Related papers: Rayleigh scattering and laser spot elongation prob…
The high resolution spectrograph ESPRESSO on the VLT allows measurements of fundamental constants at unprecedented precision and hence enables tests for spacetime variations predicted by some theories. In a series of recent papers, we…
The recent advent of wave-shaping methods has demonstrated the focusing of light through and inside even the most strongly scattering materials. Typically in wavefront shaping, light is focused in an area with the size of one speckle spot.…
We investigate the reflectivity and optical scattering characteristics at 1064\,nm of an antireflection coated fused silica window of the type being used in the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave detectors. Reflectivity is measured in the…
Future NASA X-ray Observatories will shed light on a variety of high-energy astrophysical phenomena. Off-plane reflection gratings can be used to provide high throughput and spectral resolution in the 0.3--1.5 keV band, allowing for…
We study the clustering properties of z~5.7 Lyman-alpha emitters (LAEs) in a cosmological reionization simulation with a full Lya radiative transfer calculation. Lya radiative transfer substantially modifies the intrinsic Lya emission…
Deep fluorescence imaging in mammalian brain tissues remains challenging due to scattering and optical aberration-induced loss in signal and resolution. Correction of aberrations using adaptive optics (AO) requires their reliable…
We study the scattering of two-level atoms at narrow laser fields, modeled by a $\delta$-shape intensity profile. The unique properties of these potentials allow us to give simple analytic solutions for one or two field zones. Several…
To enhance the reflectivity of X-ray mirrors beyond the critical angle, multilayer coatings are required. Interface imperfections in the multilayer growth process are known to cause non-specular scattering and degrade the mirror optical…
A common issue encountered in photoemission electron sources used in electron accelerators is distortion of the laser spot due to non ideal conditions at all stages of the amplification. Such a laser spot at the cathode may produce…
Elastic light scattering has been extensively used to study samples showing a non uniform refraction index on lengthscales from a fraction of a micrometer to a fraction of a millimeter. Typically, a wide laser beam is sent through the…
Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGS-AO) is becoming routine in several astronomical observatories. The use of powerful lasers generates sensible Raman emissions on the uplink laser beam path, plus secondary Rayleigh scattering from…
Optically-levitated nanoparticles in vacuum offer a pristine platform for high-quality mechanical oscillators, enabling a wide range of precision measurements and quantum technologies. A key performance metric in such systems is the…
We present a method for measuring the transmission loss of an optical fiber using simplified optical correlation-domain reflectometry. By intentionally lowering the spatial resolution of the system, we observe the Rayleigh scattered signal…
We develop a theory for light scattering from a disordered layer of metal nanoparticles resting on a sample. Averaging over different disorder realizations is done by a coherent potential approximation. The calculational scheme takes into…
The unification scheme of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) invokes an optically thick molecular torus component hiding the broad emission line region. Assuming the presence of a thick neutral component in the molecular torus characterized by a…
Focusing light through dynamically varying heterogeneous media is a sought-after goal with important applications ranging from free-space communication to nano-surgery. The underlying challenge is to control the optical wavefront with a…
Ground-based laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors consist of complex multiple optical cavity systems. An arm-length stabilization (ALS) system has played an important role in bringing such complex detector into operational…
Lyman-$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) are a promising probe of the large-scale structure at high redshift, $z\gtrsim 2$. In particular, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment aims at observing LAEs at 1.9 $<z<$ 3.5 to measure the Baryon…
In the context of Radioastronomic applications where the Analog Radio-over-Fiber technology is used for the antenna downlink, detrimental nonlinearity effects arise because of the interference between the forward signal generated by the…
The effect of laser focusing conditions on the evolution of relativistic plasma waves in laser wakefield accelerators is studied both experimentally and with particle-in-cell simulations. For short focal length ($w_0 < \lambda_p$)…