Reflection of light by composite volume holograms: Fresnel corrections and Fabry-Perot spectral filtering

Effects in composite volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) are studied theoretically and experimentally. The mathematics of reflection is formulated with a unified account of Fresnel reflections by the boundaries and of VBG reflection. We introduce the strength S of reflection by an arbitrary lossless element such that the intensity of reflection is R=tanh(2)S. We show that the ultimate maximum/minimum of reflection by a composite lossless system corresponds to addition/subtraction of relevant strengths of the sequential elements. We present a new physical interpretation of standard Fresnel reflection: Strength for TE or for TM reflection is given by addition or by subtraction of two contributions. One of them is an angle-independent contribution of the impedance step, while the other is an angle-dependent contribution of the step of propagation speed. We study an assembly of two VBG mirrors with a thin immersion layer between them that constitutes a Fabry-Perot spectral filter. The transmission wavelength of the assembly depends on the phase shift between the two VBGs. Spectral resolution Delta lambda(FWHM)=25 pm at lambda= 1063.4 nm is achieved with the device of small total physical thickness 2L = 5.52 mm. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America