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    Vol. 12 , Issue 10 , 2023

      News & Views

    • Dang Du Nguyen,Inki Kim
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 1987-1989(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01239-7
      Abstract:Infrared chiral plasmonic metamaterials based on perpendicularly positioned nanorods enable surface-enhanced vibrational circular dichroism for more selective and sensitive identification of protein fingerprints and enantioselective sensing, which creates a new pathway for chemical or biomedical applications.  
        
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      Published:2024-09-18
    • Jianchen Zi,Hai Bi
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 1990-1991(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01245-9
      Abstract:An LED-integrated excitation cube (LEC) was designed to address the limitations of conventional fluorescence lamps. The LEC has a decentralized structure, high optical power density, and efficient illumination. The optical efficiency of LECs is 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than that of mercury lamps, enabling high-quality fluorescence imaging with spectral coverage from UV to red. LECs can be easily installed on commercial fluorescence microscopes by replacing conventional fluorescence filter cubes, and a built-in LEC driver can identify the types of LEDs in different spectral bands to adopt optimal operating conditions.  
        
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    • Malte C. Kaluza
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 1992-1994(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01269-1
      Abstract:A novel diagnostic method has been used to gain deeper insight into the transverse structure and its evolution of electron pulses generated from a laser-wakefield accelerator.  
        
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    • Joo Sung Kim,Tae-Woo Lee
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 1995-1997(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01242-y
      Abstract:Perovskite light emitters can realize bright, stable and efficient light-emitting diodes through a molecular design strategy that enables strong endurance on high-current operation.  
        
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    • Lingyan Shi,Yajuan Li,Zhi Li
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 1998-2000(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01271-7
      Abstract:A new approach for early detection of multiple cancers is presented by integrating SERS spectroscopy of serum molecular fingerprints and machine learning.  
        
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    • Alina Karabchevsky
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2001-2002(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01280-6
      Abstract:A reconfigurable photonic integrated circuit was developed to operate as an ultra-broadband spectrometer on SiN chip resolving spectral lines with picometer precision and thermal stability of ±2 ℃.  
        
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    • Fu Feng,Xiaocong Yuan
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2003-2005(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01281-5
      Abstract:The burgeoning growth of structured light has opened up new possibilities for harnessing the spatiotemporal coupling effects in light. Optical spatiotemporal vortices, as a subset of spatiotemporal light, have emerged as a focal point of recent research, owing to their distinctive characteristics and vast range for application. This unique structured light will endow photons with a new degree of freedom, promising to revolutionize researchers' understanding of photonics. Conducting thorough research on optical spatiotemporal vortices will establish a solid foundation for the development of innovative physical mechanisms and advanced applications in photonics.  
        
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      Research Highlight

    • Daoxin Dai
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2006(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01252-w
        
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      Light People

    • Siqiu Guo
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2007-2014(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01263-7
      Abstract:My first encounter with Prof. Fan Wang left a profound impression on me. I felt that he was exactly the gentle and courteous scholar depicted in books, well-read in poetry and literature, and exceptionally talented. Through my interactions with Prof. Fan Wang, I deeply sensed his passion for academia and pursuit of knowledge, as well as his warm hospitality, kindness, and gentle demeanor. His thinking is profound and broad, capable of examining issues from various perspectives, and providing inspiration. Prof. Fan Wang is a leading young scientist who actively engages in various academic activities, concerns himself with cutting-edge technological issues, and dedicates himself to overcoming research challenges that can drive advancements and developments in optoelectronics, biophotonics and nanomaterials. Prof. Fan Wang's talent, knowledge, character, and sense of family responsibility all fill me with admiration and respect. Now, let's step into the world of Light People Prof. Fan Wang and together, appreciate the brilliance of his carefree and extraordinary life.  
        
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    • Shuai Ding
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2015-2022(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01261-9
      Abstract:He is an explorer in micro-nano manufacturing, an adventurer in interdisciplinary studies, an impassioned educator; an ever-curious reader, a lover of sports, and a coffee connoisseur. In this episode of Light People Interview, we are honored to have Prof. Huigao Duan from Hunan University share his insights on micro-nano manufacturing, planar optics, teaching, nurturing, reading, growing up, and hobbies. "A man with a great smile", "a good teacher, " and "an interesting soul" are just some of the descriptions that came through my mind during my conversation with him. Today, let's get to know this outstanding scholar who pursues "interesting and useful, extreme and ultimate" in micro-nano manufacturing and optics.  
        
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      Correspondence

    • Michael V. Berry
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2023-2026(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01270-8
      Abstract:In modern optics, light can be described at different levels: as rays, as scalar waves, as vector fields, and as quantum fields. In the first three levels, there are singularities—characteristic features, useful in interpreting phenomena at that level. In geometrical optics, the singularities are ray caustics; in scalar wave optics, they are phase singularities (=wave dislocations= wave vortices = nodal manifolds); in vector waves, they are singularities where the polarisation of light is purely linear or purely circular. The singularities at each level are dissolved at the next level. Similar singularities occur in all waves, not just light.  
        
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      Reviews

    • Piotr Martyniuk,Peng Wang,Antoni Rogalski,Yue Gu,Ruiqi Jiang,Fang Wang,Weida Hu
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2027-2052(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01259-3
      Abstract:Avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have drawn huge interest in recent years and have been extensively used in a range of fields including the most important one—optical communication systems due to their time responses and high sensitivities. This article shows the evolution and the recent development of AⅢBⅤ, AⅡBⅥ, and potential alternatives to formerly mentioned—"third wave" superlattices (SL) and two-dimensional (2D) materials infrared (IR) APDs. In the beginning, the APDs fundamental operating principle is demonstrated together with progress in architecture. It is shown that the APDs evolution has moved the device's performance towards higher bandwidths, lower noise, and higher gain-bandwidth products. The material properties to reach both high gain and low excess noise for devices operating in different wavelength ranges were also considered showing the future progress and the research direction. More attention was paid to advances in AⅢBⅤ APDs, such as AlInAsSb, which may be used in future optical communications, type-Ⅱ superlattice (T2SLs, "Ga-based" and "Ga-free"), and 2D materials-based IR APDs. The latter—atomically thin 2D materials exhibit huge potential in APDs and could be considered as an alternative material to the well-known, sophisticated, and developed AⅢBⅤ APD technologies to include single-photon detection mode. That is related to the fact that conventional bulk materials APDs' performance is restricted by reasonably high dark currents. One approach to resolve that problem seems to be implementing low-dimensional materials and structures as the APDs' active regions. The Schottky barrier and atomic level thicknesses lead to the 2D APD dark current significant suppression. What is more, APDs can operate within visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR)/mid-wavelength infrared range (MWIR), with a responsivity ~80 A/W, external quantum efficiency ~24.8%, gain ~105 for MWIR [wavelength, λ = 4 μm, temperature, T = 10–180 K, Black Phosphorous (BP)/InSe APD]. It is believed that the 2D APD could prove themselves to be an alternative providing a viable method for device fabrication with simultaneous high-performance—sensitivity and low excess noise.  
        
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    • Xurong Li,Jingxi Li,Yuhang Li,Aydogan Ozcan,Mona Jarrahi
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2053-2073(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01278-0
      Abstract:Many exciting terahertz imaging applications, such as non-destructive evaluation, biomedical diagnosis, and security screening, have been historically limited in practical usage due to the raster-scanning requirement of imaging systems, which impose very low imaging speeds. However, recent advancements in terahertz imaging systems have greatly increased the imaging throughput and brought the promising potential of terahertz radiation from research laboratories closer to real-world applications. Here, we review the development of terahertz imaging technologies from both hardware and computational imaging perspectives. We introduce and compare different types of hardware enabling frequency-domain and time-domain imaging using various thermal, photon, and field image sensor arrays. We discuss how different imaging hardware and computational imaging algorithms provide opportunities for capturing time-of-flight, spectroscopic, phase, and intensity image data at high throughputs. Furthermore, the new prospects and challenges for the development of future high-throughput terahertz imaging systems are briefly introduced.  
        
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      Original Articles

    • Emad Alkhazraji,Weng W. Chow,Frédéric Grillot,John E. Bowers,Yating Wan
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2074-2083(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01172-9
      Abstract:Stable laser emission with narrow linewidth is of critical importance in many applications, including coherent communications, LIDAR, and remote sensing. In this work, the physics underlying spectral narrowing of self-injection-locked on-chip lasers to Hz-level lasing linewidth is investigated using a composite-cavity structure. Heterogeneously integrated Ⅲ–Ⅴ/SiN lasers operating with quantum-dot and quantum-well active regions are analyzed with a focus on the effects of carrier quantum confinement. The intrinsic differences are associated with gain saturation and carrier-induced refractive index, which are directly connected with 0- and 2-dimensional carrier densities of states. Results from parametric studies are presented for tradeoffs involved with tailoring the linewidth, output power, and injection current for different device configurations. Though both quantum-well and quantum-dot devices show similar linewidth-narrowing capabilities, the former emits at a higher optical power in the self-injection-locked state, while the latter is more energy-efficient. Lastly, a multi-objective optimization analysis is provided to optimize the operation and design parameters. For the quantum-well laser, minimizing the number of quantum-well layers is found to decrease the threshold current without significantly reducing the output power. For the quantum-dot laser, increasing the quantum-dot layers or density in each layer increases the output power without significantly increasing the threshold current. These findings serve to guide more detailed parametric studies to produce timely results for engineering design.  
        
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    • Hongyu Liu,Lisong Yan,Hongshan Chen,Xin Liu,Heyan Liu,Soo Hoon Chew,Alexander Gliserin,Qing Wang,Jinwei Zhang
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2084-2096(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01241-z
      Abstract:Femtosecond vortex beams are of great scientific and practical interest because of their unique phase properties in both the longitudinal and transverse modes, enabling multi-dimensional quantum control of light fields. Until now, generating femtosecond vortex beams for applications that simultaneously require ultrashort pulse duration, high power, high vortex order, and a low cost and compact laser source has been very challenging due to the limitations of available generation methods. Here, we present a compact apparatus that generates powerful high-order femtosecond vortex pulses via astigmatic mode conversion from a mode-locked Hermite-Gaussian Yb: KGW laser oscillator in a hybrid scheme using both the translation-based off-axis pumping and the angle-based non-collinear pumping techniques. This hybrid scheme enables the generation of femtosecond vortices with a continuously tunable vortex order from the 1st up to the 30th order, which is the highest order obtained from any femtosecond vortex laser source based on a mode-locked oscillator. The average powers and pulse durations of all resulting vortex pulses are several hundred milliwatts and < 650 fs, respectively. In particular, 424-fs 11th-order vortex pulses have been achieved with an average power of 1.6 W, several times more powerful than state-of-the-art oscillator-based femtosecond vortex sources.  
        
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    • Meng Huang,Shiyu Sun,Than S. Saini,Qiang Fu,Lin Xu,Dong Wu,Haonan Ren,Li Shen,Thomas W. Hawkins,John Ballato,Anna C. Peacock
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2097-2104(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01250-y
      Abstract:Raman scattering provides a convenient mechanism to generate or amplify light at wavelengths where gain is not otherwise available. When combined with recent advancements in high-power fiber lasers that operate at wavelengths ~2 μm, great opportunities exist for Raman systems that extend operation further into the mid-infrared regime for applications such as gas sensing, spectroscopy, and biomedical analyses. Here, a thulium-doped fiber laser is used to demonstrate Raman emission and amplification from a highly nonlinear silicon core fiber (SCF) platform at wavelengths beyond 2 μm. The SCF has been tapered to obtain a micrometer-sized core diameter (~1.6 μm) over a length of 6 cm, with losses as low as 0.2 dB cm−1. A maximum on-off peak gain of 30.4 dB was obtained using 10 W of peak pump power at 1.99 μm, with simulations indicating that the gain could be increased to up to ~50 dB by extending the SCF length. Simulations also show that by exploiting the large Raman gain and extended mid-infrared transparency of the SCF, cascaded Raman processes could yield tunable systems with practical output powers across the 2–5 μm range.  
        
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    • Chenyi Wang,Jian Li,Xinxin Zhou,Zijia Cheng,Lijun Qiao,Xiaohui Xue,Mingjiang Zhang
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2105-2121(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01267-3
      Abstract:The physics principle of pulse flight positioning is the main theoretical bottleneck that restricts the spatial resolution of the existing Raman distributed optical fiber sensing scheme. Owing to the pulse width of tens of nanoseconds, the spatial resolution of the existing Raman distributed optical fiber sensing scheme with kilometer-level sensing distance is limited to the meter level, which seriously restricts the development of the optical time-domain reflection system. In this paper, a chaos laser is proposed in the context of the physical principle of the Raman scattering effect, and a novel theory of chaos Raman distributed optical fiber sensing scheme is presented. The scheme reveals the characteristics of chaos Raman scattering light excited by a chaotic signal on the sensing fiber. Further, the chaos time-domain compression demodulation mechanism between the temperature variation information and chaos correlation peak is demonstrated. Then, the position of the temperature variation signal is precisely located using the delay time of the chaos correlation peak combined with the chaos pulse flight time. Based on this novel optical sensing mechanism, an experiment with 10 cm spatial resolution and 1.4 km sensing distance was conducted, and the spatial resolution was found to be independent of the sensing distance. Within the limit of the existing spatial resolution theory, the spatial resolution of the proposed scheme is 50 times higher than that of the traditional scheme. The scheme also provides a new research direction for optical chaos and optical fiber sensing.  
        
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    • Po Lu,Ting Li,Min Lu,Cheng Ruan,Siqi Sun,Zhennan Wu,Yuan Zhong,Fujun Zhang,Yanbo Gao,Yaowei Huang,Yang Wang,Junhua Hu,Fengping Yan,Yu Zhang
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2122-2130(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01266-4
      Abstract:Considering the multi-functionalization of ligands, it is crucial for ligand molecular design to reveal the landscape of anchoring sites. Here, a typical triphenylphosphine (TPP) ligand was employed to explore its effect on the surface of CsPbI3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs). Except for the conventionally considered P-Pb coordination, an P-I supramolecular halogen bonding was also found on the NC surface. The coexistence of the above two types of bonding significantly increased the formation energy of iodine vacancy defects and improved the photoluminescence quantum yield of PNCs up to 93%. Meanwhile, the direct interaction of P and I enhanced the stability of the Pb-I octahedra and dramatically inhibited the migration of I ions. Furthermore, the introduction of additional benzene rings (2-(Diphenylphosphino)-biphenyl (DPB)) increased the delocalized properties of the PNC surface and significantly improved the charge transport of the PNCs. As a result, the DPB passivated CsPbI3 NCs based top-emitting LEDs exhibite a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 22.8%, a maximum luminance of 15, 204 cd m−2, and an extremely low-efficiency roll-off of 2.6% at the current density of 500 mA cm−2.  
        
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    • Jiawei Zuo,Jing Bai,Shinhyuk Choi,Ali Basiri,Xiahui Chen,Chao Wang,Yu Yao
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2131-2144(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01260-w
      Abstract:Polarimetric imaging has a wide range of applications for uncovering features invisible to human eyes and conventional imaging sensors. Chip-integrated, fast, cost-effective, and accurate full-Stokes polarimetric imaging sensors are highly desirable in many applications, which, however, remain elusive due to fundamental material limitations. Here we present a chip-integrated Metasurface-based Full-Stokes Polarimetric Imaging sensor (MetaPolarIm) realized by integrating an ultrathin (~600 nm) metasurface polarization filter array (MPFA) onto a visible imaging sensor with CMOS compatible fabrication processes. The MPFA is featured with broadband dielectric-metal hybrid chiral metasurfaces and double-layer nanograting polarizers. This chip-integrated polarimetric imaging sensor enables single-shot full-Stokes imaging (speed limited by the CMOS imager) with the most compact form factor, records high measurement accuracy, dual-color operation (green and red) and a field of view up to 40 degrees. MetaPolarIm holds great promise to enable transformative applications in autonomous vision, industry inspection, space exploration, medical imaging and diagnosis.  
        
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    • Li Long,Qiurong Deng,Rongtao Huang,Jiafang Li,Zhi-Yuan Li
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2145-2153(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01272-6
      Abstract:Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) offers a means to reach a fine spatial resolution down to ~ 10 nm, but unfortunately suffers from low transmission efficiency of optical signal. Here we present design and 3D printing of a fiber-bound polymer-core/gold-shell spiral-grating conical tip that allows for coupling the inner incident optical signal to the outer surface plasmon polariton with high efficiency, which then adiabatically transport, squeeze, and interfere constructively at the tip apex to form a plasmonic superfocusing spot with tiny size and high brightness. Numerical simulations and optical measurements show that this specially designed and fabricated tip has 10% transmission efficiency, ~ 5 nm spatial resolution, 20 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and 7000 pixels per second fast scanning speed. This high-resolution, high throughput, and high contrast SNOM would open up a new frontier of high spatial-temporal resolution detecting, imaging, and monitoring of single-molecule physical, chemical, and biological systems, and deepen our understanding of their basic science in the single-molecule level.  
        
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    • Huiqi Li,Zhaocong Wang,Lei Wang,Yang Tan,Feng Chen
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2154-2162(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01264-6
      Abstract:Whispering-gallery-mode microcavity lasers possess remarkable characteristics such as high Q factors and compact geometries, making them an essential element in the evolution of microlasers. However, solid-state whispering-gallery-mode lasers have previously suffered from low output power and limited optical conversion efficiency, hindering their applications. Here, we present the achievement of milliwatt laser emissions at a wavelength of 1.06 µm from a solid-state whispering-gallery-mode laser. To accomplish this, we construct a whispering-gallery-mode microcavity (with a diameter of 30 µm) using a crystalline Nd: YAG thin film obtained through carbon-implantation enhanced etching of a Nd: YAG crystal. This microcavity laser demonstrates a maximum output power of 1.12 mW and an optical conversion efficiency of 12.4%. Moreover, our unique eccentric microcavity design enables efficient coupling of free-space pump light, facilitating integration with a waveguide. This integration allowed for single-wavelength laser emission from the waveguide, achieving an output power of 0.5 mW and an optical conversion efficiency of 6.18%. Our work opens up new possibilities for advancing solid-state whispering-gallery-mode lasers, providing a viable option for compact photonic sources.  
        
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    • Yuan Luo,Quanbing Guo,Xinyi Deng,Sanjib Ghosh,Qing Zhang,Hongxing Xu,Qihua Xiong
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2163-2171(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01268-2
      Abstract:Exciton polaritons in atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenide microcavities provide a versatile platform for advancing optoelectronic devices and studying the interacting Bosonic physics at ambient conditions. Rationally engineering the favorable properties of polaritons is critically required for the rapidly growing research. Here, we demonstrate the manipulation of nonlinear polaritons with the lithographically defined potential landscapes in monolayer WS2 microcavities. The discretization of photoluminescence dispersions and spatially confined patterns indicate the deterministic on-site localization of polaritons by the artificial mesa cavities. Varying the trapping sizes, the polariton-reservoir interaction strength is enhanced by about six times through managing the polariton–exciton spatial overlap. Meanwhile, the coherence of trapped polaritons is significantly improved due to the spectral narrowing and tailored in a picosecond range. Therefore, our work not only offers a convenient approach to manipulating the nonlinearity and coherence of polaritons but also opens up possibilities for exploring many-body phenomena and developing novel polaritonic devices based on 2D materials.  
        
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    • Jin Woo Oh,Seokyeong Lee,Hyowon Han,Omar Allam,Ji Il Choi,Hyeokjung Lee,Wei Jiang,Jihye Jang,Gwanho Kim,Seungsoo Mun,Kyuho Lee,Yeonji Kim,Jong Woong Park,Seonju Lee,Seung Soon Jang,Cheolmin Park
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2172-2186(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01274-4
      Abstract:Optical encryption technologies based on room-temperature light-emitting materials are of considerable interest. Herein, we present three-dimensional (3D) printable dual-light-emitting materials for high-performance optical pattern encryption. These are based on fluorescent perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) designed for phosphorescent host-guest interactions. Notably, perovskite-containing MOFs emit a highly efficient blue phosphorescence, and perovskite NCs embedded in the MOFs emit characteristic green or red fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Such dual-light-emitting MOFs with independent fluorescence and phosphorescence emissions are employed in pochoir pattern encryption, wherein actual information with transient phosphorescence is efficiently concealed behind fake information with fluorescence under UV exposure. Moreover, a 3D cubic skeleton is developed with the dual-light-emitting MOF powder dispersed in 3D-printable polymer filaments for 3D dual-pattern encryption. This article outlines a universal principle for developing MOF-based room-temperature multi-light-emitting materials and a strategy for multidimensional information encryption with enhanced capacity and security.  
        
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    • Reut Orange kedem,Nadav Opatovski,Dafei Xiao,Boris Ferdman,Onit Alalouf,Sushanta Kumar Pal,Ziyun Wang,Henrik von der Emde,Michael Weber,Steffen J. Sahl,Aleks Ponjavic,Ady Arie,Stefan W. Hell,Yoav Shechtman
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2187-2198(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01277-1
      Abstract:Diffractive optical elements (DOEs) have a wide range of applications in optics and photonics, thanks to their capability to perform complex wavefront shaping in a compact form. However, widespread applicability of DOEs is still limited, because existing fabrication methods are cumbersome and expensive. Here, we present a simple and cost-effective fabrication approach for solid, high-performance DOEs. The method is based on conjugating two nearly refractive index-matched solidifiable transparent materials. The index matching allows for extreme scaling up of the elements in the axial dimension, which enables simple fabrication of a template using commercially available 3D printing at tens-of-micrometer resolution. We demonstrated the approach by fabricating and using DOEs serving as microlens arrays, vortex plates, including for highly sensitive applications such as vector beam generation and super-resolution microscopy using MINSTED, and phase-masks for three-dimensional single-molecule localization microscopy. Beyond the advantage of making DOEs widely accessible by drastically simplifying their production, the method also overcomes difficulties faced by existing methods in fabricating highly complex elements, such as high-order vortex plates, and spectrum-encoding phase masks for microscopy.  
        
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    • Navodini Wijethilake,Mithunjha Anandakumar,Cheng Zheng,Peter T. C. So,Murat Yildirim,Dushan N. Wadduwage
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2199-2214(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01248-6
      Abstract:Limited throughput is a key challenge in in vivo deep tissue imaging using nonlinear optical microscopy. Point scanning multiphoton microscopy, the current gold standard, is slow especially compared to the widefield imaging modalities used for optically cleared or thin specimens. We recently introduced "De-scattering with Excitation Patterning" or "DEEP" as a widefield alternative to point-scanning geometries. Using patterned multiphoton excitation, DEEP encodes spatial information inside tissue before scattering. However, to de-scatter at typical depths, hundreds of such patterned excitations were needed. In this work, we present DEEP2, a deep learning-based model that can de-scatter images from just tens of patterned excitations instead of hundreds. Consequently, we improve DEEP's throughput by almost an order of magnitude. We demonstrate our method in multiple numerical and experimental imaging studies, including in vivo cortical vasculature imaging up to 4 scattering lengths deep in live mice.  
        
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      <Citation> <Bulk Citation> 70936981 false
      Published:2024-09-18
    • Zhenyi Luo,Yannanqi Li,John Semmen,Yi Rao,Shin-Tson Wu
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2215-2227(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01254-8
      Abstract:Diffractive liquid-crystal optics is a promising optical element for virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality as it provides an ultrathin formfactor and lightweight for human factors and ergonomics. However, its severe chromatic aberrations impose a big challenge for full-color display applications. In this study, we demonstrate an achromatic diffractive liquid-crystal device to overcome this longstanding chromatic aberration issue. The proposed device consists of three stacked diffractive liquid crystal optical elements with specifically designed spectral response and polarization selectivity. The concept is validated by both simulations and experiments. Our experimental results show a significant improvement in imaging performance with two types of light engines: a laser projector and an organic light-emitting diode display panel. In addition, our simulation results indicate that the lateral color shift is reduced by ~100 times in comparison with conventional broadband diffractive liquid-crystal lens. Potential applications for VR-enabled metaverse, spatial computing, and digital twins that have found widespread applications in smart tourism, smart education, smart healthcare, smart manufacturing, and smart construction are foreseeable.  
        
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      Published:2024-09-18
    • Tao He,Zhanyi Zhang,Jingyuan Zhu,Yuzhi Shi,Zhipeng Li,Heng Wei,Zeyong Wei,Yong Li,Zhanshan Wang,Cheng-Wei Qiu,Xinbin Cheng
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2228-2235(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01282-4
      Abstract:Exceptional point (EP) is a special degeneracy of non-Hermitian systems. One-dimensional transmission systems operating at EPs are widely studied and applied to chiral conversion and sensing. Lately, two-dimensional systems at EPs have been exploited for their exotic scattering features, yet so far been limited to only the non-visible waveband. Here, we report a universal paradigm for achieving a high-efficiency EP in the visible by leveraging interlayer loss to accurately control the interplay between the lossy structure and scattering lightwaves. A bilayer framework is demonstrated to reflect back the incident light from the left side (| r−1 | > 0.999) and absorb the incident light from the right side (| r+1 | < 10–4). As a proof of concept, a bilayer metasurface is demonstrated to reflect and absorb the incident light with experimental efficiencies of 88% and 85%, respectively, at 532 nm. Our results open the way for a new class of nanoscale devices and power up new opportunities for EP physics.  
        
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      Published:2024-09-18
    • Gwiyeong Moon,Taehwang Son,Hajun Yoo,Changhun Lee,Hyunwoong Lee,Seongmin Im,Donghyun Kim
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2236-2247(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01237-9
      Abstract:Optical properties of single emitters can be significantly improved through the interaction with plasmonic structures, leading to enhanced sensing and imaging capabilities. In turn, single emitters can act as sensitive probes of the local electromagnetic field surrounding plasmonic structures, furnishing fundamental insights into their physics and guiding the design of novel plasmonic devices. However, the interaction of emitters in the proximity to a plasmonic nanostructure causes distortion, which hinders precise estimation of position and polarization state and is one of the reasons why detection and quantification of molecular processes yet remain fundamentally challenging in this era of super-resolution. Here, we investigate axially defocused images of a single fluorescent emitter near metallic nanostructure, which encode emitter positions and can be acquired in the far-field with high sensitivity, while analyzing the images with pattern matching algorithm to explore emitter-localized surface plasmon interaction and retrieve information regarding emitter positions. Significant distortion in defocused images of fluorescent beads and quantum dots near nanostructure was observed and analyzed by pattern matching and finite-difference time-domain methods, which revealed that the distortion arises from the emitter interaction with nanostructure. Pattern matching algorithm was also adopted to estimate the lateral positions of a dipole that models an emitter utilizing the distorted defocused images and achieved improvement by more than 3 times over conventional diffraction-limited localization methods. The improvement by defocused imaging is expected to provide a way of enhancing reliability when using plasmonic nanostructure and diversifying strategies for various imaging and sensing modalities.  
        
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      Published:2024-09-18
    • Martin Montagnac,Yoann Brûlé,Aurélien Cuche,Jean-Marie Poumirol,Sébastien J. Weber,Jonas Müller,Guilhem Larrieu,Vincent Larrey,Franck Fournel,Olivier Boisron,Bruno Masenelli,Gérard Colas des Francs,Gonzague Agez,Vincent Paillard
      Vol. 12, Issue 10, Pages: 2248-2255(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01229-9
      Abstract:Light emission of europium (Eu3+) ions placed in the vicinity of optically resonant nanoantennas is usually controlled by tailoring the local density of photon states (LDOS). We show that the polarization and shape of the excitation beam can also be used to manipulate light emission, as azimuthally or radially polarized cylindrical vector beam offers to spatially shape the electric and magnetic fields, in addition to the effect of silicon nanorings (Si-NRs) used as nanoantennas. The photoluminescence (PL) mappings of the Eu3+ transitions and the Si phonon mappings are strongly dependent of both the excitation beam and the Si-NR dimensions. The experimental results of Raman scattering and photoluminescence are confirmed by numerical simulations of the near-field intensity in the Si nanoantenna and in the Eu3+-doped film, respectively. The branching ratios obtained from the experimental PL maps also reveal a redistribution of the electric and magnetic emission channels. Our results show that it could be possible to spatially control both electric and magnetic dipolar emission of Eu3+ ions by switching the laser beam polarization, hence the near field at the excitation wavelength, and the electric and magnetic LDOS at the emission wavelength. This paves the way for optimized geometries taking advantage of both excitation and emission processes.  
        
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      Published:2024-09-18
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