Near-infrared Polarization Research Articles

PdSe2/2H-MoTe2 Heterojunction Self-Powered Photodetector: Broadband Photodetection and Linear/Circular Polarization Capability.

In this research, we introduce a PdSe2/2H-MoTe2 heterojunction photodetector that exhibits both broadband self-powered photodetection and linear/circular polarization detection capabilities. It has a broad spectral response range (covering 375-2200 nm) and reaches a peak sensitivity at 532 nm, exhibiting a notable responsivity of 7.3 × 103 A/W and a substantial specific detectivity of 8.5 × 1012 Jones. Even in the near-infrared region of 1310 nm, it still has a high responsivity of 20 A/W. The self-powered photodetection capabilities of the PdSe2/2H-MoTe2 heterojunction are equally impressive, covering a broad range from 375 to 1550 nm, with a responsivity of 243 mA/W, a specific detectivity of 6.46 × 1010 Jones, a fill factor of 0.8, and an external quantum efficiency of 56.73%. Finally, simultaneous implementation of linear/circular polarization detection on the PdSe2/2H-MoTe2 heterojunction provides a powerful solution for near-infrared full-Stokes polarization detectors with high integration, miniaturization, and portability.

Optical evaluation of internal damage to human hair based on second near-infrared window polarization microscopy.

Hair beauty treatments glorify human life. As a side effect, there is a risk of deteriorating the health of the hair. Optically polarized microscopy has been used for many decades to evaluate hair conditions owing to its ease of use and low operating costs. However, the low biopermeability of light hinders the observation of detailed structures inside hair. The aim of this study is to establish an evaluation technique of internal damages in a hair by utilizing a near-infrared (NIR) light with a wavelength of 1000-1600 nm, called "second NIR window". We built a laser scanning transmission microscope system with an indium gallium arsenide detector, a 1064 nm laser source, and optical circular polarization to visualize the anisotropy characterization of keratin fibres in hair. Samples of Asian black hair before and after bleaching, after permanent-waving, after lithium bromide (LiBr) treatment, and after heating was observed. Some parameters reflecting intra-hair damage were quantitatively compared with the parameters in digitally recorded images with analytical developments. The light transmittance of black hair was dramatically improved by utilizing the second NIR window. Numerical analysis of circular polarization in hair quantified the internal damage in chemically or thermally treated hair and found two different types of damage. The present method enabled quantitative evaluation of the condition changes in the cortex; for example, a decrease in circular polarizability by LiBr treatment and restoration by replacing the LiBr solution with water. In addition, black speckles were observed after the heat treatment. Longer heating and wetting times increased the appearance probability and size of the speckles. According to quantitative analyses, the emergence of black spots was independent of polarizability changes, indicating that they were not pores. Circular polarization microscopy based on near-infrared optics in the second NIR window provides an effective evaluation method for quantifying intra-hair damage caused by cosmetic treatments. The present method provides noninvasive, easy, and inexpensive hair evaluation and has potential as a gold standard in hair care research/medical fields.

Ultrasensitive Near-Infrared Polarization Photodetectors with Violet Phosphorus/InSe van der Waals Heterostructures.

Near-infrared (NIR) polarization photodetectors with two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors and their van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have presented great impact for the development of a wide range of technologies, such as in the optoelectronics and communication fields. Nevertheless, the lack of a photogenerated charge carrier at the device's interface leads to a poor charge carrier collection efficiency and a low linear dichroism ratio, hindering the achievement of high-performance optoelectronic devices with multifunctionalities. Herein, we present a type-II violet phosphorus (VP)/InSe vdW heterostructure that is predicted via density functional theory calculation and confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Benefiting from the type-II band alignment, the VP/InSe vdW heterostructure-based photodetector achieves excellent photodetection performance such as a responsivity (R) of 182.8 A/W, a detectivity (D*) of 7.86 × 1012 Jones, and an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 11,939% under a 1064 nm photon excitation. Furthermore, the photodetection performance can be enhanced by manipulating the device geometry by inserting a few layers of graphene between the VP and InSe (VP/Gr/InSe). Remarkably, the VP/Gr/InSe vdW heterostructure shows a competitive polarization sensitivity of 2.59 at 1064 nm and can be integrated as an image sensor. This work demonstrates that VP/InSe and VP/Gr/InSe vdW heterostructures will be effective for promising integrated NIR optoelectronics.

Retrieval of the Aerosol Scale Height over the Ocean Based on Near-infrared Multiangle Polarization Measurements

Retrieval of the Aerosol Scale Height over the Ocean Based on Near-infrared Multiangle Polarization Measurements

Near fully depleted Pt/Sb2Se3/ZnO hybrid junctions for high-performance polarized detection and encrypted communication

Based on near fully depleted hybrid junctions, a Pt/Sb2Se3/ZnO polarized photodetector shows an overall photodetecting performance, which can be further applied in near-infrared polarization encrypted communication.

Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in Chiral Layered Hybrid Perovskite Enables Highly Sensitive Near-Infrared Circular Polarization Photodetection

Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in Chiral Layered Hybrid Perovskite Enables Highly Sensitive Near-Infrared Circular Polarization Photodetection

Attosecond Real-Time Observation of Recolliding Electron Trajectories in Helium at Low Laser Intensities.

Laser-driven recollision physics is typically accessible only at field intensities high enough for tunnel ionization. Using an extreme ultraviolet pulse for ionization and a near-infrared (NIR) pulse for driving of the electron wave packet lifts this limitation. This allows us to study recollisions for a broad range of NIR intensities with transient absorption spectroscopy, making use of the reconstruction of the time-dependent dipole moment. Comparing recollision dynamics with linear vs circular NIR polarization, we find a parameter space, where the latter favors recollisions, providing evidence for the so far only theoretically predicted recolliding periodic orbits.

Revealing magnetic field structure at the surfaces of protoplanetary disks via near-infrared circular polarization

Context. Magnetic fields play a fundamental role in the dynamical evolution of protoplanetary disks, in particular via magnetically induced disk winds. The magnetic field structure at the disk surface is crucial for driving the disk winds; however, it is still poorly understood observationally. Aims. We explore a new method to probe the magnetic field structure at the disk surface using near-infrared (NIR) circular polarization. Near-infrared circular polarization arises when unpolarized stellar light is scattered by magnetically aligned grains at the disk surface. In this study, we aim to clarify to what extent the observed circular polarization pattern can be used to diagnose the magnetic field structure. Methods. We first calculated light scattering properties of aligned spheroids, and the results were then used to create expected observational images of the degree of circular polarization at a NIR wavelength. Results. Magnetically aligned grains can produce circular polarization, particularly when the field configuration deviates from a purely toroidal field. We find that disk azimuthal dependence of the degree of circular polarization tends to exhibit a double peaked profile when the field structure is favorable for driving disk winds by centrifugal force. We also find that even if the disk is spatially unresolved, a net circular polarization can possibly be nonzero. We also show that the amplitude of circular polarization is strongly dependent on grain composition and axis ratio. Conclusions. Our results suggest that circular polarization observations would be useful to study the magnetic field structure and dust properties at the disk surface.

Near-infrared Polarization Charateristics of the Zodiacal Light Observed with DIRBE/COBE

We report near-infrared polarization of the zodiacal light (ZL) measured from space by the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) on board the Cosmic Background Explorer in photometric bands centered at 1.25, 2.2, and 3.5 μm. To constrain the physical properties of interplanetary dust, we use DIRBE Weekly Sky Maps to investigate the solar elongation (ϵ), ecliptic latitude (β), and wavelength (λ) dependence of ZL polarization. We find that the polarization of the ZL varies as a function of ϵ and β, consistent with observed polarization at λ = 550 nm. While the polarization dependence on wavelength at (ϵ, β) = (90°, 0°) is modest (increasing from 17.7% ± 0.2% at 1.25% μm to 21.0% ± 0.3% at 3.5 μm), the variation is more pronounced at the north ecliptic pole (23.1% ± 1.6%, 35.1% ± 2.0%, and 39.3% ± 2.1% at 1.25, 2.2, and 3.5 μm, respectively). The variation in ZL polarization with wavelength is not explained by either Rayleigh scattering or absorptive particles larger than 10 μm.

Broadband and Incident-Angle-Modulation Near-Infrared Polarizers Based on Optically Anisotropic SnSe.

Optical anisotropy offers an extra degree of freedom to dynamically and reversibly regulate polarizing optical components, such as polarizers, without extra energy consumption and with high modulating efficiency. In this paper, we theoretically and numerically design broadband and incident-angle-modulation near-infrared polarizers, based on the SnSe, whose optical anisotropy is quantitatively evaluated by the complete dielectric tensor, complex refractive index tensor, and derived birefringence (~|Δn|max = 0.4) and dichroism (~|Δk|max = 0.4). The bandwidth of a broadband polarizer is 324 nm, from 1262 nm to 1586 nm, with an average extinction ratio above 23 dB. For the incident-angle-modulation near-infrared polarizer, the high incident angles dynamically and reversibly modulate its working wavelength with a maximum extinction ratio of 71 dB. Numerical simulations and theoretical calculations reveal that the considerable absorption for p light and continuously and relatively low absorption of s light lead to the broadband polarizer, while the incident-angle-modulation one mainly arises from the blue shift of corresponding wavelength of p light's minimum reflectance. The proposed novel design of polarizers based on SnSe are likely to be mass-produced and integrated into an on-chip system, which opens up a new thought to design polarizing optical components by utilizing other low-symmetry materials.

Direct Detection of Severe Biomass Burning Aerosols from Satellite Data

The boundary between high-concentration aerosols (haze) and clouds is ambiguous and the mixing of aerosols and clouds is complex in terms of composition and structure. In particular, the contribution of biomass burning aerosols (BBAs) to global warming is a source of uncertainty in the global radiation budget. In a previous study, we proposed a method to detect absorption aerosols such as BBAs and dust using a simple indicator based on the ratio of violet to near-ultraviolet wavelengths from the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate/Second-Generation Global Imager (GCOM-C/SGLI) satellite data. This study adds newly obtained SGLI data and proposes a method for the direct detection of severe biomass burning aerosols (SBBAs). Moreover, polarization data derived from polarization remote sensing was incorporated to improve the detection accuracy. This is possible because the SGLI is a multi-wavelength sensor consisting of 19 channels from 380 nm in the near-ultraviolet to thermal infrared, including red (674 nm) and near-infrared (869 nm) polarization channels. This method demonstrated fast SBBA detection directly from satellite data by using two types of wavelength ratio indices that take advantage of the characteristics of the SGLI data. The SBBA detection algorithm derived from the SGLI observation data was validated by using the polarized reflectance calculated by radiative transfer simulations and a regional numerical model—scalable computing for advanced library and environment (SCALE). Our algorithm can be applied to the detection of dust storms and high-concentration air pollution particles, and identifying the type of high-concentration aerosol facilitates the subsequent detailed characterization of the aerosol. This work demonstrates the usefulness of polarization remote sensing beyond the SGLI data.

Spectropolarimetry of the Thermonuclear Supernova SN 2021rhu: High Calcium Polarization 79 Days after Peak Luminosity

We report spectropolarimetric observations of the Type Ia supernova (SN) SN 2021rhu at four epochs: −7, +0, +36, and +79 days relative to its B-band maximum luminosity. A wavelength-dependent continuum polarization peaking at 3890 ± 93 Å and reaching a level of % was found. The peak of the polarization curve is bluer than is typical in the Milky Way, indicating a larger proportion of small dust grains along the sight line to the SN. After removing the interstellar polarization, we found a pronounced increase of the polarization in the Ca ii near-infrared triplet, from ∼0.3% at day −7 to ∼2.5% at day +79. No temporal evolution in high-resolution flux spectra across the Na i D and Ca ii H and K features was seen from days +39 to +74, indicating that the late-time increase in polarization is intrinsic to the SN as opposed to being caused by scattering of SN photons in circumstellar or interstellar matter. We suggest that an explanation for the late-time rise of the Ca ii near-infrared triplet polarization may be the alignment of calcium atoms in a weak magnetic field through optical excitation/pumping by anisotropic radiation from the SN.

Near-infrared broadband polarization beam splitter with an Au nanocube array

A near-infrared broadband polarization beam splitter (PBS) is proposed and numerically simulated, which is realized by a directional coupler assisted with an Au nanocube array. The fundamental transverse electric (TE) mode can be coupled to the output of the upper waveguide by exciting the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), while the fundamental transverse magnetic (TM) mode is output directly from the lower waveguide. The length of the coupling region of the PBS is only 1 μm. It has a working bandwidth of 210 nm in the range of 1420 ∼ 1630 nm, covering three bands: S-, C- and L-bands. The simulation shows that the extinction ratio of TE and TM polarization is 20.31 dB and 14.15 dB, respectively.

Space Object and Background Polarization Models and Detectability Analysis

During the daytime, the commonly used optical intensity imaging techniques for spacecraft detection usually lead to poor detection due to strong background noise. Since some materials with low reflectivity in the visible band have higher reflectivity in the near-infrared band and less sky background noise, this paper carries out a study of near-infrared polarization detection techniques. In this paper, firstly, the parameters in the pBRDF model of common materials are inverted and found to be improved compared with the literature, and secondly, a complex spherical projection is proposed to represent the polarization degree and polarization angle information of the sky background, and this projection has less aberration than the direct projection. Finally, from the above, the polarization detection contrast range and the original intensity contrast range are calculated, and it is found that the maximum of the former is higher than the latter in some angles.

Detection and imaging of distant targets by near-infrared polarization single-pixel lidar.

Single-pixel imaging (SPI) is a new technology with many applications and prospects. Polarization detection technology can improve the detection and identification ability of the imaging system. A near-infrared polarization SPI lidar system is designed to realize detection and polarization imaging of outdoor long-range targets. The depth, intensity, linear polarization, and polarization degree images of typical remote targets are obtained. The results show that the polarization image contains many details and contour information of the target, and the intensity image contains brightness and reflectivity information. Intensity and polarization information complement each other. The characteristics of intensity and polarization images at different spatial frequencies are analyzed for the first time, to our knowledge, by taking advantage of the Fourier modulation mode. We found that the proportion of high-frequency information in the polarization image is much higher than that of the intensity image. The sampling strategy of collecting only low-frequency components is applicable in intensity imaging but needs further improvement in polarization imaging. The polarization SPI lidar system can enrich the target information acquired, improve imaging contrast, and have significant application value for target detection and identification in complex backgrounds.

Near-Infrared Polarimetric Image Sensors Based on Ordered Sulfur-Passivation GaSb Nanowire Arrays.

The near-infrared polarimetric image sensor has a wide range of applications in the military and civilian fields, thus developing into a research hotspot in recent years. Because of their distinguishing 1D structure features, the ordered GaSb nanowire (NW) arrays possess potential applications for near-infrared polarization photodetection. In this work, single-crystalline GaSb NWs are synthesized through a sulfur-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition process. A sulfur-passivation thin layer is formed on the NW surface, which prevents the GaSb NW core from being oxidized. The photodetector based on sulfur-passivation GaSb (S-GaSb) NWs has a lower dark current and higher responsivity than that built with pure GaSb NWs. The photodetector exhibits a large responsivity of 9.39 × 102 A/W and an ultrahigh detectivity of 1.10 × 1011 Jones for 1.55 μm incident light. Furthermore, the dichroic ratio of the device is measured to reach 2.65 for polarized 1.55 μm light. Through a COMSOL simulation, it is elucidated that the origin of the polarized photoresponse is the attenuation of a light electric field inside the NW when the angle of incident polarization light rotates. Moreover, a flexible polarimetric image sensor with 5 × 5 pixels is successfully constructed on the ordered S-GaSb NW arrays, and it exhibits a good imaging ability for incident near-infrared polarization light. These good photoresponse properties and polarized imaging abilities can empower ordered S-GaSb NW arrays with technological potentials in next-generation large-scale near-infrared polarimetric imaging sensors.

Asteroid Polarimetric Phase Behavior in the Near-infrared: S- and C-complex Objects

We present the first results of our survey of asteroid polarization phase curves in the near-infrared J and H bands using the WIRC+Pol instrument on the Palomar 200-inch telescope. We confirm through observations of standard stars that WIRC+Pol can reach the 0.1% precision needed for asteroid phase curve characterization, and we show that C-complex asteroids could act as an alternate calibration source, as they show less wavelength variation than stellar polarized standards. Initial polarization phase curve results for S-complex asteroids show a shift in behavior as a function of wavelength from visible to near-infrared bands, extending previously observed trends. Full near-infrared polarization phase curve characterization of individual asteroids will provide a unique constraint on surface composition of these objects by probing the wavelength dependence of albedo and index of refraction of the surface material.

Optical Design of a Common-Aperture Camera for Infrared Guided Polarization Imaging

Polarization and infrared imaging technology have unique advantages for various applications ranging from biology to ocean remote sensing. However, conventional combined polarization camera and infrared camera have limitations because they are constrained to single-band imaging systems with rotating polarizers and cascaded optics. Therefore, we propose a common-aperture mode based on multi-band infrared guided polarization imaging system (IGPIS) in this paper, which consists of infrared wide-area sensing and polarization features acquisition for accurate detection of ship targets. The IGPIS can provide images in visible polarization (0.45–0.76 μm), near-infrared polarization (0.76–0.9 μm), and long-wave infrared (8–12 μm) bands. Satellite attitude parameters and camera optical parameters are accurately calculated by establishing a dynamic imaging model for guidance imaging. We illustrate the imaging principle, sensors specifications and imaging performance analysis and the experimental results show that the MTF is 0.24 for visible and near-infrared, and 0.13 for long-wave infrared. The obtained multi-band images have an average gradient of 12.77 after accurate fusion. These results provide theoretical guidance for the design of common-aperture cameras in remote sensing imaging field.

Analysis of infrared polarization properties of targets with rough surfaces

To improve infrared polarization detection and identification probability, accurate infrared polarization properties of the targets are required. Traditional analytical models of infrared polarization ignore the shadowing effect caused by rough surfaces. Based on the surface microelement bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), the Stokes analytical model of the infrared degree of polarization (DOP) of a rough surface with a shadowing function is constructed. The effects of the incident angle and surface roughness on the polarization of metallic and non-metallic targets are quantitatively analyzed, revealing that the DOP of infrared spontaneous radiation decreases with increasing roughness of both metallic and non-metallic surfaces, with a greater decrease for the non-metallic surface. Under the same roughness and temperature conditions, the DOP of the infrared radiation of the metallic surface is greater than that of the non-metallic one. The DOP of infrared radiation reaches a peak value within a specific incident-angle range. Finally, experiments are carried out with both far-infrared (wavelength from 8um to 12um) and near-infrared (wavelength from 0.9 um to 1.7 um) polarization imaging systems. The experimental results show that infrared polarization properties of the targets are basically consistent with the theoretical analysis results. This research is of great significance for analyzing the polarization properties of real targets and processing DOP images.

Near-infrared Polarization from Unresolved Disks around Brown Dwarfs and Young Stellar Objects

Abstract Wide-field near-infrared (NIR) polarimetry was used to examine disk systems around two brown dwarfs (BDs) and two young stellar objects (YSOs) embedded in the Heiles Cloud 2 (HCl2) dark molecular cloud in Taurus as well as numerous stars located behind HCl2. Inclined disks exhibit intrinsic NIR polarization due to scattering of photospheric light, which is detectable even for unresolved systems. After removing polarization contributions from magnetically aligned dust in HCl2 determined from the background star information, significant intrinsic polarization was detected from the disk systems of one BD (ITG 17) and both YSOs (ITG 15, ITG 25), but not from the other BD (2M0444). The ITG 17 BD shows good agreement of the disk orientation inferred from the NIR and from published Atacama Large Millimeter/submillieter Array dust continuum imaging. ITG 17 was also found to reside in a 5200 au wide binary (or hierarchical quad star system) with the ITG 15 YSO disk system. The inferred disk orientations from the NIR for ITG 15 and ITG 17 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the local magnetic field direction. The multiplicity of the system and the large BD disk nature could have resulted from formation in an environment characterized by misalignment of the magnetic field and the protostellar disks.