Fundamentals and Applications of Slow Light by Zhimin Shi Submitted in Partial Ful¯llment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Supervised by Professor Robert W. Boyd The Institute of Optics Arts, Sciences and Engineering Edmund A. Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences University of Rochester Rochester, New York 2010 ii To Yuqi (Miles) and Xiang iii Curriculum Vitae Zhimin Shi was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China in 1979. He completed his early education in Hangzhou Foreign Language School in 1997. Following that, He studied in Chu Ke Chen Honors College as well as the Department of Optical Engi- neering at Zhejiang University and received B.E. with highest honors in Information Engineering in 2001. He joined the Center for Optical and Electromagnetic Research at Zhejiang University under the supervision of Dr. Sailing He and Dr. Jian-Jun He in 1999, where he focused his study on integrated di®ractive devices for wavelength division multiplexing applications and the performance analysis of blue-ray optical disks. After receiving his M.E. with honors in Optical Engineering from the same university in 2004, he joined the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester and has been studying under the supervision of Prof. Robert W. Boyd. His current research interests include nonlinear optics, nano-photonics, spectroscopic interferometry, ¯ber optics, plasmonics, electromagnetics in nano-composites and meta-materials, etc. iv Publications related to the thesis 1. \Enhancing the spectral sensitivity of interferometers using slow-light media," Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, D. J. Gauthier and C. C. Dudley, Opt. Lett. 32, 915{917 (2007). 2. \Design of a tunable time-delay element using multiple gain lines for increased fractional delay with high data ¯delity," Z. Shi, R. Pant, Z. Zhu, M. D. Stenner, M. A. Neifeld, D. J. Gauthier, and R. W. Boyd, Opt. Lett. 32, 1986{1988 (2007). 3. \Maximizing the opening of eye diagrams for slow-light systems," R. Pant, M. D. Stenner, M. A. Neifeld, Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, D. J. Gauthier, Appl. Opt., 46, 6513{6519 (2007). 4. \A Slow-Light Fourier Transform Interferometer," Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, R. M. Camacho, P. K. Vudyasetu, and J. C. Howell, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 240801 (2007). 5. \Slow-Light Interferometry: Practical Limitations to Spectroscopic Performance," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 25, C136{C143 (2008). 6. \Discretely tunable optical packet delays using channelized slow light," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, Phys. Rev. A 79, 013805 (2009). 7. \Electromagnetic momenta and forces in dispersive dielectric media," D. H. Bradshaw, Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, and P. W. Milonni, Opt. Commun., 283, 650{656 (2009). 8. \Demonstration of a low-distortion bidirectionally tunable optical timing module using stimulated Brillouin scattering," Z. Shi, A. Schweinsberg, J. E. Vornehm, Jr., M. A. Mart¶³nezG¶amez,and R. W. Boyd, Phys. Lett. A, 374, 4071{4074 (2010). 9. \Noise Properties of Propagation through Slow- and Fast-Light Media," R. W. Boyd, Z. Shi, and P. W. Milonni, J. Opt., 12, 104007 (2010). 10. \A general quantum model for non-ideal ampli¯ers and attenuators," Z. Shi, P. W. Milonni, and R. W. Boyd, (in preparation). Other publications 1. \Surface-plasmon polaritons on metal-dielectric nanocomposite ¯lms," Z. Shi, G. Piredda, A. C. Liapis, M. A. Nelson, L. Novotny, and R. W. Boyd, Opt. Lett., 34, 3535{3537 (2009). v Conference papers related to the thesis 1. \Slow Light with Gain Induced by Three Photon E®ect in Strongly Driven Two-Level Atoms," Y. Chen, Z. Shi, P. Zerom, and R. W. Boyd, OSA Slow and Fast Light (SL), ME1 (2006). 2. \Distortion-Reduced Pulse-Train Propagation with Large Delay in a Triple Gain Media," Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, Z. Zhu, D. J. Gauthier, R. Pant, M. D. Stenner and M. A. Neifeld, OSA Slow and Fast Light (SL), WB3 (2006). 3. \Spectroscopic Interferometry Using Slow Light Media," Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd and D. J. Gauthier, FiO/LS (2006). 4. \Distortion-Reduced Pulse-Train Propagation with Large Delay in a Triple Gain Media," Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, Z. Zhu, D. J. Gauthier, R. Pant, M. D. Stenner and M. A. Neifeld, OSA Slow and Fast Light (SL), WB3 (2006). 5. \Enhancing the Spectral Sensitivity and Resolution of Interferometers Using Slow-Light Media," Z. Shi, R. W. Boyd, D. J. Gauthier, and C. C. Dudley, CLEO/QLES CTuT2 (2007). 6. \Enhancing the Performance of Spectroscopic Interferometers Using Slow-Light Media," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, CQO-9/ICQI 2007 CSuA44 (2007). 7. \A Slow-Light Fourier-Transform Interferometer," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, FiO/LS FThG2 (2007). 8. \Design of a tunable time-delay element with high data ¯delity using dispersion management," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, CLEO/QLES CWQ5 (2008). 9. \Pulse-Distortion Management Using the Pulse-on-Background Method and Multiple Closely Spaced Gain Lines in Slow/Fast Light Propagation," H. Shin, Z. Shi, A. Schweinsberg, G. Gehring, and R. W. Boyd, OSA Slow and Fast Light (SL), STuA3 (2008). 10. \Enhancement of the Spectral Performance of Interferometers Using Slow Light Under Practical Conditions," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, OSA Slow and Fast Light (SL), SWA3 (2008). 11. \Optical Packet Delay Using Channelized Slow Light," Z. Shi, and R. W. Boyd, FiO/LS FThW2 (2008). vi 12. \A bidirectionally tunable optical timing module using stimulated Brillouin scattering," Z. Shi, A. Schweinsberg, J. E. Vornehm, Jr., M. A. Mart¶³nezG¶amez,and R. W. Boyd,, CLEO/QELS, CTuI1 (2010). Other conference papers 1. \Single Photon Source on Demand Based on Single-Colloidal-Quantum-Dot Fluorescence in Chiral Photonic Bandgap Liquid Crystal Hosts," L. J. Bissell, Z. Shi, H. Shin, S. G. Lukishova, S. White, R. W. Boyd, and C. R. Stroud, Jr., CLEO/QELS, JMC4 (2007). 2. \Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Metal-Dielectric Nanocomposite Films," Z. Shi, G. Piredda, A. C. Liapis, M. A. Nelson, L. Novotny, and R. W. Boyd, CLEO/QELS, IThG16 (2009). 3. \Optical Modes on Anisotropic Epsilon-Near-Zero Films," Z. Shi, A. C. Liapis, and R. W. Boyd, FiO/LS FMA2 (2009). vii Acknowledgments The pursuit of a Ph.D. is a journey of adventure, a journey ¯lled with challenges and di±culties. Luckily, I have never been alone but with many guiding lights and companions, which made my journey ¯lled with memorable moments full of joy and pleasure. First, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Prof. Robert W. Boyd, my thesis advisor, for his constant guidance, inspiration, support and care over the past six years. My journey would not have been possible if not for Prof. Boyd's keen insights, never-ending encouragement and the persistence to interpreting physical concepts using most intuitive pictures. Furthermore, he has been constantly revealing new territories of research to me, which not only broadens my sights of views, but more importantly, teaches me how to search for treasure islands through the vast and challenging ocean of scienti¯c research. Secondly, I would like to thank Prof. Daniel J. Gauthier at Duke University, Prof. John C. Howell, and Prof. Lukas Novotny, both at the University of Rochester, for their mentoring during the fruitful collaborations. I have learnt a lot of hands-on knowledge from them, and I enjoy very much the scienti¯c conversations with them. I am grateful to Prof. Peter W. Milonni for many collaborative discussions regarding many fundamental problems. His thought-provoking comments and suggestions have always enlightened me and inspired me towards new directions. I want to express my gratitude to Prof. Antonio Badolato for the helping discussion and guidance over the past years. His expertise and experience in photonic crystal and nano-fabrication have vastly enhanced my understanding of the ¯eld and have helped me greatly trav- eling in the realm of nano-photonics. I thank Brian McIntyre for his great course on SEM/TEM and constant support and help in the characterization and fabrica- tion of various nano-photonic materials and devices. I would like to sincerely thank Prof. Govind Agrawal, Prof. Philippe Fauchet and Prof. Antonio Badolato for ac- cepting to serve on my thesis committee, and I appreciate all the suggestions and viii comments that they made on my research e®orts and the thesis. Futhermore, I am always indebted to all the sta® at the Institute of Optics, especially Per Adamson, Maria Schnitzler, Noelene Votens, Joan Christian, Lissa Cotter and Marie Banach, for their endless help and loving care through out my years at the Institute. I am very thankful that I have had wonderful collaborations with Dr. C. C. Dudley, Dr. Zhaoming Zhu, Dr. Ravi Pant, Dr. Michael D. Stenner, Petros Zerom, Heeduek Shin, Luke Bissell, Dr. Svetlana Lukishova, Dr. Mark A. Neifeld, Dr. Ryan M. Cama- cho, Praveen K. Vudyasetu, Dr. Giovanni Piredda, Andreas C. Liapis, Dr. Mark A. Nelson, Dr. Douglas H. Bradshaw, Aaron Schweinsberg, Joseph E. Vornehm, Jr., and Dr. M. Alejandrina Mart¶³nezG¶amez.I also appreciate the generous help from and wonderful discussions with Dr. Alan E. Willner, Dr. Miguel Alonso, Dr. Gary W. Wicks, Dr. Renee Pedrazzani, Brad Deutsch, Sean Anderson, Yi-Ho (Jonathan) Lee, Yijing Fu, Michael Theisen, Dr. Anand K. Jha, Colin O'Sullivan, Dr. Ksenia Dolgaleva, George Gehring, Dr. Kam Wai Cli®ord Chan, Bosheng Gao, Brandon Rodenburg, Dr. Jonathan Leech, Dr. Rob Ilic, Dr. Liu Liu, Dr. Long Chen, Dr. Zhichao Ruan, and all others. I want to express my deepest gratitude to my wife, Xiang, my newly arrived son, Miles, and the rest of my family, who have always be there throughout the lows and the highs with unconditional love and supports.