Photonic circuits written by femtosecond laser in glass:improved fabrication and recent progress in photonic devices

Integrated photonics is attracting considerable attention and has found many applications in both classical and quantum optics,fulfilling the requirements for the ever-growing complexity in modern optical experiments and big data communication.Femtosecond(fs)laser direct writing(FLDW)is an acknowledged technique for producing waveguides(WGs)in transparent glass that have been used to construct complex integrated photonic devices.FLDW possesses unique features,such as three-dimensional fabrication geometry,rapid prototyping,and single step fabrication,which are important for integrated communication devices and quantum photonic and astrophotonic technologies.To fully take advantage of FLDW,considerable efforts have been made to produce WGs over a large depth with low propagation loss,coupling loss,bend loss,and highly symmetrical mode field.We summarize the improved techniques as well as the mechanisms for writing high-performance WGs with controllable morphology of cross-section,highly symmetrical mode field,low loss,and high processing uniformity and efficiency,and discuss the recent progress of WGs in photonic integrated devices for communication,topological physics,quantum information processing,and astrophotonics.Prospective challenges and future research directions in this field are also pointed out.

Silicon and hybrid silicon photonic devices for intra-datacenter applications: state of the art and perspectives [Invited]

We review the state of the art and our perspectives on silicon and hybrid silicon photonic devices for optical interconnects in datacenters. After a brief discussion of the key requirements for intra-datacenter optical interconnects, we propose a wavelength-division-multiplexing(WDM)-based optical interconnect for intra-datacenter applications. Following our proposed interconnects configuration, the bulk of the review emphasizes recent developments concerning on-chip hybrid silicon microlasers and WDM transmitters, and silicon photonic switch fabrics for intra-datacenters. For hybrid silicon microlasers and WDM transmitters, we outline the remaining challenges and key issues toward realizing low power consumption, direct modulation, and integration of multiwavelength microlaser arrays. For silicon photonic switch fabrics, we review various topologies and configurations of high-port-count N-by-N switch fabrics using Mach–Zehnder interferometers and microring resonators as switch elements, and discuss their prospects toward practical implementations with active reconfiguration.For the microring-based switch fabrics, we review recent developments of active stabilization schemes at the subsystem level. Last, we outline several large challenges and problems for silicon and hybrid silicon photonics to meet for intra-datacenter applications and propose potential solutions.

Lowering the energy consumption in silicon photonic devices and systems [Invited]

We review current silicon photonic devices and their performance in connection with energy consumption.Four critical issues are identified to lower energy consumption in devices and systems: reducing the influence of the thermo-optic effect, increasing the wall-plug efficiency of lasers on silicon, optimizing energy performance of modulators, and enhancing the sensitivity of photodetectors. Major conclusions are(1) Mach–Zehnder interferometer-based devices can achieve athermal performance without any extra energy consumption while microrings do not have an efficient passive athermal solution;(2) while direct bonded III–V-based Si lasers can meet system power requirement for now, hetero-epitaxial grown III–V quantum dot lasers are competitive and may be a better option for the future;(3) resonant modulators, especially coupling modulators, are promising for low-energy consumption operation even when the power to stabilize their operation is included;(4) benefiting from high sensitivity and low cost, Ge/Si avalanche photodiode is the most promising photodetector and can be used to effectively reduce the optical link power budget. These analyses and solutions will contribute to further lowering energy consumption to meet aggressive energy demands in future systems.

Superhydrophobic Surface-Assisted Preparation of Microspheres and Supraparticles and Their Applications

Superhydrophobic surface(SHS) has been well developed, as SHS renders the property of minimizing the water/solid contact interface. Water droplets deposited onto SHS with contact angles exceeding 150°, allow them to retain spherical shapes, and the low adhesion of SHS facilitates easy droplet collection when tilting the substrate. These characteristics make SHS suitable for a wide range of applications. One particularly promising application is the fabrication of microsphere and supraparticle materials. SHS offers a distinct advantage as a universal platform capable of providing customized services for a variety of microspheres and supraparticles. In this review, an overview of the strategies for fabricating microspheres and supraparticles with the aid of SHS, including cross-linking process, polymer melting,and droplet template evaporation methods, is first presented. Then, the applications of microspheres and supraparticles formed onto SHS are discussed in detail, for example, fabricating photonic devices with controllable structures and tunable structural colors, acting as catalysts with emerging or synergetic properties, being integrated into the biomedical field to construct the devices with different medicinal purposes, being utilized for inducing protein crystallization and detecting trace amounts of analytes. Finally,the perspective on future developments involved with this research field is given, along with some obstacles and opportunities.

Robust optical mode converter based on topological waveguide arrays

Optical mode converters are essential for enhancing the capacity of optical communication systems. However, fabrication errors restrict the further improvement of conventional mode converters. To address this challenge, we have designed an on-chip TE0–TE1mode converter based on topologically protected waveguide arrays. The simulation results demonstrate that the converter exhibits a mode coupling efficiency of 93.5% near 1550 nm and can tolerate a relative fabrication error of 30%. Our design approach can be extended to enhance the robustness for other integrated photonic devices, beneficial for future development of optical network systems.

Design of an Ultrafast Frequency Doubling Photonic Device

Ultrashort pulses complicate the frequency conversion in a nonlinear crystal, where group velocity mismatch becomes the main obstacle due to dispersion. We present a design for group velocity compensated second harmonic generation in a modulated nonlinear structure, embedded in a liquid crystal box. In this structure, nonlinear crystals act as sources of signal and liquid crystals compensate for group velocity mismatch originating from nonlinear crystals. There are the advantages of the flexible, controllable birefringence of liquid crystals. Meanwhile, a method calculating the parameters of this type of structure is presented. To make it clear, an example is provided. Furthermore, the structure can also be shaped as a waveguide to support integration into other optical devices, applicable to all-optical processing systems.

Spatiotemporal hemodynamic monitoring via configurable skin-like microfiber Bragg grating group

Systemic blood circulation is one of life activity’s most important physiological functions.Continuous noninvasive hemodynamicmonitoring is essential for the management of cardiovascular status.However,it is difficult to achieve systemichemodynamic monitoring with the daily use of current devices due to the lack of multichannel and time-synchronized operationcapability over the whole body.Here,we utilize a soft microfiber Bragg grating group to monitor spatiotemporalhemodynamics by taking advantage of the high sensitivity,electromagnetic immunity,and great temporal synchronizationbetween multiple remote sensor nodes.A continuous systemic hemodynamic measurement technique is developedusing all-mechanical physiological signals,such as ballistocardiogram signals and pulse waves,to illustrate the actualmechanical process of blood circulation.Multiple hemodynamic parameters,such as systemic pulse transit time,heartrate,blood pressure,and peripheral resistance,are monitored using skin-like microfiber Bragg grating patches conformallyattached at different body locations.Relying on the soft microfiber Bragg grating group,the spatiotemporal hemodynamicmonitoring technique opens up new possibilities in clinical medical diagnosis and daily health management.

Designing radiative cooling metamaterials for passive thermal management by particle swarm optimization

The passive radiative cooling technology shows a great potential application on reducing the enormous global energy consumption.The multilayer metamaterials could enhance the radiative cooling performance.However,it is a challenge to design the radiative cooler.In this work,based on the particle swarm optimization(PSO)evolutionary algorithm,we develop an intelligent workflow in designing photonic radiative cooling metamaterials.Specifically,we design two 10-layer SiO_(2) radiative coolers doped by cylindrical MgF_(2) or air impurities,possessing high emissivity within the selective(8–13μm)and broadband(8–25μm)atmospheric transparency windows,respectively.Our two kinds of coolers demonstrate power density as high as 119 W/m^(2) and 132 W/m^(2) at the room temperature(300 K).Our scheme does not rely on the usage of special materials,forming high-performing metamaterials with conventional poor-performing components.This significant improvement of the emission spectra proves the effectiveness of our inverse design algorithm in boosting the discovery of high-performing functional metamaterials.

Femtosecond laser direct writing of flexibly configured waveguide geometries in optical crystals:fabrication and application

Optical waveguides are far more than mere connecting elements in integrated optical systems and circuits.Benefiting from their high optical confinement and miniaturized footprints,waveguide structures established based on crystalline materials,particularly,are opening exciting possibilities and opportunities in photonic chips by facilitating their on-chip integration with different functionalities and highly compact photonic circuits.Femtosecond-laser-direct writing(FsLDW),as a true three-dimensional(3D)micromachining and microfabrication technology,allows rapid prototyping of on-demand waveguide geometries inside transparent materials via localized material modification.The success of FsLDW lies not only in its unsurpassed aptitude for realizing 3D devices but also in its remarkable material-independence that enables cross-platform solutions.This review emphasizes FsLDW fabrication of waveguide structures with 3D layouts in dielectric crystals.Their functionalities as passive and active photonic devices are also demonstrated and discussed.

Modified Wide-angle Beam Propagation Method Using Douglas Operators

A modified wide-angle beam propagation based on the Douglas operators is presented.The truncation error in the modified wide-angle beam propagation is reduced to o (Δ x ) 4 in the transverse direction nearly without any increase of the computation time,whereas the error in the ordinary wide-angle beam propagation method is typically o (Δ x ) 2.With trivial programming changes,the accuracy is higher,especially in wide-angle propagation.

2D noncarbon materials-based nonlinear optical devices for ultrafast photonics [Invited]

Ultrafast lasers play an important role in a variety of applications ranging from optical communications to medical diagnostics and industrial materials processing. Graphene and other two-dimensional（2D） noncarbon materials, including topological insulators（TIs）, transition metal dichalcogenides（TMDCs）, phosphorene, bismuthene, and antimonene, have witnessed a very fast development of both fundamental and practical aspects in ultrafast photonics since 2009. Their unique nonlinear optical properties enable them to be used as excellent saturable absorbers（SAs） that have fast responses and broadband operation, and can be easily integrated into lasers. Here, we catalog and review recent progress in the exploitation of these 2D noncarbon materials in this emerging field. The fabrication techniques, nonlinear optical properties, and device integration strategies of 2D noncarbon materials are first introduced with a comprehensive view. Then, various mode-locked/Q-switched lasers（e.g., fiber, solid-state, disk, and waveguide lasers） based on 2D noncarbon materials are reviewed. In addition, versatile soliton pulses generated from the mode-locked fiber lasers based on 2D noncarbon materials are also summarized. Finally, future challenges and perspectives of 2D materials-based lasers are addressed.

Special Polymer Optical Fibres and Devices for Photonic Applications

Remarkable progresses have been made in developing special polymer optical fibres and devices for photonic applications in recent years. This presentation will mainly report on the development of electro-optic, photosensitive and photorefractive polymer optical fibres and related devices.

Tunable optical filter using second-order micro-ring resonator

In this paper, we design and fabricate a silicon integrated optical filter consisting of two cascaded micro-ring resonators and two straight waveguides. Two micro-heaters are fabricated on the top of two micro-rings respectively, which are employed to modulate the micro-rings to perform the function of a tunable optical filter by the thermo–optic effect. The static response test indicates that the extinction ratio and 3-d B bandwidth are 29.01 d B and 0.21 nm respectively, the dynamic response test indicates that the 10%–90% rise and 90%–10% fall time of the filter are 16 μs and 12 μs, respectively,which can meet the requirements of optical communication and information processing. Finally, the power consumption of the device is also characterized, and the total power consumption is about 9.43 m W/nm, which has been improved efficiently.

用于损耗型集成光子器件的相变材料评价标准和设计策略

相变材料(PCM)具有优异的光学性质,在多种集成光子器件中极具应用前景,如光存储器、光开关和光神经形态计算器件.然而,由于集成光子器件相变材料光学性能评价标准的缺乏,新型相变材料的设计主要依赖于研究者的研究经验.本文基于相变光子器件的性能需求,引入材料品质因子(FOM2=Δk/kamor)来评价相变材料的光学性能,建立了针对损耗调制型相变光子器件相变材料的光学性能评价标准.FOM值的大小代表相变材料在构建高性能相变光子器件中的应用潜力,FOM值越大,相变材料应用于光子器件的限制就越小.在此基础上,本文基于光学带隙理论,建立了相变材料光学参数与FOM值之间的关系,开发了三种基于GST的新型光学相变材料.结果表明,氮等非金属元素掺杂可以提高GST的FOM值,有利于开发低损耗、高调制空间的损耗型相变光子器件和大规模损耗型相变光子阵列.除了FOM之外,相变材料的结晶温度也会影响器件的编程功耗、循环寿命和稳定性,这要求我们在实际应用场景中根据器件的需求选择合适的相变材料.总之,本文为相变材料的光学性能提供了评价标准,促进了集成光子器件应用中相变材料的定制设计.

Ultra-wideband optical diode based on photonic crystal 90° bend and directional coupler

We propose an ultra-wideband optical diode device based on two-dimensional square-lattice photonic crystals. For the device, the odd mode is completely transmitted in one direction and converted to the fundamental even mode, but completely reflected in the other direction. The operation bandwidth of the device is preserved within a rather wide range of frequencies, which is over 6.5% of the central frequency. A directional coupler and 90° bend are utilized as the composite function device with mode filter and mode converter. It is possible that the photonic crystal device can help to construct on-chip optical logical devices and benefit greatly to the optical systems with multiple spatial modes.

Design and fabrication of a compact multimode interference splitter with silicon photonic nanowires

A compact multimode interference （MMI） splitter with silicon photonic nanowires on silicon-on-insulator （SOI） substrate is designed and fabricated. The footprint of the MMI section is only approximately 3×10 （μm）. The simulation results show that the device may have a low excess loss of 0.04 dB. The transmission loss of the silicon photonics wire is measured to be 0.73±0.3 dB/mm. The compact size and low transmission loss allow the device to be used in ultra-compact photonic integrated circuits. The device exhibits a good light splitting function. In a spectral range of 1549-1560 nm, the excess loss is 1.5 dB and the average imbalance between the two channels is 0.51 dB.

Silicon nanocrystals to enable silicon photonics

Low dimensional silicon, where quantum size effects play significant roles, enables silicon with new photonic functionalities. In this short review, we discuss the way that silicon nanocrystals are produced, their optoelectronic properties and a few device applications. We demonstrate that low dimensional silicon is an optimum material for developing silicon photonics.

two-dimensional material functional devices enabled by direct laser fabrication

During the past decades,atomically thin,two-dimensional（2D）layered materials have attracted tremen-dous research interest on both fundamental properties and practical applications because of their extraordinary mechanical,thermal,electrical and optical properties,which are distinct from their counterparts in the bulk format.Various fabrication methods,such as soft-lithography,screen-printing,colloidal-templating and chemical/dry etching have been developed to fabricate micro/ nanostructures in 2D materials.Direct laser fabrication with the advantages of unique three-dimensional（3D）processing capability,arbitrary-shape designability and high fabrication accuracy up to tens of nanometers,which is far beyond the optical diffraction limit,has been widely studied and applied in the fabrication of various micro/ nanostructures of 2D materials for functional devices.This timely review summarizes the laser-matter interaction on 2D materials and the significant advances on laser-assisted 2D materials fabrication toward diverse functional photonics,optoelectronics,and electrochemical energy storage devices.The perspectives and challenges in designing and improving laser fabricated 2D materials devices are discussed as well.

Few-layer MoS2-deposited microfiber as highly nonlinear photonic device for pulse shaping in a fiber laser [Invited]

Two-dimensional（2D） materials have emerged as attractive mediums for fabricating versatile optoelectronic devices. Recently, few-layer molybdenum disulfide（MoS2）, as a shining 2D material, has been discovered to possess both the saturable absorption effect and large nonlinear refractive index. Herein, taking advantage of the unique nonlinear optical properties of MoS2, we fabricated a highly nonlinear saturable absorption photonic device by depositing the few-layer MoS2 onto the microfiber. With the proposed MoS2 photonic device, apart from the conventional soliton patterns, the mode-locked pulses could be shaped into some new soliton patterns, namely,multiple soliton molecules, localized chaotic multipulses, and double-scale soliton clusters. Our findings indicate that the few-layer MoS2-deposited microfiber could operate as a promising highlynonlinear photonic device for the related nonlinear optics applications.

Coexistence of bound soliton and harmonic mode-locking soliton in an ultrafast fiber laser based on MoS2-deposited microfiber photonic device

As the typical material of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides（TMDs）, few-layered MoS2 possesses broadband saturable absorption and a large nonlinear refractive index, which could be regarded as a promising candidate for dual-function photonic device fabrication. In this work, the coexistence of a bound soliton and harmonic mode-locking soliton was demonstrated in an ultrafast fiber laser based on a MoS2-deposited microfiber photonic device. Through a band-pass filter, each multi-soliton state was investigated separately. The bound soliton has periodic spectral modulation of 1.55 nm with a corresponding pulse separation of 5.16 ps.The harmonic mode-locking soliton has the repetition rate of 479 MHz, corresponding to the 65th harmonic of the fundamental repetition rate. The results indicated that there exist more possibilities of different multi-soliton composites, which would enhance our understanding of multi-soliton dynamics.