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Results for “beamsplitter”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Maintaining Flatness of a Large Aperture Potassium Bromide Beamsplitter Through Mounting and Vibration

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument on the Cassini Mission launched in October of 1997. The CIRS instrument contains a mid-infrared (MIR) and a far-infrared interferometer (FIR) and operates at 170 Kelvin. The MIR is a Michelson Fourier transform spectrometer utilizing a 76 mm (3 inch) diameter potassium bromide beamsplitter and compensator pair. The potassium bromide elements were tested to verify effects of cooldown and vibration prior to integration into the instrument. The instrument was then aligned at ambient temperatures, tested cryogenically and re-verified after vibration. 'Me stringent design optical figure requirements for the beamsplitter and compensator included fabrication errors, mounting stresses and vibration load effects. This paper describes the challenges encountered in mounting the elements to minimize distortion and to survive vibration.

Losch, Patricia↗
DOE OSTI2024

Atomic Magnetometry Using a Metasurface Polarizing Beamsplitter in Silicon-on-Sapphire

Here, we demonstrate atomic magnetometry using a metasurface polarizing beamsplitter fabricated on a silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) platform. The metasurface splits a beam that is near-resonant with the rubidium atoms (795 nm) into orthogonal linear polarizations, enabling the measurement of magnetically sensitive circular birefringence in rubidium vapor through balanced polarimetry. We incorporated the metasurface into an atomic magnetometer based on nonlinear magneto-optical rotation and measured subnanotesla sensitivity, which is limited by low-frequency technical noise and transmission loss through the metasurface. To our knowledge, this work represents the first demonstration of SOS nanophotonics for atom-based sensing and paves the way for highly integrated, miniaturized atomic sensors with enhanced sensitivity and portability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Gibbs mixing of partially distinguishable photons with a polarising beamsplitter membrane

For a thought experiment concerning the mixing of two classical gases, Gibbs concluded that the work that can be extracted from mixing is determined by whether or not the gases can be distinguished by a semi-permeable membrane; that is, the mixing work is a discontinuous function of how similar the gases are. Here we describe an optomechanical setup that generalises Gibbs’ thought experiment to partially distinguishable quantum gases. Specifically, we model the interaction between a polarisation dependent beamsplitter, that plays the role of a semi-permeable membrane, and two photon gases of non-orthogonal polarisation. We find that the work arising from the mixing of the gases is related to the potential energy associated with the displacement of the microscopic membrane, and we derive a general quantum mixing work expression, valid for any two photon gases with the same number distribution. The quantum mixing work is found to change continuously with the distinguishability of the two polarised gases. In addition, fluctuations of the work on the microscopic membrane become important, which we calculate for Fock and thermal states of the photon gases. Our findings generalise Gibbs’ mixing to the quantum regime and open the door for new quantum thermodynamic (thought) experiments with quantum gases with non-orthogonal polarisations and microscopic pistons that can distinguish orthogonal polarisations.

distinguishability↗
DOE OSTI2025

N -way parametric frequency beamsplitter for quantum photonics

Optical networks are the leading platform for the transfer of information due to their low loss and ability to scale to many information channels using optical frequency modes. To fully leverage the quantum properties of light in this platform, it is desired to manipulate higher-dimensional superpositions by orchestrating linear, beamsplitter-type interactions between several channels simultaneously. We propose a method of achieving simultaneous, all-to-all coupling between N optical frequency modes via N -way Bragg-scattering four-wave mixing. By exploiting the frequency degree of freedom, additional modes can be multiplexed in an interaction medium of fixed volume and loss while avoiding the introduction of excess noise. We generalize the theory of the frequency-encoded two-mode interaction to N modes under this four-wave-mixing approach, finding that arbitrary unitary transformations are possible through successive four-wave-mixing pump configurations. We experimentally verify the quantum nature of this scheme by demonstrating three-way multiphoton interference. Two input photons are shared among three frequency modes and display interference differing from that of two classical (coherent-state) inputs. These results show the potential of our approach for the scalability of photonic quantum information processing to general N -mode systems in the frequency domain. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Oliver, Richard (ORCID:0000000207760657)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Paradigm for universal quantum information processing with integrated acousto-optic frequency beamsplitters

Frequency-bin encoding offers tremendous potential in quantum photonic information processing, in which a single waveguide can support hundreds of lightpaths in a naturally phase-stable fashion. This stability, however, comes at a cost: arbitrary unitary operations can be realized by cascaded electro-optic phase modulators and pulse shapers, but require nontrivial numerical optimization for design and have thus far been limited to discrete tabletop components. In this article, we propose, formalize, and computationally evaluate a new paradigm for universal frequency-bin quantum information processing using acousto-optic scattering processes between distinct transverse modes. We show that controllable phase matching in intermodal processes enables 2 × 2 frequency beamsplitters and transverse-mode-dependent phase shifters, which together comprise cascadable FRequency-transverse-mODe Operations (FRODOs) that can synthesize any unitary via analytical decomposition procedures. Modeling the performance of both random gates and discrete Fourier transforms, we demonstrate the feasibility of high-fidelity quantum operations with existing integrated photonics technology, highlighting prospects of parallelizable operations achieving 100% bandwidth utilization. Our approach is realizable with CMOS technology, opening the door to scalable on-chip quantum information processing in the frequency domain.

Lukens, Joseph M. [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, I↗
NASA NTRS1969

Multilayer infrared beamsplitter film system

Multilayer infrared beamsplitter film system on a potassium bromide crystal substrate is operational over a wavelength range of 2.5 to 25 microns with nearly equal broadband reflectance and transmittance. It is useful in optical coating, vacuum deposition, radiometry, interferometry, and spectrometry.

Bastien, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design of nonpolarizing achromatic beamsplitters with dielectric multilayer coatings

A novel design approach is presented for nominally nonpolarizing beamsplitters with very low polarization over an extended wavelength range, with low angular sensitivity. A high degree of intensity matching for s and p polarization in a given wavelength interval, from 500 to 600 nm, has been obtained for multilayer stacks derived from an initial graded-index film design by matching of the characteristic matrices. This graded-index film design maintains a very low polarization ratio for almost the complete visible region, covering a wavelength range about twice that covered by the derived homogeneous multilayer stack.

Zukic, Muamer↗
NASA NTRS1998

Maintaining Flatness of a Large Aperture Potassium Bromide Beamsplitter through Mounting and Vibration

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument on the Cassini Mission launched in October of 1997. The CIRS instrument contains a mid-infrared and a far-infrared interferometer and operates at 170 Kelvin. The mid-infrared interferometer is a Michelson- type Fourier transform spectrometer utilizing a 3 inch diameter potassium bromide beamsplitter/compensator pair. The potassium bromide elements were tested to verify effects of cooldown and vibration prior to integration into the instrument. The instrument was then aligned at ambient temperatures, tested cryogenically and re-verified after vibration. The stringent design optical figure requirements for the beamsplitter and compensator included fabrication errors, mounting stresses and vibration load effects. This paper describes the challenges encountered in mounting the elements to minimize distortion and to survive vibration.

Losch, Patricia↗
NASA NTRS2000

Cryo-Transmittance and -Reflectance of Filters and Beamsplitters for the SIRTF Infrared Array Camera

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) uses two dichroic beamsplitters, four bandpass filters, and four detector arrays to acquire images in four channels at wavelengths between 3 and 10 micron. Accurate knowledge of the pass bands is necessary because, in order to meet the science objectives, IRAC is required to do 2% relative photometry in each band relative to the other bands. We report the in-band and out-of-band polarized transmittance and reflectance of these optical elements measured near the instrument operating temperature of 1.4 K. Details of the experimental apparatus, which include a continuous flow liquid helium optical cryostat and a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer are discussed.

Stewart, Kenneth P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Investigation of ultra wideband multi-channel dichroic beamsplitters from 0.3 to 52 microns

The development of a set of multi-channel dichroics which includes a 6 channel dichroic operating over the wavelength region from 0.3 to 52 microns is described. In order to achieve the optimum performance, the optical constraints of PbTe, Ge, and CdTe coatings in the strongly absorptive region have been determined by use of a new iterative method using normal incidence reflectance measurement of the multilayer together with initial values of energy gap and infinite refractive index for the semiconductor model. The design and manufacture of the dichroics is discussed and the final results are presented.

Zhang, K. Q.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Frequency doubled, cavity dumped feedback laser

Higher efficiency in cavity dumping and frequency doubling in a laser used to produce modulated output beam pulses is achieved by deflecting light out of the resonant cavity to a third mirror through a frequency doubler using an electro-optic modulator and a polarizing beamsplitter in the resonant cavity, or using just an acousto-optic modulator to deflect light out of the laser cavity in response to a control signal (electric or acoustic). The frequency doubler in front of the third mirror rotates the frequency doubled light so that it will pass out of the laser cavity through the polarizing beamsplitter, while undoubled frequency light is reflected by the polarizing beamsplitter back into the gain medium of the laser. In the case of using a type-II frequency doubler, a dichroic beamsplitter deflects out the frequency doubled light and passes the undoubled frequency light to the polarizing beamsplitter for return to the laser gain medium. If an acousto-optic modulator is used, it deflects light out of the primary laser cavity, so a polarizing beamsplitter is not needed, and only a dichroic beamsplitter is needed to separate frequency doubled light out of the path from the third mirror.

Sipes, Jr., Donald L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Interferometer

A high resolution interferometer is described. The interferometer is insensitive to slight misalignment of its elements, avoids channeling in the spectrum, generates a maximum equal path fringe contrast, produces an even two sided interferogram without critical matching of the wedge angles of the beamsplitter and compensator wedges, and is optically phase tunable. The interferometer includes a mirror along the path of each beam component produced by the beamsplitter, for reflecting the beam component from the beamsplitter, for reflecting the beam component from the beamsplitter to a corresponding retroreflector and for reflecting the beam returned by the retroreflector back to the beamsplitter. A wedge located along each beam component path, is large enough to cover the retroreflector, so that each beam component passes through the wedge during movement towards the retroreflector and away therefrom.

Breckinridge, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Optical alignment device

A patent application was presented for an invention whose principal objective is the provision of an improved alignment device for observing the degree of coalignment of a pair of objects. The device includes a beamsplitter to be interposed between a pair of objects for observing the degree of coalignment. Light from one of the objects is reflected from the beamsplitter into a retroreflector which reflects the light back through the beamsplitter into an imaging system. Light from the other object is reflected from the beamsplitter into the same imaging system. The amount of displacement of the two images is inversely related to the degree of coalignment of the two objects. The optical alignment device is useful for aligning a mirror with an object, two objects or two mirrors.

Thomas, N. L.↗