Abstract: A method for low-pressure diamond growth includes heating a composition comprising a diamond growth seed and a source of reactive carbon to a temperature below 800° C., wherein the heating takes place under low pressure. Responsive to the heating, growing diamonds from the composition.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a system includes a plurality of diamond nanowires disposed on the surface of a diamond substrate, at least some of the nanowires including a color center. The system also includes a light source configured to illuminate at least one of the plurality of nanowires with excitation light at a wavelength corresponding to an excitation wavelength of the color center included in the illuminated nanowire; and an optical receiver configured to receive a fluorescence emitted from the color center included in the illuminated nanowire in response to the excitation light.

Abstract: In a general aspect, a system includes a plurality of diamond nanowires disposed on the surface of a diamond substrate, at least some of the nanowires including a color center. The system also includes a light source configured to illuminate at least one of the plurality of nanowires with excitation light at a wavelength corresponding to an excitation wavelength of the color center included in the illuminated nanowire; and an optical receiver configured to receive a fluorescence emitted from the color center included in the illuminated nanowire in response to the excitation light.

Abstract: A cavity free, broadband approach for engineering photon emitter interactions via sub-wavelength confinement of optical fields near metallic nanostructures. When a single CdSe quantum dot (QD) is optically excited in close proximity to a silver nanowire (NW), emission from the QD couples directly to guided surface plasmons in the NW, causing the wire's ends to light up. Nonclassical photon correlations between the emission from the QD and the ends of the NW demonstrate that the latter stems from the generation of single, quantized plasmons. Results from a large number of devices show that the efficient coupling is accompanied by more than 2.5-fold enhancement of the QD spontaneous emission, in a good agreement with theoretical predictions.

Abstract: A three-level atomic system in a resonance Raman configuration is provided, and self-pumped optical phase conjugation is performed in which the pumps are self-induced as standing waves in a Raman laser. Self-pumped reflectivities approaching five percent are obtained for input intensities of 20 watts per square cm. This low optical input intensity combined with predicted submicrosecond response times indicates that the resonant Raman interaction may provide the basis for a promising new class of non-linear optical materials.

Abstract: An associative memory apparatus having a 2f Fourier transform optical correlation configuration wherein the correlation spots produced in the correlation plane are projected back by a mirror through the inverse Fourier transform lens and a phase correction reference image filter to produce the output image representing the best match between the input image and the associative memory reference images. A 4f Fourier transform embodiment projects the correlation spots forward through a second filter and transform means and the output image can be fed back to the input image display SLM to enhance the output image.

Abstract: Method of demultiplexing a composite signal light beam includes the steps of directing the composite signal light beam and a reference light beam at a photorefractive material, modulating the reference beam at a frequency about equal to the modulation frequency of a selected signal beam to be demultiplexed, and recovering the phase conjugate signal produced by interference of the reference beam with the composite signal light beam within the photorefractive material. The method also enables optical phase detection of the selected signal beam with respect to the reference beam.

Abstract: Using simple optical components and an unmodified commercial off-the-shelf semiconductor laser, a frequency-selective self-aligning optical-feedback technique has been devised that allows a semiconductor laser to be tuned to and scanned about any optical frequency within the laser gain curve. This technique employs a graded-index rod lens cat's eye and an intracavity etalon for selecting one laser side mode. By changing the external cavity length, the laser frequency can be continuously tuned within one external cavity free spectral range. To further extend the tuning range, the laser injection current is changed to produce a discontinuous hop in the laser frequency. To eliminate the hops the cavity length and laser current are changed simultaneously.