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    Vol. 5 , Issue 3 , 2016

      Original Articles

    • Peter P Vasil'ev,Richard V Penty,Ian H White
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.86
      Abstract:This paper reports the observation of ultra-superluminal pulse propagation in multiple-contact semiconductor heterostructures in a superradiant emission regime, and shows definitively that it is a different class of emission from conventional spontaneous or stimulated emission. Coherent population gratings induced in the semiconductor medium under strong electrical pumping have been shown to cause a major decrease of the group refractive index, in the range of 5–40%. This decrease is much greater than that caused by conventional carrier depletion or chirp mechanisms. The decrease in refractive index in turn causes faster-than-c propagation of femtosecond pulses. The measurement also proves the existence of coherent amplification of electromagnetic pulses in semiconductors at room temperature, the coherence being strongly enhanced by interactions of the light with coherent transient gratings locked to carrier gratings. This pulse-generation technique is anticipated to have great potential in applications where highly coherent femtosecond optical pulses must be generated on demand.  
      Keywords:phase transition;population grating;superradiance;superluminal propagation   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Louise Jumpertz,Kevin Schires,Mathieu Carras,Marc Sciamanna,Frédéric Grillot
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.88
      Abstract:The onset of nonlinear dynamics and chaos is evidenced in a mid-infrared distributed feedback quantum cascade laser both in the temporal and frequency domains. As opposed to the commonly observed route to chaos in semiconductor lasers, which involves undamping of the laser relaxation oscillations, quantum cascade lasers first exhibit regular self-pulsation at the external cavity frequency before entering into a chaotic low-frequency fluctuation regime. The bifurcation sequence, similar to that already observed in class A gas lasers under optical feedback, results from the fast carrier relaxation dynamics occurring in quantum cascade lasers, as confirmed by numerical simulations. Such chaotic behavior can impact various practical applications including spectroscopy, which requires stable single-mode operation. It also allows the development of novel mid-infrared high-power chaotic light sources, thus enabling secure free-space high bit-rate optical communications based on chaos synchronization.  
      Keywords:chaos;nonlinear dynamics;optical feedback;quantum cascade laser   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Pau Mestres,Johann Berthelot,Srdjan S Aćimović,Romain Quidant
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.92
      Abstract:Noninvasive and ultra-accurate optical manipulation of nanometer objects has recently gained interest as a powerful tool in nanotechnology and biophysics. Self-induced back-action (SIBA) trapping in nano-optical cavities has the unique potential for trapping and manipulating nanometer-sized objects under low optical intensities. However, thus far, the existence of the SIBA effect has been shown only indirectly via its enhanced trapping performances. In this article, we present the first time direct experimental evidence of the self-reconfiguration of the optical potential that is experienced by a nanoparticle trapped in a plasmonic nanocavity. Our observations enable us to gain further understanding of the SIBA mechanism and to determine the optimal conditions for boosting the performances of SIBA-based nano-optical tweezers.  
      Keywords:nanophotonics;optomechanics;optical trapping;plasmonics   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Ping Yu,Jianxiong Li,Chengchun Tang,Hua Cheng,Zhaocheng Liu,Zhancheng Li,Zhe Liu,Changzhi Gu,Junjie Li,Shuqi Chen,Jianguo Tian
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.96
      Abstract:Optical activity is the rotation of the plane of linearly polarized light along the propagation direction as the light travels through optically active materials. In existing methods, the strength of the optical activity is determined by the chirality of the materials, which is difficult to control quantitatively. Here we numerically and experimentally investigated an alternative approach to realize and control the optical activity with non-chiral plasmonic metasurfaces. Through judicious design of the structural units of the metasurfaces, the right and left circular polarization components of the linearly polarized light have different phase retardations after transmitting through the metasurfaces, leading to large optical activity. Moreover, the strength of the optical activity can be easily and accurately tuned by directly adjusting the phase difference. The proposed approach based on non-chiral plasmonic metasurfaces exhibits large optical activity with a high controllable degree of freedom, which may provide more possibilities for applications in photonics.  
      Keywords:metasurfaces;optical activity;surface plasmon polaritons   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Jian-Long Liu,Wei-Min Ye,Shuang Zhang
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.94
      Abstract:Pseudospin has an important role in understanding many interesting physical phenomena that are associated with two-dimensional materials such as graphene. Pseudospin has been proposed to be directly related to angular momentum, and orbital angular momentum was recently experimentally demonstrated to be an intrinsic property of pseudospin in a photonic honeycomb lattice. However, in photonics, the interaction between spin and pseudospin for light has not been investigated. In this letter, we propose that in an optical analog of staggered graphene (that is, a photonic honeycomb lattice waveguide with in-plane inversion symmetry breaking), the pseudospin mode can strongly couple to the spin of an optical beam that is incident in certain directions. The spin–pseudospin coupling that is caused by the spin–orbit conversion in the scattering process induces a strong optical chiral effect for the transmitted optical beam. Spin–pseudospin coupling of light opens the door to the design of pseudospin-mediated spin or valley-selective photonic devices.  
      Keywords:angular momentum;Chirality;pseudospin;staggered optical graphene   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Vittorio Bianco,Pasquale Memmolo,Melania Paturzo,Andrea Finizio,Bahram Javidi,Pietro Ferraro
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.142
      Abstract:One of the main drawbacks of Digital Holography (DH) is the coherent nature of the light source, which severely corrupts the quality of holographic reconstructions. Although numerous techniques to reduce noise in DH have provided good results, holographic noise suppression remains a challenging task. We propose a novel framework that combines the concepts of encoding multiple uncorrelated digital holograms, block grouping and collaborative filtering to achieve quasi noise-free DH reconstructions. The optimized joint action of these different image-denoising methods permits the removal of up to 98% of the noise while preserving the image contrast. The resulting quality of the hologram reconstructions is comparable to the quality achievable with non-coherent techniques and far beyond the current state of art in DH. Experimental validation is provided for both single-wavelength and multi-wavelength DH, and a comparison with the most used holographic denoising methods is performed.  
      Keywords:coherent noise reduction;digital holography;image reconstruction techniques;multiplex holography;noise in imaging systems;speckle   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Jian-Yong Hu,Bo Yu,Ming-Yong Jing,Lian-Tuan Xiao,Suo-Tang Jia,Guo-Qing Qin,Gui-Lu Long
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.144
      Abstract:Quantum secure direct communication is an important mode of quantum communication in which secret messages are securely communicated directly over a quantum channel. Quantum secure direct communication is also a basic cryptographic primitive for constructing other quantum communication tasks, such as quantum authentication and quantum dialog. Here, we report the first experimental demonstration of quantum secure direct communication based on the DL04 protocol and equipped with single-photon frequency coding that explicitly demonstrated block transmission. In our experiment, we provided 16 different frequency channels, equivalent to a nibble of four-bit binary numbers for direct information transmission. The experiment firmly demonstrated the feasibility of quantum secure direct communication in the presence of noise and loss.  
      Keywords:block transmission;channel loss and noise;DL04 protocol;quantum secure direct communication;single-photon frequency coding   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Di Li,Dong Han,Song-Nan Qu,Lei Liu,Peng-Tao Jing,Ding Zhou,Wen-Yu Ji,Xiao-Yun Wang,Tong-Fei Zhang,De-Zhen Shen
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.120
      Abstract:A novel concept and approach to engineering carbon nanodots (CNDs) were explored to overcome the limited light absorption of CNDs in low-energy spectral regions. In this work, we constructed a novel type of supra-CND by the assembly of surface charge-confined CNDs through possible electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding. The resulting supra-CNDs are the first to feature a strong, well-defined absorption band in the visible to near-infrared (NIR) range and to exhibit effective NIR photothermal conversion performance with high photothermal conversion efficiency in excess of 50%.  
      Keywords:assembly;carbon nanodots;NIR photothermal conversion;supra-(carbon nanodots);visible to NIR absorption band   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Takumi Sannomiya,Hikaru Saito,Juliane Junesch,Naoki Yamamoto
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.146
      Abstract:Control of the optical properties of nano-plasmonic structures is essential for next-generation optical circuits and high-throughput biosensing platforms. Realization of such nano-optical devices requires optical couplings of various nanostructured elements and field confinement at the nanoscale. In particular, symmetric coupling modes, also referred to as dark modes, have recently received considerable attention because these modes can confine light energy to small spaces. Although the coupling behavior of plasmonic nanoparticles has been relatively well studied, couplings of inverse structures, that is, holes and pores, remain partially unexplored. Even for the most fundamental coupling system of two dipolar holes, comparison of the symmetric and anti-symmetric coupling modes has not been performed. Here we present, for the first time, a systematic study of the symmetric and anti-symmetric coupling of nanopore pairs using cathodoluminescence by scanning transmission electron microscopy and electromagnetic simulation. The symmetric coupling mode, approximated as a pair of facing dipoles, is observed at a lower energy than that of the anti-symmetric coupling mode, indicating that the facing dipoles attract each other. The anti-symmetric coupling mode splits into the inner- and outer-edge localized modes as the coupling distance decreases. These coupling behaviors cannot be fully explained as inverses of coupled disks. Symmetric and anti-symmetric coupling modes are also observed in a short-range ordered pore array, where one pore supports multiple local resonance modes, depending on the distance to the neighboring pore. Accessibility to the observed symmetric modes by far field is also discussed, which is important for nanophotonic device applications.  
      Keywords:cathodoluminescence;plasmonic nanopore;short-range order;surface plasmon;transmission electron microscopy   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Yan-Jie Liang,Feng Liu,Ya-Fei Chen,Xiao-Jun Wang,Kang-Ning Sun,Zhengwei Pan
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.124
      Abstract:The trivalent ytterbium (Yb3+) ion has been extensively used as an emitter in short-wave infrared (SWIR) lasers, a sensitizer to activate other lanthanide ions for up-conversion luminescence, and a spectral converter in Ln3+-Yb3+ doubly doped quantum cutting phosphors. Here we report a new function of the Yb3+ ion—as an efficient emitting center for SWIR persistent luminescence. We have developed the first real SWIR persistent phosphor, MgGeO3: Yb3+, which exhibits very-long persistent luminescence at around 1000 nm for longer than 100 h. The MgGeO3: Yb3+ phosphor is spectrally transparent to visible/near-infrared light (~400–900 nm) and is a promising ultraviolet-to-SWIR spectral convertor. The MgGeO3: Yb3+ phosphor also exhibits a photostimulated persistent luminescence capability, where the SWIR persistent emission in an ultraviolet-light pre-irradiated sample can be rejuvenated by low-energy light (white or red light) stimulation. The MgGeO3: Yb3+ phosphor is expected to have promising applications in biomedical imaging, night-vision surveillance and photovoltaics.  
      Keywords:persistent luminescence;photostimulation;short-wave infrared (SWIR);ytterbium ions (Yb3+)   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Simonas Krotkus,Daniel Kasemann,Simone Lenk,Karl Leo,Sebastian Reineke
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.121
      Abstract:White organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are promising candidates for future solid-state lighting applications and backplane illumination in large-area displays. One very specific feature of OLEDs, which is currently gaining momentum, is that they can enable tunable white light emission. This feature is conventionally realized either through the vertical stacking of independent OLEDs emitting different colors or in lateral arrangement of OLEDs. The vertical design is optically difficult to optimize and often results in efficiency compromises between the units. In contrast, the lateral concept introduces severe area losses to dark regions between the subunits, which requires a significantly larger overall device area to achieve equal brightness. Here we demonstrate a color-tunable, two-color OLED device realized by side-by-side alignment of yellow and blue p-i-n OLEDs structured down to 20 μm by a simple and up-scalable orthogonal photolithography technique. This layout eliminates the problems of conventional lateral approaches by utilizing all area for light emission. The corresponding emission of the photo-patterned two-unit OLED can be tuned over a wide range from yellow to white to blue colors. The independent control of the different units allows the desired overall spectrum to be set at any given brightness level. Operated as a white light source, the microstructured OLED reaches a luminous efficacy of 13 lm W−1 at 1000 cd m−2 without an additional light outcoupling enhancement and reaches a color rendering index of 68 when operated near the color point E. Finally, we demonstrate an improved device lifetime by means of size variation of the subunits.  
      Keywords:color tuning;hydrofluoroethers;orthogonal photolithography;orthogonal processing;white organic light-emitting diodes   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Liang Gao,Chao Chen,Kai Zeng,Cong Ge,Dun Yang,Haisheng Song,Jiang Tang
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.126
      Abstract:Photodetectors convert photons into current or voltage outputs and are thus widely used for spectroscopy, imaging and sensing. Traditional photodetectors generally show a consistent-polarity response to incident photons within their broadband responsive spectrum. Here we introduced a new type of photodetector employing SnS2 nanosheets sensitized with PbS colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) that are not only sensitive (~105 A W−1) and broadband (300–1000 nm) but also spectrally distinctive, that is, show distinctive (positive or negative) photoresponse toward incident photons of different wavelengths. A careful mechanism study revealed illumination-modulated Schottky contacts between SnS2 nanosheets and Au electrodes, altering the photoresponse polarity toward incident photons of different wavelengths. Finally, we applied our SnS2 nanosheet/PbS CQDs hybrid photodetector to differentiate the color temperature of emission from a series of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), showcasing the unique application of our novel photodetectors.  
      Keywords:PbS colloidal quantum dot;photodetector;SnS2 nanosheet;spectrally distinctive   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Huseyin R Seren,Jingdi Zhang,George R Keiser,Scott J Maddox,Xiaoguang Zhao,Kebin Fan,Seth R Bank,Xin Zhang,Richard D Averitt
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.78
      Abstract:The development of responsive metamaterials has enabled the realization of compact tunable photonic devices capable of manipulating the amplitude, polarization, wave vector and frequency of light. Integration of semiconductors into the active regions of metallic resonators is a proven approach for creating nonlinear metamaterials through optoelectronic control of the semiconductor carrier density. Metal-free subwavelength resonant semiconductor structures offer an alternative approach to create dynamic metamaterials. We present InAs plasmonic disk arrays as a viable resonant metamaterial at terahertz frequencies. Importantly, InAs plasmonic disks exhibit a strong nonlinear response arising from electric field-induced intervalley scattering, resulting in a reduced carrier mobility thereby damping the plasmonic response. We demonstrate nonlinear perfect absorbers configured as either optical limiters or saturable absorbers, including flexible nonlinear absorbers achieved by transferring the disks to polyimide films. Nonlinear plasmonic metamaterials show potential for use in ultrafast terahertz (THz) optics and for passive protection of sensitive electromagnetic devices.  
      Keywords:nonlinear absorbers;nonlinear metamaterials;plasmonic semiconductor metamaterials;terahertz metamaterials;transfer printing   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Sebastian Petsch,Stefan Schuhladen,Lucas Dreesen,Hans Zappe
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.68
      Abstract:We demonstrate a tunable imaging system based on the functionality of the mammalian eye using soft-matter micro-optical components. Inspired by the structure of the eye, as well as by the means through which nature tunes its optical behavior, we show that the technologies of microsystems engineering and micro-optics may be used to realize a technical imaging system whose biomimetic functionality is entirely distinct from that of conventional optics. The engineered eyeball integrates a deformable elastomeric refractive structure whose shape is mechanically controlled through application of strain using liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators; two forms of tunable iris, one based on optofluidics and the other on LCEs with embedded heaters; a fixed lens arrangement; and a commercial imaging sensor chip. The complete microsystem, optimized to yield optical characteristics close to those of the human eye, represents the first fully functional, soft-matter-based tunable single-aperture eye-like imager.  
      Keywords:imaging systems;liquid-crystal elastomers;micro-optics;optofluidics   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Thomas Dehoux,Kenichi Ishikawa,Paul H Otsuka,Motonobu Tomoda,Osamu Matsuda,Masazumi Fujiwara,Shigeki Takeuchi,Istvan A Veres,Vitalyi E Gusev,Oliver B Wright
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.82
      Abstract:By means of an ultrafast optical technique, we track focused gigahertz coherent phonon pulses in objects down to sub-micron in size. Infrared light pulses illuminating the surface of a single metal-coated silica fibre generate longitudinal-phonon wave packets. Reflection of visible probe light pulses from the fibre surface allows the vibrational modes of the fibre to be detected, and Brillouin optical scattering of partially transmitted light pulses allows the acoustic wavefronts inside the transparent fibre to be continuously monitored. We thereby probe acoustic focusing in the time domain resulting from generation at the curved fibre surface. An analytical model, supported by three-dimensional simulations, suggests that we have followed the focusing of the acoustic beam down to a ~150-nm diameter waist inside the fibre. This work significantly narrows the lateral resolution for focusing of picosecond acoustic pulses, normally limited by the diffraction limit of focused optical pulses to ~1 μm, and thereby opens up a new range of possibilities including nanoscale acoustic microscopy and nanoscale computed tomography.  
      Keywords:acoustic–optic;fibre;optical scattering;picosecond;ultrasonics   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Isil Tekeli,Isabelle Aujard,Xavier Trepat,Ludovic Jullien,Angel Raya,Dobryna Zalvidea
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.84
      Abstract:Genetic labeling techniques allow for noninvasive lineage tracing of cells in vivo. Two-photon inducible activators provide spatial resolution for superficial cells, but labeling cells located deep within tissues is precluded by scattering of the far-red illumination required for two-photon photolysis. Three-photon illumination has been shown to overcome the limitations of two-photon microscopy for in vivo imaging of deep structures, but whether it can be used for photoactivation remains to be tested. Here we show, both theoretically and experimentally, that three-photon illumination overcomes scattering problems by combining longer wavelength excitation with high uncaging three-photon cross-section molecules. We prospectively labeled heart muscle cells in zebrafish embryos and found permanent labeling in their progeny in adult animals with negligible tissue damage. This technique allows for a noninvasive genetic manipulation in vivo with spatial, temporal and cell-type specificity, and may have wide applicability in experimental biology.  
      Keywords:multi-photon microscopy;photoactivation;three-photon microscopy;zebrafish   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Guang Hui Yuan,Stefano Vezzoli,Charles Altuzarra,Edward TF Rogers,Christophe Couteau,Cesare Soci,Nikolay I Zheludev
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.127
      Abstract:Super-oscillation is a counterintuitive phenomenon describing localized fast variations of functions and fields that happen at frequencies higher than the highest Fourier component of their spectra. The physical implications of this effect have been studied in information theory and optics of classical fields, and have been used in super-resolution imaging. As a general phenomenon of wave dynamics, super-oscillations have also been predicted to exist in quantum wavefunctions. Here we report the experimental demonstration of super-oscillatory behavior of a single-quantum object, a photon. The super-oscillatory behavior is demonstrated by tight localization of the photon wavefunction after focusing with an appropriately designed slit mask to create an interference pattern with a sub-diffraction hotspot (~0.45 λ). Such quantum super-oscillation can be used for low-intensity far-field super-resolution imaging techniques even down to single-photon counting regime, which would be of interest to quantum physics and non-invasive and label-free biological studies.  
      Keywords:energy backflow;single-photon wavefunction;super-oscillation;super-resolution   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Mervin Zhao,Ziliang Ye,Ryuji Suzuki,Yu Ye,Hanyu Zhu,Jun Xiao,Yuan Wang,Yoshihiro Iwasa,Xiang Zhang
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.131
      Abstract:Second-harmonic generation (SHG) has found extensive applications from hand-held laser pointers to spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Recently, some cleavable van der Waals (vdW) crystals have shown SHG arising from a single atomic layer, where the SH light elucidated important information such as the grain boundaries and electronic structure in these ultra-thin materials. However, despite the inversion asymmetry of the single layer, the typical crystal stacking restores inversion symmetry for even numbers of layers leading to an oscillatory SH response, drastically reducing the applicability of vdW crystals such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Here, we probe the SHG generated from the noncentrosymmetric 3R crystal phase of MoS2. We experimentally observed quadratic dependence of second-harmonic intensity on layer number as a result of atomically phase-matched nonlinear dipoles in layers of the 3R crystal that constructively interfere. By studying the layer evolution of the A and B excitonic transitions in 3R-MoS2 using SHG spectroscopy, we also found distinct electronic structure differences arising from the crystal structure and the dramatic effect of symmetry and layer stacking on the nonlinear properties of these atomic crystals. The constructive nature of the SHG in this 2D crystal provides a platform to reliably develop atomically flat and controllably thin nonlinear media.  
      Keywords:atomically thin;phase-matching;second-harmonic generation;3R-MoS2   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Xusan Yang,Hao Xie,Eric Alonas,Yujia Liu,Xuanze Chen,Philip J Santangelo,Qiushi Ren,Peng Xi,Dayong Jin
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.134
      Abstract:Axial excitation confinement beyond the diffraction limit is crucial to the development of next-generation, super-resolution microscopy. STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) nanoscopy offers lateral super-resolution using a donut-beam depletion, but its axial resolution is still over 500 nm. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy is widely used for single-molecule localization, but its ability to detect molecules is limited to within the evanescent field of ~100 nm from the cell attachment surface. We find here that the axial thickness of the point spread function (PSF) during confocal excitation can be easily improved to 110 nm by replacing the microscopy slide with a mirror. The interference of the local electromagnetic field confined the confocal PSF to a 110-nm spot axially, which enables axial super-resolution with all laser-scanning microscopes. Axial sectioning can be obtained with wavelength modulation or by controlling the spacer between the mirror and the specimen. With no additional complexity, the mirror-assisted excitation confinement enhanced the axial resolution six-fold and the lateral resolution two-fold for STED, which together achieved 19-nm resolution to resolve the inner rim of a nuclear pore complex and to discriminate the contents of 120 nm viral filaments. The ability to increase the lateral resolution and decrease the thickness of an axial section using mirror-enhanced STED without increasing the laser power is of great importance for imaging biological specimens, which cannot tolerate high laser power.  
      Keywords:confocal;interference;point spread function;super-resolution   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Kui-Chao Liu,Zhen-Yi Zhang,Chong-Xin Shan,Zhi-Qing Feng,Jia-Su Li,Chun-Lei Song,Ya-Nan Bao,Xiao-Hui Qi,Bin Dong
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.136
      Abstract:A Ln3+-doped (Yb3+, Tm3+ or Yb3+, Er3+ co-doped) NaYF4 nanoparticle/polystyrene hybrid fibrous membrane (HFM) was fabricated using an electrospinning technique. The HFM shows upconversion luminescence (UCL), flexibility, superhydrophobicity and processability. The UCL membrane can be used as a fluorescence sensor to detect bioinformation from a single water droplet (~10 μl). Based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer, the detection limits of this sensor can reach 1 and 10 ppb for the biomolecule, avidin, and the dye molecule, Rhodamine B, respectively, which are superior to most of the fluorescence sensors reported in previous works. After the fluorescence detection, the target droplet was easily removed without residues on the UCL membrane surface due to its superhydrophobic property, which exhibits an excellent recyclability that cannot be achieved by traditional liquid-based detection systems.  
      Keywords:electrospinning;fibrous membrane;fluorescence resonance energy transfer;fluorescence sensor;superhydrophobic surface;upconversion luminescence   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Bai-Quan Liu,Lei Wang,Dong-Yu Gao,Jian-Hua Zou,Hong-Long Ning,Jun-Biao Peng,Yong Cao
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.137
      Abstract:Numerous hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) have recently been developed. However, their efficiency is not comparable to that of their best all-phosphorescent WOLED counterparts, and the structures are usually complicated, restricting their further development. Herein, a novel concept is used to achieve a hybrid WOLED, whose crucial feature is the exploitation of double multifunctional blue emitting layers. The three-organic-layer WOLED exhibits a total efficiency of 89.3 and 65.1 lm W–1 at 100 and 1000 cd m–2, respectively, making it the most efficient hybrid WOLED reported in the literature so far. Significantly, the efficiencies of hybrid WOLEDs have, for the first time, been demonstrated to be comparable to those of the best all-phosphorescent WOLEDs. In addition, the device exhibits the lowest voltages among hybrid WOLEDs (i.e., 2.4, 2.7 and 3.1 V for 1, 100 and 1000 cd m–2, respectively). Such remarkable performance achieved from such an ultrasimplified structure opens a new path toward low-cost commercialization.  
      Keywords:efficiency;efficiency roll-off;hybrid;structure;white organic light-emitting diodes   
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      Published:2024-09-23

      Review

    • Gabriel Lozano,Said RK Rodriguez,Marc A Verschuuren,Jaime Gómez Rivas
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.80
      Abstract:Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are driving a shift toward energy-efficient illumination. Nonetheless, modifying the emission intensities, colors and directionalities of LEDs in specific ways remains a challenge often tackled by incorporating secondary optical components. Metallic nanostructures supporting plasmonic resonances are an interesting alternative to this approach due to their strong light–matter interaction, which facilitates control over light emission without requiring external secondary optical components. This review discusses new methods that enhance the efficiencies of LEDs using nanostructured metals. This is an emerging field that incorporates physics, materials science, device technology and industry. First, we provide a general overview of state-of-the-art LED lighting, discussing the main characteristics required of both quantum wells and color converters to efficiently generate white light. Then, we discuss the main challenges in this field as well as the potential of metallic nanostructures to circumvent them. We review several of the most relevant demonstrations of LEDs in combination with metallic nanostructures, which have resulted in light-emitting devices with improved performance. We also highlight a few recent studies in applied plasmonics that, although exploratory and eminently fundamental, may lead to new solutions in illumination.  
      Keywords:light-emitting diodes;nanophotonics;plasmonics;solid-state lighting   
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      Published:2024-09-23
    • Mangirdas Malinauskas,Albertas Žukauskas,Satoshi Hasegawa,Yoshio Hayasaki,Vygantas Mizeikis,Ričardas Buividas,Saulius Juodkazis
      Vol. 5, Issue 3, (2016) DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2016.133
      Abstract:Processing of materials by ultrashort laser pulses has evolved significantly over the last decade and is starting to reveal its scientific, technological and industrial potential. In ultrafast laser manufacturing, optical energy of tightly focused femtosecond or picosecond laser pulses can be delivered to precisely defined positions in the bulk of materials via two-/multi-photon excitation on a timescale much faster than thermal energy exchange between photoexcited electrons and lattice ions. Control of photo-ionization and thermal processes with the highest precision, inducing local photomodification in sub-100-nm-sized regions has been achieved. State-of-the-art ultrashort laser processing techniques exploit high 0.1–1 μm spatial resolution and almost unrestricted three-dimensional structuring capability. Adjustable pulse duration, spatiotemporal chirp, phase front tilt and polarization allow control of photomodification via uniquely wide parameter space. Mature opto-electrical/mechanical technologies have enabled laser processing speeds approaching meters-per-second, leading to a fast lab-to-fab transfer. The key aspects and latest achievements are reviewed with an emphasis on the fundamental relation between spatial resolution and total fabrication throughput. Emerging biomedical applications implementing micrometer feature precision over centimeter-scale scaffolds and photonic wire bonding in telecommunications are highlighted.  
      Keywords:biomedical applications;direct laser writing;functional microdevices;material processing;nonlinear light–matter interaction;3D structuring;ultrashort laser pulses   
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      Published:2024-09-23
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