Light Modulator Research Articles

Harnessing Light for G-Quadruplex Modulation: Dual Isomeric Effects of an Ortho-Fluoroazobenzene Derivative.

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are important therapeutic and photopharmacological targets in cancer research. Small-molecule ligands targeting G4s offer a promising strategy to block DNA transactions and induce genetic instability in cancer cells. While numerous G4-ligands have been reported, relatively few examples exist of compounds whose G4-interactive binding properties can be modulated using light. Herein, we report the photophysical characterization of a novel ortho-fluoroazobenzene derivative, Py-Azo4F-3N, that undergoes reversible two-way isomerization upon visible light exposure. Using a combination of biophysical techniques, including affinity and selectivity assays, structural and computational analysis, and cytotoxicity experiments in cancer cell lines, we carefully characterized the G4-interactive binding properties of both isomers. We identify the trans isomer as the most promising form of interacting and stabilizing G4s, enhancing their ablation capability in cancer cells. Our research highlights the importance of light-responsive molecules in achieving precise control over G4 structures, demonstrating their potential in innovative anticancer strategies.

Ultra-wide viewing angle holographic display system based on spherical diffraction

In the field of holographic displays, achieving a large viewing angle (LVA) has long been an essential and formidable challenge due to the limited diffraction angle of planar spatial light modulators (SLMs). Spherical holography, which allows observation from all perspectives, represents a practical approach to achieve the LVA. However, the physical limitations of commercial SLMs constrain direct implementation, making the realization of spherical holographic displays almost impractical and thus hindering technological advancement. This paper introduces an optical solution for spherical holographic display system, enabling the accurate reproduction of ultra-wide viewing angles and large objects. Our system utilizes a novel technique involving a convex parabolic mirror to convert an incident plane wave into a spherical wave. This innovative strategy permits the use of a planar SLM to create a 360°spherical holographic display. Additionally, we address the sampling issue for generating spherical holograms by constraining the point spread function (PSF), reducing the number of samples, and adapting it for visible light. Numerical simulations and optical experiments validate our success in achieving an ultra-wide viewing angle with a 360°horizontal angle and an 80°zenith angle range. Our system outperforms the state-of-the-art holographic-optical-elements approach both in computation speed and object size. We believe that our work significantly advances spherical holographic displays and offers a practical solution with vast potential applications in medicine, geology, and astronomy.

Single-shot polarization detection with a highly scattering system

Polarization detection plays a significant role in optics. However, the current detection methods usually involve mechanically rotating components, multiple measurement steps, complicated optical design, and precise microfabrication process. To address this issue, we propose a single-shot method to detect the polarization state of light based on a highly scattering system, which is constituted by a spatial light modulator and a highly scattering medium. When the incident light beam shaped by a superimposed wavefront is incident on a highly scattering medium, the foci represented the six components at horizontal, vertical, diagonal, antidiagonal, right circularly polarized, and left circularly polarized directions will appear behind the highly scattering medium simultaneously. By measuring the intensities of these six foci, all the Stokes parameters can be extracted. Taking advantage of the measured Stokes parameters, the orientation angle of major axis, the ellipticity, and the handedness of the polarization ellipse of incident light beam can be determined. Various light beams with different polarization states are detected to demonstrate the viability of the method. The experimental results and theoretical values are in a good agreement. Compared to the existing methods, this approach is fast, free of complicated fabrication, and independent of mechanical movement. The proposed method is expected to promote the development of real-time and broadband polarimetry.

Active dual quasi-BICs in a dielectric metasurface with VO2 for slow light and optical modulation.

We investigate the temperature tunable dual quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBICs) in a silicon/vanadium dioxide (Si/VO2) hybrid metasurface with Q-factor being as large as 9.3 × 106 and 2.8 × 107 by breaking the in-plane C2 symmetry. The far-field scattering of multipoles and near-field distributions confirm that the toroidal dipole and magnetic quadrupole dominate the dual qBICs resonance. The high performance of slow light with ultralarge group index exceeding 5.6 × 105 and the inverse quadratic law between the group index and asymmetric parameter are achieved. By temperature tuning of the VO2 thin film at the sub-10 K scale, a modulation depth of 90% and the ON/OFF ratio exceeding 12.8 dB are obtained. The proposed temperature tunable dual qBICs have potential applications in the fields of tunable slow light, temperature switches, and sensors.

Off-axis viewing angle control technology applied to displays

ABSTRACT With the development of display technology and the expansion of application fields, such as vehicle/airborne displays, medical imaging displays, industrial control displays, etc., spatial constraints of these displays often result in viewers observing them at specific off-axis viewing angles. Therefore, the frequently using demands of off-axis viewing angles lead to increasing requirements for the viewing angle performance of displays. A method to enhance the off-axis viewing angle effect is proposed in this paper by attaching a designed liquid crystal cell on the surface of the display to control the emission direction. When an appropriate driving voltage is applied to the liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal molecules align in a specific periodic arrangement, creating an optical effect similar to micro/nano structured light control devices. Different driving voltages induce distinct modulations of light within the liquid crystal layer. When no driving voltage is applied, the frontal viewing angle effect of the display is optimal, suitable for vertical viewing by a single individual, as an on-axis viewing mode. When a driving voltage is applied, certain off-axis viewing angle properties such as brightness is increased and colour shift is reduced, making it suitable as an off-axis viewing mode. In practical use, individuals can freely switch between these two display modes based on their actual needs.

Compression-sensitive smart windows: inclined pores for dynamic transparency changes

Smart windows, capable of tailoring light transmission, can significantly reduce energy consumption in building services. While mechano-responsive windows activated by strains are promising candidates, they face long-lasting challenges in which the space for the light scatterer’s operation has to be enlarged along with the window size, undermining the practicality. Recent attempts to tackle this challenge inevitably generate side effects with compromised performance in light modulation. Here, we introduce a cuttlefish-inspired design to enable the closing and opening of pores within the 3D porous structure by through-thickness compression, offering opacity and transparency upon release and compression. By changing the activation mode from the conventional in-plane to through-thickness direction, the space requirement is intrinsically decoupled from the lateral size of the scatterer. Central to our design is the asymmetry of pore orientation in the 3D porous structure. These inclined pores against the normal direction increase the opaqueness upon release and improve light modulation sensitivity to compression, enabling transmittance regulation upon compression by an infinitesimal displacement of 50 μm. This work establishes a milestone for smart window technologies and will drive advancements in the development of opto-electric devices.

Dynamic geometric phase holography based on in-plane switching liquid crystal

ABSTRACT Liquid crystal geometric phase modulation technology is expected to achieve thin, small and achromatic spatial light modulation, which in turn has the potential to achieve holographic displays with large field angles and high clarity. This article presents a continuous dynamic geometric phase liquid crystal spatial light modulation method based on in-plane switching (IPS) mode. The relationship between geometric phase modulation and driving voltage is calibrated by using interferometry. Two hundred fifty-six phase orders within the phase modulation range of 0~π/2 is achieved. Subsequently, a phase hologram with a modulation range of 0~π/2 was designed by combining the GS (Gerchberg-Saxton) algorithm and single Fourier transform, demonstrating the holographic display capability. This article provides a low-cost approach for dynamic geometric phase holographic display.

NeuroART: Real-Time Analysis and Targeting of Neuronal Population Activity during Calcium Imaging for Informed Closed-Loop Experiments.

Two-photon calcium imaging allows for the activity readout of large populations of neurons at single cell resolution in living organisms, yielding new insights into how the brain processes information. Holographic optogenetics allows us to trigger activity of this population directly, raising the possibility of injecting information into a living brain. Optogenetic triggering of activity that mimics "natural" information, however, requires identification of stimulation targets based on real-time analysis of the functional network. We have developed NeuroART (Neuronal Analysis in Real Time), software that provides real-time readout of neuronal activity integrated with downstream analysis of correlations and synchrony and of sensory metadata. On the example of auditory stimuli, we demonstrate real-time inference of the contribution of each neuron in the field of view to sensory information processing. To avoid the limitations of microscope hardware and enable collaboration of multiple research groups, NeuroART taps into microscope data streams without the need for modification of microscope control software and is compatible with a wide range of microscope platforms. NeuroART also integrates the capability to drive a spatial light modulator (SLM) for holographic photostimulation of optimal stimulation targets, enabling real-time modification of functional networks. Neurons used for photostimulation experiments were extracted from Sprague Dawley rat embryos of both sexes.

Optical characteristics and wavefront control of femtosecond laser pulses and their effect on the performance of diamond graphite electrodes

High purity diamond is an excellent material for making radiation hard detectors suitable for high-energy particle detection, cancer treatment and other fields. Electrodes are formed by the localized graphitization of the diamond bulk, where fine control of the manufacturing process is essential to the performance of the detector. The resistivity of the electrode formed by diamond graphitization significantly affects the performance of the detector. Femtosecond laser pulses interact with the material for a very short time (10-13 s), exhibiting a cold processing. In this paper, we utilize Spatial Light Modulators (SLM) to optimize the optical characteristics of the 800 nm femtosecond laser pulse and control the graphitization process. Our research focuses on the analysis of the influence exerted by the pulse characteristics on the diameter and resistivity of inscribed graphite structures. By examining these parameters, the study aims to refine the graphitization process, thereby optimizing the functional characteristics of the diamond-based detectors.

Achieving a comparable transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect by spin–orbit field driven magnetoplasmonic

In this study, we propose and simulate a magnetoplasmonics heterostructure that utilizes spin–orbit fields to generate an internal magnetic field and create a significant magneto-optical effect. Our approach offers a new way to overcome the challenges of using permanent magnets or magnetic coils in conventional magnetoplasmonics, such as high-power consumption and non-scalability. We demonstrate that it is possible to create an appropriate amount of magnetic field using spin–orbit fields induced by the spin-Hall effect, such that the consumption power becomes reasonable and the dimensions could be miniaturized. This approach will be an important development in the field of magneto-optics, as it can lead to enhanced transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect in the present of surface plasmon polaritons. The proposed nanostructure consists of a ferromagnetic film adjacent to a heavy metal layer, both sandwiched between two noble metal films, and deposited on a dielectric prism. The strength of the Kerr signal strongly depends on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer, with the maximum effect observed at a thickness of 5nm. This concept has potential for various nanophotonic and spintronic applications, particularly for developing high-speed active plasmonic devices for ultrafast light modulation.

Spatiotemporal hologram

Spatiotemporal structured light has opened up new avenues for optics and photonics. Current spatiotemporal manipulation of light mostly relies on phase-only devices such as liquid crystal spatial light modulators to generate spatiotemporal optical fields with unique photonic properties. However, simultaneous manipulation of both amplitude and phase of the complex field for the spatiotemporal light is still lacking, limiting the diversity and richness of achievable photonic properties. In this work, a simple and versatile spatiotemporal holographic method that can arbitrarily sculpt the spatiotemporal light is presented. The capabilities of this simple yet powerful method are demonstrated through the generation of fundamental and higher-order spatiotemporal Bessel wavepackets, spatiotemporal crystal-like and quasi-crystal-like structures, and spatiotemporal flat-top wavepackets. Fully customizable spatiotemporal wavepackets will find broader application in investigating the dynamics of spatiotemporal fields and interactions between ultrafast spatiotemporal pulses and matters, unveiling previously hidden light-matter interactions and unlocking breakthroughs in photonics and beyond.

Far-Field Phase-Shifting Structured Light Illumination Enabled by Polarization Multiplexing Metasurface for Super-Resolution Imaging.

The phase-shifting structured light illumination technique is widely used in imaging but often relies on mechanical translation stages or spatial light modulators, leading to system instability, low displacement accuracy, and limited integration feasibility. In response to these challenges, we propose and demonstrate an approach for generating far-field phase-shifting structured light using a polarization multiplexing metasurface. By controlling the polarization states of incident and transmitted light, the metasurface creates a three-step displacement of structured light, eliminating the need to move samples or illumination sources. As a proof of concept, we experimentally demonstrate microscopic imaging using structured light illumination generated by metasurfaces, extracting high-frequency information from objects, and surpassing the diffraction limit. The proposed metasurface platform offers a promising approach for developing compact and robust phase-shifting imaging systems, with broad prospects in quantitative detection, machine vision, and beyond.

Theoretical study of an electrochemically controlled polymer nanoantenna for optical switch

Conventional metallic nanoantennas allow the control of light at the nanoscale, but their untunable structural settings and material properties limit their optical modulation. Methods for dynamical control and modulation of light have become a hot topic in the development and application of nanooptics. Here, we propose a bowtie polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:sulfate) (PEDOT:Sulf) nanoantenna that enables dynamical control of the optical responses by electrochemical modulation of the plasmonic (oxidated) and dielectric (reduced) states of polymers. The switch effect of the nanoantenna is related to its electric polar mode. In addition, we explore the dependence of the optical response of the nanoantenna on structural parameters in detail. The tunable response of the nanoantenna has promising applications in optical switch and encoding in information transmission.

Quality improvement of unfiltered holography by optimizing high diffraction orders with fill factor.

Computer-generated holography (CGH) suffers from high diffraction orders (HDOs) due to the pixelated nature of spatial light modulators (SLMs), typically requiring bulky optical filtering systems. To address this issue, a novel unfiltered holography approach known as the high-order gradient descent (HOGD) algorithm was previously introduced to optimize HDOs without optical filtering, enabling compact holographic displays. However, this algorithm overlooks a crucial physical parameter of SLMs-the fill factor-leading to limited optical quality. Here, we introduce a fill factor-based HOGD (FF-HOGD) algorithm, specifically designed to improve the quality of unfiltered holography by incorporating the fill factor into the optimization process. The quality advantage of FF-HOGD is demonstrated through numerical simulations and optical experiments.

Decoupling of Phase and Amplitude Channels with a Terahertz Metasurface Toward High‐Security Image Hiding

AbstractSteganography technology which conceals a message in a carrier to make it invisible is critical for information security. Conventional optical image steganography using diffractive optical components or spatial light modulators suffers from less encoding channel and bulky volume. The emergence of multifunctional metasurface that can manipulate abundant physical dimensions of optical fields allows the multi‐channel image steganography in a compact volume. Here, the image hiding in a metasurface is demonstrated by modulating the amplitude, phase, and polarization states of terahertz (THz) waves completely. Especially, the phase channel can decouple from the amplitude channel based on a Fresnel‐diffraction‐based algorithm. By directly measuring the phase distribution using the homemade THz focal plane imaging system, the number of transmission channels can expand from N to 2N. As a proof of concept, it is shown that the secret images can encode in the phase channel and subsequently extract by using different keys, such as polarization states, detection distances, and its combinations. Moreover, different hiding strategies with different attacker behaviors are also demonstrated. The decoupling of the phase and amplitude channels with a single metasurface may open an avenue toward innovative optoelectronic devices for optical image steganography, data storage, and terahertz communication.

Compact binocular holographic near-eye 3D display system based on a liquid crystal polarization grating

Holographic technology is considered as one of the most ideal 3D display technologies and has significant potential in near-eye display. However, binocular holographic near-eye 3D display still faces challenges such as serious visual fatigue and complex system. Here, we propose a compact binocular holographic near-eye 3D display system based on a liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG). Based on the LCPG, the reconstructed light can be deflected respectively to left and right viewing areas. The proposed system achieves binocular display with only one phase-only spatial light modulator used to load computer-generated hologram, which makes the binocular display system more compact. Simultaneously, the proposed system reduces mismatches in the images perceived by two eyes, thus achieving a better binocular display effect. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed binocular holographic near-eye 3D display system with dual viewing areas. Additionally, based on the time-division multiplexing method, dynamic binocular holographic near-eye display can be achieved. The proposed system has potential applications in holographic virtual reality and augmented reality display.

Light-field modulation and optimization near metal nanostructures utilizing spatial light modulators

Abstract Plasmonic modes within metal nanostructures play a pivotal role in various nanophotonic applications. However, a significant challenge arises from the fixed shapes of nanostructures post-fabrication, resulting in limited modes under ordinary illumination. A promising solution lies in far-field control facilitated by spatial light modulators (SLMs), which enable on-site, real-time, and non-destructive manipulation of plasmon excitation. Through the robust modulation of the incident light using SLMs, this approach enables the generation, optimization, and dynamic control of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and localized surface plasmon (LSP) modes. The versatility of this technique introduces a rich array of tunable degrees of freedom to plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy, offering novel approaches for signal optimization and functional expansion in this field. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the generation and modulation of SPP and LSP modes through far-field control with SLMs and highlights the diverse applications of this optical technology in plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy.

Impact of altering phase modulation and geometrical shape of laser beam via a phase-only spatial light modulator on laser-induced fluorescence

This study investigates the impact of modulating and shaping a laser beam via a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) on the intensity of the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) signal. Different phase modulations ranging from 0 to 2π are applied to the SLM window to evaluate the effect of the modulated beam on the emitted LIF signal from extra virgin olive oil EVOO samples. The laser beam is also shaped into circular and square geometries with varying diameters to determine the optimum size for maximizing the LIF signal strength. The results reveal that the highest LIF signal intensity could be obtained after modulating the incident laser beam with phase shifts of 0 and 2π, with an improvement factor of approximately 3 for Avanti olive oil and 1.42 for Al Jouf olive oil. Furthermore, laser beam shaping into a circular aperture with a radius of 2.45 mm or a square aperture with a side length of 2.45 mm yields the highest LIF signal improvement, with enhancement factors of approximately 2.9 for Avanti olive oil and 1.42 for Al Jouf olive oil. This work demonstrates the potential of SLM-based beam shaping techniques to optimize LIF measurements by tailoring the wavefront characteristics of the excitation laser source.

Dynamic deformation measurement with 2-frame phase-shifting speckle interferometry based on speckle statistics and wavefront multiplexing.

Phase-shifting speckle interferometry could achieve full-field deformation measurement of rough surfaces. To meet the dynamic requirement and further improve the accuracy, a two-step synchronous phase-shifting measurement system is established based on the polarization-sensitive phase modulation ability of a liquid crystal spatial light modulator; by multiplexing the reference wavefront, an accurate phase shift is generated between two independent recording channels, and a common-path self-reference vortex interference structure is built for precise spatial registration. Meanwhile, according to the speckle statistical principle, a novel two-frame phase-shifting algorithm as well as a two-step spatial registration strategy is presented to strengthen the robustness of intensity and position differences caused by spatial-multiplexing; thereby, accurate transient deformation can be directly obtained from phase-shifting speckle interferograms recorded before and after deformation. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposal are validated from the out-of-plane deformation measurement experiment by comparing with the traditional two-step and four-step phase-shifting methods. The dynamic ability is exhibited through reconstructing mechanical and thermal deformations across various application scenarios.

Design of a LiDAR ranging system based on dual‐frequency phase modulation

AbstractPhase‐based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology is emerging in the fields of industrial mapping, autonomous driving, and robotics, but the traditional phase‐based ranging technology generally suffers from the problem that the ranging accuracy is inversely proportional to the measurement range under a single measurement frequency, the system structure is complicated, and the performance is unstable, and so forth. In this article, a new type of LiDAR system design based on phase ranging is proposed. The system adopts a 100 + 1 MHz double measuring ruler modulation light source, uses the laser to control the phase difference detection method of the same frequency reference, optimizes the structure of the transceiver optical system, and the design of AD8302 high‐resolution signal phase discriminator circuit, builds a high‐precision laser ranging system, and carries out the experiments on the measurement accuracy of the LiDAR ranging system. The experimental results show that the measurement accuracy of the system is millimeter level, which is simple, practical, and can meet the needs of a wide range of practical applications. This study provides a feasible and innovative solution for LiDAR technology in high‐precision distance measurement.