Single-mode Research Articles

Versatile VCSEL source of thermal and super-thermal light

We have built highly controllable sources of thermal and super-thermal states on the basis of a single-mode (SM) and a multi-mode (MM) vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) with noised driving current operating above the threshold. Varying the average driving current and the amplitude and bandwidth of noise, one can robustly obtain light with the temporal second-order intensity correlation function reaching 2.5 and correlation times from 1 µs to 10 ns. For the SM VCSEL, generated thermal lights retain its single-mode quality negating a need for a spectral filtering. For the MM VCSEL, one can still find a near-threshold regime when the generated thermal radiation is close to a single-mode one.

A Durable Textile With Advanced Thermal Functions and Electromagnetic Shielding.

In the face of increasingly variable cold climates and diverse individual temperature regulation demands, personal thermal management (PTM) textiles with electromagnetic shielding have obtained significant attention. However, the PTM textiles face several challenges, including single heating mode, insufficient durability, and complex preparation processes. Herein, an all-day PTM textile Cotton@PDA/AgNPs (CPANS) with energy-free PRH, energy-saving solar heating, compensatory electricalheating, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and outstanding durability is fabricated by sequentially growing polydopamine (PDA) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the cotton fabric (CF). The CPANS exhibits low mid-infrared emissivity (36.6%) and high absorptivity (70.8%), which guarantees the energy-saving heating capability. Moreover, the conductivity of the CPANS is ≈11109Sm-1, enabling an electrical heating temperature of ≈177°C under a low voltage of 1.1V and superb EMI shielding effectiveness (≈60dB). The remarkable adhesive properties of the PDA ensure that the desired durability of the CPANS remains high even after rigorous physical treatments. This innovation shows enormous potential for wearable integrated garments in the future and offers a new ideal for PTM fabrics in the cold.

IRainSnowHydro v1.0: A distributed integrated rainfall-runoff and snowmelt-runoff simulation model for alpine watersheds

Snowmelt runoff is an essential runoff component in alpine watersheds. On the Tibetan Plateau, the complex hydrometeorological and underlying surface conditions make a single runoff generation mode (either snowmelt-runoff or rainfall-runoff) cannot accurately simulate the runoff process. In this study, we developed a new method that combines the curve number, topographic index, and fractional snow cover to identify the sub-basin seasonal dominant runoff generation mode within the Jinsha River Basin. By constructing a surface ‘snow reservoir’ to depict snow melting impact on runoff generation, and quantitatively classifying the precipitation composition, an innovative integrated hydrological model named the distributed integrated Rainfall-runoff and Snowmelt-runoff simulation Hydrological model (iRainSnowHydro) is developed. With model, a method for identifying the seasonal varying dominant runoff generation mode is proposed. The results show that most sub-basins experience both snowmelt and rainfall driven runoff generation in spring, with snowmelt occurring earlier in regions of lower latitude and elevation. Besides, iRainSnowHydro performs well in daily runoff simulations at Zhimenda and Shigu stations with Nash coefficients of 0.81 and 0.85 in the calibration period, and 0.72 and 0.81 in the validation period. The correlation coefficient ranges from 0.92 to 0.96. Additionally, calculation through iRainSnowHydro indicates a noteworthy percentage of spring snowmelt water. Notably, the Zhimenda watershed, characterized by higher latitudes and elevations, displays an escalating trend from 56.6 % to 78.9 % of total precipitation for spring snowmelt water between 2014 and 2020, while the Shigu watershed maintains stable within 27 % ± 6 %. The methodologies outlined bear significance for simulating and predicting runoff in alpine watersheds and offers valuable insights into how snow cover responds to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.

Numerical Study of Vortex-Induced Vibration Characteristics of a Long Flexible Marine Riser

In ocean engineering, interactions between ocean currents and risers lead to regular vortex shedding on both sides of the riser, causing structural deformation. When the frequency of vortex shedding approaches the natural frequency of the structure, resonance occurs, significantly increasing deformation. This phenomenon is a critical cause of riser failure. Therefore, the dynamic response of flexible risers to vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) is crucial for their structural safety. This paper employs the finite-volume method to integrate over control volumes to solve for forces, such as pressure and shear stress, on the surface of the riser, while the finite-element method discretizes the continuous structural body into elements and nodes to solve for structural displacements and stresses. A strongly coupled method is utilized at each timestep to iteratively transfer load-displacement data between the fluid and structural fields, updating the boundary conditions of the fluid domain to achieve a bidirectional fluid–structure interaction simulation of vortex-induced vibrations in a seawater environment for flexible risers. The study finds that the three-dimensional flexible riser exhibits multi-frequency vibration phenomena and broadband vibration response characteristics under high flow velocity conditions. As the flow velocity increases, the vortex-shedding mode is observed to transition from the simple two single (2S) mode to the more complex pair + single (P + S) and two pair (2P) modes. In addition, the stiffness at the ends is enhanced by the fixed boundary conditions, and the coupling between the natural frequency of the ends and the vortex-shedding frequency triggers complex vortex-shedding phenomena in these regions. At higher flow velocities, these boundary effects result in more complex vortex-shedding modes and stronger vibration responses at both ends of the riser.

A Wireless Bi-Directional Brain–Computer Interface Supporting Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Transmission

Wireless neural signal transmission is essential for both neuroscience research and neural disorder therapies. However, conventional wireless systems are often constrained by low sampling rates, limited channel counts, and their support of only a single transmission mode. Here, we developed a wireless bi-directional brain–computer interface system featuring dual transmission modes. This system supports both low-power Bluetooth transmission and high-sampling-rate Wi-Fi transmission, providing flexibility for various application scenarios. The Bluetooth mode, with a maximum sampling rate of 14.4 kS/s, is well suited for detecting low-frequency signals, as demonstrated by both in vitro recordings of signals from 10 to 50 Hz and in vivo recordings of 16-channel local field potentials in mice. More importantly, the Wi-Fi mode, offering a maximum sampling rate of 56.8 kS/s, is optimized for recording high-frequency signals. This capability was validated through in vitro recordings of signals from 500 to 2000 Hz and in vivo recordings of single-neuron spike firings with amplitudes reaching hundreds of microvolts and high signal-to-noise ratios. Additionally, the system incorporates a wireless stimulation function capable of delivering current pulses up to 2.55 mA, with adjustable pulse width and polarity. Overall, this dual-mode system provides an efficient and flexible solution for both neural recording and stimulation applications.

Nonlinear polarization rotation based 635-nm praseodymium doped mode-locked fiber laser

Abstract We demonstrated a mode-locked fiber laser oscillator using nonlinear polarization rotation as a saturable absorption system. The fiber laser generates mode-locked pulses by adjusting four waveplates. A single-clad Pr3+-doped single mode fluoride fiber with a 425-mW threshold pump power serves as the foundation for the ring cavity, which operates in the dissipative soliton resonance regime. The radio frequency signal-to-noise ratio of the pulses at 634.9 nm is 60 dB, maximum output power of 5.5 mW, and repetition rate of 34.5 MHz. These findings provide a foundation for the advancement of photonic applications in the visible spectrum.

Theoretical analysis of heat and mass transfer characteristics of a counter-flow packing tower with different heating modes

Mass extraction/injection and multi-stage system have been proven to be effective approaches to improve the performance of humidification and dehumidification (HDH) desalination system. However, these two optimization schemes cause that the flow ratios of water to air at different positions of humidifier or that of different humidifiers have great difference. A single heating mode is inapplicable to all flow ratios of water to air. Hence, it is necessary to reveal the relationship among mass flow ratio, heating mode and thermal efficiency of humidifier for the selection of appropriate heating mode. A theoretical model of packing tower (typical kind of humidifier) which agrees well with experimental results was established in this paper, and the average relative errors of outlet air temperature, humidity and thermal efficiency are 2.3 %, 4.9 % and 5.8 %, respectively. A comparison among the thermal efficiencies of a counter-flow packing tower with different heating modes (I: solution heated, II: air heated, III: solution-air heated) was conducted. It is found that there exist two values of mass flow ratio (FRI-II and FRII-III) at which the thermal efficiencies of air heated and solution-air heated are equal and that of solution heated and solution-air heated are equal, respectively. However, the thermal efficiency of solution heated is always higher than that of solution-air heated (FRI-III does not exist). It seems clear that there is a relationship between FR and thermal efficiency (η) as follows: FR < FRI-II, ηI > ηIII > ηII; FRI-II < FR < FRII-III, ηI > ηII > ηIII; FR > FRI-II, ηII > ηI > ηIII. Additionally, the effects of inlet parameters on the FRI-II and FRII-III are also evaluated. The results show that the maximum temperature, inlet solution concentration and ambient temperature have positive effects on FRI-II and FRII-III, but ambient relative humidity has negative effect. In the final part, the selection of the heating mode of a counter-flow packing tower is taken as example to introduce the application of FRI-II and FRII-III proposed in this paper.

Preserving quantum information in f(Q) non-metric gravity cosmology

The effects of cosmological expansion on quantum bosonic states are investigated, using quantum information theory. In particular, a generic Bogoliubov transformation of bosonic field modes is considered and the state change on a single mode is regarded as the effect of a quantum channel. Properties and capacities of this channel are thus explored in the framework of f(Q) non-metric gravity. The reason is that non-metric gravity can be considered under the standard of gauge theories with all the advantages of such a formulation. As immediate result, we obtain that the information on a single-mode state appears better preserved, whenever the number of particles produced by the cosmological expansion is small. Specifically, we investigate a power law f(Q) model, leaving unaltered the effective gravitational coupling, and minimise the corresponding particle production. We thus show how to optimise the preservation of classical and quantum information, stored in bosonic mode states in the remote past. Finally, we compare our findings with those obtained in General Relativity.

Spatio-temporal and multi-mode prediction for blast furnace gas flow

The reasonable and stable distribution of blast furnace (BF) gas flow is the basis for maintaining the smooth operation of BF. Therefore, the accurate detection of the gas flow distribution is essential in the BF ironmaking process due to the direct impact on productivity, stability, and efficiency. However, there is a significant challenge to capture the complex interactions and dynamic changes of the ironmaking process by single predictive mode and two-dimensional (2D) distribution, leading to a lack of flexibility and interpretability in dealing with different abnormalities. To address this issue, a novel spatio-temporal multi-mode approach for three-dimensional (3D) BF gas flow prediction is proposed in this article. First, Pearson correlation analysis is employed to evaluate correlated variables in the spatial dimension. The precise temporal correlations among the multiple variables are matched with mutual information (MI) to extract spatio-temporal variables. Next, the spatio-temporal variables are decomposed utilizing variation mode decomposition (VMD), and the noise is removed with integrated correlation analysis and Fourier transform (FT) to identify and retain the relevant information. Finally, the MI-VMD-Informer is innovatively proposed to establish three different prediction modes based on spatio-temporal features, thus obtaining 2D and 3D gas flow distributions. The superiority of the proposed method is verified by actual BF production data.

Shape sensing endoscope fiber

Minimally invasive and robotic surgeries are growing areas that benefit patients through reduced recovery time. Medical fiber optics play an important role in these procedures by enabling instrument navigation, imaging, sensing, power delivery, and diagnostics in a small form factor. One route to further miniaturization is to combine these functions, or a subset of these functions, into a single strand of optical fiber. In this work, we present a fiber and fan-in device that enables shape sensing, imaging, power delivery, and potentially additional sensing capabilities, such as temperature and/or pressure, in the same waveguide. The refractive index profile of the multimode waveguide in our fiber is similar to step index fibers used in laser delivery and is suitable for imaging applications; however, it also contains seven single mode cores twisted in a helix and with quasi-continuous Bragg gratings along their entire length, such as are used in fiber shape sensing. We first calibrate the transmission matrix of the multimode waveguide to enable the formation of a focused spot at the distal end of the fiber with a spatial light modulator. A second calibration allows us to reconstruct the shape of the fiber using optical frequency domain reflectometry in the twisted shape sensing cores. We show that these multiple functions can be performed simultaneously with our device and that changes in the curvature of the fiber correlate with the quality of the distal spot produced through the fiber, which is an important step towards maintaining the imaging calibration as the fiber is manipulated.

Generation of scalar and vector beams with longitudinally varying polarization based on all-silicon metasurfaces

Beams with longitudinally continuously varying polarization provide a new application dimension in fields such as optical communication and optical manipulation. The small-sized and multifunctional metasurfaces have been used to generate scalar or vector beams whose polarizations vary along the propagation direction within a single polarization mode. However, dual-mode beams with longitudinally varying polarization can further increase the dimension of manipulation, but they have been rarely explored. Here, we propose a scheme based on the spatial partitioning method for designing dual-mode beams with longitudinally evolving polarization. To validate the proposed scheme, we demonstrate three dual-mode beams generated by all-silicon metasurfaces which have evolving polarization from scalar to vector, scalar vortex to vector vortex, and first-order to second-order cylindrical vector, respectively. The transverse polarization distributions of these beams depend on their longitudinal position. The different focal lengths of the orthogonal circularly polarized components and the design of long focal depth make it possible to change the polarization distribution longitudinally. The optical fields generated based on the proposed scheme are expected to be applied in depth detection and optical manipulation.

Design and verification of a novel energy-efficient pump-valve primary-auxiliary electro-hydraulic steering system for multi-axle heavy vehicles

Multi-axle heavy vehicles employ a variable-length tie rod steering system to achieve precise multi-mode steering. However, the single-axle steering system need integrate two sets of electro-hydraulic control systems (EHCSs), resulting in the energy consumption significant increase. This paper proposes a novel energy-efficient pump-valve primary-auxiliary electro-hydraulic steering system (PVPA EHSS) which compose of a pump-controlled dual-steering cylinders primary system and a valve-controlled variable-length tie rod cylinder auxiliary system. The proposed system utilizes a single pump to drive both the primary and auxiliary EHCSs simultaneously, enabling high-precision and high-efficiency steering with multi steering modes. Additionally, to suppress the flow disturbance of the auxiliary system branch flow on the single-pump-controlled steering primary system, the interaction between the flow of the auxiliary system and the flow of the primary system in each steering phase is studied. A pump flow feedforward-angle feedback composite control strategy incorporating branch flow prediction is proposed to mitigate the disturbance and ensure the accurate steering of left and right tires. The experimental results demonstrate that compared to the traditional variable-length tie rod steering system, the proposed system reduces energy consumption by 58.66 %, and achieves precise adaptation of the left and right tire angles in multi steering modes.

Surface roughness metrology with a raster scanning single photon LiDAR

We explore a novel, to the best of our knowledge, approach to surface roughness metrology utilizing a single pixel, raster scanning single photon counting LiDAR system. It uses a collimated laser beam in picosecond pulses to probe a surface, capturing the changes of back-scattered photons from different points on the surface into a single mode fiber, and counting them using a single photon detector. These back-scattered photons carry speckle noise produced by the rough surface, and the variation in photon counts over different illumination points across the surface becomes a good measure of its roughness. By analyzing the variation frequency as the LiDAR scans over the surface using machine learning techniques, we demonstrate general measurements of surface roughness from 1.21 (1.27±4.51) to 102.01 (87.97±10.55) microns.

Design, Analysis, and Optimization Testing of a Novel Modular Walking Device for Pipeline Robots

This article investigates the limitations associated with traditional wheel-type pipeline walking devices, which are characterized by a single movement mode and an inability to navigate complex or irregular pipeline structures. A modular walking device (MWD) designed for pipeline robots was developed utilizing structural and mechanical analysis techniques. The reliability of the mechanical analysis was validated through single-factor dynamic testing. To analyze and optimize the factors influencing the maneuverability and obstacle-crossing capabilities of the MWD, a three-factor, three-level orthogonal testing method was utilized. The factors examined included the rotational speed of the walking wheel (RS), the pre-tightening force of the wheel brackets (PF), and the height of the annular obstacle (OH). The evaluation metrics used were the slip rate and passability. The results indicated that a parameter combination of RS at 70 rpm, PF at 30 N, and OH at 10 mm produced a slip rate of 11.6% ± 1.5%. During the obstacle traversal process, the remainder of the device maintained a safe distance from the obstacles, with only the walking wheel making contact. The verification testing also confirmed that the MWD is capable of executing three distinct modes of motion: rectilinear, rotational, and helical. The MWD designed and developed in this study can switch between multiple motion modes and successfully overcome obstacles within 15 mm, providing a new equipment for universities to enhance mechanized pipeline detection technology.

US/PA/MR multimodal imaging-guided multifunctional genetically engineered bio-targeted synergistic agent for tumor therapy

Focused ultrasound ablation surgery (FUAS) is a minimally invasive treatment option that has been utilized in various tumors. However, its clinical advancement has been hindered by issues such as low safety and efficiency, single image guidance mode, and postoperative tumor residue. To address these limitations, this study aimed to develop a novel multi-functional gas-producing engineering bacteria biological targeting cooperative system. Pulse-focused ultrasound (PFUS) could adjust the ratio of thermal effect to non-thermal effect by adjusting the duty cycle, and improve the safety and effectiveness of treatment.The genetic modification of Escherichia coli (E.coli) involved the insertion of an acoustic reporter gene to encode gas vesicles (GVs), resulting in gas-producing E.coli (GVs-E.coli) capable of targeting tumor anoxia. GVs-E.coli colonized and proliferated within the tumor while the GVs facilitated ultrasound imaging and cooperative PFUS. Additionally, multifunctional cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI)-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PEI-PLGA/EPI/PFH@Fe3O4) containing superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO, Fe3O4), perfluorohexane (PFH), and epirubicin (EPI) were developed. These nanoparticles offered synergistic PFUS, supplementary chemotherapy, and multimodal imaging capabilities.GVs-E.coli effectively directed the PEI-PLGA/EPI/PFH@Fe3O4 to accumulate within the tumor target area by means of electrostatic adsorption, resulting in a synergistic therapeutic impact on tumor eradication.In conclusion, GVs-E.coli-mediated multi-functional nanoparticles can synergize with PFUS and chemotherapy to effectively treat tumors, overcoming the limitations of current FUAS therapy and improving safety and efficacy. This approach presents a promising new strategy for tumor therapy.Graphical

Micro-welding of non-optical contact sapphire/metal using Burst femtosecond laser

Recently, welding of dissimilar material, such as transparent material to metal material, is widely used in aerospace, microelectronic packaging, medicine, etc. Ultrafast laser welding provides a new method for high-performance dissimilar material welding, in which the non-optical contact dissimilar material welding has become a new research hot spot. In this paper, we report the effective welding of Fe-36Ni with roughness as high as 1.1 µm to sapphire, which, to our knowledge, is the roughest dissimilar material welding achieved in ultrafast laser. A 238 fs, 1035 nm, 200 kHz Burst mode femtosecond laser (4 sub-pulses with a total energy of 132.5μJ) yields a smooth and uniform interface with a welding strength up to 11 MPa. In this context, the welding performance and mechanism of Burst mode and single pulse mode ultrafast laser are systematically analyzed. The relevant research results are expected to provide theoretical guidance for the welding of high-strength and high-stability dissimilar materials.

Transverse magnetic supermodes in plasmonic optical fibers excited by radially polarized light

The overlap integrals method, with a fully vectorial formulation, is used to model the selective excitation of the TM01 mode in a few-mode optical fiber with a radially polarized donut beam, and its coupling to guided modes having a plasmonic character (supermodes). The analyses were performed on a waveguide formed as a step-index few-mode optical fiber coated with a thin gold film, at an operating wavelength of 1310 nm. The waveguide was found to support modes having optical fiber, circular metallic waveguide, and surface plasmon characteristics, depending on geometrical and material parameters. Three purely bound transverse magnetic (radially polarized) supermodes were identified: Two symmetric, labeled sTM01 and sTM02 modes, and one asymmetric, labeled ab mode, where symmetry pertains to the transverse electric field distribution over the gold film. The effective mode indices of the supermodes were studied as a function of the thickness of the gold film and its proximity to the fiber core. Considerations for the selective excitation of the sTM01 mode are discussed along with its possible applications. The transmittance of the supermodes is found to be robust even at sharp waveguide transitions. The results predict that effective excitation of TM supermodes with strong plasmonic character, without significant coupling losses, can be achieved by exciting the fiber with a radially polarized donut beam.

Orbital angular momentum superimposed mode recognition based on multi-label image classification

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing technology has great potential in high capacity optical communication. OAM superimposed mode can extend communication channels and thus enhance the capacity, and accurate recognition of multi-OAM superimposed mode at the receiver is very crucial. However, traditional methods are inefficient and complex for the recognition task. Machine learning and deep learning can offer fast, accurate and adaptable recognition, but they also face challenges. At present, the OAM mode recognition mainly focus on single OAM mode and ±l superimposed dual-OAM mode, while few researches on multi-OAM superimposed mode, due to the limitations of single-object image classification techniques and the diversity of features to recognize. To this end, we develop a recognition method combined with multi-label image classification to accurately recognize multi-OAM superimposed mode vortex beams. Firstly, we create datasets of intensity distribution map of three-OAM and four-OAM superimposed mode vortex beams based on numerical simulations and experimental acqusitions. Then we design a progressive channel-spatial attention (PCSA) model, which incorporates a progressive training strategy and two weighted attention modules. For the numerical simulation datasets, our model achieves the highest average recognition accuracy of 94.9% and 91.2% for three-OAM and four-OAM superimposed mode vortex beams with different transmission distances and noise strengths respectively. The highest experimental average recognition accuracy for three-OAM superimposed mode achieves 92.7%, which agrees with the numerical result very well. Furthermore, our model significantly outperforms in most metrics compared with ConvNeXt, and all experiments are within the affordable range of computational cost.

One molecule to couple them all: Toward realistic numbers of molecules in multiscale molecular dynamics simulations of exciton-polaritons.

Collective strong coupling of many molecules to the confined light modes of an optical resonator can influence the photochemistry of these molecules, but the origin of this effect is not yet fully understood. To provide atomistic insights, several approaches have been developed based on quantum chemistry or molecular dynamics methods. However, most of these methods rely on coupling a few molecules (or sometimes only one) to a single cavity mode. To reach the strong coupling regime with such a small number of molecules, much larger vacuum field strengths are employed than in experiments. To keep the vacuum field realistic and avoid potential artefacts, the number of coupled molecules should be significantly increased instead, but that is not always possible due to restrictions on computational hardware and software. To overcome this barrier and model the dynamics of an arbitrarily large ensemble of molecules coupled to realistic cavity fields in atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we propose to coarse-grain subsets of molecules into one or more effective supermolecules with an enhanced dipole moment and concerted dynamics. To verify the validity of the proposed multiscale model, we performed simulations in which we investigated how the number of molecules that are coupled to the cavity affects excited-state intra-molecular proton transfer, polariton relaxation, and exciton transport.

Planar waveguide to vertical mode couplers covering the visible to IR spectral range

Planar 45o turning mirrors with metal coating embedded in SU8 polymer waveguides enable waveguide to vertical mode coupling across a broad range of wavelengths from the visible to IR. The fabrication of these 2.5D structures is achieved using relatively simple grayscale lithography in thin film resists, compatible with standard planar lithography methods. Mirror losses of &lt;1 dB are measured from 516 -1630 nm, and direct coupling to single mode fibre is achieved.