High-efficiency ultra-fast all-optical photonic crystal diode based on the lateral-coupled nonlinear elliptical defect

An all-optical Fano-like diode featuring a nonlinear lateral elliptical micro-cavity and a reflecting column in the photonic crystal waveguide is proposed.The asymmetric micro-cavity is constructed by removing one rod and changing the shape of the lateral rod from a circle to an ellipse.A reflecting pillar is also introduced into the waveguide to construct an F-P cavity with the elliptical defect and enhance the asymmetric transmission for the incident light wave transmitting rightwards and leftwards,respectively.By designing the size of the ellipse and optimizing a reflecting rod at a suitable position,a maximum forward light transmittance of-1.14 dB and a minimum backward transmittance of-57.66 dB are achieved at the working wavelength of 1550.47 nm.The corresponding response time is about 10 ps when the intensity of the pump light beam resonant at 637 nm is 3.97 W/μm2.

Unraveling the efficiency losses and improving methods in quantum dot-based infrared up-conversion photodetectors

Quantum dot-based up-conversion photodetector,in which an infrared photodiode(PD)and a quantum dot light-emitting diode(QLED)are back-to-back connected,is a promising candidate for low-cost infrared imaging.However,the huge efficiency losses caused by integrating the PD and QLED together hasn’t been studied sufficiently.This work revealed at least three origins for the efficiency losses.First,the PD unit and QLED unit usually didn’t work under optimal conditions at the same time.Second,the potential barriers and traps at the interconnection between PD and QLED units induced unfavorable carrier recombination.Third,much emitted visible light was lost due to the strong visible absorption in the PD unit.Based on the understandings on the loss mechanisms,the infrared up-conversion photodetectors were optimized and achieved a breakthrough photon-to-photon conversion efficiency of 6.9%.This study provided valuable guidance on how to optimize the way of integration for up-conversion photodetectors.

All-Optical Sampling Using Nonlinear Polarization Rotation in a Single Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

We propose a novel all-optical sampling method using nonlinear polarization rotation in a semiconductor optical amplifier. A rate-equation model capable of describing the all-optical sampling mechanism is presented in this paper. Based on this model, we investigate the optimized operating parameters of the proposed system by simulating the output intensity of the probe light as functions of the input polarization angle, the phase induced by the polarization controller, and the ori- entation of the polarization beam splitter. The simulated results show that we can obtain a good linear slope and a large linear dynamic range,which is suitable for all-optical sampling. The operating power of the pump light can be less than lmW. The presented all-optical sampling method can potentially operate at a sampling rate up to hundreds GS/s and needs low optical power.

CMOS Quadrature Modulator and Up-Conversion Mixer for 802.11a Wireless LAN Systems

A quadrature modulator and an up-conversion mixer for an 802. lla wireless LAN system are designed and fabricated in 0.18μm gate length standard CMOS technology. A current feedback loop with a transconductor is used to improve the linearity of the quadrature modulator;An LC resonant tank is used as the load of the upconversion mixer to improve its gain and increase the voltage swing. The measurement results show that the input P1dB achieves -3.6dBm, the transducer power gain of the circuit is -3.6dB,and the current consumes about 45.8mA with a 1.8V power supply.

Nanocrystals precipitation and up-conversion luminescence in Yb^(3+)-Tm^(3+) co-doped oxyfluoride glasses

Rare earth ions doped oxyfluoride glass with composition of 28SiO2·22AlO1.5·40PbF2·10PbO·（4.8-x） GdFy0.1NdF3.xYbF3·0.1TmF3 （x=-0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 4.8） in molar ratio was developed. When the oxyfluoride glasses were heat-treated at the first crystallization temperature, the glasses gave transparent glass-ceramics in which rare earth containing fluorite-type nanocrystals of about 17.2 nm in diameter uniformly precipitated in the glass matrix. Compared with the glasses before heat treatment, the glass-ceramics exhibited very strong blue up-conversion luminescence under 800 nm light excitation. Rare earth containing nanocrystals were also space selectively precipitated upon laser irradiation in an oxyfluoride glass, the size of precipitated nanocrystals could be controlled by laser power and scan speed. The intensity of the blue up-conversion luminescence was strongly dependent on the precipitation of β-PbF2 nanocrystal and the YbF3 concentration. The reasons for the highly efficient Tm^3＋ up-conversion luminescence after laser irradiation were discussed.

Optically Digitalized Holography: A Perspective for All-Optical Machine Learning

Holography, which was invented by Dennis Gabor in 1948, offers an approach to reconstructing both the amplitude and phase information of a three-dimensional (3D) object [1]. Since its invention, the concept of holography has been widely used in various fields, such as microscopy [2], interferometry [3], ultrasonography [4], and holographic display [5]. Optical holography can be divided into two steps: recording and reconstruction. A conventional hologram is recorded onto a photosensitive film as the interference between an object beam carrying the 3D object information and a reference beam. Thereafter, the original object wavefront is reconstructed in the 3D image space by illuminating the reference beam on the recorded hologram.

Up-conversion detection of mid-infrared light carrying orbital angular momentum

Frequency up-conversion is an effective method of mid-infrared(MIR) detection by converting long-wavelength photons to the visible domain, where efficient detectors are readily available. Here, we generate MIR light carrying orbital angular momentum(OAM) from a difference frequency generation process and perform up-conversion on it via sum frequency conversion in a bulk quasi-phase-matching crystal. The maximum quantum conversion efficiencies from MIR to visible are 34.0%, 10.4%, and 3.5% for light with topological charges of 0, 1, and 2, respectively, achieved by utilizing an optimized strong pump light. We also verify the OAM conservation with a specially designed interferometer, and the results agree well with the numerical simulations. Our study opens up the possibilities for generating, manipulating, and detecting MIR light that carries OAM, and will have great potential for optical communications and remote sensing in the MIR regime.

All-optical computing based on convolutional neural networks

The rapid development of information technology has fueled an ever-increasing demand for ultrafast and ultralow-en-ergy-consumption computing.Existing computing instruments are pre-dominantly electronic processors,which use elec-trons as information carriers and possess von Neumann architecture featured by physical separation of storage and pro-cessing.The scaling of computing speed is limited not only by data transfer between memory and processing units,but also by RC delay associated with integrated circuits.Moreover,excessive heating due to Ohmic losses is becoming a severe bottleneck for both speed and power consumption scaling.Using photons as information carriers is a promising alternative.Owing to the weak third-order optical nonlinearity of conventional materials,building integrated photonic com-puting chips under traditional von Neumann architecture has been a challenge.Here,we report a new all-optical comput-ing framework to realize ultrafast and ultralow-energy-consumption all-optical computing based on convolutional neural networks.The device is constructed from cascaded silicon Y-shaped waveguides with side-coupled silicon waveguide segments which we termed“weight modulators”to enable complete phase and amplitude control in each waveguide branch.The generic device concept can be used for equation solving,multifunctional logic operations as well as many other mathematical operations.Multiple computing functions including transcendental equation solvers,multifarious logic gate operators,and half-adders were experimentally demonstrated to validate the all-optical computing performances.The time-of-flight of light through the network structure corresponds to an ultrafast computing time of the order of several picoseconds with an ultralow energy consumption of dozens of femtojoules per bit.Our approach can be further expan-ded to fulfill other complex computing tasks based on non-von Neumann architectures and thus paves a new way for on-chip all-optical computing.

Research on Up-Conversion Mechanism in Er^(3+)/Yb^(3+)-Codoped Oxyfluoride Glass

Er3 +/Yb3 +-codoped oxyfluoride crystallite glass was prepared with melting technique. The compositions and the melting temperature and the annealing temperature of the rare earth-doped crystallite glass were studied in detail. The emission spectra of samples were measured with the Hitachi F-4500 fluorescent photometer pumped by 980 nm wavelength laser. The up-conversion luminescence mechanism was illuminated on the view of the photophysics. By measuring the relationship between luminescent intensity and pump power, it is confirmed that the emission peaks at 550 nm belong to two-photon process, while that at 665 nm belongs to three-photon process. Moreover, the distributions of crystalline were determined by SEM.

All-optically integrated photoacoustic and optical coherence tomography:A review

All-optically integrated photoacoustic(PA)and optical coherence tomography(OCT)dualmode imaging technology that could o®er comprehensive pathological information for accurate diagnosis in clinic has gradually become a promising imaging technology in the aspect of biomedical imaging during the recent years.This review refers to the technology aspects of alloptical PA detection and system evolution of optically integrated PA and OCT,including Michelson interferometer dual-mode imaging system,Fabry–Perot(FP)interferometer dualmode imaging system and Mach–Zehnder interferometer dual-mode imaging system.It is believed that the optically integrated PA and OCT has great potential applications in biomedical imaging.

Surface modification of an up-conversion luminescence material by overcoating with SiO_2 and its characterization

The surface of an up-conversion luminescence material was modified by overcoating with SiOa, which was synthesized from a hydrolysis progress of telraethoxysilane （TEOS） in alkalescent condition. By analyzing the hydrolyzed mechanism of TEOS, it was found that there was not only physical adsorption but also chemical bonding between the up-conversion material and SiO2. At the same time, some adsorption bands at 1100, 475, 950, and 3500 cm^-1 were found by FI-IR, which were the characteristic bands of Si-OH and Si-O-Si. By analyzing the surface elements of the coated material by XPS, it was found that its surface only included Si, O, and C elements, and not F and Y. In the picture of XRD, there was no additional peak after surface modification, suggesting that the silica shell was amorphous. The small peak at 20 = 23° in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the coated material was caused by the amorphous SiO2 shell, and the TEM image also proved that the surface of the material was successfully modified by overcoating with SiO2. The amount of hydroxyls was then increased on the surface of the material, which made it easy to connect with other active groups.

Investigation of ultrafast dynamics of CdTe quantum dots by femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion spectroscopy

The ultrafast carrier relaxation processes in CdTe quantum dots are investigated by femtosecond fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy.Photo-excited hole relaxing to the edge of the forbidden gap takes a maximal time of ～ 1.6 ps with exciting at 400 nm,depending on the state of the photo-excited hole.The shallow trapped states and deep trap states in the forbidden gap are confirmed for CdTe quantum dots.In addition,Auger relaxation of trapped carriers is observed to occur with a time constant of ～ 5 ps.A schematic model of photodynamics is established based on the results of the spectroscopy studies.Our work demonstrates that femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion spectroscopy is a suitable and effective tool in studying the transportation and conversion dynamics of photon energy in a nanosystem.

Up-conversion Properties of Er^(3+)/Yb^(3+) Co-doped Li_3Ba_2Gd_3(MoO_4)_8 Phosphors

Er3＋/Yb3＋ co-doped Li3Ba2Gd3（MoO4）8 phosphors were synthesized by conven- tional solid state reaction method, and their structure and spectral properties were investigated. The diffuse reflectance spectra showed that the 4I15/2→4I11/2 transition of Er3＋ and the 2F7/2→2F5/2 transition of Yb3＋ ions were highly overlapped. Under the excitation of 980 nm, three up-conver- sion （UC） luminescence bands around 530, 555 and 660 nm were observed, corresponding to the 2H11/2→ 4I15/2, 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 and 4F9/2-→4I15/2 transitions of Er3＋ ions, respectively. The effects of the concentration and pumping power on the UC intensities of Li3Ba2Gd3（MoO4）8：Er3＋/yb3＋ phosphors were investigated, and the possible UC mechanism was proposed based on the results.

All-optical logic devices based on black arsenic-phosphorus with strong nonlinear optical response and high stability

The Kerr nonlinearity in two-dimensional(2D)nanomaterials is emerging as an appealing and intriguing research area due to their prominent light processing,modulation,and manipulation abilities.In this contribution,2D black arsenic-phosphorus(B-AsP)nanosheets(NSs)were applied in nonlinear photonic devices based on spatial self-phase modula-tion(SSPM)method.By applying the Kerr nonlinearity in 2D B-AsP,an all-optical phase-modulated system is proposed to realize the functions of“on”and“off”in all-optical switching.By using the same all-optical phase-modulated system,another optical logic gate is proposed,and the logical“or”function is obtained based on the 2D B-AsP NSs dispersions.Moreover,by using the SSPM method,a 2D B-AsP/SnS_(2) hybrid structure is fabricated,and the result illustrates that the hybrid structure possesses the ability of the unidirectional nonlinear excitation,which helps in obtaining the function of spatial asymmetric light propagation.This function is considered an important prerequisite for the realization of diode functionalization,which is believed to be a factor in important basis for the design of isolators as well.The initial investig-ations indicate that 2D B-AsP is applicable for designing optical logical devices,which can be considered as an import-ant development in all-optical information processing.

Green and red up-conversion emissions and thermometric application of Er^(3+) -doped silicate glass

The green and red up-conversion emissions centred at about 534, 549 and 663 nm of wavelength, corresponding respectively to the ^2H11/2 → ^4I15/2, ^4S3/2 → ^4I15/2 and ^4F9/2 → ^4I15/2 transitions of Er^3＋ ions, have been observed for the Er^3＋-doped silicate glass excited by a 978 nm semiconductor laser beam. Excitation power dependent behaviour of the up-conversion emission intensity indicates that a two-photon absorption up-conversion process is responsible for the green and red up-conversion emissions. The temperature dependence of the green up-conversion emissions is also studied in a temperature range of 296-673 K, which shows that Er^3＋-doped silicate glass can be used as a sensor in high-temperature measurement.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation and its application on all-optical quantization with different input pulses

Supercontinuum generation(SCG) and its application on all-optical quantization of all-optical analog-to-digital conversions(AOADCs) at the mid-infrared region in an Al GaAs strip waveguide are investigated numerically. The simulation results show that when the parabolic pulse is input, not only broader and higher-coherence SCG is obtained and a higher effective number of bits(ENOB) can be achieved, compared with the input pulse with hyperbolic-secant and Gaussian shaping. A four-bit quantization resolution is achieved along with a signal-to-noise ratio of 24.02 dB and an ENOB of3.99 bit, and the required input peak power is 760 mW.

All-optical switching and nonlinear optical properties of HBT in ethanol solution

This paper demonstrates an all-optical switching model system comprising a single pulsed pump beam at 355 nm and a CW He-Ne signal beam at 632.8 nm with 2-（2＇-hydroxyphenyl）benzothiazole （HBT） in ethanol solution. The origins of the optical switching effect were discussed. By the study of nonlinear optical properties for HBT in ethanol solvent, this paper verified that the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer （ESIPT） effect of HBT and the thermal effect of solvent worked on quite different time scales and together induced the change of the refractive index of HBT solution, leading to the signal beam deflection. The results indicated that the HBT molecule could be an excellent candidate for high-speed and high-sensitive optical switching devices.

Optical temperature sensor based on up-conversion fluorescence emission in Yb^(3+):Er^(3+) co-doped ceramics glass

yb^3＋：Er^3＋ co-doped oxy-fluoride ceramics glass has been prepared. The mechanism of up-conversion emissions about Er^3＋ was discussed, and the temperature properties of green up-conversion fluorescence between 303 and 823 K were investigated. The results show that the sensitivity of this sample reaches its maximum value, about 0.0047 K^-1, when the temperature is 383 K, indicating that this kind of sample can be used as high temperature and high sensitivity optical temperature sensor.

Up-Conversion Properties of Oxy-Fluoride Glasses Co-Doped with Ho^(3+) and Yb^(3+)

Oxy-fluoride glasses with composition of 25SiO2-65PbF2-9.4AlF3-0.1HoF3-0.5YbF3 were prepared. Their up-conversion fluorescence characteristics were investigated by 980 nm laser. Two emission peaks were observed at 540 and 650 nm. The up-conversion mechanism and processes were analyzed. The relationship between pumping power and relative intensity of emissions was discussed. From the dependence, it is known that the emissions centered at 540 and 650 nm are both attributed to two-photon process.

Hydrothermal synthesis and up-conversion luminescence of Ho^(3+)/Yb^(3+)co-doped CaF_2

CaF2：Ho3＋/Yb3＋ nano-particles with intense green up-conversion （UC） luminescence are successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach by using NH4F as the fluoride source and Na2EDTA as a chelating reagent. Powder X- ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM）, and UC emission spectra are used to characterize the structures, shapes, and luminescent properties of the samples. The effects from fluoride sources and chelating reagents on the formations of CaF2 nano-particles are investigated, and the for- mation process is also deduced. Under the excitation of a 980-nm laser diode, the samples each show a green up-conversion emission centered at 540 nm corresponding to the 5S2/5F4-＋518 transitions of Ho3＋. Moreover, the UC mechanisms of Ho3＋/Yb3＋ co-doped CaF2 nano-particles are also discussed.