Energy scaling and extended tunability of a ring cavity terahertz parametric oscillator based on KTiOPO_(4) crystal

A wide terahertz tuning range from 0.96 THz to 7.01 THz has been demonstrated based on ring-cavity THz wave parametric oscillator with a KTiOPO_(4)(KTP)crystal.The tuning range was observed intermittently from 0.96 THz to 1.87 THz,from 3.04 THz to 3.33 THz,from 4.17 THz to 4.48 THz,from 4.78 THz to 4.97 THz,from 5.125 THz to 5.168 THz,from5.44 THz to 5.97 THz,and from 6.74 THz to 7.01 THz.The dual-Stokes wavelengths resonance phenomena were observed in some certain tuning angle ranges.Through the theoretical analysis of the dispersion curve of the KTP crystal,the intermittent THz wave tuning range and dual-wavelength Stokes waves operation during angle tuning process were explained.The theoretical analysis was in good agreement with the experiment results.The maximum THz output voltage detected by Golay cell was 1.7 V at 5.7 THz under the pump energy of 210 mJ,corresponding to the THz wave output energy of5.47μJ and conversion efficiency of 2.6×10^(-5).

Tunability of Fano resonance in cylindrical core-shell nanorods

The optical properties of cylindrical core–shell nanorods(CCSNs)are theoretically investigated in this paper.The results show that Fano resonance can be generated in CCSNs,and the wavelength and the intensity at Fano dip can be tuned respectively by adjusting the field coupling of cavity mode inside and near field on gold surface.The high tuning sensitivity which is about 400 nm per refractive-index unit can be obtained,and an easy-to-realize tunable parameter is also proposed.A two-oscillator model is also introduced to describe the generation of Fano resonance in CCSNs,and the results from this model are in good agreement with theoretical results.The CCSNs investigated in this work may have promising applications in optical devices.

Ultrahigh frequency tunability of aperture-coupled microstrip antenna via electric-field tunable BST

A composite ceramic with nominal composition of 45.0 wt%（Ba0.5Sr0.5）TiO3–55.0 wt%MgO（acronym is BST–MgO） is sintered for fabricating a frequency reconfigurable aperture-coupled microstrip antenna. The calcined BST–Mg O composite ceramic exhibits good microwave dielectric properties at X-band with appropriate dielectric constant εr around85, lower dielectric loss tan δ about 0.01, and higher permittivity tunability 14.8% at 8.33 k V/cm. An ultrahigh E-field tunability of working frequency up to 11.0%（i.e., from 9.1 GHz to 10.1 GHz with a large frequency shift of 1000 MHz）at a DC bias field from 0 to 8.33 k V/cm and a considerably large center gain over 7.5 d B are obtained in the designed frequency reconfigurable microstrip antenna. These results demonstrate that BST materials are promising for the frequency reconfigurable antenna.

Electric-Field Tunability of Dielectric in Polycrystalline Sr1-xMnxTiO3 Thin Films

The electric-field tunability of dielectric constant （ε-E） in Sr1-xMnxTiO3 films （x = 0, 0.005, 0.010, 0.020 and 0.030） prepared by the metal organic decomposition method on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates is studied in the frequency range from 100Hz to 1MHz with different Mn contents at different temperatures. The frequencyindependent tunability increases strongly with decreasing the temperature from 300 K to 150K. The tunability （-31%） in thin films （x = 0.005） at 150K is obtained and the temperature for the same tunability in ceramics is about 60 K lower than the present one. This tunability is comparable with that in one of ferroelectric Sr1-1.sxBixTiO3 thin films. Similarly, the well-defined P（E） hysteresis 10013 and 2Pr （1.2 μC/cm^2） can be obtained at 300 K in Sr1-xMnxTiO3 films with z = 0.005. Both the existence of electric dipole or poled micro domain introduced by the doped Mn2＋ located in the off-center position at Sr sites and the strain between the thin film and the substrate are the origins of the tunable and polar behavior in Sr1-xMnxTiO3 films.

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.

Low cross-talk, deep subwavelength plasmonic metal/insulator/metal waveguide intersections with broadband tunability

We suggest a low cross-talk plasmonic cross-connector based on a metal/insulator/metal cavity and waveguides.We separately investigate the isolated cavity mode, the waveguide mode, and the combination of cavity and waveguide modes using a finite-different time-domain method. Due to resonant tunneling and the cutoff frequency of the odd waveguide mode, our proposed structure achieves a high throughput transmission ratio and eliminates cross-talk. Furthermore, the proposed structure has a broadband tunability of 587 nm, which can be achieved by modulating the cavity air gap thickness. This structure enables the miniaturization of photonic integrated circuits and sensing applications.

Lithographic printing inspired in-situ transfer of MXene-based films with localized topo-electro tunability for high-performance flexible pressure sensors

MXene-based films have been intensively explored for construction of piezoresistive flexible pressure sensors owing to their excellent mechanical and electrical properties.High pressure sensitivity relies on pre-molding a flexible substrate,or regulating the micromorphology of MXene sheets,to obtain a micro-structured surface.However,the two avenues usually require complicated and time-consuming microfabrication or wet chemical processing,and are limited to non-adjustable topographicelectrical(topo-electro)properties.Herein,we propose a lithographic printing inspired in-situ transfer(LIPIT)strategy to fabricate MXene-ink films(MIFs).In LIPIT,MIFs not only inherit ridge-and-valley microstructure from paper substrate,but also achieve localized topo-electro tunability by programming ink-writing patterns and cycles.The MIF-based flexible pressure sensor with periodical topo-electro gradient exhibits remarkably boosted sensitivity in a wide sensing range(low detection limit of 0.29 Pa and working range of 100 kPa).The MIF sensor demonstrates versatile applicability in both subtle and vigorous pressuresensing fields,ranging from pulse wave extraction and machine learning-assisted surface texture recognition to piano-training glove(PT-glove)for piano learning.The LIPIT is quick,low-cost,and compatible with free ink/substrate combinations,which promises a versatile toolbox for designing functional MXene films with tailored morphological-mechanical-electrical properties for extended application scenarios.

Resistive-switching tunability with size-dependent all-inorganic zero-dimensional tetrahedrite quantum dots

All-inorganic zero-dimensional(0D)tetrahedrite(Cu12Sb4S13,CAS)quantum dots(QDs)have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent optical properties,bandgap tunability,and carrier mobility.In this paper,various sized CAS QDs(5.1,6.7,and 7.9 nm)are applied as a switching layer with the structure F:Sn O2(FTO)/CAS QDs/Au,and in doing so,the nonvolatile resistive-switching behavior of electronics based on CAS QDs is reported.The SET/RESET voltage tunability with size dependency is observed for memory devices based on CAS QDs for the first time.Results suggest that differently sized CAS QDs result in different band structures and the regulation of the SET/RESET voltage occurs simply and effectively due to the uniform size of the CAS QDs.Moreover,the presented memory devices have reliable bipolar resistive-switching properties,a resistance(ON/OFF)ratio larger than 104,high reproducibility,and good data retention ability.After 1.4×10^6s of stability testing and 104cycles of quick read tests,the change rate of the ON/OFF ratio is smaller than 0.1%.Furthermore,resistiveswitching stability can be improved by ensuring a uniform particle size for the CAS QDs.The theoretical calculations suggest that the space-charge-limited currents(SCLCs),which are functioned by Cu 3d,Cu 3p and S 3p to act as electron selftrapping centers due to their quantum confinement and form conduction pathways under an electric field,are responsible for the resistive-switching effect.This paper demonstrates that CAS QDs are promising as a novel resistive-switching material in memory devices and can be used to facilitate the application of next-generation nonvolatile memory.

Microstructure and bidirectional dielectric tunability behaviour of Nd^(3+)-doped KSr_(2)Nb_(5)O_(15) lead-free ceramics

The luminescence modulation behaviour under the in-situ electric field of rare-earth doped KSr_(2)Nb_(5)O_(15) ceramics opened a new door for the development of dielectric materials.Where the understanding the effect of rare-earth doping on the electric properties of host,especially at the similar doping concentration with luminescence researches(low concentrations)is very important for the exploration of mechanism of electric-luminescent coupling effect.In this work,Nd^(3+)-doped KSr_(2)Nb_(5)O_(15)(KSN-xNd)ceramics were synthesized,and the electric properties were investigated systematically.Our results suggest that the Nd^(3+) doping slightly increased the phase transition temperatures and improved the piezoelectric response of KSr_(2)Nb_(5)O_(15).Most importantly,a bidirectional dielectric tunability is revealed in KSr_(2)Nb_(5)O_(15).The dielectric permittivity can be adjusted by the DC electric bias,with tunability ranging from12.3% to 21.9%.The related mechanism and relationship between the bidirectional dielectric tunability and ferroelectricity are revealed by temperature-dependent dielectric and ferroelectric characterization.The researches of electric properties and bidirectional dielectric tunability of KSN-based ceramics paved the way to further exploration of electric-luminescent coupling mechanism.

High OSNR and simple configuration dual-wavelength fiber laser with wide tunability in S＋C＋L band

A simple configuration dual-wavelength fiber laser,by combining the first-order Brillouin laser and the residual pump laser,is proposed and experimentally demonstrated.A 1 km long single-mode fiber is used as the stimulated Brillouin scattering gain medium pumped by a narrow linewidth tunable laser source（TLS）.Through simply adjusting the TLS output power,power-equalized dual-wavelength lasing can be achieved with a high optical signal to noise ratio（OSNR） of 〉80 d B.With the good tunability of the TLS,the dual-wavelength fiber laser has a tunable range of -130 nm,and simultaneously the beat frequency of the two lasing wavelengths can be tuned from 10.1875 to 11.0815 GHz with the tunable range of 0.8940 GHz.The high stability of the dualwavelength operation is experimentally verified by the measured beat frequency fluctuation of ≤6 MHz in 1 h and power fluctuation of ≤0.03 d B in 2 h.The temporal characteristics of the fiber laser are also investigated experimentally.The fiber laser will find good applications in fiber sensing and microwave photonics areas.

Mechanochemistry enables optical-electrical multifunctional response and tunability in two-dimensional hybrid perovskites

Two-dimensional(2D)organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites(OIHPs)have attracted phenomenal attention because of their superior optoelectronic performances.The combination of their structural tunability and material stability offers an unprecedented opportunity to engineer materials with unique functionalities.However,developing a rapid and effective design method for introducing luminescence into dielectric switch and realizing controllable regulation has been an enormous challenge.Thus far,materials with tunable optoelectronic multichannel response have not been successfully implemented.In this study,we successfully developed a facile and effective mechanochemical method for realizing the integration and regulation of luminescence and dielectric switch in 2D perovskites,which is unprecedented for the design of dielectric switching materials.The mild external mechanical stimuli enabled the formation of Mn ion-doped 2D hybrid perovskites(Cyclopropylammonium)2Pb1-xMnxBr4 with excellent dielectric switch and rapidly controllable luminescence of highly efficient blue light,white light,pink light,and orange light.This work will provide a new perspective on the rapid and effective design of multifunctional materials and can inspire the future development of low-cost and high-efficiency electronics.

Radio-frequency arbitrary waveform generation based on dispersion compensated tunable optoelectronic oscillator with ultra-wide tunability

Photonic generation of radio-frequency（RF） arbitrary microwave waveform with ultra-wide frequency tunable range based on a dispersion compensated optoelectronic oscillator（OEO） is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Dispersion compensation scheme and specially designed fiber Bragg grating（FBG）-based Fabry-Perot（F-P） filters are employed in the OEO loop to realize a frequency tunable range of 3.5-45.4 GHz. An optimization process provided by the combination of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier（EDFA）and FBG is employed to improve the signal-to-noise ratio（SNR） of final RF signals. The generation of linearfrequency and phase-coded microwave waveforms, with a tunable carrier frequency ranging from 4 to 45 GHz and tuned chirping bandwidths or code rates, is experimentally demonstrated.

Miniature tunable Airy beam optical meta-device

Tunable Airy beams with controllable propagation trajectories have sparked interest in various fields,such as optical manipulation and laser fabrication.Existing research approaches encounter challenges related to insufficient compactness and integration feasibility,or they require enhanced tunability to enable real-time dynamic manipulation of the propagation trajectory.In this work,we present a novel method that utilizes a dual metasurface system to surpass these limitations,significantly enhancing the practical potential of the Airy beam.Our approach involves encoding a cubic phase profile and two off-axis Fresnel lens phase profiles across the two metasurfaces.The validity of the proposed strategy has been confirmed through simulation and experimental results.The proposed meta-device addresses the existing limitations and lays the foundation for broadening the applicability of Airy beams across diverse domains,encompassing light-sheet microscopy,laser fabrication,optical tweezers,etc.

Liquid crystal-integrated metasurfaces for an active photonic platform

Metasurfaces have opened the door to next-generation optical devices due to their ability to dramatically modulate electromagnetic waves at will using periodically arranged nanostructures.However,metasurfaces typically have static optical responses with fixed geometries of nanostructures,which poses challenges for implementing transition to technology by replacing conventional optical components.To solve this problem,liquid crystals(LCs)have been actively employed for designing tunable metasurfaces using their adjustable birefringent in real time.Here,we review recent studies on LCpowered tunable metasurfaces,which are categorized as wavefront tuning and spectral tuning.Compared to numerous reviews on tunable metasurfaces,this review intensively explores recent development of LC-integrated metasurfaces.At the end of this review,we briefly introduce the latest research trends on LC-powered metasurfaces and suggest further directions for improving LCs.We hope that this review will accelerate the development of new and innovative LC-powered devices.

Permeability and selectivity synergistically enhanced nanofluidic membrane for osmotic energy harvesting

For the porous‐membrane‐based osmotic energy generator,the potential synergistic enhancement mechanism of various key parameters is still controversial,especially because optimizing the trade‐off between permeability and selectivity is still a challenge.Here,to construct a permeability and selectivity synergistically enhanced osmotic energy generator,the twodimensional porous membranes with tunable charge density are prepared by inserting sulfonated polyether sulfone into graphene oxide.Influences of charge density and pore size on the ion transport are explored,and the ionic behaviors in the channel are calculated by numerical simulations.The mechanism of ion transport in the process is studied in depth,and the fundamental principles of energy conversion are revealed.The results demonstrate that charge density and pore size should be matched to construct the optimal ion channel.This collaborative enhancement strategy of permeability and selectivity has significantly improved the output power in osmotic energy generation;compared to the pure graphene oxide membrane,the composite membrane presents almost 20 times improvement.

Non-volatile dynamically switchable color display via chalcogenide stepwise cavity resonators

High-resolution multi-color printing relies upon pixelated optical nanostructures,which is crucial to promote color display by producing nonbleaching colors,yet requires simplicity in fabrication and dynamic switching.Antimony trisulfide(Sb_(2)S_(3))is a newly rising chalcogenide material that possesses prompt and significant transition of its optical characteristics in the visible region between amorphous and crystalline phases,which holds the key to color-varying devices.Herein,we proposed a dynamically switchable color printing method using Sb_(2)S_(3)-based stepwise pixelated Fabry-Pérot(FP)cavities with various cavity lengths.The device was fabricated by employing a direct laser patterning that is a less timeconsuming,more approachable,and low-cost technique.As switching the state of Sb_(2)S_(3) between amorphous and crystalline,the multi-color of stepwise pixelated FP cavities can be actively changed.The color variation is due to the profound change in the refractive index of Sb_(2)S_(3) over the visible spectrum during its phase transition.Moreover,we directly fabricated sub-50 nm nano-grating on ultrathin Sb_(2)S_(3) laminate via microsphere 800-nm femtosecond laser irradiation in far field.The minimum feature size can be further decreased down to~45 nm(λ/17)by varying the thickness of Sb_(2)S_(3) film.Ultrafast switchable Sb_(2)S_(3) photonic devices can take one step toward the next generation of inkless erasable papers or displays and enable information encryption,camouflaging surfaces,anticounterfeiting,etc.Importantly,our work explores the prospects of rapid and rewritable fabrication of periodic structures with nano-scale resolution and can serve as a guideline for further development of chalcogenide-based photonics components.

Dielectric anisotropy in liquid crystal mixtures with nematic and smectic phases

The modulation of dielectric anisotropy(△ε)is pivotal for elucidating molecular interactions and directing the alignment of liquid crystals.In this study,we combine liquid crystals with opposing dielectric anisotropies to explore the impact of varying concentrations on their properties.We report the sign-reversal of△εin both the nematic and smectic A phases of these mixed liquid crystals,alongside a dual-frequency behaviour across a broad temperature spectrum.Our research further quantifies the influence of mixture ratios under various temperatures and electric field frequencies.This exploration may pave the way for the discovery of new physical phenomena.

Tunable superconducting resonators via on-chip control of local magnetic field

Superconducting microwave resonators play a pivotal role in superconducting quantum circuits.The ability to finetune their resonant frequencies provides enhanced control and flexibility.Here,we introduce a frequency-tunable superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator.By applying electrical currents through specifically designed ground wires,we achieve the generation and control of a localized magnetic field on the central line of the resonator,enabling continuous tuning of its resonant frequency.We demonstrate a frequency tuning range of 54.85 MHz in a 6.21-GHz resonator.This integrated and tunable resonator holds great potential as a dynamically tunable filter and as a key component of communication buses and memory elements in superconducting quantum computing.

A Transparent Photoresist Made of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle-Embedded Acrylic Resin with a Tunable Refractive Index for UV-Imprint Lithography

Transparent photoresists with a high refractive index(RI)and high transmittance in visible wavelengths have promising functionalities in optical fields.This work reports a kind of tunable optical material composed of titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in acrylic resin with a high RI for ultraviolet(UV)-imprint lithography.The hybrid film exhibits a tunable RI of up to 1.67(589 nm)after being cured by UV light,while maintaining both a high transparency of over 98%in the visible light range and a low haze of less than 0.05%.The precision machining of optical microstructures can be imprinted easily and efficiently using the hybrid resin,which acts as a light guide plate(LGP)to guide the light from the side to the top in order to conserve the energy of the display device.These preliminary studies based on both laboratory and commercial experiments pave the way for exploiting the unparalleled optical properties of nanocomposite resins and promoting their industrial application.

Progress on two-dimensional ferrovalley materials

The electron's charge and spin degrees of freedom are at the core of modern electronic devices. With the in-depth investigation of two-dimensional materials, another degree of freedom, valley, has also attracted tremendous research interest. The intrinsic spontaneous valley polarization in two-dimensional magnetic systems, ferrovalley material, provides convenience for detecting and modulating the valley. In this review, we first introduce the development of valleytronics.Then, the valley polarization forms by the p-, d-, and f-orbit that are discussed. Following, we discuss the investigation progress of modulating the valley polarization of two-dimensional ferrovalley materials by multiple physical fields, such as electric, stacking mode, strain, and interface. Finally, we look forward to the future developments of valleytronics.