For the first time single-shot harmonic spectra generated by few-optical-cycle pulses have been measured. Clear carrier-envelope phase effects have been observed in the cutoff harmonic spectral structure. Results have been interpreted in terms of the nonadiabatic single-atom response of the nonlinear medium excited by few-optical-cycle pulses.

Any photonic crystal is in practice periodic with some inevitable fabricational imperfections. We have measured angle-resolved transmission of photons that are multiply scattered by this disorder in strongly photonic crystals. Peculiar non-Lambertian distributions occur as a function of frequency: due to internal diffraction, wide angular ranges of strongly reduced diffuse transmission coincide with photonic stop bands, while enhancements occur for directions outside stop gaps. We quantitatively explain the experiment with a model incorporating diffusion and band structure on equal footing. We predict that in the event of a photonic band gap, diffuse light at frequencies near band gap edges can exit only along isolated directions. Angle-resolved diffuse transmission appears to be the photonic equivalent of angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy.

We present the first experimental investigation of ultrafast optical switching in a three-dimensional photonic crystal made of a Si-opal composite. Ultrafast (30 fs) changes in reflectivity around the photonic stop band up to 1% were measured for moderate pump power $(70\mu \mathrm{J}/{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}}^2)$. Short-lived photoexcited carriers in silicon induce changes in the dielectric constant of Si and diminish the constructive interference inside the photonic crystal. The results are analyzed within a model based on a two-band mixing formalism.

In two-dimensional turbulence, irreversible forward transfer of enstrophy requires anticorrelation of the turbulent vorticity transport vector and the inertial-range vorticity gradient. We investigate the basic mechanism by numerical simulation of the forced Navier-Stokes equation. In particular, we obtain the probability distributions of the local enstrophy flux and of the alignment angle between vorticity gradient and transport vector. These are surprisingly symmetric and cannot be explained by a local eddy-viscosity approximation. The vorticity transport tends to be directed along streamlines of the flow and only weakly aligned down the fluctuating vorticity gradient. All these features are well explained by a local nonlinear model. The physical origin of the cascade lies in steepening of inertial-range vorticity gradients due to compression of vorticity level sets by the large-scale strain field.

We use the multifractal formalism to describe the effects of dissipation on Lagrangian velocity statistics in turbulent flows. We analyze high Reynolds number experiments and direct numerical simulation data. We show that this approach reproduces the shape evolution of velocity increment probability density functions from Gaussian to stretched exponentials as the time lag decreases from integral to dissipative time scales. A quantitative understanding of the departure from scaling exhibited by the magnitude cumulants, early in the inertial range, is obtained with a free parameter function $D(h)$ which plays the role of the singularity spectrum in the asymptotic limit of infinite Reynolds number. We observe that numerical and experimental data are accurately described by a unique quadratic $D(h)$ spectrum which is found to extend from $h_{\min }\approx 0.18$ to $h_{\max }\approx 1$.

Multichannel optical add-drop processes are studied in a class of symmetric waveguide-resonator systems. With insight gained from group theory, we analyze these systems and show that they can add or drop multiple wavelengths simultaneously, with 100% efficiency. A new mechanism is presented to reduce the remnant light at the dropped wavelengths in the pass-through port. High-order Butterworth filters can also be achieved in these systems. Built upon conventional or photonic-crystal based structures, these systems can be used in optical communication applications.

The dilute-to-dense transition of granular flow of particle size $d_0$ is studied experimentally in a two-dimensional channel (width $\mathsf{D}$) with confined exit (width $d$). Our results show that with fixed $d$ and $\mathsf{D}$ there is a maximum inflow rate $Q_c$ above which the flow changes from dilute to dense and the outflow rate $⟨Q(t)⟩$ drops abruptly from $Q_c$ to a dense rate $Q_d$. A rescaled critical rate $q_c$ is found to be a function of a scaling variable $\lambda$ only: $q_c\sim F(\lambda )$, where $\lambda \equiv \frac{d}{d_0}\frac{d}{\mathsf{D}-d}$. This form of $\lambda$ suggests that the dilute-to-dense transition is a global property of the flow, unlike the jamming transition which depends only on $\frac{d}{d_0}$. Furthermore, the transition is found to occur when the area fraction of particles near the exit exceeds a critical value which is close to $0.65\pm 0.03$.

We study the statistics of optical data transmission in a noisy nonlinear fiber channel with a weak dispersion management and zero average dispersion. Applying analytical expressions for the output probability density functions both for a nonlinear channel and for a linear channel with additive and multiplicative noise we calculate in a closed form a lower bound estimate on the Shannon capacity for an arbitrary signal-to-noise ratio.

It is well known that the loss of phase information at detection means that a diffraction pattern may be consistent with a multitude of physically different structures. This Letter shows that it is possible to perform unique structural determination in the absence of a priori information using x-ray fields with phase curvature. We argue that significant phase curvature is already available using modern x-ray optics and we demonstrate an algorithm that allows the phase to be recovered uniquely and reliably.

We report experimental results on the variation of the radiative lifetime of ${\mathrm{E}\mathrm{u}}^{3+}$ ion embedded in a dielectric with the refractive index $n$. We dope 1 mol % of ${\mathrm{E}\mathrm{u}}^{3+}$ into the binary glass system $x\mathrm{P}\mathrm{b}\mathrm{O}\mathrm{\text{−}}(1-x){\mathrm{B}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$. By varying $x$ we have achieved a fairly large variation of the refractive index from 1.7 to 2.2. This enables us to study the local field effects for the first time for ions doped in a solid glassy material. Our measurements are in agreement with the so-called real cavity model. The present measurements are free from the complications arising from reorganizational effects in solvents.

We study the dissipation of diffuse ultrasonic energy in a reverberant body coupled to a waveguide, an analog for a mesoscopic electron in a quantum dot. A simple model predicts a Porter-Thomas distribution of level widths and corresponding nonexponential dissipation, a behavior largely confirmed by measurements. For the case of fully open channels, however, measurements deviate from this model to a statistically significant degree. A random matrix supersymmetric calculation is found to accurately model the observed behaviors at all coupling strengths.

We consider heat conduction in a 1D dynamical channel. The channel consists of an ensemble of noninteracting particles, which move between two heat baths according to some dynamical process. We show that the essential thermodynamic properties of the heat channel can be obtained from the diffusion properties of the underlying particles. Emphasis is put on the conduction under anomalous diffusion conditions.

We generalize the wavelet transform modulus maxima (WTMM) method to multifractal analysis of 3D random fields. This method is calibrated on synthetic 3D monofractal fractional Brownian fields and on 3D multifractal singular cascade measures as well as their random function counterpart obtained by fractional integration. Then we apply the 3D WTMM method to the dissipation field issued from 3D isotropic turbulence simulations. We comment on the need to revisit previous box-counting analyses which have failed to estimate correctly the corresponding multifractal spectra because of their intrinsic inability to master nonconservative singular cascade measures.

An important issue in turbulence theory is to understand what kinds of elementary flow structures are responsible for the part of the turbulent energy spectrum described by Kolmogorov’s celebrated $k^{-5/3}$ law. A model for such structure has been proposed by Lundgren [Phys. Fluids 25, 2193–2203 (1982)] in the form of a vortex with spiral structure subjected to an axially straining field. We report experimental results of a vortex burst in a laminar-flow environment showing that this structure is responsible for a $k^{-5/3}$ part in the energy spectrum. If there are many experimental evidences of the existence of vortices with spiral structures in turbulent flows, it is the first time that such an elementary structure is experimentally shown to be responsible for the turbulent energy cascade.

Experiments show how a stirred scalar mixture relaxes towards uniformity through an aggregation process. The elementary bricks are stretched sheets whose rates of diffusive smoothing and coalescence build up the overall mixture concentration distribution. The cases studied, in particular, include mixtures in two and three dimensions, with different stirring protocols and Reynolds numbers which all lead to a unique family of concentration distributions stable by self-convolution, the signature of the aggregation mechanism from which they originate.

Strong coupling between localized particle plasmons and optical waveguide modes leads to drastic modifications of the transmission of metallic nanowire arrays on dielectric waveguide substrates. The coupling results in the formation of a new quasiparticle, a waveguide-plasmon polariton, with a surprisingly large Rabi splitting of 250 meV. Our experimental results agree well with scattering-matrix calculations and a polariton-type model. The effect provides an efficient tool for photonic band gap engineering in metallodielectric photonic crystal slabs. We show evidence of a full one-dimensional photonic band gap in resonant plasmon-waveguide structures.

An accelerating supersonic aircraft produces noisy superboom due to acoustical shock wave focusing at a fold caustic. This phenomenon is modeled by the mixed-type nonlinear Tricomi equation. An innovative experimental simulation in a water tank has been carried out, with perfect similitude to sonic boom in air. In the linear regime, the canonical Airy function is reproduced using the inverse filter technique. In the nonlinear regime (weak shock waves), the experiment demonstrates the key role of nonlinear effects: they limit the field amplitude, distort the sonic line, and strongly alter the phase of the signal, in agreement with numerical simulations.

We report the observation of sum-frequency signals that depend linearly on an applied electrostatic field and that change sign with the handedness of an optically active solute. This recently predicted chiral electro-optic effect exists in the electric-dipole approximation. The static electric field gives rise to an electric-field-induced sum-frequency signal (an achiral third-order process) that interferes with the chirality-specific sum-frequency at second order. The cross-terms linear in the electrostatic field constitute the effect and may be used to determine the absolute sign of second- and third-order nonlinear-optical susceptibilities in isotropic media.

Fluctuational transitions between two coexisting chaotic attractors, separated by a fractal basin boundary, are studied in a discrete dynamical system. It is shown that the transition mechanism is determined by a hierarchy of homoclinic points. The most probable escape path from a chaotic attractor to the fractal boundary is found using both statistical analyses of fluctuational trajectories and the Hamiltonian theory of fluctuations.

Single bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) is realized in air-saturated water at ambient pressure and room temperature. The behavior is similar to SBSL in degassed water, but with a higher spatial variability of the bubble position. A detailed view on the dynamics of the bubbles shows agreement between calculated shape stability borders but differs slightly in the equilibrium radii predicted by a mass diffusion model. A comparison with results in degassed water is done as well as a time resolved characterization of bubble oscillation, translation, and light emission for synchronous and recycling SBSL. The formation of streamer structures is observed in the same parameter range, when bubble nuclei are present. This may lead to a unified interpretation of SBSL and multibubble sonoluminescence.