What's Hot from the U of Toronto

Before the conference started, let me overview some upcoming interesting talks that I already know something about. These are presentations by the Photonics Group at the University of Toronto. I am sure that CLEO/QELS attendees will find quality research and exciting new results there, so I would like to give you all some heads-up.

Tuesday
It just takes a twist...
Due to the symmetry considerations, the second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor in poled fiber exhibits forbidden components, so, no second-harmonic generation associated with those components is possible. Eric Zhu from Prof. Qian's group will be talking about how one can observe, and even enhance those components by merely twisting a fiber. The same tensor components are responsible for the reverse process, parametric down-conversion, so important for quantum imaging. (CTuEE6, 3:45 p.m., Salon I and II in Marriott)

Anti-guided waveguide lasers
This sounds controversial, isn't it? Bhavin Bijlani from Prof. Helmy's group will tell us about his work on edge-emitting Bragg reflection waveguide laser. He will demonstrate the results of the laser performance and talk about the design of this device. Search for novel semiconductor laser sources is important for Integrated Optics. (CTuO5, 11:45 a.m., room A6)

Photonic crystal biosensors
Guided resonances in photonic crystal slabs exhibit important qualities for sensing applications. Mohamed El Beheiry from Prof. Levi's group is going to demonstrate to us, through simulation and experiment, the enhanced sensitivity and differences in properties between TE- and TM-like guided resonances in biosensing. (CtuN4, 11:15 a.m., room A4)

Thursday
Difference-frequency generation in quasi-phase-matched semiconductors
It is tricky sometimes to get the parametric nonlinear optical processes to work out. They require phase matching which is difficult to achieve. Quasi-phase-matching technique, in which the nonlinear susceptibility is periodically modulated, allows one to significantly increase the efficiency of a nonlinear optical process. Sean Wagner from Prof. Aitchison's group will tell us how he managed to obtain difference-frequency generation in quasi-phase-matched superlattice AlGaAs waveguide, converting C-band signal to L-band and U-band. In this case, difference-frequency generation helps one to expand the useful bandwidth in the telecom range beyond the EDFA working spectral window. (CThEE4, 5:30 p.m., Salon I and II, Marriott)

Friday
Modulation faster that relaxation
Wesley Sacher from the Prof. Joyce Poon's group is going to demonstrate laser modulation
at rates greatly exceeding the relaxation resonance frequency by modulating the output coupler.
It is very important to be able to modulate the laser faster that its relaxation frequency. In this case, one can get rid of the relaxation oscillations while being able to imprint the useful data into the optical beam by the modulation. Wesley will show how he succeeded to modulate an erbium fiber laser 10000 times its relaxation resonance frequency.
(CFE4, 9:00 a.m., room C3&4)

Resonant transmission of subwavelength apertures
Enhanced transmission that the subwavelength apertures can exhibit under certain conditions has been a subject of interest from both fundamental and practical points of view. Bo Hou from the Prof. Poon's group is going to demonstrate the measurements of infrared light transmission through subwavelength H-shaped aperture arrays in gold. (CFM4, 11 a.m., Ballroom IV, Marriott)

I have arrived to San Jose and already visited the campus of Stanford University with its beautiful buildings made of yellow stone, narrow long passages with columns, and exotic California trees and plants everywhere around the campus area. It's cool to have the conference in such a nice location with such gorgeous nature and top universities around. It makes your mind clear and gives you the right mood to make this conference everebody's and your personal success.