Min Xiao Research Lab

 Experimental setup for studying novel nonlinear optical processes...

This experimental setup is for studying novel nonlinear optical processes at low light level in multi-level atomic systems. By using frequency stabilized semiconductor diode lasers and the frequency stabilized Ti:Sapphire laser system, we can selectively excite certain optical transitions with induced atomic coherence in the multi-level atomic systems.



 Experimental setup for studying nonlinear dynamic phenomena...

This experimental setup is to investigate nonlinear dynamic phenomena of three-level atoms inside an optical ring cavity. Using this system, we have demonstrated optical bistability, optical multistability, dynamical hysteresis cycle, optical instability, from period-doubling to chaos, and stochastic resonance in recent years. The three-level atoms interact with the cavity optical field with one atomic transition and couple to another strong laser field with another atomic transition. All the diode lasers and the optical cavity are frequency stabilized to facilitate the near-resonance interactions.


 Setup designed for low temperature laser spectroscopy...

This setup is for low temperature laser spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures. The low-temperature cryostat with optical windows allows the sample temperature to change between 4 K and 300 K (room temperature). The 100x objective is used for confocal optical microscopy of the samples mounted in the cryostat.


This is inside an optical amplifier for short-pulse (about 80 to 100 femtosecond) laser beam 

This is inside an optical amplifier for short-pulse (about 80 to 100 femtosecond) laser beam. The large optical grating is to expand the pulse width before amplifying the short optical pulses, so that the peak intensity of the pulses is reduced, preventing optical damage of the mirrors due to high optical power of the short pulses.