A coherent amplification device includes a phase modulation stage for preconditioning a laser beam, and a coupling stage for transferring energy and spatial phase information between the first laser beam and a second laser beam. The phase modulation stage may include an electro-optically active medium having a time-dependent refractive index manipulatable by an electric field thereby introducing a time-dependent phase shift to the first laser beam when passed therethrough. The coupling stage may include a coupling medium having a time-dependent and intensity-dependent refractive index with a finite lifetime, where an interference pattern of the laser beams is written into the coupling medium through the time-dependent and intensity-dependent refractive index to generate a holographic grating based on the interference pattern, and where the finite lifetime of the coupling medium and the preconditioned phase modulation facilitates a transfer of energy and spatial phase information between the laser beams.

A planar optical device, comprised of sets of nanometer-scale holes milled into a thin metal or ceramic film of subwavelength thickness serves to form arbitrary waveform of light. The holes form a pattern, preferrably rings, of various sizes in order to achieve a given phase front of light due to photonic effect. When designed as a lens, the device focuses incident light into a tight focal spot. In symmetric design, the focusing property of the device does not depend on the incident polarization angle. The lens can be manufactured based on high-throughput fabrication methods and easily integrated with a chip or placed at the end of an optical fiber.

A photorefractive (PR) polymer composite (310) is provided that includes a charge transporting polymer (CTP) matrix (311) and a photosensitizer (312) comprising a quantum dot (QD) material (314) with a first band gap (315) coupled to a nanoparticle material (317) with a second band gap (316) greater than the first band gap. The photosensitizer (312) is configured to generate a plurality of free charges (318) and to transfer the free charges to the CTP matrix (311) in response to an incident photon (320) on the PR polymer composite (310). An apparatus (500) is also provided, for writing holograms of 3D perspective views of an object from different directions within the PR polymer composite (310). A method (600) is also provided for forming the PR polymer composite.

Systems and methods for providing a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (NOPA). Two approaches for classes of NOPA are described: phase-mask NOPA and Wollaston NOPA.

An optical parametric oscillator (OPO) system comprises an optical waveguide including a hollow core containing a fluid, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to receive pump light and to convert the pump light into signal light and idler light via a third order non-linear optical effect. The OPO system further comprises an optical feedback arrangement for recycling at least a portion of the signal light and/or for recycling at least a portion of the idler light in an optical cavity that includes the optical waveguide. The OPO system may be used, in particular though not exclusively, in metrology, gas and solid-state spectroscopy, laser-assisted manufacturing, semiconductor technology, biomedicine, healthcare, and scientific laboratory use.