Anna Mazhorova

Post-Doc Fellow

[email protected]

Anna Mazhorova graduated from the Physics Department, M.V. Lomonosov’s Moscow State University, (Division of General Physics and Wave Processes, Moscow, Russia) in January 2009. She received her master Degree with Honors in Physics with the specialization in laser physics and nonlinear optics, defending an experimental thesis titled “Spectral-temporal transformation of the femtosecond laser radiation under filamentation in gaseous media” (one of the best master thesis in Physics). Her work concerned the design and realization of a new scheme for generation of few cycle (1 optical cycle is 2.7 fs) optical pulses by the filamentation of the intense femtosecond pulses generated from a high power Ti:Sa laser system. This project was done in collaboration with prof. See Leang Chin (Centre d’Optique, Photonique et Laser (COPL), Université Laval, Québec, Canada).

In August 2012 she defended her Ph.D. thesis, at Génie Physique, École Polytechnique de Montréal under the supervision of Prof. Maksim Skorobogatiy (Canada Research Chair in Micro and Nano Photonics). The thesis is entitled titled “Fabrication and characterization of fiber optical components for application in guiding, sensing and molding of THz and mid-IR radiation”. In addition, she investigated the possibility of using of THz light for physical, chemical and biochemical sensing.

During her PhD studies one of the projects concerned an E.coli bacteria sensor based on the evanescent field of the fundamental mode of a suspended-core terahertz fiber. This project has been done in collaboration with prof. Mohammed Zourob from Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS-EMT, Varennes). Following the exciting results achieved, she became (June 2012) one of the award winners of the “Étudiants-chercheurs étoiles” competition (Fonds de Recherche du Quebec Nature et Technologies) with her article entitled “Label-free bacteria detection using evanescent mode of a suspended core terahertz fiber”. Since October 2012 Dr. Mazhorova is a Post-Doctoral fellow at INRS-EMT in Roberto Morandotti’s group (UOP).

  1. 14. A. Markov, A. Mazhorova, M. Skorobogatiy, “Planar porous THz waveguides for low-loss guidance and sensing applications,” IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology 3, 96-102 (2013).
  2. 13. D. Uryupina, N. Panov, M. Kurilova, A. Mazhorova, R. Volkov, S. Gorgutsa, O. Kosareva, A. Savel’ev, “3D Raman bullet formed under filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses in air and nitrogen “Applied Physics B 110, 123-130 (2013).
  3. A. Mazhorova, A. Markov, B. Ung, M. Rozé, S. Gorgutsa, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Thin chalcogenide capillaries as efficient waveguides from mid-IR to THz,” J.Opt.Soc.Am.B,29, Issue 8, pp. 2116-2123 (2012) .
  4. A. Mazhorova, A. Markov, A. Ng, R. Chinnappan, O. Skorobogata, M. Zourob, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Label-free bacteria detection using evanescent mode of a suspended core terahertz fiber,” Opt. Express 20, 5344-5355 (2012).
  5. M. Shalaby, M. Peccianti, Y. Ozturk, M. Clerici, I. Al-Naib, L. Razzari, T. Ozaki, A. Mazhorova, M. Skorobogatiy, R. Morandotti, “Terahertz Faraday rotation in a magnetic liquid: High magneto-optical figure of merit and broadband operation in a ferrofluid,” Applied Physics Letters 100 (24), 241107 (2012).
  6. B. Ung, A. Mazhorova, A. Dupuis, M. Rozé, and M. Skorobogatiy “Polymer microstructured optical fibers for terahertz wave guiding,”Opt. Express 19, pp.B848-B861 (2011).
  7. B. Ung, M. Rozé, A. Mazhorova, M. Walther and M. Skorobogatiy “Suspended core subwavelength plastic fibers for THz guidance,” Optics Photonics News, “special December issue that highlights the most exciting peer-reviewed optics research to have emerged over the past 12 months,” p. 41 (2011).
  8. One of the Top 10 Downloaded Opt. Express Articles in May 2011: M. Roze, B. Ung, A. Mazhorova, M. Walther, M. Skorobogatiy, “Suspended core subwavelength fibers: towards practical designs for low-loss terahertz guidance,” Opt. Express 19, p. 9127 (2011).
  9. A. Mazhorova, J.-F. Gu, A. Dupuis, M. Peccianti, T. Ozaki, R. Morandotti, H. Minamide, M. Tang, Y. Wang, H. Ito, M. Skorobogatiy, “Composite THz materials using aligned metallic and semiconductor microwires, experiments and interpretation,” Opt. Express 18, 24632-24647 (2010).
  10. A. Dupuis, A. Mazhorova, F. Désévédavy, M. Rozé, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Spectral characterization of porous dielectric subwavelength THz ?bers fabricated using a microstructured molding technique,” Opt. Express 18, 13813-13828 (2010).
  11. D. Uryupina, M. Kurilova, A. Mazhorova, N. Panov, R. Volkov, S. Gorgutsa, O. Kosareva, A. Savel’ev, and S.L. Chin, “Few-cycle optical pulse production from collimated femtosecond laser beam filamentation,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 27, 667-674 (2010).
  12. M.V. Kurilova, D.S. Uryupina, A.V. Mazhorova, S.R. Gorgutsa, R.V. Volkov, O.G. Kosareva and A.B. Savel’ev, “Investigation of the transformation of the spectrum of femtosecond laser radiation on filamentation in gas medium,” Optics and Spectroscopy 107, 3, 429–434 (2009).
  13. M.V. Kurilova, D.S .Uryupina, A.V. Mazhorova, R.V. Volkov, S.R. Gorgutsa, N.A. Panov, O.G. Kosareva and A.B. Savel’ev, “Generation of optical pulses of duration down to 8 fs upon filamentation of collimated femtosecond laser radiation in argon,” Quantum Electronics 39 (10), 879 – 881 (2009).
  14. O.G. Kosareva, N.A. Panov, D.S. Uryupina, M.V. Kurilova, A.V. Mazhorova, A.B. Savel’ev, R.V. Volkov, V.P. Kandidov and S.L. Chin, “Optimization of a femtosecond pulse self-compression region along a filament in air,” Appl. Phys. B 91, 35–43 (2008).
  1. M. Kumar Mridha, M. Daneau, A. Mazhorova, M. Clerici, M. Peccianti, P.-L. Lavertu, X. Ropagnol, F. Vidal, and R. Morandotti, “Low Dispersion, broadband propagation of THz pulses in a Two-Wire waveguide”, International Workshop on Optical Terahertz Science and Technology (OTST), Kyoto, Japan, April 1-5, 2013 (poster).1. A. Mazhorova, A. Markov, B. Ung, M. Rozé, S. Gorgutsa, and M. Skorobogatiy “THz wave guiding using hollow capillaries”, Photonics North, June 6-8 (2012).
  2. A. Mazhorova, A. Markov, A. Ng, R. Chinnappan, M Zourob, M. Skorobogatiy, “Label-free bacteria detection using the evanescent mode of a suspended core terahertz fiber” sessioned for oral presentation at CLEO: 2012 in San Jose, CA, paper CTu3B.6.
  3. M. Shalaby, M. Peccianti, Y. Ozturk, L. Razzari, M. Clerici, A. Mazhorova, M. Skorobogatiy, T. Ozaki, R. Morandotti, “Polarization-sensitive magnetic field induced modulation of broadband THz pulses in liquids” has been sessioned for oral presentation at CLEO: 2012 in San Jose, CA, paperCM1L.4.
  4. A. Mazhorova, M. Zourob, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Suspended core polyethylene fiber for bio-sensing applications in the terahertz region,” in Optical Sensors, OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2011), paper STuC3.
  5. Invited Talk: M. Skorobogatiy, B. Ung, A. Mazhorova, M. Rozé, A. Dupuis, “Plastic fibers for terahertz wave guiding,” ECOC 2011, Tu.6.LeCervin.1, Geneva, Switzerland, September 18-22, 2011.
  6. B. Ung, M. Rozé, A. Mazhorova, M. Walther, and M. Skorobogatiy, “Suspended core subwavelength fibers for practical low-loss terahertz guidance,” in Optical Sensors, OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2011), paper STuC2.
  7. A. Mazhorova, J.F. Gu, S. Gorgutsa, M. Peccianti, T. Ozaki, R. Morandotti, M. Tang, H. Minamide, H. Ito, M. Skorobogatiy “THz metamaterials using aligned metallic or semiconductor nanowires” We-P.31, Proceedings of IEEE34th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, IRMMW-THz 2010.
  8. A. Dupuis, A. Mazhorova, F. Desevedavy, M. Skorobogatiy, “Loss and spectral measurements of porous and non-porous subwavelength THz fibers,” JWA117, CLEO (2010).
  9. A.V. Mazhorova, M.V. Kurilova, D.S. Uryupina, A.B. Savelev, S.R. Gorgutsa and R.V. Volkov, “Search for optimal conditions for pulse self-compression in atomic and molecular gases” Topical Meeting on Optoinformatics’08, September 15-18 2008, St. Petersburg, Russia, Proceeedings, 280.
  10. S.R. Gorgutsa, R.V. Volkov, M.V. Kurilova, D.S. Uryupina, A.B. Savel’ev and A.V. Mazhorova, “Highly efficient measurement of few cycle pulse generation during filamentation of fs radiation in gases by the SPIDER technique” Topical Meeting on Optoinformatics’08, September 15-18 2008, St. Petersburg, Russia, Proceedings, 291.
  11. A. Savel’ev, O. Kosareva, D. Uryupina, M. Kurilova, A. Mazhorova, N. Panov, S. Gorgutsa, R. Volkov, “Few cycle powerful pulse production under filamentation in gaseous media without external compressor” International 9th Conference on Laser and Fiber-Optical Networks Modeling, Alushta, Crimea, Ukraine (2008).
  12. D.S. Uryupina, M.V. Kurilova, A.V. Mazhorova, A.B. Savel’ev, O.G. Kosareva, S.R. Gorgutsa and R.V. Volkov, “Spectra broadening and ultra-shot pulse generation during filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses in atomic and molecular gases” Book of abstracts of the 17th International Laser Physics Workshop(LPHYS’08), June 30-July 4, 2008, Trondheim, Norway, p.129.
  13. D.S. Uryupina, M.V. Kurilova, A.V. Mazhorova, S.R. Gorgutsa, R.V. Volkov, O.G. Kosareva, A.B. Savel’ev “Self-compression of femtosecond laser pulse in atomic and molecular gases” Topical Meeting on Optoinformatics’08, September 15-18 2008, St. Petersburg, Russia, Proceedings, p 296.
  14. O.G. Kosareva, N. A. Panov, D.S. Uryupina, A. Mazhorova, A.B. Savel’ev, V.P. Kandidov, Y. Chen, F. Theberge, S.L. Chin “High power few-cycle pulse formed due to free propagation in air” Laser Physics 07, Seminar on Nonlinear Optics and Spectroscopy, August 19-24, Leon.
  15. D.S. Uryupina, O.G. Kosareva, M.V. Kurilova, A.V. Mazhorova, A.B. Savel’ev, R.V. Volkov “Broadening of spectra under femtosecond laser pulse filamentation in air” Technical Digest of ICONO/LAT 2007, May 27 – June 1, 2007, J-3.

Efficient Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) with the Longitudinal Temperature Gradient along the LBO Crystal:
Anna Mazhorova is currently working on the experimental realization of the autoresonance effects in nonuniform second order nonlinear materials. One of the potential applications of this research is the design of highly-efficient frequency doubling devices allowing complete depletion of the pump wave [1]. This kind of devices is expected to have a very large conversion bandwidth with a flat conversion spectral profile, similarly to what have been suggested and demonstrated in the case of four-wave mixing in tapered optical fibers [2].

Fig.1. a) Experimental setup, long crystal is mounted inside the temperature-controlled holder. Efficiency of second harmonic generation; b) in a conventional configuration (at optimal temperature for noncritical phase matching ) conversion efficiency is very poor, not higher than 10% was achievedand c) with a temperature gradient along the crystal, a high second-harmonic conversion efficiency was achieved.

As a first step towards the realization of the project we demonstrate an efficient technique for the second harmonic generation (SHG) based on the temperature gradient along a nonlinear crystal. The characteristics of Type I non-critical phase-matched SHG of broadband radiation in the LiB3O5(LBO) crystal with the temperature gradient imposed along the crystal were investigated.
The use of LBO crystal for second harmonic generation has the following advantages: high damage threshold (18.9 GW/cm2 for a 1.3ns laser at 1.054mm), relatively high deff (0.85 pm/V), no spatial walk-off and large acceptance angle for the case of type-I noncritical phase matching condition (theta=90° and varphi=0°) at 1 um wavelength. The main limitation to efficient broadband frequency conversion comes from the chromatic dispersion of the nonlinear crystal, basically from the pulse group velocity mismatch. One of the possibilities to improve the efficiency of the frequency conversion process is a) to use shorter crystals or b) to use a higher power. However, the maximum applied power is limited by the damage threshold of the crystal. Also the conversion efficiency is proportional to the square of the interaction length, but the wavelength acceptance bandwidth is inversely proportional to the same interaction length, resulting in a trade-off between the conversion efficiency and bandwidth. One promising concept for improving the frequency conversion efficiency is through the use of a temperature gradient applied along the crystal [3]. With the temperature gradient along the crystal, the phase-matching conditions are satisfied at different positions along the crystal for different wavelengths and efficient second harmonic generation takes place at a small distance until the wave-number mismatch is close to zero at the corresponding wavelength.

References

  1. O.Yaakobi, M.Clerici, L.Caspani, F.Vidal and R.Morandotti, “Complete pump depletion by autoresonant second harmonic generation in a nonuniform medium”, Journal of The Optical Society of America B (accepted).
  2. O.Yaakobi and L.Friedland, “Autoresonant four-wave mixing in optical fibers”, Physical Review A, 82, 023820 (2010).
  3. K.-H. Hong, C.-J.Lai, A.Siddiqui, and F. X.Kärtner “130-W picosecond green laser based on a frequency-doubled hybrid cryogenic Yb:YAG amplifier”, Optics Express, 19, 16911 (2009).