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Vol. 5 ， Issue 2 ， 2016
- Abstract：We present the design, fabrication and characterization of hydraulically-tunable hyperchromatic lenses for two-dimensional (2D) spectrally-resolved spectral imaging. These hyperchromatic lenses, consisting of a positive diffractive lens and a tunable concave lens, are designed to have a large longitudinal chromatic dispersion and thus axially separate the images of different wavelengths from each other. 2D objects of different wavelengths can consequently be imaged using the tunability of the lens system. Two hyperchromatic lens concepts are demonstrated and their spectral characteristics as well as their functionality in spectral imaging applications are shown.Keywords：hyperchromatic lens;imaging spectrometer;tunable filter;tunable lens
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Undersampling and pixelation affect a number of imaging systems, limiting the resolution of the acquired images, which becomes particularly significant for wide-field microscopy applications. Various super-resolution techniques have been implemented to mitigate this resolution loss by utilizing sub-pixel displacements in the imaging system, achieved, for example, by shifting the illumination source, the sensor array and/or the sample, followed by digital synthesis of a smaller effective pixel by merging these sub-pixel-shifted low-resolution images. Herein, we introduce a new pixel super-resolution method that is based on wavelength scanning and demonstrate that as an alternative to physical shifting/displacements, wavelength diversity can be used to boost the resolution of a wide-field imaging system and significantly increase its space-bandwidth product. We confirmed the effectiveness of this new technique by improving the resolution of lens-free as well as lens-based microscopy systems and developed an iterative algorithm to generate high-resolution reconstructions of a specimen using undersampled diffraction patterns recorded at a few wavelengths covering a narrow spectrum (10–30 nm). When combined with a synthetic-aperture-based diffraction imaging technique, this wavelength-scanning super-resolution approach can achieve a half-pitch resolution of 250 nm, corresponding to a numerical aperture of ~1.0, across a large field of view (> 20 mm2). We also demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach by imaging various biological samples, including blood and Papanicolaou smears. Compared with displacement-based super-resolution techniques, wavelength scanning brings uniform resolution improvement in all directions across a sensor array and requires significantly fewer measurements. This technique would broadly benefit wide-field imaging applications that demand larger space-bandwidth products.Keywords：holographic imaging;on-chip microscopy;pixel super-resolution;wavelength scanning;wide-field imaging
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：We report on the unconventional optical properties exhibited by a two-dimensional array of thin Si nanowires arranged in a random fractal geometry and fabricated using an inexpensive, fast and maskless process compatible with Si technology. The structure allows for a high light-trapping efficiency across the entire visible range, attaining total reflectance values as low as 0.1% when the wavelength in the medium matches the length scale of maximum heterogeneity in the system. We show that the random fractal structure of our nanowire array is responsible for a strong in-plane multiple scattering, which is related to the material refractive index fluctuations and leads to a greatly enhanced Raman scattering and a bright photoluminescence. These strong emissions are correlated on all length scales according to the refractive index fluctuations. The relevance and the perspectives of the reported results are discussed as promising for Si-based photovoltaic and photonic applications.Keywords：light trapping;multiple scattering;Raman enhancement;random fractal;silicon nanowires
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Encoding many qubits in different degrees of freedom (DOFs) of single photons is one of the routes toward enlarging the Hilbert space spanned by a photonic quantum state. Hyperentangled photon states (that is, states showing entanglement in multiple DOFs) have demonstrated significant implications for both fundamental physics tests and quantum communication and computation. Increasing the number of qubits of photonic experiments requires miniaturization and integration of the basic elements, and functions to guarantee the setup stability, which motivates the development of technologies allowing the precise control of different photonic DOFs on a chip. We demonstrate the contextual use of path and polarization qubits propagating within an integrated quantum circuit. We tested the properties of four-qubit linear cluster states built on both DOFs, and we exploited them to perform the Grover's search algorithm according to the one-way quantum computation model. Our results pave the way toward the full integration on a chip of hybrid multi-qubit multiphoton states.Keywords：hyperentanglement;integrated photonics;quantum information;quantum optics
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：The remarkable narrow-band emission of trivalent lanthanide-doped phosphors excited by the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation lines of Xe atoms/Xe2 molecules at 147/172 nm are extensively investigated in the development of plasma display panels and Hg-free fluorescent lamps, which are frequently used in our daily lives. Numerous solid materials, particularly Tb3+-doped oxides, such as silicates, phosphates and borates, are efficient green/blue sources with color-tunable properties. The excitation wavelength and rare earth concentration are usually varied to optimize efficiency and the luminescent properties. However, some underlying mechanisms for the shift in the emission colors remain unclear. The present study shows that a UV/VUV switch systematically controls the change in the phosphor (Ba3Si6O12N2:Tb) photoluminescence from green to blue, resulting in a green emission when the system is excited with UV radiation. However, a blue color is observed when the radiation wavelength shifts to the VUV region. Thus, a configurational coordinate model is proposed for the color-reversal effect. In this model, the dominant radiative decay results in a green emission under low-energy UV excitation from the 5D4 state of the f–f inner-shell transition in the Tb system. However, under high-energy VUV excitation, the state switches into the 5D3 state, which exhibits a blue emission. This mechanism is expected to be generally applicable to Tb-doped phosphors and useful in adjusting the optical properties against well-known cross-relaxation processes by varying the ratio of the green/blue contributions.Keywords：color-reversal;cross-relaxation;phosphor;terbium;UV/VUV
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for miniaturized optoelectronic devices due to their strong inelastic interactions with light. On the other hand, a miniaturized optical system also requires strong elastic light–matter interactions to control the flow of light. Here we report that a single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has a giant optical path length (OPL), around one order of magnitude larger than that from a single-layer of graphene. Using such giant OPL to engineer the phase front of optical beams we have demonstrated, to the best of our knowledge, the world's thinnest optical lens consisting of a few layers of MoS2 less than 6.3 nm thick. By taking advantage of the giant elastic scattering efficiency in ultra-thin high-index 2D materials, we also demonstrated high-efficiency gratings based on a single- or few-layers of MoS2. The capability of manipulating the flow of light in 2D materials opens an exciting avenue towards unprecedented miniaturization of optical components and the integration of advanced optical functionalities. More importantly, the unique and large tunability of the refractive index by electric field in layered MoS2 will enable various applications in electrically tunable atomically thin optical components, such as micro-lenses with electrically tunable focal lengths, electrical tunable phase shifters with ultra-high accuracy, which cannot be realized by conventional bulk solids.Keywords：atomically thin;grating;micro-lens;MoS2;two-dimensional
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：In the present state of the art, ion beam sputtering is used to produce low-loss dielectric optics. During the manufacturing of a dielectric layer stack, the deposition material must be changed, which requires rapid mechanical movement of vacuum components. These mechanical components can be regarded as a risk factor for contamination during the coating process, which limits the quality of high-end laser components. To minimize the particle contamination, we present a novel deposition concept that does not require movable components to change the coating material during the coating process. A magnetic field guiding technique has been developed, which enables the tuning of the refractive index in the layer structure by sputtering mixtures with varying compositions of two materials using a single-ion source. The versatility of this new concept is demonstrated for a high-reflection mirror.Keywords：EM field separation;ion beam sputtering;plasma guiding
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：The resolution of an imaging apparatus is ideally limited by the diffraction properties of the light passing through the system aperture, but in many practical cases, inhomogeneities in the light propagating medium or imperfections in the optics degrade the image resolution. Here we introduce a powerful and practical new approach for estimating the point spread function (PSF) of an imaging system on the basis of PSF Estimation from Projected Speckle Illumination (PEPSI). PEPSI uses the fact that the speckles' phase randomness cancels the effects of the aberrations in the illumination path, thereby providing an objective pattern for measuring the deformation of the imaging path. Using this approach, both wide-field-of-view and local-PSF estimation can be obtained by calibration-free, single-speckle-pattern projection. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of using PEPSI estimates for resolution improvement in iterative maximum likelihood deconvolution.Keywords：deconvolution;microscopy;optical aberrations;speckle pattern
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are driven by injected charges from an anode and a cathode. The low and high work function metals are necessary for the effective injection of electrons and holes, respectively. Here, we introduce a fully novel design concept using organic semiconductor heterojunctions (OSHJs) as the charge injectors for achieving highly efficient OLEDs, regardless of the work functions of the electrodes. In contrast to traditional injected charges from the electrodes, the injected charges originate from the OSHJs. The device performance was shown to be significantly improved in efficiency and stability compared to conventional OLEDs. Attractively, the OLEDs based on OSHJs as charge injectors still exhibited an impressive performance when the low work function Al was replaced by air- and chemistry-stable high work function metals, such as Au, Ag, and Cu, as the cathode contact, which has been suggested to be difficult in conventional OLEDs. This concept challenges the conventional design approach for the injection of charges and allows for the realization of practical applications of OLEDs with respect to high efficiency, selectable electrodes, and a long lifetime.Keywords：charge injection;OLEDs;organic semiconductor heterojunctions
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：The ability to control the wavefront of light is fundamental to focusing and redistribution of light, enabling many applications from imaging to spectroscopy. Wave interaction on highly nonlinear photorefractive materials is essentially the only established technology allowing the dynamic control of the wavefront of a light beam with another beam of light, but it is slow and requires large optical power. Here we report a proof-of-principle demonstration of a new technology for two-dimensional (2D) control of light with light based on the coherent interaction of optical beams on highly absorbing plasmonic metasurfaces. We illustrate this by performing 2D all-optical logical operations (AND, XOR and OR) and image processing. Our approach offers diffraction-limited resolution, potentially at arbitrarily-low intensity levels and with 100 THz bandwidth, thus promising new applications in space-division multiplexing, adaptive optics, image correction, processing and recognition, 2D binary optical data processing and reconfigurable optical devices.Keywords：all-optical data processing;all-optical image processing;coherent control;metasurfaces
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Electromagnetically induced transparency has the unique ability to optically control transparency windows with low light in atomic systems. However, its practical applications in quantum physics and information science are limited due to rigid experimental requirements. Here we demonstrate a new mechanism of optically induced transparency in a micro-cavity by introducing a four-wave mixing gain to nonlinearly couple two separated resonances of the micro-cavity in an ambient environment. A signature Fano-like resonance was observed owing to the nonlinear interference of the two coupled resonances. Moreover, we show that the unidirectional gain of the four-wave mixing can lead to the remarkable effect of non-reciprocal transmission at the transparency windows. Optically induced transparency may offer a unique platform for a compact, integrated solution to all-optical and quantum information.Keywords：Fano resonance;induced transparency;micro-cavity;non-reciprocity
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Distributed fiber sensing possesses the unique ability to measure the distributed profile of an environmental quantity along many tens of kilometers with spatial resolutions in the meter or even centimeter scale. This feature enables distributed sensors to provide a large number of resolved points using a single optical fiber. However, in current systems, this number has remained constrained to a few hundreds of thousands due to the finite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the measurements, which imposes significant challenges in the development of more performing sensors. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an ultimately optimized distributed fiber sensor capable of resolving 2 100 000 independent points, which corresponds to a one-order-of-magnitude improvement compared to the state-of-the-art. Using a Brillouin distributed fiber sensor based on phase-modulation correlation-domain analysis combined with temporal gating of the pump and time-domain acquisition, a spatial resolution of 8.3 mm is demonstrated over a distance of 17.5 km. The sensor design addresses the most relevant factors impacting the SNR and the performance of medium-to-long range sensors as well as of sub-meter spatial resolution schemes. This step record in the number of resolved points could be reached due to two theoretical models proposed and experimentally validated in this study: one model describes the spatial resolution of the system and its relation with the sampling interval, and the other describes the amplitude response of the sensor, providing an accurate estimation of the SNR of the measurements.Keywords：distributed fiber sensors;optical fibers;stimulated Brillouin scattering
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Metamaterials based on effective media can be used to produce a number of unusual physical properties (for example, negative refraction and invisibility cloaking) because they can be tailored with effective medium parameters that do not occur in nature. Recently, the use of coding metamaterials has been suggested for the control of electromagnetic waves through the design of coding sequences using digital elements '0' and '1, ' which possess opposite phase responses. Here we propose the concept of an anisotropic coding metamaterial in which the coding behaviors in different directions are dependent on the polarization status of the electromagnetic waves. We experimentally demonstrate an ultrathin and flexible polarization-controlled anisotropic coding metasurface that functions in the terahertz regime using specially designed coding elements. By encoding the elements with elaborately designed coding sequences (both 1-bit and 2-bit sequences), the x- and y-polarized waves can be anomalously reflected or independently diffused in three dimensions. The simulated far-field scattering patterns and near-field distributions are presented to illustrate the dual-functional performance of the encoded metasurface, and the results are consistent with the measured results. We further demonstrate the ability of the anisotropic coding metasurfaces to generate a beam splitter and realize simultaneous anomalous reflections and polarization conversions, thus providing powerful control of differently polarized electromagnetic waves. The proposed method enables versatile beam behaviors under orthogonal polarizations using a single metasurface and has the potential for use in the development of interesting terahertz devices.Keywords：anisotropic metamaterial design;coding metamaterial;metasurface;terahertz waves
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Spatio-temporal imaging of light propagation is very important in photonics because it provides the most direct tool available to study the interaction between light and its host environment. Sub-ps time resolution is needed to investigate the fine and complex structural features that characterize disordered and heterogeneous structures, which are responsible for a rich array of transport physics that have not yet been fully explored. A newly developed wide-field imaging system enables us to present a spatio-temporal study on light transport in various disordered media, revealing properties that could not be properly assessed using standard techniques. By extending our investigation to an almost transparent membrane, a configuration that has been difficult to characterize until now, we unveil the peculiar physics exhibited by such thin scattering systems with transport features that go beyond mainstream diffusion modeling, despite the occurrence of multiple scattering.Keywords：diffusive approximation;disordered media;light transport;optical gating;wide-field imaging
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：We present a direct-write patterning method for the realization of electroluminescent (EL) line art using a surface-emissive light-emitting electrochemical cell with its electrolyte and EL material separated into a bilayer structure. The line-art emission is achieved through subtractive patterning of the electrolyte layer with a stylus, and the single-step patterning can be either manual for personalization and uniqueness or automated for high throughput and repeatability. We demonstrate that the light emission is effectuated by cation-assisted electron injection in the patterned regions and that the resulting emissive lines can be as narrow as a few micrometers. The versatility of the method is demonstrated through the attainment of a wide range of light-emission patterns and colors using a variety of different materials. We propose that this low-voltage-driven and easy-to-modify luminescent line-art technology could be of interest for emerging applications, such as active packaging and personalized gadgets.Keywords：direct-write patterning;light-emitting electrochemical cell;luminescent line art;organic electronics
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Two-dimensional (2D) materials have great potential in photonic and optoelectronic devices. However, the relatively weak light absorption in 2D materials hinders their application in practical devices. Here, we propose a general approach to achieve angle-selective perfect light absorption in 2D materials. As a demonstration of the concept, we experimentally show giant light absorption by placing large-area single-layer graphene on a structure consisting of a chalcogenide layer atop a mirror and achieving a total absorption of 77.6% in the mid-infrared wavelength range (~13 μm), where the graphene contributes a record-high 47.2% absorptivity of mid-infrared light. Construction of such an angle-selective thin optical element is important for solar and thermal energy harvesting, photo-detection and sensing applications. Our study points to a new opportunity to combine 2D materials with photonic structures to enable novel device applications.Keywords：angle-selective perfect absorption;angle-selective thin optical element;graphene;mid-infrared;two-dimensional materials
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Electric and magnetic fields play an important role in both chemical and physical reactions. However, since the coupling efficiency between magnetic fields and electrons is low in comparison with that between electric fields and electrons in the visible wavelength region, the magnetic field is negligible in photo-induced reactions. Here, we performed photo-etching of ZrO2 nano-stripe structures, and identified an etching-property polarisation dependence. Specifically, the etching rate and etched profiles depend on the structure width. To evaluate this polarisation-dependent etching, we performed numerical calculations using a finite-difference time-domain method. Remarkably, the numerical results revealed that the polarisation-dependent etching properties were determined by the magnetic field distributions, rather than the electric field distributions. As nano-scale structures induce a localised magnetic field, the discovery of this etching dependence on the magnetic field is expected to introduce a new perspective on advanced nano-scale structure fabrication.Keywords：nano-scale;near-field etching;optically controlled magnetic-field interaction
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Published：2024-09-23 - Abstract：Formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) is a newly developed hybrid perovskite that potentially can be used in high-efficiency solution-processed solar cells. Here, the temperature-dependent dynamic optical properties of three types of FAPbI3 perovskite films (fabricated using three different precursor systems) are comparatively studied. The time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectra reveal that FAPbI3 films made from the new precursor (a mixture of formamidinium iodide and hydrogen lead triiodide) exhibit the longest lifetime of 439 ns at room temperature, suggesting a lower number of defects and lower non-radiative recombination losses compared with FAPbI3 obtained from the other two precursors. From the temperature-dependent PL spectra, a phase transition in the films is clearly observed. Meanwhile, exciton-binding energies of 8.1 and 18 meV for the high- and low-temperature phases are extracted, respectively. Importantly, the PL spectra for all of the samples show a single peak at room temperature, whereas at liquid-helium temperature the emission features two peaks: one in higher energy displaying a fast decay (0.5 ns) and a second red-shifted peak with a decay of up to several microseconds. These two emissions, separated by ~18 meV, are attributed to free excitons and bound excitons with singlet and triplet characters, respectively.Keywords：formamidinium lead iodide;low temperature;perovskite;photoluminescence;triplet exciton
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Published：2024-09-23
Original Articles
- Abstract：We give a brief overview of the electric-field induced optical second-harmonic generation (EFISHG) technique that has been used to study the complex behaviors of organic-based devices. By analyzing EFISHG images of organic field-effect transistors, the in-plane two-dimensional distribution of the electric field in the channel can be evaluated. The susceptibility tensor of the organic semiconductor layer and the polarization of the incident light are considered to determine the electric field distribution. EFISHG imaging can effectively evaluate the distribution of the vectorial electric field in organic films by selecting a light polarization. With the time-resolved technique, measurement of the electric field originating from the injected carriers allows direct probing of the carrier motion under device operation, because the transient change of the electric field distribution reflects the carrier motion. Some applications of the EFISHG technique to organic electronic devices are reviewed.Keywords：electric field;optical second-harmonic generation;semiconductor device
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Published：2024-09-23
Review
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