Light Field Research Articles

Hetero-Nucleation Induced [111]-Oriented Mixed Halide Perovskite for Stable Pure Red Light-Emitting Diodes.

Mixed halide 3D perovskites are promising for bright, efficient, and wide-color gamut light-emitting diodes (LEDs) due to their excellent carrier transport, high luminescence, and easily tunable bandgaps. However, serious halide ion migration inside mixed halide 3D perovskite results in poor operational and spectral stability of the as-fabricated LEDs. Here, a hetero-nucleation crystallization strategy is reported to grow [111]-orientationpreferred mixed halide 3D perovskite CsPbI3-xBrx thin films for stable pure red LEDs. This hetero-nucleation crystallization is enabled by the addition of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) complexation, which promotes the growth of small perovskite grains into large grains with uniform [111]-orientation. The obtained [111]-orientation preferred film exhibits excellent stability under light or electric field stimulus as revealed by model analysis and experimental results compared to that of [001]-orientation preferred film. Thus, based on the [111]-orientationpreferred film, the fabricated LED exhibits an external quantum efficiency of 22.8%, a maximum brightness of 12000cdm-2, and a half-life time of 4080min under 1.5mA cm-2. More importantly, the electroluminescence spectrum of the device remains stable during the continuous operation of 4080min, showcasing the significant spectral stability improvement enabled by the hetero-nucleation induced [111]-orientation strategy.

Kilohertz volumetric imaging of in-vivo dynamics using squeezed light field microscopy.

Volumetric functional imaging of transient cellular signaling and motion dynamics poses a significant challenge to current microscopy techniques, primarily due to limitations in hardware bandwidth and the restricted photon budget within short exposure times. In response to this challenge, we present squeezed light field microscopy (SLIM), a computational imaging method that enables rapid detection of high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) light signals using only a single, low-format camera sensor area. SLIM pushes the boundaries of 3D optical microscopy, achieving over one thousand volumes per second across a large field of view of 550 μm in diameter and 300 μm in depth with a spatial resolution of 3.6 μm laterally and 6 μm axially. Using SLIM, we demonstrated blood cell velocimetry across the embryonic zebrafish brain and in a free-moving tail exhibiting high-frequency swinging motion. The millisecond temporal resolution also enables accurate voltage imaging of neural membrane potentials in the leech ganglion, and in the hippocampus of behaving mice. These results collectively establish SLIM as a versatile and robust imaging tool for high-speed microscopy applications.

Orbital and Spin Parts of Angular Momentum Flux Density of Monochromatic Radiation in Nonabsorbing Media with Nonlocal Nonlinear Optical Respons

Using electromagnetic field angular momentum conservation law in a form of balance equation, which relates the angular momentum density, the angular momentum flux density and caused by the anisotropy of the medium torque density in nonabsorbing media, we obtained the formulas for the densities of the orbital and spin parts of the angular momentum and the flux densities of this quantities in case of interaction of monochromatic waves in nonabsorbing medium with spatial dispersion demonstrating n-th order nonlinear optical response to the external light field. In media without spatial and frequency dispersion the obtained expressions coinside with the canonical expressions for the densities and flux densities of the orbital and spin parts of angular momentum. The additional terms to the greatest components among the spin parts of angular momentum and its flux related to nonlinearity of the medium may reach ten percent of their linear parts during self-focusing of the elliptically polarized Gaussian laser beam in isotropic gyrotropic medium near the area of its collapse.

Robo-Matter towards reconfigurable multifunctional smart materials

Maximizing materials utilization efficiency via enhancing their reconfigurability and multifunctionality offers a promising avenue in addressing the global challenges in sustainability. To this end, significant efforts have been made in developing reconfigurable multifunctional smart materials, which can exhibit remarkable behaviors such as morphing and self-healing. However, the difficulty in efficiently manipulating and controlling matter at the building block level with manageable cost and complexity, which is crucial to achieving superior responsiveness to environmental clues and stimuli, has significantly hindered the further development of such smart materials. Here we introduce a concept of Robo-Matter, which can be activated and controlled through external information exchange at the building block level, to enable a high-level of controllability, mutability and versatility for reconfigurable multifunctional smart materials. Using specially designed micro-robot building blocks with symmetry-breaking active motion modes, tunable anisotropic interactions, and interactive coupling with a programmable spatial-temporal dynamic light field, we demonstrate an emergent Robot-Matter duality, which enables a spectrum of desirable behaviors spanning from matter-like properties such as ultra-fast self-assembly and adaptivity, to robot-like properties including active force output, smart healing, smart morphing and infiltration. Our work demonstrates a promising direction for designing next-generation smart materials and large-scale robotic swarms.

Study on the diffraction light field of two special beams through a cylindrical lens

Study on the diffraction light field of two special beams through a cylindrical lens

Binary amplitude holograms for shaping complex light fields with digital micromirror devices

Abstract Digital micromirror devices are a popular type of spatial light modulators for wavefront shaping applications. While they offer several advantages when compared to liquid crystal modulators, such as polarization insensitivity and rapid-switching, they only provide a binary amplitude modulation. Despite this restriction, it is possible to use binary holograms to modulate both the amplitude and phase of the incoming light, thus allowing the creation of complex light fields. Here, a didactic exploration of various types of binary holograms is presented. A particular emphasis is placed on the fact that the finite number of pixels coupled with the binary modulation limits the number of complex values that can be encoded into the holograms. This entails an inevitable trade-off between the number of complex values that can be modulated with the hologram and the number of independent degrees of freedom available to shape light, both of which impact the quality of the shaped field. Nonetheless, it is shown that by appropriately choosing the type of hologram and its parameters, it is possible to find a suitable compromise that allows shaping a wide range of complex fields with high accuracy. In particular, it is shown that choosing the appropriate alignment between the hologram and the micromirror array allows for maximizing the number of complex values. Likewise, the implications of the type of hologram and its parameters on the diffraction efficiency are also considered.

Carbon Dots and Their Films with Narrow Full Width at Half Maximum Orange Emission.

To obtain carbon dots (CDs) with narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) and long-wavelength emission, carbon sources with high conjugate sizes and abundant functional groups can be employed to synthesize CDs. In this study, orange-emissive carbon dots (OCDs) were synthesized with phloroglucinol and rhodamine B as precursors. When the molar ratio of them was 30:1, and ethanol was served as the solvent, OCDs with optimized emission wavelength at approximately 580 nm, an FWHM of 30 nm, and a quantum yield (QY) of 27.31% were obtained. Subsequently, the OCDs were incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to fabricate solid-state OCD/PVA fluorescent films, which exhibited an FWHM of 47 nm. The PVA matrix facilitated the dispersion of OCDs, thereby suppressing non-radiative energy transfer among the OCDs and enhancing luminescence efficiency. Consequently, compared with OCDs, the OCD/PVA film exhibited significant luminescent enhancement, and the QY of the composite film was increased to 84.74%. Moreover, OCD/PVA film showed good transmittance and thermal stability. This research offers a solid theoretical and experimental foundation for the potential applications of CDs in the field of solid-state lighting.

Research Progress of Deep-Red to Near-Infrared Electroluminescent Materials Based on Organic Cyclometallated Platinum(II) Complexes.

In recent years, the near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting materials have attracted increasing attention due to the broad application prospects in the fields of military industry, aerospace, lighting, display and wearable devices. As the transition metal complexes, platinum(II) complexes have been shown to emit luminescence efficiently in NIR organic light-emitting diodes because of the unique d8 electron structure. This structure ensures that the platinum(II) complex molecules exhibit a high planarity, variety of excited states, and strong intermolecular interactions. This review summarizes the research progress of deep red to NIR organic light-emitting materials based on platinum(II) complexes in recent years and provides a certain reference for the further design and synthesis of NIR platinum(II) complex luminescent materials with superior performance.

Nonlinear geometric phase coded ferroelectric nematic fluids for nonlinear soft-matter photonics

Simultaneous manipulation of multiple degrees of freedom of light lies at the heart of photonics. Nonlinear wavefront shaping offers an exceptional way to achieve this goal by converting incident light into beams of new frequencies with spatially varied phase, amplitude, and angular momenta. Nevertheless, the reconfigurable control over structured light fields for advanced multimode nonlinear photonics remains a grand challenge. Here, we propose the concept of nonlinear geometric phase in an emerging ferroelectric nematic fluid, of which the second-order nonlinear susceptibility carries spin-dependent nonlinearity phase. A case study with photopatterned q-plates demonstrates the generation of second-harmonic optical vortices with spin-locked topological charges by using cascaded linear and nonlinear optical spin-orbit interactions. Furthermore, we present the dynamic tunability of second-harmonic structured light through temperature, electric field, and twisted elastic force. The proposed strategy opens new avenues for reconfigurable nonlinear photonics, with potential applications in optical communications, quantum computing, high-resolution imaging, etc.

A Novel Broadband Green Phosphor La2W2O9: Bi3+, and Its Application in High Color-Rendering Index pc-WLED

Broadband green phosphors have important applications in overcoming the blue-green (cyan) 470–510[Formula: see text]nm gap of phosphor-converted white LED (pc-WLED) and achieving high color rendering index (CRI) white lighting. In this work, a broadband green phosphor La2W2O9: [Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] was synthesized by solid-state method. The phase, morphology and luminescence properties of the series of phosphors were systematically studied. The results showed the La2W2O9: [Formula: see text]Bi[Formula: see text] green phosphor exhibits a wide emission band in the range of 400–800[Formula: see text]nm with full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 164[Formula: see text]nm, filling the cyan gap and reaching its peak at 550[Formula: see text]nm. The phosphor exhibits broadband excitation, and the excitation range covers the wavelength region of 200–500[Formula: see text]nm, and matches well with commercial ultraviolet LED. With the obtained broadband green phosphor, commercial CaAlSiN3:Eu[Formula: see text] red phosphor, commercial BaMgAl[Formula: see text]O17:Eu[Formula: see text] blue phosphor, and a 365[Formula: see text]nm commercial chip, a warm white pc-WLED device with a high color-rendering index (Ra[Formula: see text]97.4, R1–R15[Formula: see text]90) and low correlated color temperature (CCT[Formula: see text]3610[Formula: see text]K) was fabricated. The results demonstrate the wide range of applications for La2W2O9:Bi[Formula: see text] phosphor in the field of premium warm white LED lighting.

Quantum enhanced multiple transmission estimation with a bright squeezed light field

Recently, there has been significant interest in multiple-parameter quantum estimation techniques that exploit quantum resources. In particular, the estimation of optical transmission is a crucial parameter in various scientific fields and industries. In optical-based sensing, precision can be enhanced through two approaches: increasing the number of photons that interact with the samples and utilizing quantum states of light. In this paper, we investigate multiple transmission estimation using bright two-mode squeezed states (bTMSSs), which combine the advantages of both bright light and quantum states. We calculate the precision bound for multiple transmission estimation by employing multiple copies of bTMSSs with experimentally feasible optimal measurement, determining both the quantum Cramer-Rao bound and the Cramer-Rao bound. Our results demonstrate that multiple copies of bTMSSs can achieve quantum-enhanced sensitivity for multiple transmissions compared to coherent states, and the ultimate limit of precision can be attained in regions with high nonlinear gain. Furthermore, as an application, we show the quantum-enhanced sensing in circular dichroism sensing using a pair of bTMSSs. Our strategy for multiple transmission estimation offers a practical platform for exploring real-world quantum sensing applications.

Mapping voltage activity in a live mouse brain in 3D using confocal light field microscopy.

Mapping voltage activity in a live mouse brain in 3D using confocal light field microscopy.

Lensless light-field imaging using LMI

Light-field imaging is widely used in many fields, such as computer vision, graphics, and microscopy imaging, to record high-dimensional light information for abundant visual perception. However, light-field imaging systems generally have high system complexity and limited resolution. Over the last decades, lensless imaging systems have attracted tremendous attention to alleviate the restrictions of lens-based architectures. Despite their advantages, lensless light-field imaging introduces significant errors in light-field reconstruction. This paper introduces a novel, to our knowledge, light field moment imaging-based lensless imaging system (LMI-LIS) aiming to improve the quality of light-field reconstruction. The proposed approach first uses light field moment imaging (LMI) with a sinc angular distribution model of the light field to extract the encoded information of the scene for each sub-aperture area. Meanwhile, the corresponding sub-aperture point spread function is segmented from the system point spread function. Finally, sub-aperture images of the scene are reconstructed separately for each sub-aperture area. To evaluate the light-field reconstruction performance, the imaging quality and angular consistency of different lensless light-filed imaging methods are compared through digital refocusing, epipolar plane image, peak signal-to-noise ratio, and structural similarity index. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified using experimental results and theoretical analysis. It is demonstrated that lensless light-field imaging using LMI and the sinc model of the angular distribution achieves high-quality sub-aperture images.

Mg2+‐Doped Cesium Copper Halide for Bright Electroluminescent White Light‐Emitting Diodes

AbstractLead‐based perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) as one of the most promising materials in the fields of display and lighting, have outstanding optical performance and simple solution preparation process. However, the toxicity of lead and poor stability limit their commercialization. Meanwhile, as a key component of display and lighting, white light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs) still faces challenges such as low luminance and complex preparation process. A method is proposed for preparing nontoxic and stable Cs3Cu2I5 NCs by doping Mg2+ ions, achieved broadband blue light emission with a high PLQY of 96.2% and excellent thermal cycling stability and air stability. Then, the Mg2+ ions doped Cs3Cu2I5 NCs are used as emissive layer, while the 1,3,5‐Tri (m‐pyridine‐3‐ylphenyl) benzene (TmPyPb) is selected as electron transport layer to interact with Cs3Cu2I5 thin films for the formation of Cu‐I complex with broadband yellow light emission. This approach obviated the need for multi‐layer sedimentary emission layers, resulting in WLEDs featuring a high color rendering index (CRI) of 91, a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 0.71% and maximum luminance of 2116 cd m−2 that is the highest values of lead‐free perovskite WLEDs at present. Therefore, Cs3Cu2I5 NCs have good application prospects in WLEDs.

The influence of resonant light pulses on high harmonic generation in solids

Abstract We have theoretically studied the high harmonic generation (HHG) in solids driven simultaneously by a mid-infrared (MIR) laser and a high-order harmonic pulse with energy around the band gap between the valence band and conduction band. By adding this resonant harmonic light pulse with the relative intensity ratio of 4\%, the high-order harmonic emission from the crystal is enhanced by 1-2 orders of magnitude. The yield of HHG in solid increases monotonically with the relative strength of the resonant harmonic pulses. In addition, we also found that HHG dynamics from the $k$ channel around the boundary of the Brillouin zone can be selectively enhanced by adjusting the frequency of the resonant high-order harmonic pulse. The resonance-enhanced HHG and $k$ channel selection effect in solids is also investigated by using the three-band semi-conductor Bloch equation for HHG in ZnO. We also find that the harmonic in the plateau region driven by adding a resonant light field to the strong MIR driving field has less red-shifted compared with the case driven by the MIR driving field alone.

Optical induction of monopoles, knots, and skyrmions in quantum gases

Single topological defects and related structures have been experimentally created inside clouds of Bose-Einstein condensates. However, a practical protocol for creating multiple defects inside a single cloud—a prerequisite for studying defect interactions—has been lacking. Here we propose, and theoretically analyze, a practical protocol for the creation of configurations of topological monopoles, quantum knots, and skyrmions in Bose-Einstein condensates by employing fictitious magnetic fields induced by the interaction of the atomic cloud with coherent light fields. It is observed that a single coherent field is not enough for this purpose, but instead we find incoherent superpositions of several coherent fields that introduce topological point charges. We numerically estimate the experimentally achievable strengths and gradients of the induced fictitious magnetic fields and find them to be adjustable at will to several orders of magnitude greater than those of the physical magnetic fields employed in previous experimental studies. This property together with ultrafast control of the optical fields paves the way for advanced engineering of topological defects in quantum gases. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Noise sensitivity analysis of focal scanning light field imaging

Light field imaging can simultaneously record spatial and angular information of light signals to provide various computational imaging functions. However, traditional microlens array-based light field cameras usually suffer from a trade-off between spatial and angular resolutions. In contrast, focal scanning light field imaging (FSLFI) can digitally modulate an incident light field through an image stack captured at different focal planes and then utilize the transport-of-intensity property to computationally recover the full-resolution light field. This paper presents a unified light field reconstruction algorithm framework, which involves different types of algorithms, such as back-projection reconstruction and additive/multiplicative iterative reconstruction, for FSLFI. Based on the unified algorithm framework, we systematically analyze and investigate the FSLFI performance on noise sensitivity. Light fields are reconstructed at different noise levels to quantitatively analyze the FSLFI performances with different types of algorithms. Both simulation and actual experimental results demonstrate that the noise sensitivity and reconstruction accuracy are constrained by each other for FSLFI. Back-projection reconstruction is appropriate in high-efficiency light field reconstruction, while additive/multiplicative iterative reconstruction is suitable for high-accuracy light field imaging at high/low noise levels. These conclusions can apply to any FSLFI method covered by the unified algorithm framework, in which appropriate algorithms can be selected for high-quality light field imaging and measurement according to specific application scenarios.

Joint phase control in metasurfaces for optical convolution operations

Combining the propagation and geometric phases in a metasurface facilitates the independent control of multiple parameters of the light field. However, the geometric phase often displays a random distribution, making it difficult to observe directly. We introduce a frequency-dependent phase response: at frequency f1, there is a superposition of the geometric and propagation phases, whereas at frequency f2, the propagation phase remains constant, and only the geometric phase is applied. The superposition can be interpreted as a convolution process in far-field Fraunhofer diffraction, enabling convolution metasurface devices to generate complex orbital angular momentum beams array and patterned array. Notably, the geometric phase aligns with the characteristic distribution of orbital angular momentum beams, allowing direct observation of the loaded geometric phase. These findings open what we believe to be new avenues for manipulating and calculating complex vector optical fields, optical information coding, controlling light-matter interactions, and enhancing optical communication.

Quantum mechanical effects in plasmonic sub-nanometer cavities formed by a tip and substrate structure

Enhancing local field intensity through light field compression is one of the core issues in surface plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy. The theoretical framework for the nanostructure composed of a tip and a substrate has predominantly relied on classical electromagnetic models, ignoring the electron tunneling effect. In this paper, we investigate the plasmonic near-field characteristics in the sub-nanometer cavity formed by the tip and the substrate using a quantum-corrected model. Additionally, we analyze the local electric field and Raman enhancement when hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayer is used as a decoupling layer for the nanocavity. The results indicate that classical electromagnetic theory fails to accurately describe the plasmonic electric field in smaller sub-nanometer gaps. When the gap is reduced to 0.32 nm, the quantum-corrected model shows that the local electric field in the sub-nanometer cavity is significantly reduced due to the tunneling current, aligning more closely with experimental results. Moreover, adding a high-barrier h-BN layer effectively prevents the occurrence of tunneling current, allowing for a strong local electric field even when the gap is less than 0.32 nm. The calculated maximum Raman enhancement reaches up to 15 orders of magnitude. Our research results provide a deep understanding of quantum mechanical effects in tip-enhanced spectroscopy systems, enabling the potential applications based on quantum plasmons in nanocavity.

Self-Adaptive Intelligent Metasurface Cloak System with Integrated Sensing Units.

Metasurfaces, which are ultrathin planar metamaterials arranged in certain global sequences, interact uniquely with the surrounding light field and exhibit unusual effects of light modulation. Many interesting applications have been discovered based on metasurfaces, particularly in invisibility cloaks. However, most invisibility cloaks are limited to working in specific directions. Achieving effectiveness in multiple directions requires the metasurface to be designed with both perception and modulation capabilities. Current multi-directional metasurface cloak systems are implemented with discrete components rather than an integrated sensing component. Here, we propose an intelligent metasurface cloak system that integrates sensing units, resulting in the cloaking effect with the help of a real-time direction sensor and an adaptive feedback control system. A reconfigurable reflective meta-atom based on phase modulation is presented. Sensing units replace parts of the meta-atoms in the designed tunable metasurface, integrating with an FPGA responsible for measuring the direction and frequency of the incident wave, constituting a closed-loop system together with the feedback parts. Experimental results demonstrate that the metasurface cloak system can recognize the different directions of the incoming wave, and can adaptively manipulate the reflected phase of EM waves to conceal objects without any human participation.