical models of stray light are built,and the suppressive structure is established to eliminate the effect of stray light. Finally,TraceP ro is used to analyze and simulate stray light with and without the suppressive structure,and also get the results of the PST curves. The results indicate that appropriate optical system and suppressive structure can highly reduce the stray light of the space infrared optical system.

Particle erosion of infrared materials

Erosion test of some infrared （IR） optical crystals （Ge, ZnS, MgF2, and quartz） was conducted with a number of different erodents （glass bead, and angular SiC, SiO2, Al2O3） by a homemade gas-blasting erosion tester. The influence of impact angle, impact velocity, erodent, and erosion time on the erosion rate and the effect of erosion on their IR transmittance were studied. The dam- aged surface morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the erosion mechanism was explored. All of the materials show the maximum in wear versus impact angle at 90°, confirming their brittle failure behavior. It is found that the erosion rate is dependent on the erodent velocity by a power law, and it is highly correlated to the hardness of the erodent. The erosion rate-time curves do not show an incubation state, but an accelerated erosion period followed a maximum erosion （steady state）. The decrease of IR transmittance is direct proportion to the erosion rate. Although the material loss occurs primarily by brittle process, ductile behavior is clearly an important feature, especially for MgF2 and ZnS.

Infrared/Optical Photopolarimeter with Linear Arrays

We present prism spectro/photo/polarimeters employing linear detector arrays, and their scientific results for this decade. We put emphasis on the educational merits for begginers aiming at astronomical instrumentation as well as professional astronomical works.

China's Next Optical/Infrared Telescope: The Debate Is On

China’s ambition to build a 12 m aperture optical/infrared telescope in Tibet has been recently challenged by intense disputes over its design options.The Large Optical/Infrared Telescope,or LOT,which will become the world’s biggest upon completion before the 30 m-level ones are in place,is expected to give Chinese astronomers a head start in exploring the early universe and exoplanets among other scientific goals.However,optical engineers and scientists are holding on to very different opinions as for what is the best technical route to get there.

Effects of the ion-beam voltage on the properties of the diamond-like carbon thin film prepared by ion-beam sputtering deposition

Diamond-like carbon （DLC） thin film is one of the most widely used optical thin films. The fraction of chemical bondings has a great influence on the properties of the DLC film. In this work, DLC thin films are prepared by ion-beam sputtering deposition in Ar and CH4 mixtures with graphite as the target. The influences of the ion-beam voltage on the surface morphology, chemical structure, mechanical and infrared optical properties of the DLC films are investigated by atomic force microscopy （AFM）, Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation, and Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spec- troscopy, respectively. The results show that the surface of the film is uniform and smooth. The film contains sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon bondings. The film prepared by lower ion beam voltage has a higher sp3 bonding content. It is found that the hardness of DLC films increases with reducing ion-beam voltage, which can be attributed to an increase in the fraction of sp3 carbon bondings in the DLC film. The optical constants can be obtained by the whole infrared optical spectrum fitting with the transmittance spectrum. The refractive index increases with the decrease of the ion-beam voltage, while the extinction coefficient decreases.

The compatibly large nonlinear optical effect and high laser-induced damage threshold in a thiophosphate CsInP_(2)S_(7)constructed with[P_(2)S_(7)]^(4-)and[InS_(6)]^(9-)

It is challenging to cooperatively improve the nonlinear optical(NLO)efficiency and the laser-induced damage threshold(LIDT).This work reports a novel IR NLO materials CsInP_(2)S_(7)(CIPS)designed by combination the strategies of alkali metals substitution and microscopic NLO units PS4 introduction based on AgGaS_(2).CIPS was composed of strongly distorted[InS_(6)]^(9-)octahedra and[P_(2)S_(7)]4-dimers constructed by corner-sharing[PS_(4)]^(3-),which increase the NLO efficiency and decrease thermal expansion anisotropy simultaneously.Compared with AgGaS_(2),CIPS exhibited strong phase matchable NLO response ca.1.1×AGS@2.1μm,high LIDT ca.20.8×AgGaS_(2),and IR transparency up to 15.3μm.Structural analysis and theoretical investigation confirmed that large SHG effect and ultrahigh LIDT of CIPS originated from the synergistic contribution of[InS_(6)]^(9-)octahedra and[P_(2)S_(7)]4-dimers.These results indicate that CIPS is a promising NLO candidate in the mid-IR region,and this study provides a new approach for developing potential NLO-LIDT compatible materials.

Designing excellent mid-infrared nonlinear optical materials with fluorooxo-functional group of d^0 transition metal oxyfluorides

Exploration of new infrared(IR) nonlinear optical(NLO) materials is still in urgency owing to the indispensable roles in optoelectronic devices, resource exploration, and long-distance laser communication. The formidable challenge is to balance the contradiction between wide band gaps and large second harmonic generation(SHG) effects in IR NLO materials. In the present work, we proposed new kinds of NLO active units, d^0 transition metal fluorooxofunctional groups for designing mid-IR NLO materials. By studying a series of d^0 transition metal oxyfluorides(TMOFs),the influences of fluorooxo-functional groups with different d^0 configuration cations on the band gap and SHG responses were explored. The results reveal that the fluorooxo-functional groups with different d^0 configuration cations can enlarge band gaps in mid-IR NLO materials. The first-principles calculations demonstrate that the nine alkali/alkaline earth metals d^0 TMOFs exhibit wide band gaps(all the band gaps >3.0 e V), large birefringence Δn(> 0.07), and two W/Mo TMOFs also exhibit large SHG responses. Moreover, by comparing with other fluorooxo-functional groups, it is found that introducing fluorine into building units is an effective way to enhance optical performance. These d^0 TMOFs with superior fluorooxo-functional groups represent a new exploration family of the mid-IR region, which sheds light on the design of mid-IR NLO materials possessing large band gap.

Phase Matching Achieved by Bandgap Widening in Infrared Nonlinear Optical Materials[ABa_(3)Cl_(2)][Ga_(5)S_(10)](A=K,Rb,and Cs)

Large nonlinear optical(NLO)coefficient(d_(ij)),high laser damage threshold(LDT),and phase matching(PM)are crucial for the practical applications of IR NLO crystals.A great number of IR NLO materials with high dij have been explored,but many of them suffer from non-PM,which dramatically decreases their ultimate NLO output efficiencies.To settle this problem,we have developed a new strategy involving modulating normal dispersion via bandgap(E_(g))widening to achieve PM in this work.We synthesized successfully three new wide E_(g)(∼4.0 eV)IR NLO salt-inclusion sulfides[ABa_(3)Cl_(2)][Ga_(5)S_(10)](A=K,1;Rb,2;and Cs,3)with PM behaviors,mainly ascribed to the PM cut-off wavelength blue shift that originated from the wide Eg values,with less contribution from birefringence enhancement.All the compounds possessed large second-harmonic-generation(SHG)efficiency(∼1×AgGaS_(2))and hitherto the highest LDTs(188–200 MW/cm^(2),at 1.06μm,10 ns pulse width)for known chalcogenides with SHG efficiencies comparable to that of commercial silver gallium sulfide(AgGaS_(2))crystal.