The talk presents concepts for integrating essential active optical functions into thin film coatings, which allows a high degree of miniaturization compared to classical alternatives. Due to the amorphous structure of thin film coating materials, only uneven orders of nonlinear effects will be considered. The chosen applications comprise a concept for frequency tripling mirrors, where the third harmonic generation is performed in the thin film stack, and an all-optical switch, the so-called Kerr-band-switch based on the optical Kerr-effect. The chosen materials, design considerations, and measurements validating the function of the concepts will be presented.
Information technology advancements are revolutionizing optical components, necessitating a solid theoretical foundation for optically active components. Optical thin films are traditionally designed using the transfer matrix method to calculate linear spectral responses. However, recent developments also address nonlinear optical responses by integrating nonlinearities into the matrix formalism or by applying a maxwell solver, which offers spatially and temporally resolved pulse propagation simulations in thin films.
The transfer matrix method has been extended to include third harmonic generation and ultrafast switching via the Kerr effect. We compare the results from the nonlinear transfer matrix method to results obtained by a maxwell solver. Furthermore optimization routines for nonlinear response design like Monte Carlo algorithms and machine learning with neural networks are shown.
The IBS2000-project aims to develop a coating machine to coat optics with up to 2m in diameter. IBS is chosen as coating process due to the high optical quality and precision, low losses, and high mechanical and environmental stability.
Common limitations regarding the size of the coated optics are overcome due to a novel approach, where both, the substrate and the target material source are movable. The sputter assembly located below the substrate will move linearly, while the substrate rotates on a stationary axis around its center.
Simulations are done to validate the mechanical concept with a virtual coater concept. First, the material distribution in the substrate plane is calculated and afterwards combined with the movement of the target carrier and the substrate rotation, which gives a first indication of the 2D distribution. The results will be applied to homogenize the projected coating distribution on the final 2m optics.
A new approach for direct third-harmonic generation is the generation inside a stack of dielectric layers. At present, our highest conversion efficiency achieved is 3.5%. This contribution provides an overview of the design process, production, measurement results, and their agreement with simulation results. To create the frequency tripling mirror designs, we use a combination of a Monte Carlo algorithm and a Meep-based algorithm to solve Maxwell's equations. Mandatory for the production of the mirrors is a very precise knowledge of the dispersion data of the materials used. For this purpose, the dispersion data of the coating materials are re-fitted using in-situ transmission data of a BBM after each coating run. In combination with various measures to maintain a stable refractive index of the used Hf_xAl_yO, high coating thickness accuracies are achieved in this way. Finally, experimental measurements and simulation results are compared using the post-fitted dispersion and layer thickness data.
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