Prof. Dr. Nicolas Joly

  • Professor
  • Room: A 2.214
  • Tel.: +49 9131 7133 215
  • Email
  • Quantum optics: generation of non-classical light
  • Non-linear optics: generation of new frequencies and of low-noise supercontinuum
  • Applied science: developing fibre tools for real-time monitoring of chemical reactions and sensing with particle trapped inside hollow-core fibre

2005

Interaction of an Optical Soliton with a Dispersive Wave

A. Efimov, A. V. Yulin, D. V. Skryabin, J. C. Knight, N. Joly, F. G. Omenetto, A. J. Taylor, P. Russell

Physical Review Letters 95 213902 (2005) | Journal

Scattering of a dispersive wave by optical solitons is studied experimentally in photonic crystal fibers in cases when the soliton and the dispersive wave have either identical or orthogonal polarization states. Observations of new resonant frequencies are reported. The experimental results are compared to numerical simulations and predictions from the recently derived wave vector matching conditions.

Continuous-wave tunable optical parametric generation in a photonic-crystal fiber

G. K. L. Wong, A. Y. H. Chen, S. G. Murdoch, R. Leonhardt, J. D. Harvey, N. Y. Joly, J. C. Knight, W. J. Wadsworth, P. St. J. Russell

Journal of the Optical Society of America B 22 2505-2511 (2005) | Journal

Continuous-wave and quasi-cw operation of tunable optical parametric generation has been demonstrated in a photonic-crystal fiber. The frequency shift of the generated sidebands, which arise from modulation instability, depends strongly on the detuning of the pump from the fiber’s zero-dispersion wavelength. Over 30 nm of sideband tunability has been demonstrated using a 300 mW cw pump, and over 185 nm of tunability using a 1.6 W quasi-cw pump. Continuous wave and quasi-cw pumps eliminate the detrimental effects of pump–sideband walk-off. In the absence of walk-off it is the fluctuations in the index profile of the photonic-crystal fiber along its length that limit the tunable sideband range.

Characterization of chromatic dispersion in photonic crystal fibers using scalar modulation instability

G. K. L. Wong, A. Y. H. Chen, S. W. Ha, R. J. Kruhlak, S. G. Murdoch, R. Leonhardt, J. D. Harvey, N. Y. Joly

Optics Express 13 8662-8670 (2005) | Journal | PDF

A simple and accurate method is proposed for characterizing the chromatic dispersion of high air-filling fraction photonic crystal fibers. The method is based upon scalar modulation instability generated by a strong pump wave propagating near the zero-dispersion wavelength. Measuring the modulation instability sideband frequency shifts as a function of wavelength gives a direct measurement of the fiber’s chromatic dispersion over a wide wavelength range. To simplify the dispersion calculation we introduce a simple analytical model of the fiber’s dispersion, and verify its accuracy via a full numerical simulation. Measurements of the chromatic dispersion of two different types of high air-filling fraction photonic crystal fibers are presented.

Linear and nonlinear guidance in an ultralow loss planar glass membrane

N. Y. Joly, T. A. Birks, A. Yulin, J. C. Knight, P. St.J. Russell

Optics Letters 30 2469-2471 (2005) | Journal

We describe the fabrication and characterization of a free-standing silica glass membrane waveguide formed using fiber fabrication processes. The membrane has a thickness of 0.6 mm and a width of 60 mm and is many meters long. The optical attenuation is measured as 0.4 dB⁄m. Such attenuation outperforms that of conventional planar waveguides by several orders of magnitude.

Splice-free interfacing of photonic crystal fibers

S. G. Leon-Saval, T. A. Birks, N. Y. Joly, A. K. George, W. J. Wadsworth, G. Kakarantzas, P. St.J. Russell

Optics Letters 30 1629-1631 (2005) | Journal

We report a new method for making low-loss interfaces between conventional single-mode fibers and photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). Adapted from the fabrication of PCF preforms from stacked tubes and rods, this method avoids the need for splicing and is versatile enough to interface to virtually any type of index-guiding silica PCF. We illustrate the method by forming interfaces to two problematic types of PCF, highly nonlinear and multicore. In particular, we believe this to be the first method capable of individually coupling light into and out of all the cores of a fiber with multiple closely spaced cores, without input or output cross talk.

Intermediate asymptotic evolution and photonic bandgap fiber compression of optical similaritons around 1550 nm

C. Billet, J. M. Dudley, N. Joly, J. C. Knight

Optics Express 13 3236-3241 (2005) | Journal | PDF

We report the complete characterization of the self-similar scaling of parabolic pulse similaritons in an optical fiber amplifier. High dynamic range frequency resolved optical gating allows the direct observation of the evolution of a hyperbolic secant-like input pulse to an asymptotic amplifier similariton, and reveals the presence of intermediate asymptotic wings about the parabolic pulse core. These results are used to optimize additional self-similar propagation in highly-nonlinear fiber and subsequent compression in hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber.

Scientific career

  • Since 2021: Head of the microstructured optical fibres independent research group at the Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen, Germany
  • Since 2009: Associate professor at the Univ. of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany
  • 2005 – 2008: Maître de conférences at the Univ. of Lille in France

Education background

  • 2012: Habilitation at the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Cachan (France)
    Title: Supercontinuum generation using pulses propagating in photonic crystal fibres
    Defended in July. 10th 2012. Thesis adviser: Prof. Dr. Joseph Zyss.
  • 2002-2005: Post-doctoral fellow at the University of Bath (UK) in the group of Prof. Philip Russell
  • 1999-2002: PhD with honors (“Félicitations du jury”) at the laboratory of Physics of Lasers, Atoms, and Molecules (PhLAM) at the University of Lille (France)
    Title: Instabilities in pulsed mode-locked lasers: techniques for observation and control
    Defended on Sept. 23rd 2002. Thesis adviser: Prof. Dr. Serge Bielawski.

Awards & appointments

  • Since 2023: Advisor of the Erlangen Optica Student Chapter
  • Since 2021: Scientific coordinator of the Internation Max Planck School for the Physics of Light (IMPRS-PL)
  • Since 2020: Senior member of Optical Society of America (OSA)
  • Since 2019: Fellow of the Max Planck School of Photonics (MPSP) and member of the selection committee
  • Since 2016: Fellow of the Max Planck Center for Extreme and Quantum Photonics, Ottawa, Canada
  • 1999: MENRT scholarship from the French ministry of Research to perform his doctoral degree at the University of Lille from 1999 to 2002
  • 1998: Awarded a CIME scholarship from AUF (Agence universitaire de la Francophonie) to perform his Master study at Laval University (Québec) in 1998

Professional activities

  • 2024: Member of the Technical Program Committee for the SPIE Photonics Europe in Strasbourg
  • Since 2022: Associate Editor of Opt. Express
  • 2017: General chair of the 1st Sino-German symposium on fiber photonics for light-matter interaction in Shanghai, China
  • 2017 – 2018: Member of the Technical Program Committee for SPIE UV and higher energy photonic
  • 2013 – 2017: Member of Technical Program Committee for CLEO US (OSA)
  • 2015: co-Chair of the 2nd Siegman International School of Laser (OSA)
  • Since 2015: Member of the Technical Program Committee for WSOF (OSA) in Hong-Kong (2015), Limasol in Cypris (2017), Adelaide in Australia (2022), and in Prague in Czech Republic (2025)
  • Since 20214: Member of the Student Commission of the internation Master of Advanced Optics and Technologies (MAOT)
  • 2013: Topical session at PIERS (Progress in Electromagnetics Research Symposium) in Stockholm
  • 2011: International conference on Nonlinear optics and complexity in photonic crystal fibers and nanostructures in Erice, in Sicily
  • 2011: 14th International SAOT workshop on Fiber laser, sensors and materials at Reicheschwand, Germany
  • Since 2009: External expert for the evaluation of proposals from ANR (National agency of research in France), the Polish Society of Science, DFG (National agency of research in Germany) and ERC (European Research Council)
  • Since 2009: Supervisor of 13 PhD students, 2 post-docs, 14 MSc students

Ongoing projects

  • DFG project JO 1090/8-3 – OrbitFlySens [FAU]
    Orbiting flying particle sensor (with Bernhard Schmauß, FAU) – 2025-2028
  • BayFrance FK-34-2024 [FAU]
    Real-time detection of Terahertz signals using ultrashort lasers
    Mobility allowance – collaboration with University of Lille - 2025
  • BayFrance FK-35-2024 [FAU]
    Exploring chiral fibers for new-type of polarization-resolved endoscopy
    Mobility allowance – collaboration with University of Marseille – 2025
  • DFG project JO 1090/3-2 – Photon Triplets [FAU]
    Generation of photon triplets via three-photon parametric down-conversion (with Maria Chekhova) – 2024-2027
  • QuNet beta [MPL]
    2021-2026
  • Max-Planck-School of Photonics (MPSP) [FAU]
    2019-2025

Finished projects

  • SFB – QuCoLiMa [FAU]
    Levitated ferrimagnetic particles in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres -2021-2025
  • DFG project JO 1090/6-1 -Twin Beams [FAU]
    Fiber source of entangled photons with giant tunable frequency separation (with Maria Chekhova) - 2021-2024
  • DFG project JO 1090/4-1 – Rydbergatoms in photonic crystal fibres [FAU]
    (with Robert Löw, University of Stuttgart) - 2019-2023
  • BayFrance FK-29-2018 [FAU]
    Frequency conversion of single-photon quantum sources using gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibres
    Mobility allowance – collaboration with LKB, Ens Paris, France - 2018
  • DFG project JO 1090/3-1 – Photon Triplets [FAU]
    Generation of photon triplets via three-photon parametric down-conversion (with Maria Chekhova) – 2017-2020
  • BayFrance FK-38-2013 [FAU]
    Dynamical instabilities in photonic crystal fiber ring cavities synchronously pumped by femtosecond pulses
    Mobility allowance – collaboration with University of Lille, France - 2013-2014

MPL Research Centers and Schools