Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales

Benjamin T. Dewes; Tim Klee; Nathan D. Cottam; Joseph J. Broughton; Mustaqeem Shiffa; Tin S. Cheng; Sergei V. Novikov; Oleg Makarovsky; John W. G. Tisch; Amalia Patané

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales

Original Articles

- Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales
- Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales
- Light: Science & Applications 2025年14卷第12期页码：4100-4109
- Affiliations：
  
  1.School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
  2.Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Author bio：
  
  John W. G. Tisch (john.tisch@imperial.ac.uk)
  Amalia Patané (amalia.patane@nottingham.ac.uk)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-03-08，
  
  修回：2025-07-28，
  
  录用：2025-09-09，
  
  网络出版：2025-11-19，
  
  纸质出版：2025-12-31
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Benjamin T. Dewes, Tim Klee, Nathan D. Cottam, 等. Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2025,14(12):4100-4109.

Dewes, B. T. et al. Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 4100-4109 (2025).
Benjamin T. Dewes, Tim Klee, Nathan D. Cottam, 等. Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2025,14(12):4100-4109. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2.

Dewes, B. T. et al. Fast ultraviolet-C photonics: generating and sensing laser pulses on femtosecond timescales. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 4100-4109 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02042-2.

摘要

Abstract

Photonic devices operating in the ultraviolet UV-C range (100–280 nm) have diverse applications from super-resolution microscopy to optical communications

and their advances promise to unlock new opportunities across science and technology. However

generating and detecting ultrafast light signals in this spectral range remains a major challenge. Here

we report an integrated UV-C source-sensor platform that combines phase-matched second-order processes in nonlinear optical crystals for the efficient generation of femtosecond UV-C laser pulses with a new class of room temperature photodetectors based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors. Unexpectedly

these 2D sensors exhibit a linear to super-linear photocurrent response to pulse energy

a highly desirable property

laying the foundation for UV-C-based photonics operating on femtosecond timescales over a wide range of pulse energies and repetition rates. As proof of concept

we demonstrate a free-space communication system.

关键词

Keywords

references

Smith, T. et al. Deep-uv confocal fluorescence imaging and super-resolution optical microscopy of biological samples. J. Innov. Opt. Health Sci. 5 , 1250025 (2012)..

Feng, F. et al. High-power algan deep-ultraviolet micro-light-emitting diode displays for maskless photolithography. Nat. Photonics 19 , 101–108 (2024)..

Ramos, C. et al. Use of ultraviolet-C in environmental sterilization in hospitals: a systematic review on efficacy and safety. Int. J. Health Sci. 14 , 52–65 (2020)..

Adeniyi, A. & Jimoh, M. Decontamination potential of ultraviolet type C radiation in water treatment systems: targeting microbial inactivation. Water 16 , 2725 (2024)..

Ströhl, F. et al. Label-free superior contrast with c-band ultraviolet extinction microscopy. Light Sci. Appl. 12 , 56 (2023)..

Chergui, M. Ultrafast molecular photophysics in the deep-ultraviolet. J. Chem. Phys. 150 , 070901 (2019)..

Klee, T. et al. Bayesian optimization of resonant dispersive wave generation in hollow capillary fibers. Opt. Express 33 , 7027–7042 (2025)..

Wynn, C. et al. Noncontact detection of homemade explosive constituents via photodissociation followed by laser-induced fluorescence. Opt. Express 18 , 5399–5406 (2010)..

Vavoulas, A. et al. A survey on ultraviolet C-band (UV-C) communications. IEEE Commun. Surv. Tutor. 21 , 2111–2133 (2019)..

Delmdahl, R. & Pätzel, R. Excimer laser technology trends. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 47 , 034004 (2014)..

Zhang, Z. et al. Development of all-solid-state ultraviolet lasers. J. Laser Appl. 36 , 041202 (2024)..

Zhao, Y. et al. Low-threshold algan-based deep ultraviolet laser enabled by a nanoporous cladding layer. Opt. Lett. 49 , 1061–1064 (2024)..

Hasan, S. et al. Recent progress of electrically pumped AlGaN diode lasers in the UV-B and-C bands. Photonics 8 , 267 (2021)..

Kneissl, M. et al. The emergence and prospects of deep-ultraviolet l ight-emitting diode technologies. Nat. Photonics 13 , 233–244 (2019)..

Xuan, H. et al. High-power, solid-state, deep ultraviolet laser generation. Appl. Sci. 8 , 233 (2018)..

Jacob, J., Armstrong, D. & Smith, A. Far-uv solid state lasers for semiconductor processing. In Proceedings of SPIE 7582, Nonlinear Frequency Generation and Conversion: Materials, Devices, and Applications IX , 220–229 (SPIE, 2010).

Baum, P., Lochbrunner, S. & Riedle, E. Tunable sub-10-fs ultraviolet pulses generated by achromatic frequency doubling. Opt. Lett. 29 , 1686–1688 (2004)..

Wu, C. et al. Recent advances in ultraviolet and deep-ultraviolet second-order nonlinear optical crystals. Coord. Chem. Rev. 375 , 459–488 (2018)..

Aslam, H. et al. Advances in solid-state nonlinear optical materials: From fundamentals to applications. ACS Appl. Opt. Mater. 1 , 1898–1921 (2023)..

Chang, G. & Wei, Z. Ultrafast fiber lasers: an expanding versatile toolbox. iScience 23 , 101101 (2020)..

Li, Z., Yan, T. & Fang, X. Low-dimensional wide-bandgap semiconductors for uv photodetectors. Nat. Rev. Mater. 8 , 587–603 (2023)..

de Abajo, F. et al. Roadmap for photonics with 2d materials. ACS Photonics 12 , 3961–4095 (2025)..

Liu, H. et al. High-performance deep ultraviolet photodetectors based on few-layer hexagonal boron nitride. Nanoscale 10 , 5559–5565 (2018)..

Kaushik, S. et al. Deep-ultraviolet photodetectors based on hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets enhanced by localized surface plasmon resonance in al nanoparticles. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 5 , 7481–7491 (2022)..

Veeralingam, S. et al. Record-high responsivity and detectivity of a flexible deep-ultraviolet photodetector based on solid state-assisted synthesized hBN nanosheets. ACS Appl. Electron. Mater. 3 , 1162–1169 (2021)..

Lu, Y. et al. Controlling defects in continuous 2D GaS films for high-performance wavelength-tunable UV-discriminating photodetectors. Adv. Mater. 32 , 1906958 (2020)..

Shiffa, M. et al. Wafer-scale two-dimensional semiconductors for deep UV sensing. Small 20 , 2305865 (2024)..

Bradford, J. et al. Epitaxy of GaSe coupled to graphene: from in situ band engineering to photon sensing. Small 20 , 2404809 (2024)..

Kaur, D. & Kumar, M. A strategic review on gallium oxide based deep-ultraviolet photodetectors: recent progress and future prospects. Adv. Optical Mater. 9 , 2002160 (2021)..

Liu, C. et al. Understanding epitaxial growth of two-dimensional materials and their homostructures. Nat. Nanotechnol. 19 , 907–918 (2024)..

Galletti, M. et al. High efficiency second harmonic generation of nanojoule-level femtosecond pulses in the visible based on bibo. High. Power Laser Sci. Eng. 7 , e11 (2019)..

Liu, K. et al. 20 W, 2mJ, sub-ps, 258 nm all-solid-state deep-ultraviolet laser with up to 3 GW peak power. Opt. Exp. 28 , 18360–18367 (2020)..

Müller, M. et al. High-average-power femtosecond laser at 258nm. Opt. Lett. 42 , 2826–2829 (2017)..

Cottam, N. D. et al. Thin Ga 2 O 3 layers by thermal oxidation of van der Waals GaSe nanostructures for ultraviolet photon sensing. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 7 , 17553–17560 (2024)..

Yan, F. et al. Fast, multicolor photodetection with graphene-contacted p-GaSe/n-InSe van der Waals heterostructures. Nanotechnology 28 , 27LT01 (2017)..

Li, X. et al. Two-dimensional GaSe/MoSe 2 misfit bilayer heterojunctions by van der Waals epitaxy. Sci. Adv. 2 , e1501882 (2016)..

Pozo-Zamudio, O. et al. Photoluminescence of two-dimensional GaTe and GaSe films. 2D Mater. 2 , 035010 (2015)..

Tonndorf, P. et al. Single-photon emitters in GaSe. 2D Mater. 4 , 021010 (2017)..

Tian, X. et al. Dispersion of two-photon absorption and nonlinear refraction in β-Ga 2 O 3 from 350 to 515nm. Appl. Phys. Lett. 124 , 152112 (2024)..

Chen, H. et al. Characterizations of the nonlinear optical properties for (010) and (-201) beta-phase gallium oxide. Opt. Exp. 26 , 3938–3946 (2018)..

Massicotte, M. et al. Photo-thermionic effect in vertical graphene heterostructures. Nat. Commun. 7 , 12174 (2016)..

Meng, X. et al. Giant superlinear power dependence of photocurrent based on layered Ta 2 NiS 5 photodetector. Adv. Sci. 10 , 2300413 (2023)..

Klee, V. et al. Superlinear composition-dependent photocurrent in CVD-grown monolayer MoS 2(1-x) Se 2x alloy devices. Nano Lett. 15 , 2612–2619 (2015)..

Albert, R. Recombination processes in insulators and semiconductors. Phys. Rev. 97 , 322–333 (1955)..

Sun, Y. et al. Ultrafast dynamics of optical nonlinearities in β-Ga 2 O 3 . Front. Mater. 8 , 754842 (2021)..

Moore, A. et al. A review of Ga 2 O 3 heterojunctions for deep-UV photodetection: Current progress, methodologies, and challenges. Adv. Electron. Mater. 11 , 2400898 (2025)..

Karpowicz, N. Open source, heterogeneous, nonlinear optics simulation. Opt. Contin. 2 , 2244–2254 (2023)..

Dawoud, D. S. & Dawoud, P. Serial Communication Protocols and Standards (River Publishers, 2020).

浏览量

Downloads

CSCD

文章被引用时，请邮件提醒。

Submit

工具集

关联资源

暂无数据