Nonlinear LiNbO₃ Local Electric Field Enhancement Photonic Crystal with Static Visible and Dynamic Asymmetric Laser...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Photonics

Background:

• High-energy laser technology demands advanced multifunctional laser protection.
• Existing optical protection devices often lack dynamic or asymmetric capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel one-dimensional photonic crystal for static visible and dynamic asymmetric laser protection.
• To explore the relationship between photonic crystal properties and laser protection performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a one-dimensional photonic crystal using LiNbO3 and Nb2O5 defects via magnetron sputtering.
• Characterization of visible light transmittance and asymmetric laser protection performance under varying laser energy densities.

Main Results:

• The photonic crystal achieved an average visible light transmittance of 65.96%.
• Dynamic asymmetric laser protection was demonstrated, with transmittances changing from ~75% to as low as 7.32% (forward) and 71.58% (backward) at high laser energy (91.62 mJ/cm²).
• The device exhibited a lower optical protection threshold (46.08 mJ/cm²) compared to traditional devices.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully demonstrates a multifunctional laser protection window with tunable asymmetric protection.
• Photonic crystal energy band properties and local electric field enhancement are key to performance.
• This work provides insights for developing advanced optical components for laser protection.