2021 Vol. 10, No. 4

Light People
Light People: Professor Donna Strickland
Hui Wang
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 458-463 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00502-z
Letter
Solitary beam propagation in periodic layered Kerr media enables high-efficiency pulse compression and mode self-cleaning
Sheng Zhang, Zongyuan Fu, Bingbing Zhu, Guangyu Fan, Yudong Chen, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 464-474 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00495-9
Generating intense ultrashort pulses with high-quality spatial modes is crucial for ultrafast and strong-field science and can be achieved by nonlinear supercontinuum generation (SCG) and pulse compression. In this work, we propose that the generation of quasi-stationary solitons in periodic layered Kerr media can greatly enhance the nonlinear light-matter interaction and fundamentally improve the performance of SCG and pulse compression in condensed media. With both experimental and theoretical studies, we successfully identify these solitary modes and reveal their unified condition for stability. Space-time coupling is shown to strongly influence the stability of solitons, leading to variations in the spectral, spatial and temporal profiles of femtosecond pulses. Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of these solitary modes, we first demonstrate single-stage SCG and the compression of femtosecond pulses from 170 to 22 fs with an efficiency > 85%. The high spatiotemporal quality of the compressed pulses is further confirmed by high-harmonic generation. We also provide evidence of efficient mode self-cleaning, which suggests rich spatiotemporal self-organization of the laser beams in a nonlinear resonator. This work offers a route towards highly efficient, simple, stable and highly flexible SCG and pulse compression solutions for state-of-the-art ytterbium laser technology.
Reviews
Plasmonic tweezers: for nanoscale optical trapping and beyond
Yuquan Zhang, Changjun Min, Xiujie Dou, Xianyou Wang, Hendrik Paul Urbach, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 475-515 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00474-0
Optical tweezers and associated manipulation tools in the far field have had a major impact on scientific and engineering research by offering precise manipulation of small objects. More recently, the possibility of performing manipulation with surface plasmons has opened opportunities not feasible with conventional far-field optical methods. The use of surface plasmon techniques enables excitation of hotspots much smaller than the free-space wavelength; with this confinement, the plasmonic field facilitates trapping of various nanostructures and materials with higher precision. The successful manipulation of small particles has fostered numerous and expanding applications. In this paper, we review the principles of and developments in plasmonic tweezers techniques, including both nanostructure-assisted platforms and structureless systems. Construction methods and evaluation criteria of the techniques are presented, aiming to provide a guide for the design and optimization of the systems. The most common novel applications of plasmonic tweezers, namely, sorting and transport, sensing and imaging, and especially those in a biological context, are critically discussed. Finally, we consider the future of the development and new potential applications of this technique and discuss prospects for its impact on science.
High-performance quasi-2D perovskite light-emitting diodes: from materials to devices
Li Zhang, Changjiu Sun, Tingwei He, Yuanzhi Jiang, Junli Wei, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 516-541 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00501-0
Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskites have attracted extraordinary attention due to their superior semiconducting properties and have emerged as one of the most promising materials for next-generation light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The outstanding optical properties originate from their structural characteristics. In particular, the inherent quantum-well structure endows them with a large exciton binding energy due to the strong dielectric- and quantum-confinement effects; the corresponding energy transfer among different n-value species thus results in high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), particularly at low excitation intensities. The review herein presents an overview of the inherent properties of quasi-2D perovskite materials, the corresponding energy transfer and spectral tunability methodologies for thin films, as well as their application in high-performance LEDs. We then summarize the challenges and potential research directions towards developing high-performance and stable quasi-2D PeLEDs. The review thus provides a systematic and timely summary for the community to deepen the understanding of quasi-2D perovskite materials and resulting LED devices.
Articles
A modular hierarchical array camera
Xiaoyun Yuan, Mengqi Ji, Jiamin Wu, David J. Brady, Qionghai Dai, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 542-557 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00485-x
Array cameras removed the optical limitations of a single camera and paved the way for high-performance imaging via the combination of micro-cameras and computation to fuse multiple aperture images. However, existing solutions use dense arrays of cameras that require laborious calibration and lack flexibility and practicality. Inspired by the cognition function principle of the human brain, we develop an unstructured array camera system that adopts a hierarchical modular design with multiscale hybrid cameras composing different modules. Intelligent computations are designed to collaboratively operate along both intra- and intermodule pathways. This system can adaptively allocate imagery resources to dramatically reduce the hardware cost and possesses unprecedented flexibility, robustness, and versatility. Large scenes of real-world data were acquired to perform human-centric studies for the assessment of human behaviours at the individual level and crowd behaviours at the population level requiring high-resolution long-term monitoring of dynamic wide-area scenes.
Phase characterisation of metalenses
Maoxiong Zhao, Mu Ku Chen, Ze-Peng Zhuang, Yiwen Zhang, Ang Chen, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 551-561 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00492-y
Metalenses have emerged as a new optical element or system in recent years, showing superior performance and abundant applications. However, the phase distribution of a metalens has not been measured directly up to now, hindering further quantitative evaluation of its performance. We have developed an interferometric imaging phase measurement system to measure the phase distribution of a metalens by taking only one photo of the interference pattern. Based on the measured phase distribution, we analyse the negative chromatic aberration effect of monochromatic metalenses and propose a feature size of metalenses. Different sensitivities of the phase response to wavelength between the Pancharatnam-Berry phase-based metalens and propagation phase-reliant metalens are directly observed in the experiment. Furthermore, through phase distribution analysis, it is found that the distance between the measured metalens and the brightest spot of focusing will deviate from the focal length when the metalens has a low nominal numerical aperture, even though the metalens is ideal without any fabrication error. We also use the measured phase distribution to quantitatively characterise the imaging performance of the metalens. Our phase measurement system will help not only designers optimise the designs of metalenses but also fabricants distinguish defects to improve the fabrication process, which will pave the way for metalenses in industrial applications.
Demonstration of an integrated nanophotonic chip-scale alkali vapor magnetometer using inverse design
Yoel Sebbag, Eliran Talker, Alex Naiman, Yefim Barash, Uriel Levy
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 562-569 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00499-5
Recently, there has been growing interest in the miniaturization and integration of atomic-based quantum technologies. In addition to the obvious advantages brought by such integration in facilitating mass production, reducing the footprint, and reducing the cost, the flexibility offered by on-chip integration enables the development of new concepts and capabilities. In particular, recent advanced techniques based on computer-assisted optimization algorithms enable the development of newly engineered photonic structures with unconventional functionalities. Taking this concept further, we hereby demonstrate the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of an integrated nanophotonic-atomic chip magnetometer based on alkali vapor with a micrometer-scale spatial resolution and a magnetic sensitivity of 700 pT/√Hz. The presented platform paves the way for future applications using integrated photonic-atomic chips, including high-spatial-resolution magnetometry, near-field vectorial imaging, magnetically induced switching, and optical isolation.
Glass crystallization making red phosphor for high-power warm white lighting
Tao Hu, Lixin Ning, Yan Gao, Jianwei Qiao, Enhai Song, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 570-581 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00498-6
Rapid development of solid-state lighting technology requires new materials with highly efficient and stable luminescence, and especially relies on blue light pumped red phosphors for improved light quality. Herein, we discovered an unprecedented red-emitting Mg2Al4Si5O18: Eu2+ composite phosphor (λex = 450 nm, λem = 620 nm) via the crystallization of MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 aluminosilicate glass. Combined experimental measurement and first-principles calculations verify that Eu2+ dopants insert at the vacant channel of Mg2Al4Si5O18 crystal with six-fold coordination responsible for the peculiar red emission. Importantly, the resulting phosphor exhibits high internal/external quantum efficiency of 94.5/70.6%, and stable emission against thermal quenching, which reaches industry production. The maximum luminous flux and luminous efficiency of the constructed laser driven red emitting device reaches as high as 274 lm and 54 lm W-1, respectively. The combinations of extraordinary optical properties coupled with economically favorable and innovative preparation method indicate, that the Mg2Al4Si5O18: Eu2+ composite phosphor will provide a significant step towards the development of high-power solid-state lighting.
Machine learning powered ellipsometry
Jinchao Liu, Di Zhang, Dianqiang Yu, Mengxin Ren, Jingjun Xu
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 582-588 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00482-0
Ellipsometry is a powerful method for determining both the optical constants and thickness of thin films. For decades, solutions to ill-posed inverse ellipsometric problems require substantial human-expert intervention and have become essentially human-in-the-loop trial-and-error processes that are not only tedious and time-consuming but also limit the applicability of ellipsometry. Here, we demonstrate a machine learning based approach for solving ellipsometric problems in an unambiguous and fully automatic manner while showing superior performance. The proposed approach is experimentally validated by using a broad range of films covering categories of metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics. This method is compatible with existing ellipsometers and paves the way for realizing the automatic, rapid, high-throughput optical characterization of films.
Ultrahigh numerical aperture meta-fibre for flexible optical trapping
Malte Plidschun, Haoran Ren, Jisoo Kim, Ronny Förster, Stefan A. Maier, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 589-599 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00491-z
Strong focusing on diffraction-limited spots is essential for many photonic applications and is particularly relevant for optical trapping; however, all currently used approaches fail to simultaneously provide flexible transportation of light, straightforward implementation, compatibility with waveguide circuitry, and strong focusing. Here, we demonstrate the design and 3D nanoprinting of an ultrahigh numerical aperture meta-fibre for highly flexible optical trapping. Taking into account the peculiarities of the fibre environment, we implemented an ultrathin meta-lens on the facet of a modified single-mode optical fibre via direct laser writing, leading to a diffraction-limited focal spot with a record-high numerical aperture of up to NA ≈ 0.9. The unique capabilities of this flexible, cost-effective, bio- and fibre-circuitry-compatible meta-fibre device were demonstrated by optically trapping microbeads and bacteria for the first time with only one single-mode fibre in combination with diffractive optics. Our study highlights the relevance of the unexplored but exciting field of meta-fibre optics to a multitude of fields, such as bioanalytics, quantum technology and life sciences.
Plasmonic semiconductor nanogroove array enhanced broad spectral band millimetre and terahertz wave detection
Jinchao Tong, Fei Suo, Tianning Zhang, Zhiming Huang, Junhao Chu, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 600-609 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00505-w
High-performance uncooled millimetre and terahertz wave detectors are required as a building block for a wide range of applications. The state-of-the-art technologies, however, are plagued by low sensitivity, narrow spectral bandwidth, and complicated architecture. Here, we report semiconductor surface plasmon enhanced high-performance broadband millimetre and terahertz wave detectors which are based on nanogroove InSb array epitaxially grown on GaAs substrate for room temperature operation. By making a nanogroove array in the grown InSb layer, strong millimetre and terahertz wave surface plasmon polaritons can be generated at the InSb-air interfaces, which results in significant improvement in detecting performance. A noise equivalent power (NEP) of 2.2 × 10-14 W Hz-1/2 or a detectivity (D*) of 2.7 × 1012 cm Hz1/2 W-1 at 1.75 mm (0.171 THz) is achieved at room temperature. By lowering the temperature to the thermoelectric cooling available 200 K, the corresponding NEP and D* of the nanogroove device can be improved to 3.8 × 10-15 W Hz-1/2 and 1.6 × 1013 cm Hz1/2 W-1, respectively. In addition, such a single device can perform broad spectral band detection from 0.9 mm (0.330 THz) to 9.4 mm (0.032 THz). Fast responses of 3.5 µs and 780 ns are achieved at room temperature and 200 K, respectively. Such high-performance millimetre and terahertz wave photodetectors are useful for wide applications such as high capacity communications, walk-through security, biological diagnosis, spectroscopy, and remote sensing. In addition, the integration of plasmonic semiconductor nanostructures paves a way for realizing high performance and multifunctional long-wavelength optoelectrical devices.
Ultrastable low-cost colloidal quantum dot microlasers of operative temperature up to 450 K
Hao Chang, Yichi Zhong, Hongxing Dong, Zhenyu Wang, Wei Xie, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 610-619 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00508-7
Quantum dot microlasers, as multifunctional optical source components, are of great importance for full-color high-pixel display, miniaturized coherent lighting, and on-chip integrated photonic and electronic circuits. Since the first synthesis of colloidal quantum dots (CQD) in the 1990s, motivation to realize high-performance low-cost CQD micro-/nanolasers has been a driving force for more than three decades. However, the low packing density, inefficient coupling of CQDs with optical cavities, and the poor thermal stability of miniaturized complex systems make it challenging to achieve practical CQD micro-/nanolasers, especially to combine the continuous working ability at high temperatures and the low-cost potential with mass-produced synthesis technologies. Herein, we developed close-packed CQD-assembled microspheres and embedded them in a silica matrix through the rapid self-aggregation and solidification of CdSe/ZnS CQD. This technology addresses the core issues of photoluminescence (PL) quenching effect and low optical gain in traditional CQD laser research. High-efficiency low-threshold CQD microlasers are demonstrated together with long-playing (40 min) working stability even at 450 K under pulsed laser excitation, which is the highest operational temperature for CQD lasers. Moreover, single-mode CQD microlasers are obtained with tunable wavelengths across the entire visible spectral range. The chemosynthesis process supports the mass-produced potential of high-density integrated CQD microlasers, promoting CQD-based low-cost high-temperature microdevices.
Recurrent neural network-based volumetric fluorescence microscopy
Luzhe Huang, Hanlong Chen, Yilin Luo, Yair Rivenson, Aydogan Ozcan
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 620-635 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00506-9
Volumetric imaging of samples using fluorescence microscopy plays an important role in various fields including physical, medical and life sciences. Here we report a deep learning-based volumetric image inference framework that uses 2D images that are sparsely captured by a standard wide-field fluorescence microscope at arbitrary axial positions within the sample volume. Through a recurrent convolutional neural network, which we term as Recurrent-MZ, 2D fluorescence information from a few axial planes within the sample is explicitly incorporated to digitally reconstruct the sample volume over an extended depth-of-field. Using experiments on C. elegans and nanobead samples, Recurrent-MZ is demonstrated to significantly increase the depth-of-field of a 63×/1.4NA objective lens, also providing a 30-fold reduction in the number of axial scans required to image the same sample volume. We further illustrated the generalization of this recurrent network for 3D imaging by showing its resilience to varying imaging conditions, including e.g., different sequences of input images, covering various axial permutations and unknown axial positioning errors. We also demonstrated wide-field to confocal cross-modality image transformations using Recurrent-MZ framework and performed 3D image reconstruction of a sample using a few wide-field 2D fluorescence images as input, matching confocal microscopy images of the same sample volume. Recurrent-MZ demonstrates the first application of recurrent neural networks in microscopic image reconstruction and provides a flexible and rapid volumetric imaging framework, overcoming the limitations of current 3D scanning microscopy tools.
Spin-decoupled metasurface for simultaneous detection of spin and orbital angular momenta via momentum transformation
Yinghui Guo, Shicong Zhang, Mingbo Pu, Qiong He, Jinjin Jin, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 636-647 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00497-7
With inherent orthogonality, both the spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) of photons have been utilized to expand the dimensions of quantum information, optical communications, and information processing, wherein simultaneous detection of SAMs and OAMs with a single element and a single-shot measurement is highly anticipated. Here, a single azimuthal-quadratic phase metasurface-based photonic momentum transformation (PMT) is illustrated and utilized for vortex recognition. Since different vortices are converted into focusing patterns with distinct azimuthal coordinates on a transverse plane through PMT, OAMs within a large mode space can be determined through a single-shot measurement. Moreover, spin-controlled dual-functional PMTs are proposed for simultaneous SAM and OAM sorting, which is implemented by a single spin-decoupled metasurface that merges both the geometric phase and dynamic phase. Interestingly, our proposed method can detect vectorial vortices with both phase and polarization singularities, as well as superimposed vortices with a certain interval step. Experimental results obtained at several wavelengths in the visible band exhibit good agreement with the numerical modeling. With the merits of ultracompact device size, simple optical configuration, and prominent vortex recognition ability, our approach may underpin the development of integrated and high-dimensional optical and quantum systems.
Biophotonic sensors with integrated Si3N4-organic hybrid (SiNOH) lasers for point-of-care diagnostics
Daria Kohler, Gregor Schindler, Lothar Hahn, Johannes Milvich, Andreas Hofmann, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 648-659 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00486-w
Early and efficient disease diagnosis with low-cost point-of-care devices is gaining importance for personalized medicine and public health protection. Within this context, waveguide-(WG)-based optical biosensors on the silicon-nitride (Si3N4) platform represent a particularly promising option, offering highly sensitive detection of indicative biomarkers in multiplexed sensor arrays operated by light in the visible-wavelength range. However, while passive Si3N4-based photonic circuits lend themselves to highly scalable mass production, the integration of low-cost light sources remains a challenge. In this paper, we demonstrate optical biosensors that combine Si3N4 sensor circuits with hybrid on-chip organic lasers. These Si3N4-organic hybrid (SiNOH) lasers rely on a dye-doped cladding material that are deposited on top of a passive WG and that are optically pumped by an external light source. Fabrication of the devices is simple: The underlying Si3N4 WGs are structured in a single lithography step, and the organic gain medium is subsequently applied by dispensing, spin-coating, or ink-jet printing processes. A highly parallel read-out of the optical sensor signals is accomplished with a simple camera. In our proof-of-concept experiment, we demonstrate the viability of the approach by detecting different concentrations of fibrinogen in phosphate-buffered saline solutions with a sensor-length (L-)-related sensitivity of S/L = 0.16 rad nM−1 mm−1. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an integrated optical circuit driven by a co-integrated low-cost organic light source. We expect that the versatility of the device concept, the simple operation principle, and the compatibility with cost-efficient mass production will make the concept a highly attractive option for applications in biophotonics and point-of-care diagnostics.
Towards automatic freeform optics design: coarse and fine search of the three-mirror solution space
Benqi Zhang, Guofan Jin, Jun Zhu
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 660-670 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00510-z
Design of an optical system, whether classic or novel, in the past or the present, requires significant effort from the designer. In addition to design methods and theories, the designer's skills and experience in optical system design are particularly important, which may require years of practice to learn. The diversity and variety of results are limited because of the difficulty, time, and labor costs required. In this article, we propose an automatic design method for freeform optics that can achieve a diverse range of three-mirror designs. The optical specifications and the design constraints are the only inputs required, and a variety of results can be obtained automatically. The output results have various structures and various optical power distributions with high imaging qualities. By implementing the design method, designers can not only realize an overview of the solution space of the three-mirror freeform system, but can also focus on specific designs.
Quantum engineering of non-equilibrium efficient p-doping in ultra-wide band-gap nitrides
Ke Jiang, Xiaojuan Sun, Zhiming Shi, Hang Zang, Jianwei Ben, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 671-680 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00503-y
Ultra-wide band-gap nitrides have huge potential in micro- and optoelectronics due to their tunable wide band-gap, high breakdown field and energy density, excellent chemical and thermal stability. However, their application has been severely hindered by the low p-doping efficiency, which is ascribed to the ultrahigh acceptor activation energy originated from the low valance band maximum. Here, a valance band modulation mode is proposed and a quantum engineering doping method is conducted to achieve high-efficient p-type ultra-wide band-gap nitrides, in which GaN quantum-dots are buried in nitride matrix to produce a new band edge and thus to tune the dopant activation energy. By non-equilibrium doping techniques, quantum engineering doped AlGaN: Mg with Al content of 60% is successfully fabricated. The Mg activation energy has been reduced to about 21 meV, and the hole concentration reaches higher than 1018 cm−3 at room temperature. Also, similar activation energies are obtained in AlGaN with other Al contents such as 50% and 70%, indicating the universality of the quantum engineering doping method. Moreover, deep-ultraviolet light-emission diodes are fabricated and the improved performance further demonstrates the validity and merit of the method. With the quantum material growth techniques developing, this method would be prevalently available and tremendously stimulate the promotion of ultra-wide band-gap semiconductor-based devices.
Efficient generation of complex vectorial optical fields with metasurfaces
Dongyi Wang, Feifei Liu, Tong Liu, Shulin Sun, Qiong He, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 681-694 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00504-x
Vectorial optical fields (VOFs) exhibiting arbitrarily designed wavefronts and polarization distributions are highly desired in photonics. However, current methods to generate them either require complicated setups or exhibit limited functionalities, which is unfavorable for integration-optics applications. Here, we propose a generic approach to efficiently generate arbitrary VOFs based on metasurfaces exhibiting full-matrix yet inhomogeneous Jones-matrix distributions. We illustrate our strategy with analytical calculations on a model system and an experimental demonstration of a meta-device that can simultaneously deflect light and manipulate its polarization. Based on these benchmark results, we next experimentally demonstrate the generation of a far-field VOF exhibiting both a vortex wavefront and an inhomogeneous polarization distribution. Finally, we design/fabricate a meta-device and experimentally demonstrate that it can generate a complex near-field VOF—a cylindrically polarized surface plasmon wave possessing orbital angular momentum—with an efficiency of ~34%. Our results establish an efficient and ultracompact platform for generating arbitrary predesigned VOFs in both the near- and far-fields, which may find many applications in optical manipulation and communications.
2D materials for conducting holes from grain boundaries in perovskite solar cells
Peng You, Guanqi Tang, Jiupeng Cao, Dong Shen, Tsz-Wai Ng, et al.
Published. 2021, 10(4) : 695-706 doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00515-8
Grain boundaries in organic–inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been found to be detrimental to the photovoltaic performance of devices. Here, we develop a unique approach to overcome this problem by modifying the edges of perovskite grain boundaries with flakes of high-mobility two-dimensional (2D) materials via a convenient solution process. A synergistic effect between the 2D flakes and perovskite grain boundaries is observed for the first time, which can significantly enhance the performance of PSCs. We find that the 2D flakes can conduct holes from the grain boundaries to the hole transport layers in PSCs, thereby making hole channels in the grain boundaries of the devices. Hence, 2D flakes with high carrier mobilities and short distances to grain boundaries can induce a more pronounced performance enhancement of the devices. This work presents a cost-effective strategy for improving the performance of PSCs by using high-mobility 2D materials.