Raman scattering of Si nanowires (NWs) presents antenna effects. The electromagnetic resonance depends on the electromagnetic coupling of the system laser/NW/substrate. The antenna effect of the Raman signal was measured in individual NWs deposited on different substrates, and also free standing NWs in air. The one phonon Raman band in NWs can reach high intensities depending on the system conf...

The application of a multi-frequency laser source for the use in matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) is described. An elliptically polarized beam of a Nd:YAG laser emitting at 355 nm (200 mJ) is focused into a Raman shifter, filled with high pressure hydrogen. As a result, numerous Raman lasers (including vibrational and rotational Raman em...

Nonlinear optics in silicon has drawn substantial attention in the recent years. In this research, laser mode-locking and dual wavelength lasing are achieved in a fiber-ring-cavity using an Erbium–doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) as a gain medium and a 1.7cm long silicon-on-insular waveguide as pulse compressor, a mode-locker and a Raman gain media. We show that the transient behavior of two photon...

P ower dissipation, which results in heat generation in electronic chips, is the number one difficulty facing the semiconductor industry. The problem is so severe that it threatens to halt the huge development that has been enjoyed since the microprocessor industry’s inception — a doubling in processor performance roughly every 18 months, which was predicted by the celebrated Moore’s law. And t...

We present an optical method for patterning SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy)--enhancing aggregates of gold nanoparticles, using a focused laser beam to optically trap the nanoparticles in suspension. At high laser powers, heat generated from the plasmonic excitation causes boiling of the aqueous suspension and the formation of gaseous bubbles of water vapor. By measuring the Raman pea...

Many experiments in atomic physics require two laser beams with a controllable difference in frequencies. In this thesis, I report on realizing this goal using a technique where an electro-optic modulator sideband is filtered through a cavity and injected into a diode laser, in a novel configuration yielding very high feedback isolation without sacrificing access to the output power of the diod...

The characteristics of a stable and flexible laser system based on a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) is presented. This OPO can offer very stable operation with both approximately 1 ps and approximately 300 fs outputs over a broad wavelength range, i.e., 920-1200 nm. Combining the pump tuning with the OPO tuning, a total Raman range of 1900-5500 cm(-1) is accessible. Fo...