Resonantly enhanced second-and third-harmonic generation in dielectric nonlinear metasurfaces

Nonlinear dielectric metasurfaces provide a promising approach to control and manipulate frequency conversion optical processes at the nanoscale,thus facilitating both advances in fundamental research and the development of new practical applications in photonics,lasing,and sensing.Here,we employ symmetry-broken metasurfaces made of centrosymmetric amorphous silicon for resonantly enhanced second-and third-order nonlinear optical response.Exploiting the rich physics of optical quasi-bound states in the continuum and guided mode resonances,we comprehensively study through rigorous numerical calculations the relative contribution of surface and bulk effects to second-harmonic generation(SHG)and the bulk contribution to third-harmonic generation(THG) from the meta-atoms.Next,we experimentally achieve optical resonances with high quality factors,which greatly boosts light-matter interaction,resulting in about 550 times SHG enhancement and nearly 5000-fold increase of THG.A good agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental measurements is observed.To gain deeper insights into the physics of the investigated nonlinear optical processes,we further numerically study the relation between nonlinear emission and the structural asymmetry of the metasurface and reveal that the generated harmonic signals arising from linear sharp resonances are highly dependent on the asymmetry of the meta-atoms.Our work suggests a fruitful strategy to enhance the harmonic generation and effectively control different orders of harmonics in all-dielectric metasurfaces,enabling the development of efficient active photonic nanodevices.

Electricity Generation from Heatwaves

We chose a definition of heatwaves (HWs) that has ~4-year recurrence frequency at world hot spots. We first examined the 1940-2022 HWs climatology and trends in lifespan, severity, spatial extent, and recurrence frequency. HWs are becoming more frequent and more severe for extratropical mid- and low-latitudes. To euphemize HWs, we here propose a novel clean energy-tapping concept that utilizes the available nano-technology, micro-meteorology knowledge of temperature distribution within/without buildings, and radiative properties of earth atmosphere. The key points for a practical electricity generation scheme from HWs are defogging, insulation, and minimizing the absorption of infrared downward radiation at the cold legs of the thermoelectric generators. One sample realization is presented which, through relay with existing photovoltaic devices, provides all-day electricity supply sufficient for providing air conditioning requirement for a residence (~2000-watt throughput). The provision of power to air conditioning systems, usually imposes a significant stress on traditional city power grids during heatwaves.

Wavelength Dependent Nonlinear Spectroscopic Study of Third Harmonic Generation Probed by Rotational Maker Fringes Method

Efficient third-order nonlinearities of the Zinc Oxide and Al-doped Zinc Oxide were studied by Third Harmonic Generation (Third Harmonic Generation) Maker fringes to establish the effect Aluminum of Aluminum doping (Al-doping) on the cubic nonlinearities. Adding the Al-dopant to the Zinc Oxide crystal structure results in changes that affect the optical and nonlinear characteristics. Presented results indicate that the magnitude of X(3) was enhanced at single experimental wavelengths;however, across the broadband experimental spectrum, the effect of Al-doping remained relatively constant. The observed enhancement of third-order nonlinearity was purely from the bound electronic response. The observation is attributed to increased charge carriers and spontaneous polarization in the Zinc Oxide and Al-doped Zinc Oxide crystal structure.

Comparative investigation of long-wave infrared generation based on ZnGeP_2 and CdSe optical parametric oscillators

Long-wave infrared （IR） generation based on type-Ⅱ （o→e＋o） phase matching ZnGeP2 （ZGP） and CdSe optical parametric oscillators （OPOs） pumped by a 2.05μm Tm,Ho：GdVO4 laser is reported. The comparisons of the birefringent walk-off effect and the oscillation threshold between ZGP and CdSe OPOs are performed theoretically and experimentally. For the ZGP OPO, up to 419 mW output at 8.04 μm is obtained at the 8 kHz pump pulse repetition frequency （PRF） with a slope efficiency of 7.6%. This ZGP OPO can be continuously tuned from 7.8 to 8.5 μm. For the CdSe OPO, we demonstrate a 64 mW output at 8.9μm with a single crystal 28 mm in length.

Optical microwave generation using two parallel DFB lasers integrated with Y-branch waveguide coupler

A new device of two parallel distributed feedback （DFB） lasers integrated monolithically with Y-branch waveguide coupler was fabricated by means of quantum well intermixing. Optical microwave signal was generated in the Y-branch waveguide coupler through frequency beating of the two laser modes coming from two DFB laser in parallel, which had a small difference in frequency. Continuous rapid tuning of optical microwave signal from 13 to 42 GHz were realized by adjusting independently the driving currents injected into the two DFB lasers.

Generation of Continuous-Wave 194 nm Laser for Mercury Ion Optical Frequency Standard

A 194-nm cw laser is an essential part in the mercury ion optical frequency standard. We report the generation of over 2mW continuous-wave radiation at 194nm in a beta barium borate crystal using a simple sum frequency mixing （SFM） system. One source beams at 718nm is resonantly enhanced with a cavity and the other at 266mn makes a single pass. Considering the walk-off effect in SFM, the source beam waists are designed to be elliptical, thus the conversion efficiency can be promoted. The 266-nm beam produced by frequency doubling of 532-nm laser is shaped close to the diffraction limit to achieve better mode matching.

Photonic multi-shape UWB pulse generation using a semiconductor optical amplifier-based nonlinear optical loop mirror

We propose and demonstrate a scheme to implement photonic multi-shape ultra-wideband（UWB） signal generation using a semiconductor optical amplifier（SOA） based nonlinear optical loop mirror（NOLM）.By employing the cross phase modulation（XPM） effect,cross gain modulation（XGM）,or both,multi-shape UWB waveforms are generated including monocycle,doublet,triplet,and quadruplet pulses.Both the shapes and polarities of the generated pulses are flexible to adjust,which may be very useful in UWB pulse shape modulation and pulse polarity modulation.

Photonic generation of power-efficient FCC-compliant ultra-wideband waveforms using semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA):theoretical analysis and experiment verification

We theoretically design a power-efficient ultra-wideband pulse generator by combining three monocycle pulses with different weights. We also experimentally demonstrate a feasible scheme to generate such power-efficient ultra-wideband waveforms using cross-phase modulation in a single semiconductor optical amplifier. The designed ultra-wideband pulse fully satisfies the requirements for the spectral mask specified by the Federal Communications Commission with high power efficiency. In the experiment, a power-efficient ultra-wideband waveform with a pulse duration of 310 ps is achieved, and the power efficiency is greatly improved compared with that of a single nlonocycle pulse or a mixture of two monoeycles.

Cost Effective Scheme for OLT in Next Generation Passive Optical Access Network Based on Noise Free Optical Multi Carrier

We propos e a cos t-effective multi-carrier generation technique which minimizes the passive optical access network(PON) costs. In this study replacement of laser array with multi-carrier source at optical line terminal(OLT) side in PON is addressed. With 25-GHz frequency spacing, the generated optical multi-carriers exhibit good tone to noise ratio(TNR) i. e. above 20 d B, and least amplitude difference i. e. 1.5d B. At the OLT, multi-carriers signal based multiplexed differential phase shift keying(DPSK) data from all the channels each having 10 Gbps for downlink is transmitted through 25 km single mode fiber. While the transmitted information is retrieved at optical network unit(ONU), part of the downlink signal is re-modulated using intensity modulated(IM) on-off keying(OOK) for upstream transmission at 10-Gbps. Simulation results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis, showing error free transmission in downlink and uplink with 10 Gbps symmetric data rate at each channel. The receivedpower, both for uplink and downlink transmission, is adequate for all channels at BER of 10-9 with minimum power penalties. Power budget is calculated for different splitting ratios showing excellent system margins for any unseen losses. The proposed setup provides a cost-effective way minimizing transmission losses, and providing greater system's margin in PON architecture.

On-chip optical pulse shaper for arbitrary waveform generation

We propose and demonstrate a silicon-on-insulator （SOI） on-chip optical pulse shaper based on four-tap finite impulse response. Due to different width designs in phase region of each tap, the phase differences for all taps are controlled by an external thermal source, resulting in an optical pulse shaper. We further demonstrate optical arbitrary waveform generation based on the optical pulse shaper assisted by an optical frequency comb injection. Four different optical waveforms are generated when setting the central wavelengths at 1533.78 nm and 1547.1 nm and setting the thermal source temperatures at 23 ℃ and 33 ℃, respectively. Our scheme has distinct advantages of compactness, capability for integrating with electronics since the integrated silicon waveguide is employed.

Optical pulse shaper with integrated slab waveguide for arbitrary waveform generation using optical gradient force

Integrated optical pulse shaper opens up possibilities for realizing the ultra high-speed and ultra wide-band linear signal processing with compact size and low power consumption. We propose a silicon monolithic integrated optical pulse shaper using optical gradient force, which is based on the eight-path finite impulse response. A cantilever structure is fabricated in one arm of the Mach–Zehnder interferometer（MZI） to act as an amplitude modulator. The phase shift feature of waveguide is analyzed with the optical pump power, and five typical waveforms are demonstrated with the manipulation of optical force. Unlike other pulse shaper schemes based on thermo–optic effect or electro–optic effect, our scheme is based on a new degree of freedom manipulation, i.e., optical force, so no microelectrodes are required on the silicon chip,which can reduce the complexity of fabrication. Besides, the chip structure is suitable for commercial silicon on an insulator（SOI） wafer, which has a top silicon layer of about 220 nm in thickness.

Study of Token Generation for Burst Traffic Shaping in Optical Burst Switching Networks

Traffic shaping is one of important control operation to guarantee the Quality of Service (QoS) in optical burst switching (OBS) networks. The efficiency of traffic shaping is mainly determined by token generation method. In this paper, token generation methods of traffic shaping are evaluated by using three kinds of probability distribution, and are analyzed in terms of burst blocking probability, through-put and correlation by simulation. The simulation results show that the token generation methods decrease the burst correlation of Label Switched Paths (LSPs), and solve traffic congestion as well. The different burst arrival processes have small impact on the blocking probability for OBS net works. Key words optical burst switching - traffic shaping - token generation - quality of service CLC number TP 929.11 Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (60132030) and the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) through OIRC ProjectBiography: Tang Wan (1974-), female, Ph. D candidate, research direction: contention resolution and routing mechanism in OBS networks.

Theoretical Calculation of Ultrashort-Pulse Optical Parametric Generation

A general theory of optical parametric generation that accounts for pump depletion, loss, phase mismatch, group-velocity mismatch among the pump, signal and idler pulses, and intrapulse group-velocity dispersion is proposed for coherent ultrashort pulses with arbitrary shapes and carrier chirps. The coupled differential equations are numerically solved using a symmetric split step beam-propagation method. The general solutions of these equations are obtained and the optical parametric generation process is theoretically investigated. Results show that the major factors, which remarkably affect the optical parametric conversion efficiency and durations of the pulses in phase-matched structure, are the group velocity mismatch and the intrapulse group velocity dispersion.

Next Generation Optical Access Network Using CWDM Technology

We are developing a novel technology for the next generation optical access network. The proposed archi-tecture provides FTTX high bandwidth which enables to give out 10Gbit/s per end-user. Increasing the subscribers in the future will cause massive congestion in the data transferred along the optical network. Our solution is using the wavelength division multiplexing PON (CWDM-PON) technology to achieve high bandwidth and enormous data transmission at the network access. Physical layer modifications are used in our model to provide satisfactory solution for the bandwidth needs. Thus high data rates can be achieved throughout the network using low cost technologies. Framework estimations are evaluated to prove the intended model success and reliability. Our argument that: this modification will submit a wide bandwidth suitable for the future Internet.

Optical Sum Frequency Generation Image of Rice Grains

We observed optical sum frequency generation (SFG) images of cross-sections of glutinous rice grains, in order to test a possibility of the SFG microscopy as a tool for monitoring polysaccharide species in rice grains. The SFG response in the CH vibration range was the most intense in the crush cell layer at the edge of the endosperm adjacent to the embryo probably due to optical reflection and scattering effectby the rugged dielectric structure of the crush cell layer. The SFG spectra as a function of the infrared wavelength depended on the measurement position in the endosperm. The SFG results were compared with those by Raman and infrared spectroscopies for the same samples.

Optical Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy of Cracked Non-Glutinous Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Kernels

In order to study the correlation between the cracking of rice (Oryza sativa L.) kernels and the molecular structure of the amylopectin in them, we attempted optical sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy in the C-H stretching vibration region for normal and cracked japonica non-glutinous rice kernels. The samples were Koshihikari and Nipponbare. In Nipponbare, the width of the SFG spectrum peak at 2915 cm- 1 of the cracked rice kernels was broader than that of the normal ones, while for Koshihikari there was no clear difference. The width of the 2915 cm- 1 peak is suggested to originate from the variety of the higher-order structure of the saccharide chains in amylopectin. Although this is a tentative result, this method is shown to have a potential of serving for preventing the cracking of the rice kernels.

Table-top optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers: past and present

The generation of power-and wavelength-scalable few optical cycle pulses remains one of the major challenges in modern laser physics.Over the past decade,the development of table-top optical parametric chirped pulse amplificationbased systems was progressing at amazing speed,demonstrating excellent performance characteristics in terms of pulse duration,energy,peak power and repetition rate,which place them at the front line of modern ultrafast laser technology.At present,table-top optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers comprise a unique class of ultrafast light sources,which currently amplify octave-spanning spectra and produce carrier-envelope phase-stable,few optical cycle pulses with multi-gigawatt to multi-terawatt peak powers and multi-watt average powers,with carrier wavelengths spanning a considerable range of the optical spectrum.This article gives an overview on the state of the art of table-top optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers,addressing their relevant scientific and technological aspects,and provides a short outlook of practical applications in the growing field of ultrafast science.

An optical tweezer-based microdroplet imaging technology

Microspheres can break the diffraction limit and magnify nano-structure imaging,and with its advantages of low cost and label-free operation,microsphere-assisted imaging has become an irreplaceable tool in the life sciences and for precision measurements.However,the tiny size and limited imaging field of traditional solid microspheres cause difficulties when imaging large sample areas.Alternatively,droplets have similar properties to those of microspheres,with large surface curvature and refractive-index difference from the surrounding environment,and they can also serve as lenses to focus light for observation and imaging.Previous work has shown that droplets with controllable size can be generated using an optical tweezer system and can be driven by optical traps to move precisely like solid microspheres.Here,a novel microdroplet-assisted imaging technology based on optical tweezers is proposed that better integrates the generation,manipulation,and utilization of droplets.

Broadband and continuous wave pumped second-harmonic generation from microfiber coated with layered GaSe crystal

The conversion-efficiency for second-harmonic(SH)in optical fibers is significantly limited by extremely weak second-order nonlinearity of fused silica,and pulse pump lasers with high peak power are widely employed.Here,we propose a simple strategy to efficiently realize the broadband and continuous wave(CW)pumped SH,by transferring a crystalline GaSe coating onto a microfiber with phase-matching diameter.In the experiment,high efficiency up to 0.08%W-1mm-1 is reached for a C-band pump laser.The high enough efficiency not only guarantees SH at a single frequency pumped by a CW laser,but also multi-frequencies mixing supported by three CW light sources.Moreover,broadband SH spectrum is also achieved under the pump of a superluminescent light-emitting diode source with a 79.3 nm bandwidth.The proposed scheme provides a beneficial method to the enhancement of various nonlinear parameter processes,development of quasi-monochromatic or broadband CW light sources at new wavelength regions.

Janus aramid nanofiber aerogel incorporating plasmonic nanoparticles for high-efficiency interfacial solar steam generation

Interfacial solar steam generation(ISSG)is a novel and potential solution to global freshwater crisis.Here,based on a facile sol-gel fabrication process,we demonstrate a highly scalable Janus aramid nanofiber aerogel(JANA)as a high-efficiency ISSG device.JANA performs near-perfect broadband optical absorption,rapid photothermal conversion and effective water transportation.Owning to these features,efficient desalination of salty water and purification of municipal sewage are successfully demonstrated using JANA.In addition,benefiting from the mechanical property and chemical stability of constituent aramid nanofibers,JANA not only possesses outstanding flexibility and fire-resistance properties,but its solar steaming efficiency is also free from the influences of elastic deformations and fire treatments.We envision JANA provides a promising platform for mass-production of high-efficiency ISSG devices with supplementary capabilities of convenient transportation and long-term storage,which could further promote the realistic applications of ISSG technology.