Broadband third-order optical nonlinearities of layered franckeite towards mid-infrared regime

The study of nonlinear optical responses in the mid-infrared(mid-IR)regime is essential for advancing ultrafast mid-IR laser applications.However,nonlinear optical effects under mid-IR excitation are rarely reported due to the lack of suitable nonlinear optical materials.The natural van derWaals heterostructure franckeite,known for its narrow bandgap and stability in air,shows great potential for developing mid-IR nonlinear optical devices.We have experimentally demonstrated that layered franckeite exhibits a broadband wavelength-dependent nonlinear optical response in the mid-IR spectral region.Franckeite nanosheets were prepared using a liquid-phase exfoliation method,and their nonlinear optical response was characterized in the spectral range of 3000 nm to 5000 nm.The franckeite nanosheets exhibit broadband wavelengthdependent third-order nonlinearities,with nonlinear absorption and refraction coefficients estimated to be about 10^(-7)cm/W and 10^(-11)cm^(2)/W,respectively.Additionally,a passively Q-switched fluoride fiber laser operating around a wavelength of 2800 nm was achieved,delivering nanosecond pulses with a signal-to-noise ratio of 43.6 dB,based on the nonlinear response of franckeite.These findings indicate that layered franckeite possesses broadband nonlinear optical characteristics in the mid-IR region,potentially enabling new possibilities for mid-IR photonic devices.

Using harmonic beam combining to generate pulse-burst in nonlinear optical laser

The ultrashort lasers working in pulse-burst mode reveal great machining performance in recent years. The number of pulses in bursts effects greatly on the removal rate and roughness. To generate a more equal amplitude of pulses in burst with linear polarization output and time gap adjustable, we propose a new method by the harmonic beam combining(HBC).The beam combining is commonly used in adding pulses into the output beam while maintaining the pulse waveform and beam quality. In the HBC, dichroic mirrors are used to combine laser pulses of fundamental wave(FW) into harmonic wave(HW), and nonlinear crystals are used to convert the FW into HW. Therefore, HBC can add arbitrarily more HW pulses to generate pulse-burst in linear polarization with simple structure. The amplitude of each pulse in bursts can be adjusted the same to increase the stability of the burst, the time gap of each pulse can be adjusted precisely by proper time delay. Because HBC adds pulses sequentially, the peak power density of the burst is the same as each pulse, pulses can be combined without concern of back-conversion which often occurs in high peak power density. In the demonstration, the extendibility of HBC was verified by combining two beams with a third beam. The combined efficiency rates were larger than 99%, and the beam quality of each beam was maintained at M^(2)≈1.4.

Symmetry transformation of nonlinear optical current of tilted Weyl nodes and application to ferromagnetic MnBi_(2)Te_(4)

A Weyl node is characterized by its chirality and tilt.We develop a theory of how nth-order nonlinear optical conductivity behaves under transformations of anisotropic tensor and tilt, which clarifies how chirality-dependent and-independent parts of optical conductivity transform under the reversal of tilt and chirality.Built on this theory, we propose ferromagnetic Mn Bi2Te4as a magnetoelectrically regulated, terahertz optical device, by magnetoelectrically switching the chiralitydependent and-independent DC photocurrents.These results are useful for creating nonlinear optical devices based on the topological Weyl semimetals.

Quasi-anti-parity–time-symmetric single-resonator micro-optical gyroscope with Kerr nonlinearity

Parity–time(PT) and quasi-anti-parity–time(quasi-APT) symmetric optical gyroscopes have been proposed recently which enhance Sagnac frequency splitting. However, the operation of gyroscopes at the exceptional point(EP) is challenging due to strict fabrication requirements and experimental uncertainties. We propose a new quasi-APT-symmetric micro-optical gyroscope which can be operated at the EP by easily shifting the Kerr nonlinearity. A single resonator is used as the core sensitive component of the quasi-APT-symmetric optical gyroscope to reduce the size, overcome the strict structural requirements and detect small rotation rates. Moreover, the proposed scheme also has an easy readout method for the frequency splitting. As a result, the device achieves a frequency splitting 10~5 times higher than that of a classical resonant optical gyroscope with the Earth's rotation. This proposal paves the way for a new and valuable method for the engineering of micro-optical gyroscopes.

Electrical and nonlinear optical properties of TGZO transparent conducting films deposited by magnetron sputtering

Thin transparent oxide conducting films(TCOFs)of titanium and gallium substituted zinc oxide(TGZO)were fabricated via radio frequency(RF)magnetron sputtering technique.The effects of RF power on electrical,linear and nonlinear optical characteristics were investigated by Hall tester,Ultraviolet(UV)-visible spectrophotometer and optical characterization method.The results indicate that RF power significantly influences the electrical and optical properties of the deposited films.As RF power raises,the resistivity and Urbach energy fall initially and then rise,while the figure of merit,mean visible transmittance and optical bandgap show the reverse variation trend.At RF power of 190 W,the TGZO sample exhibits the highest electro-optical properties,with the maximum figure of merit(1.14×10^(4)Ω-1∙cm^(-1)),mean visible transmittance(86.9%)and optical bandgap(3.50 eV),the minimum resistivity(6.26×10^(-4)Ω∙cm)and Urbach energy(174.23 meV).In addition,the optical constants of the deposited films were determined by the optical spectrum fitting method,and the RF power dependence of nonlinear optical properties was studied.It is observed that all the thin films exhibit normal dispersion characteristics in the visible region,and the nonlinear optical parameters are greatly affected by the RF power in the ultraviolet region.

Structure,electronic,and nonlinear optical properties of superalkaline M_(3)O(M=Li,Na)doped cyclo[18]carbon

Cyclo[18]carbon has received considerable attention thanks to its novel geometric configuration and special electronic structure.Superalkalis have low ionization energy.Doping a superalkali in cyclo[18]carbon is an effective method to improve the optical properties of the system because considerable electron transfer occurs.In this paper,the geometry,bonding properties,electronic structure,absorption spectrum,and nonlinear optical(NLO)properties of superalkaline M_(3)O(M=Li,Na)-doped cyclo[18]carbon were studied by using density functional theory.M_(3)O and the C_(18) rings are not coplanar.The C_(18) ring still exhibits alternating long and short bonds.The charge transfer between M_(3)O and C_(18) forms stable[M_(3)O]+[C_(18)]-ionic complexes.C_(18)M_(3)O(M=Li,Na)shows striking optical nonlinearity,i.e.,their first-and second-order hyperpolarizability(βvec andγ||)increase considerably atλ=1907 nm and 1460 nm.

Nonlinear optical imaging by detection with optical parametric amplification(invited paper)

Nonlinear optical imaging is a versatile tool that has been proven to be exceptionally useful in various research fields.However,due to the use of photomultiplier tubes(PMTs),the wide application of nonlinear optical imaging is limited by the incapability of imaging under am-bient light.In this paper,we propose and demonstrate a new optical imaging detection method based on optical parametric amplification(OPA).As a nonlinear optical process,OPA in-trinsically rejects ambient light photons by coherence gating.Periodical poled lithium niobate(PPLN)crystals are used in this study as the media for OPA.Compared to bulk nonlinear optical crystals,PPLN crystals support the generation of OPA signal with lower pump power.Therefore,this characteristic of PPLN crystals is particularly beneficial when using high-repetition-rate lasers,which facilitate high-speed optical signal detection,such as in spec-troscopy and imaging.A PPLN-based OPA system was built to amplify the emitted imaging signal from second harmonic generation(SHG)and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering(CARS)microscopy imaging,and the amplified optical signal was strong enough to be detected by a biased photodiode under ordinary room light conditions.With OPA detection,ambient-light-on SHG and CARS imaging becomes possible,and achieves a similar result as PMT detection under strictly dark environments.These results demonstrate that OPA can be used as a substitute for PMTs in nonlinear optical imaging to adapt it to various applications with complex.light ing conditions.

The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)on the SMILE Mission

The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)is part of the scientific payload of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission.SMILE is a joint science mission between the European Space Agency(ESA)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)and is due for launch in 2025.SXI is a compact X-ray telescope with a wide field-of-view(FOV)capable of encompassing large portions of Earth’s magnetosphere from the vantage point of the SMILE orbit.SXI is sensitive to the soft X-rays produced by the Solar Wind Charge eXchange(SWCX)process produced when heavy ions of solar wind origin interact with neutral particles in Earth’s exosphere.SWCX provides a mechanism for boundary detection within the magnetosphere,such as the position of Earth’s magnetopause,because the solar wind heavy ions have a very low density in regions of closed magnetic field lines.The sensitivity of the SXI is such that it can potentially track movements of the magnetopause on timescales of a few minutes and the orbit of SMILE will enable such movements to be tracked for segments lasting many hours.SXI is led by the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom(UK)with collaborating organisations on hardware,software and science support within the UK,Europe,China and the United States.

Nonlinear optics with structured light

The interest in tailoring light in all its degrees of freedom is steadily gaining traction,driven by the tremendous developments in the toolkit for the creation,control and detection of what is now called structured light.Because the complexity of these optical fields is generally understood in terms of interference,the tools have historically been linear optical elements that create the desired superpositions.For this reason,despite the long and impressive history of nonlinear optics,only recently has the spatial structure of light in nonlinear processes come to the fore.In this review we provide a concise theoretical framework for understanding nonlinear optics in the context of structured light,offering an overview and perspective on the progress made,and the challenges that remain.

2D Nb_(2)CT_(x) MXene/MoS_(2) heterostructure construction for nonlinear optical absorption modulation

Two-dimensional(2D)nonlinear optical mediums with high and tunable light modulation capability can significantly stimulate the development of ultrathin,compact,and integrated optoelectronics devices and photonic elements.2D carbides and nitrides of transition metals(MXenes)are a new class of 2D materials with excellent intrinsic and strong light-matter interaction characteristics.However,the current understanding of their photo-physical properties and strategies for improving optical performance is insufficient.To address this issue,we rationally designed and in situ synthesized a 2D Nb_(2)C/MoS_(2) heterostructure that outperforms pristine Nb2C in both linear and nonlinear optical performance.Excellent agreement between experimental and theoretical results demonstrated that the Nb_(2)C/MoS_(2) inherited the preponderance of Nb_(2)C and MoS_(2) in absorption at different wavelengths,resulting in the broadband enhanced optical absorption characteristics.In addition to linear optical modulation,we also achieved stronger near infrared nonlinear optical modulation,with a nonlinear absorption coefficient of Nb_(2)C/MoS_(2) being more than two times that of the pristine Nb_(2)C.These results were supported by the band alinement model which was determined by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)experiment and first-principal theory calculation.The presented facile synthesis approach and robust light modulation strategy pave the way for broadband optoelectronic devices and optical modulators.

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.

Influence of the initial parameters on soliton interaction in nonlinear optical systems

In nonlinear optical systems,optical solitons have the transmission properties of reducing error rate,improving system security and stability,and have important research significance in future research on all optical communication.This paper uses the bilinear method to obtain the two-soliton solutions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation.By analyzing the relevant physical parameters in the obtained solutions,the interaction between optical solitons is optimized.The influence of the initial conditions on the interactions of the optical solitons is analyzed in detail,the reason why the interaction of the optical solitons is sensitive to the initial condition is discussed,and the interactions of the optical solitons are effectively weakened.The relevant results are beneficial for reducing the error rate and promoting the communication quality of the system.

Nonlinear optical rectification of GaAs/Ga_(1-x)Al_(x)As quantum dots with Hulthén plus Hellmann confining potential

We investigate the nonlinear optical rectification(NOR) of spherical quantum dots(QDs) under Hulthén plus Hellmann confining potential with the external tuning elements. Energy and wavefunction are determined by using the Nikiforov–Uvarov method. Expression for the NOR coefficient is derived by the density matrix theory. The results show that the applied external elements and internal parameters of this system have a strong influence on intraband nonlinear optical properties. It is hopeful that this tuning of the nonlinear optical properties of GaAs/Ga_(1-x)Al_(x)As QDs can make a greater contribution to preparation of new functional optical devices.

Property of slice square polycapillary x-ray optics

A geometrical description of square polycapillary x-ray optics and the basic theory of the transmission of x-rays are presented. A method of numerical calculation is developed based on ray-tracing theory. The method simulates the intensity distribution of x-rays propagating through slice square polycapillary x-ray optics. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results.

Compression and stretching of ring vortex in a bulk nonlinear medium

We explore the nonlinear gain coupled Schrödinger system through the utilization of the variables separation method and ansatz technique.By employing these approaches,we generate hierarchies of explicit dissipative vector vortices(DVVs)that possess diverse vorticity values.Numerous fundamental characteristics of the DVVs are examined,encompassing amplitude profiles,energy fluxes,parameter effects,as well as linear and dynamic stability.

Effective regulation of the interaction process among three optical solitons

The interaction between three optical solitons is a complex and valuable research direction,which is of practical application for promoting the development of optical communication and all-optical information processing technology.In this paper,we start from the study of the variable-coefficient coupled higher-order nonlinear Schodinger equation(VCHNLSE),and obtain an analytical three-soliton solution of this equation.Based on the obtained solution,the interaction of the three optical solitons is explored when they are incident from different initial velocities and phases.When the higher-order dispersion and nonlinear functions are sinusoidal,hyperbolic secant,and hyperbolic tangent functions,the transmission properties of three optical solitons before and after interactions are discussed.Besides,this paper achieves effective regulation of amplitude and velocity of optical solitons as well as of the local state of interaction process,and interaction-free transmission of the three optical solitons is obtained with a small spacing.The relevant conclusions of the paper are of great significance in promoting the development of high-speed and large-capacity optical communication,optical signal processing,and optical computing.

A novel dual-channel thermo-optic locking method for the whispering gallery mode microresonator

Mode locking can be effectively achieved by using the thermo-optic effects in the whispering gallery mode(WGM)optical microcavity,without the help of external equipment.Therefore,it has the advantages of small size,low integration costs,and self-locking,which shows great potential for application.However,the conventional single-channel microcavity thermal-locking method that relies solely on internal thermal balance will inevitably be disturbed by the external environment.This limitation affects the locking time and stability.Therefore,in this paper,we propose a new method for closed-loop thermal locking of a dual-channel microcavity.The thermal locking of the signal laser and the thermal regulation of the control laser are carried out respectively by synchronously drawing a dual-path tapered fiber.The theoretical model of the thermal dynamics of the dual-channel microcavity system is established,and the influence of the control-laser power on the thermal locking of the signal laser is confirmed.The deviation between the locking voltage of the signal laser and the set point value is used as a closed-loop feedback parameter to achieve long-term and highly stable mode locking of the signal laser.The results show that in the 2.63 h thermal-locking test,the locking stability is an order of magnitude higher than that of the single tapered fiber.This solution addresses the issue of thermal locking being disrupted by the external environment,and offers new possibilities for important applications such as spectroscopy and micro-optical sensor devices.

Nonlinear Absorption and Low-threshold Two-photon Pumped Amplified Stimulated Emission from FAPbBr_(3) Nanocrystals

Formamidinium lead bromide(FAPbBr_(3))nanocrystals(NCs)have been considered to be a good optoelectronic material due to their pure green emission,excellent stability and superior carrier transport characteristics.However,two-photon pumped amplified spontaneous emission(ASE)and the corresponding nonlinear optical properties of FAPbBr_(3) NCs are scarcely revealed.Herein,we synthesized colloidal FAPbBr_(3) NCs with different sizes by changing the molar ratio of FABr/PbBr_(2) in the precursor solution,using ligand assisted precipitation(LARP)technology at room temperature.Photoluminescence(PL)and time resolved photoluminescence(TRPL)spectroscopy were measured to characterize their ASE properties.And their nonlinear optical properties were studied through the Zscan technique and the two-photon excited fluorescence method.The stimulated emission properties including oneand two-photon pumped ASE have been realized from FAPbBr_(3) NCs.With large two-photon absorption coefficient(0.27 cm/GW)and high non-linear absorption cross-section(7.52×10^(5) GM),ASE with threshold as low as 9.8μJ/cm^(2) and 487μJ/cm^(2) have been obtained from colloidal FAPbBr_(3) NCs using one-and two-photon excitations.These results indicate that as a new possible green-emitting frequency-upconversion material with low thresholds,FAPbBr_(3) NCs hold great potential in the development of high-performance two-photon pump lasers.

Plasmon-induced nonlinear response on gold nanoclusters

The plasmon-induced nonlinear response has attracted great attention in micro-nano optics and optoelectronics applications,yet the underlying microscopic mechanism remains elusive.In this study,the nonlinear response of gold nanoclusters when exposed to a femtosecond laser pulse was investigated using time-dependent density functional theory.It was observed that the third-order tunneling current was augmented in plasmonic dimers,owing to a greater number of electrons in the dimer being excited from occupied to unoccupied states.These findings provide profound theoretical insights and enable the realization of accurate regulation and control of nonlinear effects induced by plasmons at the atomic level.

Fluorine-Mediated Benzothiadiazole Derivatives for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics

With increasing research interests in the field of light-matter interactions,various methods have been developed for regulating nonlinear optical(NLO)materials.However,the design and synthesis of organic molecular materials for second-order nonlinear optics remain a great challenge because of the strict requirement of the materials to possess a noncentrosymmetric structure.In this work,two benzothiadiazole(BTD)derivatives referred to as BTD-H and BTD-F were synthesized,and their NLO properties in the crystalline states were studied.It was found that introducing fluorine into the BTD backbone effectively tuned the crystal packing styles of BTD derivatives to a noncentrosymmetric system for effective second-order NLO responses.Such a strategy to induce the noncentrosymmetric structure by introducing the fluorine atoms and halogen interactions may provide guidance for future engineering of organic NLO molecular materials.