Forward Emission Research Articles

Soft Nano‐Imprint Lithography of Rare‐Earth‐Doped Light‐Emitting Photonic Metasurface

AbstractSol–gel chemistry and nano‐imprint lithography (soft‐NIL) can be combined for the fabrication of nano‐patterns with large vertical aspect ratio over large scales. The possibility to frame via soft‐NIL metal oxides materials featuring a large refractive index and low absorption coefficient, opens new avenues for light management. In spite of its importance, the integration of light emitters in these materials has been mostly investigated in flat layers, limiting their efficiency and versatility. Here it is shown that ZrO2 can be combined with light emitting Eu3+ ions and framed via soft‐NIL to form large arrays of pillars atop a 2D residual layer. The chemical precursor solutions and the nano‐imprint technique are developed for photonic metasurfaces sustaining sharp resonances ascribed to quasi‐guided modes and lattice modes, as accounted for by finite difference time domains simulations. These resonances enable for a record extraction of the Eu3+ forward emission up to ≈200 times with respect to the flat counterpart within a relatively small detection angle (≈ ±16° around the vertical direction). These results are relevant for light‐emitting displays, down‐ and up‐conversion processes for light detection such as scintillators for X‐ray and for light amplifiers based on rare‐earth emitters.

The next-to-leading order Higgs impact factor in the infinite top-mass limit

We calculate the next-to-leading order correction to the impact factor (vertex) for the production of a forward Higgs boson, obtained in the infinite top-mass limit. We present the result both in the momentum representation and as superposition of the eigenfunctions of the leading-order BFKL kernel. This impact factor is a necessary ingredient for the description of the inclusive hadroproduction of a forward Higgs in the limit of small Bjorken x, as well as for the study of inclusive forward emissions of a Higgs boson in association with a backward identified object.

Spectral Narrowing and Enhancement of Directional Emission of Perovskite Light Emitting Diode by Microcavity

AbstractPerovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have attracted much attentions due to the superior optoelectronic properties such as pure spectrum, high photoluminescence quantum yield, tunable emission, and ease of fabrication. Though lots of progresses have been made on PeLEDs and optically pumped lasers, microcavity perovskite lasing device under electrical pumping remains extremely challenging. Microcavity perovskite LEDs can be considered as a step toward laser diode due to the common structure of resonant cavity. In this study, a new type of metal‐dielectric microcavity PeLED is designed and fabricated by using 2.5 pairs of TiO2/SiO2 distributed bragg reflector (DBR) and Al as cavity coplanar mirrors. A microcavity device with forward spectral full‐width at half‐maximum of 11.8 and 9.5 nm, under electrical and optical excitations, respectively, the directional forward emission within 30° is enhanced by 3 times compared to the control device without cavity is realized. To the best of the knowledge, this study demonstrates the narrowest spectrum for three‐demisional PeLEDs so far, it helps to expand the color space in display applications and may also serve as a reference device for solution processed perovskite exciton–polariton electroluminescent devices and electrically driven vertical cavity surface emitting lasers due to the similar device structure and processing.

Electron emission from bromouracil and uracil induced by protons and radiosensitization

Absolute double differential cross sections (DDCS) of electrons emitted from uracil and 5-bromouracil (BrU) in collisions with protons of energy 200 keV have been measured for various forward and backward emission angles over wide range of electron energies. The measured DDCS are compared with the continuum distorted wave-eikonal initial state (CDW-EIS) calculations. The optimized structure of the BrU was estimated along with the population analysis of all the occupied orbitals using a self-consistent field density. A comparison between the measured DDCS data for the two molecules show that the cross section of low energy electrons emitted from BrU is substantially larger than that for uracil. The BrU-to-uracil DDCS ratios obtained from the present measurements indicate an enhancement of the electron emission by a factor which is as large as 2.0 to 2.5. These electrons being the major agent for damaging the DNA/RNA of the malignant tissues, the present results are expected to provide an important input for the radiosensitization effect in hadron therapy. It is noteworthy to mention that the CDW-EIS calculations for Coulomb ionization cannot predict such enhancement. A large angular asymmetry is observed for uracil with a broad structure, which is absent in case of BrU.

Optical amplification and gain dynamics of cavity-free lasing of argon pumped by ultraviolet femtosecond pulses.

Argon gas excited by resonant femtosecond ultraviolet pulses gives rise to cavity-free lasing emission in the near-infrared (NIR) range. Here we reported on a pump-probe study of the optical gain of this lasing phenomenon. With the injection of an external seeding pulse, the forward signal was significantly enhanced, confirming the existence of optical gain. The temporal dynamics of the optical gain were characterized by a time-resolved measurement. It was found that the optical gain decays on a time scale of ∼ 10 ps and it does not present a significant dependence on the gas pressures. Moreover, the intensity of the forward NIR emission signal shows a linear dependence on the gas pressure. These features suggest that the nature of this forward NIR radiation is amplified spontaneous emission, not superradiance when multiple-photon resonant excitation is involved.

The Accuracy of Cerenkov Photons Simulation in Geant4/Gate Depends on the Parameterization of Primary Electron Propagation.

Energetic electrons traveling in a dispersive medium can produce Cerenkov radiation. Cerenkov photons' prompt emission, combined with their predominantly forward emission direction with respect to the parent electron, makes them extremely promising to improve radiation detector timing resolution. Triggering gamma detections based on Cerenkov photons to achieve superior timing resolution is challenging due to the low number of photons produced per interaction. Monte Carlo simulations are fundamental to understanding their behavior and optimizing their pathway to detection. Therefore, accurately modeling the electron propagation and Cerenkov photons emission is crucial for reliable simulation results. In this work, we investigated the physics characteristics of the primary electrons (velocity, energy) and those of all emitted Cerenkov photons (spatial and timing distributions) generated by 511 keV photoelectric interactions in a bismuth germanate crystal using simulations with Geant4/GATE. Geant4 uses a stepwise particle tracking approach, and users can limit the electron velocity change per step. Without limiting it (default Geant4 settings), an electron mean step length of ~250 μm was obtained, providing only macroscopic modeling of electron transport, with all Cerenkov photons emitted in the forward direction with respect to the incident gamma direction. Limiting the electron velocity change per step reduced the electron mean step length (~0.200 μm), leading to a microscopic approach to its transport which more accurately modeled the electron physical properties in BGO at 511 keV. The electron and Cerenkov photons rapidly lost directionality, affecting Cerenkov photons' transport and, ultimately, their detection. Results suggested that a deep understanding of low energy physics is crucial to perform accurate optical Monte Carlo simulations and ultimately use them in TOF PET detectors.

Engineering Radiative Energy Transfer and Directional Excitonic Emission in van der Waals Heterostructures

AbstractControlling excitonic energy transfer in 2D van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures is crucial for photonic and optoelectronic applications. Recent studies suggest that the interlayer energy transfer in vdW heterostructures is strongly correlated with the vertical interlayer spacing. However, the interlayer coupling with large separations (>20 nm) when the radiative energy transfer is dominant has not been studied yet. In this case, excitons as radiative dipole sources are able to control the light field. Here, the thickness dependency of radiative energy transfer in vertical vdW heterostructures of WS2 (tungsten disulfide)/hBN (hexagonal boron nitride)/WS2 is studied. The excitonic emission of WS2/hBN and WS2/hBN/WS2 heterostructures is engineered with the intensity ratios of heterostructures to monolayers ranging from 5% to 250%. More importantly, by changing the stacking order to control whether forward or backward emission is collected, a controllable directivity of the excitonic emission from 0.6 to 6.0 is achieved. In theory, the tunability to high‐index/mid‐index interferences and dipole–dipole far‐field coupling is attributed. The outcomes of the study on the radiative energy transfer of vdW heterostructures containing 1Ls (monolayers) with excitonic effects and MLs (multilayers) with high refractive indices will pave the way toward the realization of all vdW nanophotonics.

Measuring the Time Atoms Spend in the Excited State Due to a Photon They Do Not Absorb

When a resonant photon traverses a sample of absorbing atoms, how much time do atoms spend in the excited state? Does the answer depend on whether the photon is ultimately absorbed or transmitted? In particular, if it is not absorbed, does it cause atoms to spend any time in the excited state and if so, how much? To answer these questions, we perform an experiment with ultracold rubidium atoms in which we simultaneously record whether atoms are excited by incident (“signal”) photons and whether those photons are transmitted. We measure the time spent by atoms in the excited state by using a separate off-resonant “probe” laser to monitor the index of refraction of the sample—that is, we measure the nonlinear phase shift written by a signal pulse on this probe beam—and use direct detection to isolate the effect of single transmitted photons. For short pulses (10 ns, to be compared to the 26-ns atomic lifetime) and an optically thick medium (peak optical depth equals 4, leading to 60% absorption given our broad bandwidth), we find that the average time atoms spend in the excited state due to one transmitted photon is not zero but, rather, (77±16)% of the time the average incident photon causes them to spend in the excited state. We attribute this observation of “excitation without loss” to coherent forward emission, which can arise when the instantaneous Rabi frequency (pulse envelope) picks up a 180∘ phase flip—this happens naturally when a broadband pulse propagates through an optically thick medium with frequency-dependent absorption. These results unambiguously reveal for the first time the complex history of photons as they propagate through an absorbing medium and illustrate the power of utilizing postselection to experimentally investigate the past behavior of observed quantum systems.Received 9 March 2021Revised 23 August 2021Accepted 9 December 2021DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PRXQuantum.3.010314Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasEffects of atomic coherence on light propagationEntanglement in quantum gasesLight-matter interactionQuantum opticsSpontaneous emissionPhysical SystemsAtomic ensembleTechniquesKerr effectWeak measurementsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Lateral terahertz wave emission from laser induced plasma in liquid water line

Laser ionized liquid has been considered as a promising broadband terahertz (THz) source recently. The ponderomotive force induced dipole model can be used to describe the mechanism of THz generation, implying that the lateral THz emission is stronger than the forward emission. Thus, we systemically investigate the lateral THz emission from laser induced plasma in liquid water line. THz energy about 4.4-times of that from the forward emission is achieved from the lateral emission scheme. Results on the angular distribution of coherent THz radiation indicate that the maximal THz radiation falls between 120° and 150° with respect to the pump laser propagation direction. Moreover, dependence of collected THz energy on the relative position between laser focus and the water line shows a counterintuitive “two peaks” trend, which can be explained by the impact of cylindrical water surface on the divergence angle of the generated THz wave. Therefore, the enhancement in THz energy can be attributed to the high-efficiency lateral collection scheme and the tradeoff between the THz wave converging effect of the cylindrical surface and the absorption in water. Our work helps to further optimize the coupling efficiency of generated THz wave out of liquid samples.

Polarization stabilization of the mean wavelength of erbium-doped super fluorescent fiber optic sources

We investigate the influence of polarization on the stability of a single-pass fiber super fluorescent light source (SFS) operating under the forward or reverse setup. The measurement of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) spectra obtained using different values for the power and state of polarization (SOP) of the optical pump (980 nm) is the basis of the analysis. The mean wavelength was the stability evaluation criterion used for comparing the forward and backward SFS emission. The results indicate that both super fluorescent sources become insensitive to the polarization state when the pump power reaches a saturated absorption condition. The influence of the SFS spectral range is also analyzed, defining four spectral bands; Ctot band (1520–1570 nm), C band (1530–1560 nm), C+ band (1520–1540 nm), and C− band (1540–1560 nm). We show that the stability of the SFS improves by discriminating one of the two peaks of the ASE emission spectrum, reaching the performance required for inertial grade sensors.

Self-pulsations in a microcavity Brillouin laser.

We demonstrate a new, to the best of our knowledge, kind of self-pulsation in a microcavity Brillouin laser. This specific self-pulsation is generated by the interplay between the Brillouin lasing and the thermo-optic effect in an optical microcavity. Intriguingly, the self-pulsation behaviors are simultaneously present in both forward input pump and backward Brillouin lasing emission. By developing a coupled-mode theory, our numerical simulations display an excellent agreement with the experimental results.

A Review on the CO2 Emission Reduction Scheme and Countermeasures in China’s Energy and Power Industry under the Background of Carbon Peak

To reach the peak of carbon emission in China, the energy and power industry has the most arduous task and the heaviest responsibility. It should not only ensure efficient economic development, but also complete the arduous task of energy conservation and emission reduction. It is the main force in helping reach the peak of carbon emission. Taking the achievement of carbon peak in China’s power industry as the research object, this paper utilizes time series analyses to establish CO2 emission prediction models for China and its power industry under two scenarios: with and without a carbon peak target. The paper analyzes the current status of achieving carbon peak in China’s power industry and puts a forward CO2 emission reduction scheme for China and its power industry in the future. On this basis, countermeasures for China’s power industry to deal with carbon peak are explored.

A Hypothetical Extraction Method Decomposition of Intersectoral and Interprovincial CO2 Emission Linkages of China’s Construction Industry

Understanding the complex CO2 emissions in inter-sectoral and interregional interactions of the construction industry is significant to attaining sustainability in China. Many previous studies focused on aggregating the construction sector’s CO2 emissions on a national level, with the provincial characteristics and interactions often overlooked. Using extended environmental input–output tables, we adopted a hypothetical extraction method combined with extended-environmental multi-regional input–output tables for 2012, 2015, and 2017 data to decompose the CO2 emissions linkages in 30 provincial construction sectors. The provincial carbon emissions data from a complete system boundary informed the recategorization of China’s construction sector as a high-carbon-intensity industry. The interprovincial interactions results show relatively small backward CO2 emissions linkages compared to forward CO2 emissions linkages depicting the industry’s significant role in China’s economic growth and an essential target in CO2 emissions reduction plans. The provinces exhibited different impacts on the directional push–pull, with less developed provinces having one-way directional effects. The more developed provincial sectors behaved more like demand-driven industries creating an overall imbalance in CO2 emissions interaction between the sectors in interregional emission trades. We identified construction sectors in Gansu, Xingjian, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia as the most critical, with more significant CO2 emissions interactions than other provinces. Improving the technical level in less developed provincial construction sectors, considering provincial characteristics in policy formulation, and a swift shift to renewable energy as a primary energy source would aid in reducing the emissions intensities in the construction sector, especially in the less developed provinces, and achieving China’s quest to reach a CO2 emissions peak by 2030.

Balance of emission from THz sources in DC-biased and unbiased filaments in air

At the frequencies from 0.1 to 1 THz, we measured the angular distributions of terahertz (THz) emission from DC-biased femtosecond filament. The external electric field (DC bias) was increased from 0 to 3.3 kV/cm and provided continuous transition from forward conical emission, corresponding to the unbiased single-color filament, to on-axis emission, corresponding to the DC-biased one. We decomposed the measured far-field THz distributions into the quadrupole and dipole contributions, the latter being increased with increasing biasing field. The superposition of quadrupole and dipole local sources was integrated numerically over the plasma channel length and fit to the experimentally obtained angular distributions. The transition from the conical to the on-axis emission occured at the external field of (3.2 ± 0.8) kV/cm in the range of frequencies studied.

Polarization correlation in the superfluorescent decay process.

We investigated the polarization properties of superfluorescence (SF) emitted from dense cesium atomic vapor in a cell. The atoms were excited from the 6S ground to the 8P state using a femtosecond laser pulse. The SF fields generated on the cascaded decay, 8P→8S→7P, mediated the nonlinear optical process. We observed 4.2-µm and 456-nm forward directional emissions generated on the 8S→7P and 7P→6S transitions, respectively. The polarizations of the two fields were correlated in each laser shot, and their directions fluctuated from shot to shot, reflecting the noise that initiated the 4.2-µm emission.

Coherent control of asymmetric spintronic terahertz emission from two-dimensional hybrid metal halides

Next-generation terahertz (THz) sources demand lightweight, low-cost, defect-tolerant, and robust components with synergistic, tunable capabilities. However, a paucity of materials systems simultaneously possessing these desirable attributes and functionalities has made device realization difficult. Here we report the observation of asymmetric spintronic-THz radiation in Two-Dimensional Hybrid Metal Halides (2D-HMH) interfaced with a ferromagnetic metal, produced by ultrafast spin current under femtosecond laser excitation. The generated THz radiation exhibits an asymmetric intensity toward forward and backward emission direction whose directionality can be mutually controlled by the direction of applied magnetic field and linear polarization of the laser pulse. Our work demonstrates the capability for the coherent control of THz emission from 2D-HMHs, enabling their promising applications on the ultrafast timescale as solution-processed material candidates for future THz emitters.

Impact of the ISM magnetic field on GRB afterglow polarization

ABSTRACT Linear polarization has been measured in several gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows. After a few days, polarization arises from the forward shock emission that depends on the post-shock magnetic field. The latter can originate both from compression of existing fields, here the interstellar medium (ISM) magnetic field, and from shock-generated instabilities. For short GRBs, previous modelling of the polarization arising from the forward shock considered a random field fully or partially confined to the shock plane. However, the ISM magnetic field likely consists of both random and ordered components. Here we study the impact of a more realistic magnetic field having both ordered and random components. We present our semi-analytical model and compute polarization curves arising for different magnetic field configurations. We find that the presence of an ordered component, even significantly weaker than the random one, has distinct signatures that could be detectable. In the presence of an ordered component not in the observer plane, we show that (i) for an observer inside the jet, the polarization angle θp either remains constant during all the afterglow phase or exhibits variations smaller than the 90° swing expected from a random component solely; (ii) for an off-axis observer, the polarization angle evolves from $\theta _\mathrm{ p}^{\max }$, before the jet break to its opposite after the jet break. We also find that the upper limit polarization for GRB 170817 requires a random field not fully confined to the shock plane and is compatible with an ordered component as large as half the random one.

Single-shot imaging of surface molecular ionization in nanosystems

Abstract Using single-shot velocity map imaging technique, explosion imaging of different ion species ejected from 50 nm SiO2 nanoparticles are obtained excitedly by strong near-infrared and ultraviolet femtosecond laser fields. Characteristic momentum distributions showing forward emission of the ions at low excitation intensities and shock wave behaviors at high intensities are observed. When the excitation intensity is close to the dissociative ionization threshold of the surface molecules, the resulting ion products can be used to image the instant near-field distributions. The underlying dynamics of shock formation are simulated by using a Coulomb explosion model. Our results allow one to distinguish the ultrafast strong-field response of various molecular species in nanosystems and will open a new way for further exploration of the underlying dynamics of laser-and-nanoparticle interactions.

FORWARD BACKWARD ELECTRON YIELD RATIO FOR α-PARTICLE INDUCED EMISSION FROM DIFFERENT MATERIALS

In this work, the ratio of forward and backward electron yields for emission induced by the isotropic flux of α-particles from zinc was measured. On the basis of the measured values and experimental data obtained in earlier experiments for other materials, a systematization of the electron yield ratio for forward and backward emission was done, and a relationship of the ratio with stopping power of an ion in a substance was found. The dependence of work function for various materials on the ratio of the electron emission yields was analyzed.

The comprehensive measurement method of energy conservation and emission reduction in the whole process of urban sewage treatment based on carbon emission.

It is of great significance to establish a carbon emission management system and carbon emission reduction target to put forward emission reduction measures for each subunit of a sewage treatment plant. In this paper, a mathematical model was constructed for calculating carbon emission in the whole sewage treatment system process. Meanwhile, the model calculated the carbon emission changes after upgrading three sewage treatment plants and identified the critical controlling unit. The results showed that the CO2 produced from electric energy consumption and chemical application was the primary source of carbon emission of wastewater treatment. Raising sewage discharge standards appropriately could effectively reduce the carbon emission generated by each link of the wastewater treatment plant. Further improvement of effluent standards could adversely affect sewage treatment plants in terms of energy, resources, and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, raising the standard of total phosphorus concentration in the effluent may lead to a corresponding increase in the amount of phosphorus removal agents, as well as an increase in indirect carbon emission, material consumption, and chemical sludge. Therefore, it is necessary to develop sewage treatment technologies that are economical, applicable, energy-saving, and environmental friendly to realize the environmental benefits of carbon emission reduction in sewage treatment and sustainable utilization of energy and resource from wastewater.