Thorsten Ackemann
Reader
Thorsten Ackemann studied physics at the University of Göttingen (Germany), Herriot-Watt University and the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Germany). There he received a Diplom in physics in 1992, the PhD in 1996, and the Habilitation in 2002.
During that time, he performed experiments on fundamental aspects of complexity and self-organization in nonlinear optical feedback schemes, nonlinear cavities, and nonlinear beam propagation using a well-controlled atomic vapour as the nonlinear medium. Major results concern the control and interaction of dissipative solitons, secondary bifurcations of optical patterns, and self-organized superlattices and quasipatterns. In 1998 and 1999, he worked on broad-area vertical-cavity amplifiers at the Institut Non Lineaire de Nice with a Feodor-Lynen fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. The interest in semiconductor laser dynamics lead to further work on polarisation dynamics and feedback effects in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) in Münster, where the group found first strong evidence for the relevance of spin degree of freedoms in polarization switching of VCSELs.
In May 2005, he took up a position as a lecturer in the Photonics Group of the department and was promoted to Reader in 2007.
| e: thorsten.ackemann 
strath.ac.uk | t: 0141 548 3079 | u: http://www.photonics.phys.strath.ac.uk/
|
Research
Thorsten Ackemann’s research interest covers several aspects of "Nonlinear Photonics" in semiconductor-based devices – in particular VCSELs and vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) – and samples of laser-cooled atoms. Objectives are the understanding of the complex nonlinear processes determining – and partially limiting – the performance of photonic devices and lasers, their control, optimization and applications as well as the utilisation of nonlinearities for all-optical processing. He also works on the development of high-performance VECSELs and their applications.
Recent progress concerns the experimental realisation of a semiconductor based cavity soliton laser in which external optical control beams can be used to switch on and off small microlasers.
Highlights
Committee-chair: "Dissipative Systems and Nonlinear Atom Optics", Nonlinear Guided Waves and Their Applications 2005; Co-chair: Workshop “Dissipative Optical Solitons", Laser Optics 2006;
Technical programme committee memberships include "Dynamics, Instabilities and Patterns", International Quantum Electronics Conference 2007 and "Nonlinear Optics: from sources to guides waves" European Optical Society 2006
Invited talks include International Conference on Coherent and Nonlinear Optics (ICONO) 2001 and European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC) 2003
Invited book chapter “Dissipative Solitons” (2005)
Selected publications
Y.Tanguy, T.Ackemann, W.J.Firth, R.Jager, "Realization of a semiconductor-based cavity soliton laser", Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 013907 (2008) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.013907
I.V.Babushkin, M.Schulz-Ruhtenberg, N.A.Loiko, K.F.Huang, T.Ackemann, "Coupling of polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of highly divergent emission in broad-area square vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers", Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 213901 (2008) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.213901
F.Pedaci, S.Barland, E.Caboche, P.Genevet, M.Giudici, J.R.Tredicce, T.Ackemann, A.J.Scroggie, W.J.Firth, G.L.Oppo, G.Tissoni, R.Jager, "All-optical delay line using semiconductor cavity solitons", Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 011101 (2008) doi: 10.1063/1.2828458
S.Hovel, A.Bischoff, N.C.Gerhardt, M.R.Hofmann, T.Ackemann, A.Kroner, R.Michalzik, "Optical spin manipulation of electrically pumped vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers", Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 041118 (2008) doi: 10.1063/1.2839381
M.Pesch, W.Lange, D.Gomila, T.Ackemann, W.J.Firth, G.L.Oppo, "Two-dimensional front dynamics and spatial solitons in a nonlinear optical system", Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 153902 (2007) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.153902
P.V.Paulau, A.J.Scroggie, A.Naumenko, T.Ackemann, N.A.Loiko, W.J.Firth, "Localized traveling waves in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with frequency-selective optical feedback", Phys. Rev. E 75, 70-77 (2007) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.75.056208
G.Labeyrie, G.L.Gattobigio, T.Chaneliere, L.Lippi, T.Ackemann, R.Kaiser, "Nonlinear lensing mechanisms in a cloud of cold atoms", Eur. Phys. J. D 41, 337-348 (2007) doi: 10.1140/epjd/e2006-00234-8
W.Zhang, T.Ackemann, M.Schmid, N.Langford, A.I.Ferguson, "Femtosecond synchronously mode-locked vertical-external cavity surface-emitting laser", Opt. Exp. 14, 1810-1821 (2006) doi: 10.1364/OE.14.001810
W.Zhang, T.Ackemann, S.McGinily, M.Schmid, E.Riis, A.I.Ferguson, "Operation of an optical in-well-pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser", Appl. Opt. 45, 7729-7735 (2006) doi: 10.1364/AO.45.007729
M.Pesch, E.G.Westhoff, T.Ackemann, W.Lange, "Observation of a discrete family of dissipative solitons in a nonlinear optical system", Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 143906 (2005) doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.143906
M.Sondermann, T.Ackemann, "Correlation properties and drift phenomena in the dynamics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with optical feedback", Opt. Exp. 13, 2707-2715 (2005) doi: 10.1364/OPEX.13.002707
T.Ackemann, C.Denz, F.Mitschke, "Dynamics in nonlinear optics and quantum optics", Appl. Phys. B-Lasers Opt. 81, 881-882 (2005) doi: 10.1007/s00340-005-2067-z
Current Grants
Allister Ferguson, Thorsten Ackemann
EPSRC (2009-2012) £211437
Title: Standford-Scotland Photonics Innovation Collaboration
Thorsten Ackemann
EPSRC (2006-2010) £217003
Title: Nonlinear optics and light localisation quantum dot samples
