The interaction between KIF21A and KANK1 regulates dendritic morphology and synapse plasticity in neurons

Morphological alterations in dendritic spines have been linked to changes in functional communication between neurons that affect learning and memory.Kinesin-4 KIF21A helps organize the microtubule-actin network at the cell cortex by interacting with KANK1;however,whether KIF21A modulates dendritic structure and function in neurons remains unknown.In this study,we found that KIF21A was distributed in a subset of dendritic spines,and that these KIF21A-positive spines were larger and more structurally plastic than KIF21A-negative spines.Furthermore,the interaction between KIF21A and KANK1 was found to be critical for dendritic spine morphogenesis and synaptic plasticity.Knockdown of either KIF21A or KANK1 inhibited dendritic spine morphogenesis and dendritic branching,and these deficits were fully rescued by coexpressing full-length KIF21A or KANK1,but not by proteins with mutations disrupting direct binding between KIF21A and KANK1 or binding between KANK1 and talin1.Knocking down KIF21A in the hippocampus of rats inhibited the amplitudes of long-term potentiation induced by high-frequency stimulation and negatively impacted the animals’cognitive abilities.Taken together,our findings demonstrate the function of KIF21A in modulating spine morphology and provide insight into its role in synaptic function.

Optical frequency comb technology: from ground to space

Optical frequency combs,as powerful tools for precision spectroscopy and research into optical frequency standards,have driven continuous progress and significant breakthroughs in applications such as time-frequency transfer,measurement of fundamental physical constants,and high-precision ranging,achieving a series of milestone results in ground-based environments.With the continuous maturation and evolution of femtosecond lasers and related technologies,optical frequency combs are moving from ground-based applications to astronomical and space-based applications,playing an increasingly important role in atomic clocks,exoplanet observations,gravitational wave measurements,and other areas.This paper,focusing on astronomical and space-based applications,reviews research progress on astronomical frequency combs,optical clock time-frequency networks,gravitational waves,dark matter measurement,dual-comb large-scale absolute ranging,and high-resolution atmospheric spectroscopy.With enhanced performance and their gradual application in the field of space-based research,optical frequency combs will undoubtedly provide more powerful support for astronomical science and cosmic exploration in the future.

Recent advances in solar-driven CO_(2) reduction over g-C_(3)N_(4)-based photocatalysts

The persistent increase of CO_(2) levels in the atmosphere,already exceeding 400 ppm,urges the exploration of CO_(2) emission reduction and recycling technologies.Ideally,photocatalytic conversion of CO_(2) into valuable hydrocarbons realizes solar-to-chemical energy conversion,which is a desirable“kill two birds with one stone”strategy;namely,CO_(2) photoreduction can simultaneously tackle energy shortage and keep global carbon balance.Graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))working on CO_(2) reduction reaction deserves a highlight not only for the metal-free feature that endows it with low cost,tunable electronic structure,and easy fabrication properties but also because of its strong reduction ability.The present review concisely summarizes the latest advances of g-C_(3)N_(4)-based photocatalysts toward CO_(2) reduction.It starts with the discussion of thermodynamics and dynamics aspects of the CO_(2) reduction process.Then the modification strategies to promote g-C_(3)N_(4)-based photocatalysts in CO_(2) photoreduction have been discussed in detail,including surface functionalization,molecule structure engineering,crystallization,morphology engineering,loading cocatalyst,and constructing heterojunction.Meanwhile,the intrinsic factors affecting CO_(2) reduction activity and selectivity are analyzed and summarized.In the end,the challenges and prospects for the future development of highly g-C_(3)N_(4)-based photocatalysts in CO_(2) reduction are also presented.

Optical properties and applications of SnS_(2) SAs with different thickness

Q-switched lasers have occupied important roles in industrial applications such as laser marking,engraving,welding,and cutting due to their advantages in high pulse energy.Here,SnS_(2)-based Q-switched lasers are implemented.Consid-ering that SnS_(2) inherits the thickness sensitive optical characteristics of TMD,three kinds of SnS2 with different thick-ness are characterized in terms of nonlinearity and used to realize the Q-switched pulses under consistent implementa-tion conditions for comparison tests.According to the results,the influence of thickness variation on the nonlinear per-formance of saturable absorber,such as modulation depth and absorption intensity,and the influence on the correspond-ing laser are analyzed.In addition,compared with other traditional saturable absorbers,the advantage of SnS_(2) in realiz-ing ultrashort pulses is also noticed.Our work explores the thickness-dependent nonlinear optical properties of SnS_(2),and the rules found is of great reference value for the establishment of target lasers.

Diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti: sapphire laser with broad wavelength tunability

We report a direct blue-diode-pumped wavelength tunable Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti: sapphire laser.Central wavelength tunability as broad as 89 nm(736-825 nm) is achieved by adjusting the insertion of the prism.Pulses as short as 17 fs are generated at a central wavelength of 736 nm with an average output power of 31 mW.The maximum output power is 46.8 mW at a central wavelength of 797 nm with a pulse duration of 46 fs.

阿秒脉冲产生的技术原理及进展

随着超短脉冲激光技术的快速发展,人们观察超快动力学的视野从飞秒领域跨入到阿秒领域.由于电子绕氢原子核转1圈的时间大约为1.5×10^(–16)s,即150 as,因此阿秒激光脉冲的出现为人类提供了打开原子内部动态世界大门的钥匙,成为21世纪激光物理与技术最重要的进展之一.经过多年的不断创新和突破,阿秒脉冲产生技术从最初只能用少周期飞秒脉冲作为驱动光源,已发展出多种空间及时间选通技术,所能产生的最短激光脉宽已达43 as.本文通过总结这些技术方法,介绍了产生阿秒激光脉冲的原理及主要进展.

Preface

Wide bandgap semiconductors play more and more important roles in both scientific researches and industrial applications.The unique wide bandgap properties provide a platform for flexible functional design for crystal growth,defect engineering,interface engineering,and device construction.Meanwhile,the underlying physical

Diode-pumped power scalable Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:CYA laser

Stable 68 fs pulses with the average power of 1.5 W is directly generated from a multimode diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:CYA laser by separating the gain medium and Kerr medium. The repetition rate is about 50 MHz, resulting in a single pulse energy of 30 n J and a peak power of 0.44 MW. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest single pulse energy ever produced from a mode-locked Yb:CYA oscillator. Our experimental results show that Yb:CYA crystal is an excellent candidate for multiwatt, sub-100 fs pulse generation in diode-pumped all-solid-state lasers. It is believed that the output power can be scalable to multi-W while the pulse duration is maintained with this simple method.

Generation of 33 fs pulses directly from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:CaYAlO4 laser

We experimentally demonstrated a diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked femtosecond laser with a Yb:CaYAlO4 crystal as the gain medium. Pulse duration as short as 33 fs was obtained directly from the oscillator at a repetition rate of 115 MHz. The central wavelength was at 1059 nm with a spectral bandwidth of 49 nm. These are, to the bestof our knowledge, the shortest pulses generated from a Yb:CaYAlO4 oscillator.

Optical properties and applications for MoS_2-Sb_2Te_3-MoS_2 heterostructure materials

Two-dimensional(2D) materials with potential applications in photonic and optoelectronic devices have attracted increasing attention due to their unique structures and captivating properties. However, generation of stable high-energy ultrashort pulses requires further boosting of these materials' optical properties, such as higher damage threshold and larger modulation depth. Here we investigate a new type of heterostructure material with uniformity by employing the magnetron sputtering technique. Heterostructure materials are synthesized with van der Waals heterostructures consisting of MoS_2 and Sb_2Te_3. The bandgap, carrier mobility, and carrier concentration of the MoS_2-Sb_2Te_3-MoS_2 heterostructure materials are calculated theoretically. By using these materials as saturable absorbers(SAs), applications in fiber lasers with Q-switching and mode-locking states are demonstrated experimentally. The modulation depth and damage threshold of SAs are measured to be 64.17%and 14.13 J∕cm^2, respectively. Both theoretical and experimental results indicate that MoS_2-Sb_2Te_3-MoS_2 heterostructure materials have large modulation depth, and can resist high power during the generation of ultrashort pulses. The MoS_2-Sb_2Te_3-MoS_2 heterostructure materials have the advantages of low cost, high reliability, and suitability for mass production, and provide a promising solution for the development of 2D-material-based devices with desirable electronic and optoelectronic properties.

Dark solitons in WS_2 erbium-doped fiber lasers

Tungsten disulfide(WS_2) is a type of anisotropic-layered compound and has broadband saturable absorption features as saturable absorbers(SAs). With WS_2-based SAs, dark solitons in erbium-doped fiber(EDF) lasers are first obtained. For the generated dark solitons, the center wavelength is measured to be 1530 nm, and the repetition rate is about 116.5 MHz. A series of optical spectra is exhibited. The electrical signal-to-noise ratio is better than 94 d B.Results in this paper demonstrate that WS_2-based SAs are the promising SAs for generating dark solitons in EDF lasers.

Nonlinear optical properties of WSe_2 and MoSe_2 films and their applications in passively Q-switched erbium doped fiber lasers

Transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs) are successfully applied in fiber lasers for their photoelectric properties.However, in previous work, how to improve the modulation depth of TMD-based saturable absorbers(SAs) has been a challenging issue. In this paper, WSe_2 and MoSe_2 SAs are fabricated with the chemical vapor deposition method. Compared with previous experiments, the modulation depths of WSe_2 and MoSe_2 SAs with sandwiched structures are effectively increased to 31.25% and 25.69%, respectively. The all-fiber passively Q-switched erbium doped fiber lasers based on WSe_2 and MoSe_2 SAs are demonstrated. The signal-to-noise ratios of those lasers are measured to be 72 and 57 dB, respectively. Results indicate that the proposed WSe_2 and MoSe_2 SAs are efficient photonic devices to realize stable fiber lasers.

Sub-40-fs high-power Yb:CALYO laser pumped by single-mode fiber laser

We report on the study of single-mode fiber-laser-pumped mode-locked Yb:CALYO lasers via using a passive saturable absorber and Kerr-lens mode-locking technique,respectively.Up to 3.1-W average power with 103-fs pulse duration is obtained from the passive mode-locking,and down to 36-fs pulse duration with more than 2-W average power is achieved by the pure Kerr-lens mode-locking,which is to the best of our knowledge,the highest average power from a reported sub-40-fs Yb-based solid-state oscillator.

Diode-pumped 10 W femtosecond Yb:CALGO laser with high beam quality

We demonstrate a diode-pumped femtosecond Yb:CaGdAlO_(4)(Yb:CALGO)laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror(SESAM)for stable mode-locking operation.A perfect beam profile is measured under 10 W output power with M_(x)^(2)=1.017 and M_(y)^(2)=1.016 in the horizontal and vertical directions,respectively.At the repetition rate of 71.66 MHz,the optical pulse duration is 247 fs and the pulse energy is 140 nJ at the central wavelength of 1041 nm,corresponding to a peak power of 0.56 MW.In addition,we also generate continuous wave(CW)power of more than 15 W with TEM00 mode,corresponding to an optical-to-optical efficiency of 44.1%.

Ternary ReS_(2(1-x))Se_(2x) alloy saturable absorber for passively Q-switched and mode-locked erbium-doped all-fiber lasers

We report Q-switched and mode-locked erbium-doped all-fiber lasers using ternary ReS_(2(1-x))Se_(2x) as saturable absorbers(SAs). The modulation depth and saturable intensity of the film SA are 1.8% and 0.046 MW∕cm2.In Q-switched mechanism output, the pulse was centered at 1531.1 nm with maximum pulse energy and minimum pulse width of 28.29 nJ and 1.07 μs, respectively. In mode-locked operation, the pulse was centered at1561.15 nm with pulse width of 888 fs, repetition rate of 2.95 MHz, and maximum pulse energy of 0.275 nJ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the mode-locked Er^(3+)-doped fiber laser using ternary transition metal dichalcogenides. This work suggests prospective 2 D-material SAs can be widely used in versatile fields due to their attractive optoelectronic and tunable energy bandgap properties.

Carrier-envelope phase passively stabilized near-infrared laser pulses from a dual-frequency pumped noncollinear optical parametric amplifier

By inversing the signal and idler in a two-stage noncollinear optical parametric amplifier which is,respectively,pumped by the second harmonic and fundamental wave of femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser at repetition rate of1 kHz,the carrier-envelope phase(CEP)passively stabilized pulses with a tunable wavelength from 1.1 to 1.6 lm are obtained with maximum energy of 95 lJ at 1.3 lm under the pump energy of 500 lJ.The CEP jitter of pulses is 108 mrad measured by an f-2f interferometer.This work demonstrates a new way to efficiently generate tunable near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses with self-stabilized CEP.

Q-switched fiber laser operating at 1.5 μm based on WTe_2

Compared with the extensively studied MoS2 and WS2, WTe_2 owns a smaller bandgap, which is applicable to a near-infrared system in photodetectors, communications, and ultrafast optics. In this work, the WTe_2 saturable absorber(SA) with the tapered fiber structure is prepared by the magnetron-sputtering technology, which enables the prepared SA to be low in cost and have strong nonlinearity. The modulation depth of the prepared WTe_2 SA is measured as 31.06%. The Q-switched fiber laser operating at 1.5 μm is successfully investigated by incorporating the proposed SA into the prepared ring cavity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt of WTe_2 in the Q-switched fiber laser at 1.5 μm.

High harmonic generation and application for photoemission spectroscopy in condensed matter

High harmonic generation(HHG)delivering attosecond pulse duration with photon energy in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range has been demonstrated as a robust table-top coherent light source,allowing for the observation and manipulation of ultrafast process within the shortest time window ever made by humans.The past decade has witnessed the rapid progress of HHG from a variety of solid targets and its application for photoemission spectroscopy in condensed matter.In this article,we review the HHG in solids and the understanding of the underlying physics of HHG,which allows all-optical band structure reconstruction.We also introduce combinations of HHG source and photoemission spectroscopy,such as angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and photoemission electron microscopy.With the capacity of exploring a wide momentum space and high temporal resolution,the extension of attosecond science to the field of condensed matter physics will lead to new insights into the fundamental ultrafast dynamics in novel quantum materials.