Yannick Schrödel

Doctoral project

Gas-based sono-photonic schemes for coherent light control

This research project focuses on the development of gas-based sonophotonic methods for coherent light control. While control of direction, phase, and intensity of coherent light is vital in many modern scientific fields, this control is often limited for cutting-edge experiments, thermal and nonlinear effects restrict peak and/or average power, and linear absorption limits the applicable wavelength. Here, the properties of the employed, mostly solid interaction media impose these tight restraints.

We have shown that we can circumvent these limitations using numerical simulations and a successful proof-of-principle experiment. The main idea is interaction with ultrasound in gaseous media, where the limitations of the solid media do not apply, but the sound-induced pressure modulation still allows for significant change in light propagation. The experimental proof-of-principle here involved deflection of a high-power laser beam using intense ultrasound in ambient air via the acousto-optic effect.

This research project expands upon this initial experiment, with goals involving research into:

• direct applications of our approach,
• interaction of ultrasound with light in gases other than air, and
• alternative interaction geometries.