Complete Polarization Research Articles

Polarization-transparent silicon photonic add-drop multiplexer with wideband hitless tuneability

Flexible optical networks require reconfigurable devices with operation on a wavelength range of several tens of nanometers, hitless tuneability (i.e. transparency to other channels during reconfiguration), and polarization independence. All these requirements have not been achieved yet in a single photonic integrated device and this is the reason why the potential of integrated photonics is still largely unexploited in the nodes of optical communication networks. Here we report on a fully-reconfigurable add-drop silicon photonic filter, which can be tuned well beyond the extended C-band (almost 100 nm) in a complete hitless (>35 dB channel isolation) and polarization transparent (1.2 dB polarization dependent loss) way. This achievement is the result of blended strategies applied to the design, calibration, tuning and control of the device. Transmission quality assessment on dual polarization 100 Gbit/s (QPSK) and 200 Gbit/s (16-QAM) signals demonstrates the suitability for dynamic bandwidth allocation in core networks, backhaul networks, intra- and inter-datacenter interconnects.

Field-induced magnetic states in geometrically frustrated SrEr2O4

We report an unusual in-field behaviour of SrEr_22O_44 for a magnetic field applied along two high-symmetry directions, the a and c axes. This geometrically frustrated magnet hosts two crystallographically inequivalent Er ions, Er1 and Er2, that are both located on triangular zigzag ladders, but only one site, Er1, forms a long-range magnetic order at low temperatures in a zero field. We follow the sequence of peculiar field induced states in SrEr_22O_44 with detailed single-crystal magnetisation and neutron diffraction experiments. On application of an external field along the cc axis, the long-range antiferromagnetic order of the Er1 ions is rapidly destroyed and replaced, in fields between 2 and 5 kOe, by a state with shorter-range correlations. The change in correlation length coincides with a fast increase in magnetisation during the metamagnetic transition above which a long-range order is reestablished and maintained into the high fields. The high-field ferromagnet-like order is characterised by significantly different magnetic moments on the two Er sites, with the Er1 site dominating the magnetisation process. For the field applied parallel to the a axis, in the field range of 4 to 12 kOe, the planes of diffuse magnetic scattering observed in zero field due to the one-dimensional correlations between the Er2 moments are replaced by much more localised but still diffuse features corresponding to the establishment of an up-up-down structure associated with a one-third magnetisation plateau. Above 14 kOe, a ferromagnet-like high-field order is induced following another phase transition. For this direction of the field, the Er2 moments dictate the succession of transitions while the Er1 moments remain significantly less polarised. A complete field polarisation of both Er sites is not achieved even at 50~kOe for either field direction, reflecting the strongly anisotropic nature of magnetisation process in SrEr_22O_44.

Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Based Metasurface for High-Quality Active Switching and Spectrum Shaping in the Terahertz G-Band.

We report theoretical investigations performed in the terahertz G-band, in the 228–232 GHz spectral window for a piezoelectrically-responsive ring-cone element metasurface composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/Silicon and PVDF/Silica glass. The choosing of this spectral window is motivated by a multitude of applications in terahertz detection and terahertz imaging, that commonly make use of this band. The uniqueness of the envisioned architecture resides in the combination between the readily-available polyvinylidene fluoride polymer and silicon/silica glass substrates, together with the introduction of an extra degree of freedom, in the form of a ring-cone architecture, and the active control of the geometric sizes through the longitudinal piezoelectric effect exhibited by the polymer. The spectral response of the metasurface is dependent on the combination between the polymer elements and the substrate, and ranges from near-zero absorption switching to a resonant behavior and significant absorption. The interaction between the electromagnetic field and the polymer-based metasurface also modifies the phase of the reflected and transmitted waves over a full range, permitting complete control of the electric field polarization. Moreover, we take advantage of the longitudinal piezoelectric effect of PVDF and analyze the spectrum shaping capability of the polymer-based metasurface. Our analysis highlights the capability of the proposed architecture to achieve complete electric field polarization control, near-zero optical switching and resonant behavior, depending on the geometries and sizes of the architecture elements resulting from construction considerations and from the externally applied voltages through the piezoelectric effect.

Methods for Assessing the State of Snow-Ice Cover

The development new methods for measuring the electrophysical and geometric parameters multilayer dielectric medium in order to identify their layers, as well as to detect inhomogeneities in them, is an urgent scientific task. Methods for assessing the state the snow-ice cover are proposed, based on the identification layers of the snow-ice cover by the dielectric permittivity obtained indirectly as a result inclined sounding of the underlying surface by an electromagnetic wave with vertical and horizontal polarization. Under normal sensing the underlying surface, in the form snow-ice cover, by radio waves with vertical and horizontal polarization, the obtained values the reflection coefficient from the boundary layers the received signals are identical. Oblique sensing by a vertically polarized wave in the range from 25 to 90 degrees leads to a sharp dip in the values the reflection coefficient from the boundary layers at certain angles, so for dry snow – 47…55°, dry firn – 55 … 58° and dry ice – 58…61°. These angles characterize the dielectric properties the layers (permittivity), which are explained by the complete polarization the reflected wave in a plane perpendicular to the plane incidence, since at this moment the vibrations the layer's electrons along the direction their movement do not lead to the emission electromagnetic waves in the direction the reflected wave (absent). The given estimated values the complex relative permittivity snow-ice cover as two component medium air and ice at a temperature from minus one to minus forty degrees, or three component medium air, ice and water at zero temperature are a sample for establishing the identity the characteristic properties layers. The purpose this article is to develop methods for assessing the state snow-ice cover used in determining the possibility performing a safe landing a helicopter – type aircraft on an unprepared site with snow-ice cover based on the identification the obtained characteristics snow-ice cover layers based on the results radar sensing with calculated data

A polarization-switch effect of silicon crystals under multiple-beam diffraction geometry

On the basis of rigorous dynamical-theory calculations, a complete X-ray polarization-switch effect of silicon crystals at the exact multiple-beam diffraction condition is demonstrated. The underlying physical mechanism of this unique phenomenon can be revealed using a simple multiple-wave propagation and interference model. The constructive and destructive interference of the multiple detoured-diffraction beams along the direction of the primary diffracted beam directly leads to the complete polarization switch. This phenomenon can be realized using both synchrotron and laboratory X-ray sources at many discrete wavelengths, and used to design a novel crystal-based polarizer to achieve a 90° polarization rotation.

Complete polarization of electronic spins in OLEDs

At low temperatures and high magnetic fields, electron and hole spins in an organic light-emitting diode become polarized so that recombination preferentially forms molecular triplet excited-state species. For low device currents, magnetoelectroluminescence perfectly follows Boltzmann activation, implying a virtually complete polarization outcome. As the current increases, the magnetoelectroluminescence effect is reduced because spin polarization is suppressed by the reduction in carrier residence time within the device. Under these conditions, an additional field-dependent process affecting the spin-dependent recombination emerges, possibly related to the build-up of triplet excitons and their interaction with free charge carriers. Suppression of the EL alone does not prove electronic spin polarization. We therefore probe changes in the spin statistics of recombination directly in a dual singlet-triplet emitting material, which shows a concomitant rise in phosphorescence intensity as fluorescence is suppressed. Finite spin-orbit coupling in these materials gives rise to a microscopic distribution in effective g-factors of electrons and holes, Δg, i.e., a distribution in Larmor frequencies. This Δg effect in the pair, which mixes singlet and triplet, further suppresses singlet-exciton formation at high fields in addition to thermal spin polarization of the individual carriers.

Ultrahigh-temperature ferromagnetism in MoS2 Moiré superlattice/graphene hybrid heterostructures

Realizing high-temperature ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor nanosheets is significant for their applications in next-generation magnetic and electronic nanodevices. Herein, this goal could be achieved on a MoS2 Moire superlattice grown on the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) substrate by a hydrothermal approach. The as-synthesized bilayer MoS2 superlattice structure with rotating angle (ϕ = 13° ± 1°) of two hexagonal MoS2 lattices, possesses outstanding ferromagnetic property and an ultra-high Curie temperature of 990 K. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies combined with density functional theory calculation indicate that the covalent interactions between MoS2 Moire superlattice and RGO substrate lead to the formation of interfacial Mo-S-C bonds and complete spin polarization of Mo 4d electrons near the Fermi level. This design could be generalized and may open up a possibility for tailoring the magnetism of other 2D materials.

Complete polarization conversion using anisotropic temporal slabs

It is well known that control over the polarization of electromagnetic waves can be achieved by utilizing artificial anisotropic media such as metamaterials. However, most of the related research has been focused on time-invariant systems. Inspired by the concept of temporal boundaries, we propose a method to realize polarization conversion in real time by employing time-variant materials, whose permittivity or permeability switches between isotropic and anisotropic values. The criteria for complete polarization conversion are studied for several polarization angles, both analytically and numerically.

Polarization regulation characteristics of reflected waves at the interface of double topological insulators

The property of reflective polarization on the surface of two 3D strong topological insulators was studied, obtaining the generalized necessary conditions required for the complete polarization conversion of linearly polarized light. By analyzing the reflectivity, cross reflectivity, and polarization conversion ratios of the interface of two topological insulators, we found that the model can realize the complete polarization conversion by using the existing topological insulator material, breaking through the limitation that the complete conversion requires a new small dielectric constant topological insulator material. The process can be verified by the Kerr rotation angle. Finally, we show the design method of polarization conversion devices to realize super strong angular stability. The polarization control capability of topological insulators can also be verified by Kerr effect. This work provides a theoretical basis for the application of topological insulators in polarized devices.

Ideal fully spin-polarized type-II nodal line state in half-metals X2YZ4 (X=K, Cs, Rb, Y[dbnd]Cr, Cu, Z=Cl, F)

Lorentz-violating type-II nodal lines exhibit attracting physical properties and have been hot discussed currently. However, their investigations have been mostly limited in nonmagnetic system because of lacking ideal spin-polarized candidates with clean type-II nodal line states. Here, for the first time, we report the family of X2YZ4 (X = K, Cs, Rb, YCr, Cu, Z = Cl, F) compounds are such ideal candidate materials by using the member of K2CuF4 as an example. We show the material is a ferromagnetic half-metal with weak anisotropy, which host fully spin-polarized conducting electrons. In the conducting spin channel, the band crossing form a pair of type-II nodal lines, protected by mirror symmetry. These type-II nodal lines are different with former proposed examples because they have a 100% spin polarization. In addition, we also show the material can realize switchable topological states, which can be easily controlled by external magnetic field. It is noticed that, the material: i) is stable and can be synthesized in experiments; ii) has clear magnetic structure; and iii) manifests clean type-II nodal line state and clear drumhead surface states. Therefore, the proposed X2YZ4 compounds are expected to be an excellent platform to investigate the novel physical properties of both type-II nodal line states with complete spin polarization.

Atomic scale confirmation of ferroelectric polarization inversion in wurtzite-type AlScN

This work presents the first atomic scale evidence for ferroelectric polarization inversion on the unit cell level in a wurtzite-type material based on epitaxial Al0.75Sc0.25N thin films. The electric field induced formation of Al-polar inversion domains in the originally N-polar film is unambiguously determined by atomic resolution imaging using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Anisotropic etching supports STEM results confirming a complete and homogenous polarization inversion at the film surface for the switched regions and the virtual absence of previous inversion domains in as-deposited regions. Local evidence of residual N-polar domains at the bottom electrode interface is observed and can be explained by both stress gradients and electric field deflection. The epitaxial relationship of the sapphire/AlN/Mo/AlScN multilayer stack is discussed in detail. Selected-area electron diffraction experiments and XRD pole figures reveal a Pitsch–Schrader type orientation relation between the Mo electrode and the AlScN film.

Completely polarized eg orbitals realized in d7−Ni3+ based heterointerface

Using parameter-free density functional approximation and maximally localized Wannier functions analysis, we demonstrate how the ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{3+}$-based heterointerface can present a complete orbital polarization of the Ni-${e}_{g}$ orbitals without introducing additional electronic correlation, which is very inspiring for superconductivity research in two-dimensional confined nickelate layers. The polarized internal electric field from the insulating $\mathrm{Dy}\mathrm{Sc}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ layer, spontaneous oxygen octahedral distortion, and in-plane tensile strain can fine-tune means for the generation of single occupied Ni-${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ band structures and cuperate-like Fermi surfaces. Furthermore, by including electronic correlation through on-site Hubbard $U$, we also find a stronger antiferromagnetic correlation than that in the recent synthetic infinite-layer $\mathrm{Nd}\mathrm{Ni}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ with hole-doped ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{1+}$ superconductivity. The low-energy electronic and spin excitations in the nickelate layer resemble those of high-temperature cuprate superconductors. Our study sheds light on promising directions for the preparation of nickelate superconductors.

Magneto-optical Kerr effect and signature of the chiral anomaly in a Weyl semimetal in magnetic field

One striking property of the Landau level spectrum of a Weyl semimetal (WSM) is the existence of a chiral Landau level, in which the electrons propagate unidirectionally along the magnetic field. This linearly dispersive level influences the optical properties of WSMs. For example, it was recently shown that a complete optical valley polarization is achievable in a time-reversal symmetric Weyl semimetal placed in a magnetic field\cite% {Bertrand2019}. This effect originates from inter-Landau level transitions involving the chiral Landau level and requires a tilt of the Weyl cones. In this paper, we show how the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) is modified in a WSM\ with tilted Weyl cones in comparison with its behavior in a normal metal and how a valley polarization can be detected using MOKE. We study both the Faraday (longitudinal) and Voigt (transverse) configurations for light incident on a semi-infinite WSM surface with no Fermi arcs. We use a minimal model of a WSM with four tilted Weyl nodes related by mirror and time-reversal symmetry. In the Voigt configuration, a large peak of the Kerr angle occurs at the plasmon frequency. We show that the blueshift in frequency of this peak with increasing magnetic field is a signature of the chiral anomaly in the MOKE.

Revisiting the switching characteristics and electroresistance effect in ferroelectric thin film towards an optimized hybrid switching strategy

Combining scanning force microscopy characterization and theoretical modeling, in this work, we performed an in-depth study on the electrical/mechanical switching and electroresistance effect in a BaTiO3 thin film. Correlations of the tip load (bias/force and loading time), the switched polarization magnitude, the surface potential, and the tunnel electroresistance are revealed for both electrical and mechanical switching. It is found that electrical switching (with a maximum bias of 4 V) leads to larger saturated switched polarization and sharper switched domain than mechanical switching (with a maximum force of 6600 nN). Meanwhile, mechanical switching exhibits generally smaller surface potential of the switched domain and a more significant tunnel electroresistance effect. However, the load time-dependence of performance is also more serious for mechanical switching. The different characteristics between electrical and mechanical switching are attributed to the charge injection and the switched domain size, which are believed to further affect the surface potential and the tunnel electroresistance of the thin film. At the end, an optimized hybrid switching strategy, which combines tip force and bias, is proposed and shown to be able to achieve complete polarization reversion, low charge injection, high switch speed, and strong tunnel electroresistance effect.

Electronic and Thermoelectric Properties of Li-Based Half-Heusler Alloys: A DFT Study

Abstract In this paper, we have studied the electronic, elastic and thermoelectric properties of the half-Heusler LiCrZ (Z = C, N, Si, and P) materials in Type II phase, in this structure the atomic occupations are X (1/2,1/2,1/2), Y (0,0,0) and Z(1/4,1/4,1/4). The ferromagnetic state of Type II structure was found to be the most stable phase for all studied alloys. After calculating the elastic constants, we found out that the conditions of mechanical stability were verified only for LiCrSi and LiCrP alloys in Type II phase, at both equilibrium a0 and half metallic ahm lattice constants, which indicates that these two compounds can be synthesized experimentally. We should also mention that the half metallic behavior in Type II structure, for LiCrSi and LiCrP compounds, was obtained by straining the equilibrium lattice constants by 2% and 6%, respectively. At ahm, these two systems were identified to be true half metals due to their complete spin polarization and integer value of total magnetic moment. These last ones have reached 3μB per unit cell when Z = Si, and 4μB when Z = P. Using the mean field approximation (MFA), the Curie temperatures of Type II structure were also determined, where the values are estimated to be 456.2 K and 302.8 K, respectively. Finally, the thermoelectric performance has been explored by the classical Boltzmann theory. At low temperatures, the figure of merit has reached 0.73 and 0.93 for LiCrSi and LiCrP, respectively. The considerable ZT values and all calculated physical properties make these two systems promising candidates for thermoelectric applications.

Anomalous transport due to large coherent structures in a magnetized toroidal plasma

Anomalous transport due to large coherent structures, or coherent events, is studied experimentally in a magnetized toroidal discharge plasma. The present analysis emphasizes anomalous plasma losses as well as transport of electron thermal energy density across magnetic field lines. The experiment was carried out in the Blaamann device at the University of Tromsø. The diagnostics are based on data for potential, density and electron temperature variations as detected by Langmuir probes. Most of the data analysis uses conditional sampling. The flux of thermal energy density can be broken down into several components which are analyzed separately. Experimental means for obtaining the space-time variation of the complete polarization drifts are demonstrated, and the results compared with the fluctuating -velocities. For the present conditions these polarization drifts contribute only little to the plasma losses, but for other discharge parameters in heavier gases they can be important. Our results show that while the density, the potential and the electric field variations are dominated by large scales, the vorticity of the -flow as well as the ion polarization drifts are strongly intermittent.

Two-dimensional hexagonal manganese carbide monolayer with intrinsic ferromagnetism and half-metallicity

Recent experimentally observed intrinsic ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals crystals has ignited substantial interests due to their great potential in spintronic devices. However, their practical applications are hampered by rather low Curie temperature and small magnetic anisotropic energy. Here, we predict from first-principles calculations that the 2D pristine hexagonal manganese carbide (h-MnC) sheet exhibits robust ferromagnetic and half-metallic features with complete spin polarization, sizable magnetic anisotropic energy, and wide half-metallic gap near the Fermi energy level. Moreover, the h-MnC sheet can retain its structure up to the temperature of 1000 K, indicating a highly thermodynamic stability. The Monte Carlo simulations based on the Heisenberg model with single-ion anisotropy predict a Curie temperature of 233 K in 2D h-MnC crystal. We confirm the robustness of the ferromagnetism and half-metallicity against the external strain from −6% to 10%. Also, a feasible experimental fabrication route is proposed to realize the h-MnC monolayer via heterostructure engineering and exfoliation techniques. Overall, the robustness of the half-metallicity in combination with the high-temperature ferromagnetism render the freestanding h-MnC monolayer and even its energetically favorable h-MnC/MoS2 and h-MnC/MoSe2 heterostructures quite promising materials for developing practical spintronic nanodevices.

Spin-Polarized Photoelectron Fluxes from Fullerene Anions

Initial insights into spin-polarized photoelectron fluxes from fullerene anions are presented here. Both the angle-dependent and angle-integrated degrees of spin polarization of said photoelectron fluxes are discussed. Empty C60−(2p) and endohedral H@C60−(2p) and He@C60−(2p) anions, where the attached electron resides in a 2p state, are chosen as case studies. We uncover the characteristics of the phenomenon in the framework of a semi-empirical methodology where the C60 cage is modeled by a spherical annular potential, rather than aiming at a rigorous study. It is found that the spin-polarization degree of photoelectron fluxes from fullerene anions can reach large values, including a nearly complete polarization, at/in specific values/domains of the photoelectron momentum. This is shown to correlate with an inherent feature of photoionization of fullerenes, the abundance of resonances, known as confinement resonances, in their photodetachment spectra owing to a large empty space inside fullerenes. Moreover, the results obtained can serve as a touchstone for future studies of the phenomenon by more rigorous theories and/or experiments to reveal the significance of interactions omitted in the present study.

Stokes polarimetry-based second harmonic generation microscopy for collagen and skeletal muscle fiber characterization

The complete polarization state of second harmonic (SH) light was measured and characterized by collagen type I and skeletal muscle fiber using a Stokes vector-based SHG microscope. The polarization states of the SH signal are analyzed in a pixel-by-pixel manner and displayed through two dimensional (2D) Stokes vector images. Various polarization parameters are reconstructed using Stokes values to quantify the polarization properties of SH light. Also, the measurements are extended for different input polarization states to investigate the molecular structure of second harmonic generation (SHG) active molecules such as collagen type I and myosin.

Dual-focal metalenses based on complete decoupling of amplitude, phase, and polarization

The simultaneous control of amplitude and phase via metasurfaces affords us unprecedented degree of freedom in manipulating electromagnetic waves, but currently most designs suffer from low efficiency which raises certain concerns for real-world applications. Moreover, the complete amplitude, phase and polarization modulation is particularly challenging, which typically requires a combination of attenuators, optically thick wave plates and large dielectric lenses. Here, we propose an alternative scheme by introducing vertical mode cross-coupling for polarization control and high efficiency, while by involving spatially-varied orientations and structures for independent amplitude and phase modulation. The vertical mode cross-coupling is synthesized by stacking triple-layer twisted split ring resonators (SRRs) operated in transmissive scheme. Such tight cross-coupling and chirality-assisted coherent multiple resonances facilitates high cross-polarization conversion efficiency (~100%) and broadband transmission window with full phase cover. As a proof of concept, two dual-focal metalenses that are challenging to be actualized through conventional metasurfaces are designed, numerically and experimentally studied with a total thickness of λo/12 at microwave frequencies. Desirable dual focusing behavior with axial and lateral alignment of two foci are demonstrated. Our findings, not confined to microwave operation, opens up an alternative way in fine controlling light and can stimulate novel and high-performance versatile photonic metadevices.