Nonlinear Conversion Research Articles

Ultrafast Charge Transfer-Induced Unusual Nonlinear Optical Response in ReSe2/ReS2 Heterostructure.

Ultrafast charge transfer in van der Waals heterostructures can effectively engineer the optical and electrical properties of two-dimensional semiconductors for designing photonic and optoelectronic devices. However, the nonlinear absorption conversion dynamics with the pump intensity and the underlying physical mechanisms in a type-II heterostructure remain largely unexplored, yet hold considerable potential for all-optical logic gates. Herein, two-dimensional ReSe2/ReS2 heterostructure is designed to realize an unusual transition from reverse saturable absorption to saturable absorption (SA) with a conversion pump intensity threshold of approximately 170 GW/cm2. Such an intriguing phenomenon is attributed to the decrease of two-photon absorption (TPA) of ReS2 and the increase of SA of ReSe2 with the pump intensity. Based on the characterization results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, femtosecond transient absorption spectrum, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and density functional theory calculation, a type-II charge-transfer-energy level model is proposed combined with the TPA of ReS2 and SA of ReSe2 processes. The results reveal the critical role of ultrafast interfacial charge transfer in tuning the unusual nonlinear absorption and improving the SA of ReSe2/ReS2 under different excitation wavelengths. Our finding deepens the understanding of nonlinear absorption physical mechanisms in two-dimensional heterostructure materials, which may further diversify the nonlinear optical materials and photonic devices.

InGaP χ(2) integrated photonics platform for broadband, ultra-efficient nonlinear conversion and entangled photon generation

Nonlinear optics plays an important role in many areas of science and technology. The advance of nonlinear optics is empowered by the discovery and utilization of materials with growing optical nonlinearity. Here we demonstrate an indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) integrated photonics platform for broadband, ultra-efficient second-order nonlinear optics. The InGaP nanophotonic waveguide enables second-harmonic generation with a normalized efficiency of 128, 000%/W/cm2 at 1.55 μm pump wavelength, nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the state of the art in the telecommunication C band. Further, we realize an ultra-bright, broadband time-energy entangled photon source with a pair generation rate of 97 GHz/mW and a bandwidth of 115 nm centered at the telecommunication C band. The InGaP entangled photon source shows high coincidence-to-accidental counts ratio CAR > 104 and two-photon interference visibility > 98%. The InGaP second-order nonlinear photonics platform will have wide-ranging implications for non-classical light generation, optical signal processing, and quantum networking.

Nonlinear dielectric response and conductivity characteristics of epoxy resin in high voltage AC electric field

Abstract High-voltage dielectric and AC conduction behaviors of epoxy resin (EP) insulation are beneficial for the design and application of solid-state power electronic devices. This study investigates the nonlinear dielectric response and AC conduction characteristics of EP. The dielectric relaxation characteristics, including permittivity and AC conductivity of the EP samples, were investigated using high-voltage dielectric spectroscopy and the ionic polarization model. The results demonstrate a nonlinear increase in the relative permittivity and AC conductivity concerning the AC electric field. The increase in AC conduction under a high-frequency electric field is attributed to the reduction in the threshold field for charge injection caused by elevated temperatures. Considering the dielectric response and carrier hopping, it is evident that the nonlinear dielectric response of EP primarily originates from the ionic process under high electric fields. Ionic polarization, in conjunction with ion-hopping conduction, enhances the dielectric loss at high frequencies and electric fields, thereby facilitating the nonlinear conversion of AC conduction. The equivalent free volume is likely to increase in high-frequency fields. This phenomenon leads to an increase in AC conduction and even dielectric breakdown. This study offers a pivotal theoretical framework for the design and application of high-frequency insulation.

Efficient photon-pair generation in layer-poled lithium niobate nanophotonic waveguides

Integrated photon-pair sources are crucial for scalable photonic quantum systems. Thin-film lithium niobate is a promising platform for on-chip photon-pair generation through spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). However, the device implementation faces practical challenges. Periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), despite enabling flexible quasi-phase matching, suffers from poor fabrication reliability and device repeatability, while conventional modal phase matching (MPM) methods yield limited efficiencies due to inadequate mode overlaps. Here, we introduce a layer-poled lithium niobate (LPLN) nanophotonic waveguide for efficient photon-pair generation. It leverages layer-wise polarity inversion through electrical poling to break spatial symmetry and significantly enhance nonlinear interactions for MPM, achieving a notable normalized second-harmonic generation (SHG) conversion efficiency of 4615% W−1cm−2. Through a cascaded SHG and SPDC process, we demonstrate photon-pair generation with a normalized brightness of 3.1 × 106 Hz nm−1 mW−2 in a 3.3 mm long LPLN waveguide, surpassing existing on-chip sources under similar operating configurations. Crucially, our LPLN waveguides offer enhanced fabrication reliability and reduced sensitivity to geometric variations and temperature fluctuations compared to PPLN devices. We expect LPLN to become a promising solution for on-chip nonlinear wavelength conversion and non-classical light generation, with immediate applications in quantum communication, networking, and on-chip photonic quantum information processing.

Features of the defect structure of a lithium-gradient nonlinear optical single crystal LiNbO3 and their manifestation in the Raman spectra

LiNbO3 crystal with a lithium composition gradient of Li/Nb = 0.8 wt%/cm (Li0.97..1.01Nb1.03..0.99O3) were obtained. A monotonic change in the edge of the UV absorption edge is observed when scanning the surface of the gradient crystal along the growth direction. Raman spectra from different areas of studied crystal were analyzed in a wide frequency range, which includes the region of fundamental vibrations of the crystal lattice (100–900 cm−1) and the region of overtone processes (900–3000 cm−1). A compositionally homogeneous, congruent LiNbO3 crystal was used as a comparison sample. It was found that in the spectra obtained from different parts of the gradient crystal, there is a significant scatter in the frequency values of the lines corresponding to the fundamental vibrations of the crystal lattice, but at the same time, the number of lines corresponding to the fundamental vibrations of the lattice for the gradient and compositionally homogeneous LiNbO3 crystals is the same. Moreover, in the spectrum of a gradient crystal in the region of overtone processes of fundamental vibrations, significantly more lines (35 lines) are observed than in the spectrum of compositionally homogeneous crystals (15 lines). The data obtained show that the state of the defect structure of compositionally homogeneous crystals and gradient LiNbO3 crystal is significantly different. The discovered differences between the defective structure of a gradient crystal and the defective structure of a compositionally homogeneous crystal may be the reason for compensation (damping) of distortions during nonlinear optical conversion of laser radiation by a gradient crystal due to the uneven temperature distribution along the length of the crystal. In compositionally homogeneous crystals, such temperature distortions significantly limit the efficiency of nonlinear optical conversion.

Efficient high-power 1.9 µm picosecond Raman laser in H2-filled hollow-core fiber without generation of rotational lines

In this paper, an efficient high-power 1.9 µm picosecond Raman laser through pure vibrational stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in H2-filled hollow-core fiber (HCF) is demonstrated. The maximum Raman conversion efficiency of 34 % and the Raman power of 7.3 W (36.5 µJ) is achieved within a 130 cm length of our in-house fabricated fiber. By controlling the H2 pressure, the high-order Stokes and rotational Stokes/anti-Stokes will not be generated, thereby enhancing the efficacy of the 1st Stokes conversion. In addition, the vibrational anti-Stokes are produced inevitably, which can be explained by the phase-matching of higher-order modes. Our results show SRS in H2-filled HCF to be a promising method for generating high-power 1.9 µm picosecond pulses, which are valuable in spectroscopy, defense, and efficient nonlinear conversion.

Third-order nonlinear wavelength conversion in chalcogenide glass waveguides towards mid-infrared photonics

Abstract The increasing demand in spectroscopy and sensing calls for infrared (mid-IR) light sources. Here, we theoretically investigate nonlinear wavelength conversion of Ge28Sb12Se60 chalcogenide glass waveguide in the mid-IR spectral regime. With waveguide dispersion engineering, we predict generation of over an octave wavelength (2.8 μm–5.9 μm) tuning range Raman soliton self-frequency shift, over 2.5 octaves wavelength cover range supercontinuum (1.2 μm–8.0 μm), as well as single soliton Kerr comb generated in suspended Ge28Sb12Se60 waveguide. Our findings evidenced that Ge28Sb12Se60 chalcogenide glass waveguides can simultaneously satisfy the generation of Raman soliton self-frequency shift, supercontinuum spectrum, and Kerr frequency comb generation through dispersion engineering towards mid-IR on chip.

Feasibility Study of a Nonlinear Wave Energy Converter With Variable Buoy Geometry

Feasibility Study of a Nonlinear Wave Energy Converter With Variable Buoy Geometry

A nonlinear vibration isolator with an essentially nonlinear converter

This paper introduces nonlinearity into bilinear springs and proposes an efficient asymmetrical nonlinear frequency converter (NC) that has a non-reciprocal transmission, which cascades a nonlinear spring and a rope. To solve the vibration equations of both NC and the conventional NES, the Runge-Kutta method is utilized. A comparison is conducted between the amplitude attenuation rates of the NC and the conventional NES. The rate of energy dissipation is indicated by analyzing the remaining energy. According to numerical analysis results, NC has a better performance in suppressing vibration than the conventional NES within a certain range. The energy dissipation rate is higher under a wide initial condition. In addition, NC can cause energy to shift from low-frequency regions to high-frequency regions with wide frequency bands. NC has a broader frequency range and a wider range of applications. This research offers a new approach and strategy for exploring effective devices for damping vibrations.

Polarization control of lasing from few-layer MoTe2 coupled with the optical metasurface supporting quasi-trapped modes

The development of technology for integrating optical metaresonators with two-dimensional and layered van der Waals (vdW) materials opens up broad prospects for the creation of subdiffraction concentrators of electromagnetic energy, surface-emitting lasers, laser displays, and highly efficient nonlinear converters. In this work, we develop a straightforward strategy for the design and fabrication of surface-emitting laser devices based on few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides placed on the dielectric metasurfaces in the regime of quasi-trapped mode excitation. We optimize the parameters of MoTe2 flake and Si metasurface to achieve a positive feedback and to observe the lasing, resulting from their integration, with the predicted characteristics. Promising potential for the development of vdW-metalaser platform is associated with the possibility of simple polarization control of lasing regimes by employing the features of the bianisotropic response of the metasurface's building blocks.

Nonlinear absorption conversion of epsilon-near-zero multilayer metamaterial at optical frequencies.

Modern all-optical logic switches demand selective, precise, and rapid transmission of optical information. In this study, we investigate an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterial composed of silver (Ag) and magnesium fluoride (MgF2), which demonstrates a low conversion threshold, strong nonlinear response, and nonlinear absorption conversion. Particularly noteworthy is its highest nonlinear absorption (β≈-2 × 106 cm/GW) occurring at the ENZ point (695 nm) under deposited condition. This research marks the first discussion of nonlinear absorption conversion in the ENZ multilayer metamaterial. The deposited metamaterial sample exhibits saturation absorption (SA), attributed to ground state free electron bleaching, while annealed sample shows a transition from SA to reverse saturation absorption (RSA) due to a three-photon absorption effect. Annealing significantly reduces the laser power threshold required for this conversion process, indicating reduced risk of laser-induced damage. Furthermore, the wavelength shift of the largest RSA (γ≈1.93 × 104 cm3/GW2) in the annealed sample aligns with the expected redshift direction of the ENZ region (735 nm). Our metamaterial design achieves enhanced nonlinear absorption and low-power absorption conversion, which holds significant potential for applications in all-optical logic switches.

Robust digital voltage mode control of buck converter with enhanced tracking performance

The digital voltage controller of power converters is used because it has many advantages over its analog counterparts. Thus, in this paper, a controller of digital voltage mode is designed and analyzed for a non-isolated DC-DC buck converter in continuous conduction mode (CCM). First, an analog controller is designed using a Bode plot to achieve the desired stability margins in the frequency domain. Next, the analog controller is discretized using bilinear transformation with the pre-warping method. The characteristics of the discretized compensator can be maintained close to the corresponding analog compensator as long as a proper sampling time is selected. The digital control scheme is simulated with a nonlinear DC-DC buck converter model in MATLAB/Simulink to investigate the controller performance. The simulation results demonstrated the validation of the proposed digital voltage-mode control design approach. The developed digital controller eliminates DC error by tracking the reference voltage, achieving a fast transient response, maintaining specified stability margins, and effectively rejecting large disturbances.

Promoting Periodical Poling in Lithium Niobate Crystal Through Surface Acoustic Wave‐Induced Local Lattice Activation

AbstractAchieving precise construction of ferroelectric domain structure in lithium niobate (LN) crystals holds significance for expanding the applications of periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), especially in nonlinear frequency conversion. However, challenges exist during the application of electric field for poling, especially for small‐period PPLN crystals, where ferroelectric domains in LN crystals tend to unevenly expand laterally, making it hard to precisely control the domain structures. LN, as a piezoelectric crystal, has the capability to generate energy‐carrying surface acoustic waves (SAW). Herein, an method is presented to optimize the periodic poling process by integrating SAW and poling on a LN chip, which remarkably reduces the poling electric field by 10%, attributed to the enhanced local lattice vibrations during SAW propagation. The integrated SAW and poling chip achieves a 9 µm‐period PPLN crystal. Through second harmonic generation, a nonlinear light conversion from 1158 to 579 nm is realized, exhibiting a nonlinear optical efficiency up to 17.4%. This efficiency aligns with the theoretical prediction, validating the high‐quality domain structure. This integrated chip provides a unique opportunity for manipulating ferroelectric domain with high‐precision, benefiting a wide range of applications in nonlinear‐optics, ferroelectrics, and integrated optics.

Liquid fuel production from syngas: Simulation and optimization using artificial neural network

This study aimed to increase liquid fuel (C5+) product selectivity from CO and H2 conversion over a Cu/Fe-based catalyst and followed by artificial neural network simulation to enable a profound visualization strategy for Fischer–Tropsch (FT) process. The experiments were performed in a fixed-bed reactor over temperatures (T) of 483–553 K, pressures (P) of 14.5–203 psig, space velocities (SV) of 1000–2900 hr−1, and H₂/CO feed ratios of 1–6.2. Mathematical modeling (MM) and artificial neural network (ANN) were utilized to simulate the nonlinear CO conversion and product selectivity of the FT process. Nine simultaneous reaction pathway was developed to evaluate the reactant and product behaviors under varying FT conditions. In addition, a multilayered parameter processed by a neural network was used to predict the performance of the CO hydrogenation process. A comparison between these two approaches demonstrated that ANN more closely mimicked the nonlinear conversion and selectivity of the FT process than MM, and the correlation coefficients for the predicted mole fractions and CO conversion were 0.991 and 0.986, respectively. A hybrid Genetic Algorithm–ANN procedure was constructed to predict the optimum operating conditions to increase liquid fuel over the catalyst. The optimum C5+ selectivity (75.1 %), which meets the FT process objective, was achieved under operating conditions of T = 483 K, P = 203 psig, SV = 1303 hr−1, and H₂/CO feed ratio = 1.01 for process design optimization.

Classification of musical intervals by spiking neural networks: Perfect student in solfége classes.

We investigate a spike activity of a network of excitable FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons, which is under constant two-frequency auditory signals. The neurons are supplemented with linear frequency filters and nonlinear input signal converters. We show that it is possible to configure the network to recognize a specific frequency ratio (musical interval) by selecting the parameters of the neurons, input filters, and coupling between neurons. A set of appropriately configured subnetworks with different topologies and coupling strengths can serve as a classifier for musical intervals. We have found that the selective properties of the classifier are due to the presence of a specific topology of coupling between the neurons of the network.

Spatial Nonlinear Conversion of Structured Light for Machine Learning Based Ultra‐Accurate Information Networks (Laser Photonics Rev. 18(6)/2024)

Spatial Nonlinear Conversion of Structured Light for Machine Learning Based Ultra‐Accurate Information Networks (Laser Photonics Rev. 18(6)/2024)

Non-smooth nonlocal mechanical diode

In this paper, we proposed a new mechanical diode with non-smooth and nonlocal elastic, which support a backflow of the input mechanical energy. It is composed of a nonlinear converter connecting with nonlocal bilinear springs and linear phononic crystal. The asymmetrical stiffness of bilinear springs can be utilized to periodically modulate the stiffness of converter, generate non-reciprocal propagation of mechanical waves, thereby decompose the excitation frequency into multiple sub-bands. Utilizing this characteristic of converter, during the forward propagation of mechanical diodes, it is possible to effectively surpass the cutoff frequency of phononic crystals, ensuring higher energy transmission efficiency and achieving wideband performance of mechanical diodes. Nonlocal connections induce a roton-like dispersion in the wave propagation, resulting in negative group velocities and partial energy backflow. The Runge-Kutta method is utilized to simulate wave propagation and verified by experimental. It is shown that the low-frequency impinging wave is rectified and nearly 100% contrast ratio is observed. Our work provide a new platform for mechanical wave manipulation and energy harvesting.

Large‐Scale Bottom‐Up Fabricated 3D Nonlinear Photonic Crystals

Nonlinear optical effects are used to generate coherent light at wavelengths difficult to reach with lasers. Materials periodically poled or nanostructured in the nonlinear susceptibility in three spatial directions are called 3D nonlinear photonic crystals (NPhCs). They enable enhanced nonlinear optical conversion efficiencies, emission control, and simultaneous generation of nonlinear wavelengths. The chemical inertness of efficient second‐order nonlinear materials () prohibits their nanofabrication until 2018. The current methods are restricted to top‐down laser‐based techniques limiting the periodicity along the z‐axis to . The first bottom‐up fabricated 3D NPhC is demonstrated in sol–gel‐derived barium titanate by soft‐nanoimprint lithography: a woodpile with eight layers and periodicities of (‐plane) and (z‐plane). The surface areas exceed , which is two orders of magnitude larger than the state‐of‐the‐art. This study is expected to initiate bottom‐up fabrication of 3D NPhCs with a supremely strong and versatile nonlinear response.

Enhanced Photon-Pair Generation Based on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Doubly Resonant Photonic Crystal Cavity

In this work, a doubly resonant photonic crystal (PhC) cavity is proposed to enhance second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency and photon pair generation rate (PGR). Through the exploration of geometry parameters, a band-edge mode within the light cone is identified as the first harmonic (FH) mode, and a band-edge mode outside the light cone is designated as the second harmonic (SH). Subsequently, by increasing the layers of the core region, a heterostructure PhC cavity is designed. The results showcase a doubly resonant PhC cavity achieving a 133/W SHG efficiency and a photon pair generation rate of 3.7 × 108/s. The exceptional conversion efficiency is attributed to the high quality factors Q observed in the FH and SH modes with values of approximately 280,000 and 2100, respectively. The remarkably high Q factors compensate for nonlinear efficiency degradation caused by detuning, simultaneously making the manufacturing process easier and more feasible. This work is anticipated to provide valuable insights into efficient nonlinear conversion and photon pair generation rates.

Towards efficient control synthesis for nonlinear wave energy conversion systems: impedance-matching meets the spectral-domain

Existing studies within the literature that focus on designing parametric energy-maximizing controllers for Wave Energy Converter (WEC) systems predominantly rely on the impedance-matching (IM) principle, originally developed for linear time-invariant systems. Alternatively, iterative optimization routines are commonly employed for nonlinear WECs. However, these approaches often face a trade-off between effectiveness in maximizing energy extraction and computational efficiency. To address this limitation, this study proposes a computationally efficient controller tuning method for analogous synthesis in the case of nonlinear WECs. The proposed approach combines a statistical linearization technique known as spectral-domain modeling with the IM principle, to synthesize a Proportional–Integrative (PI) controller for a nonlinear WEC. Furthermore, a comparison is performed with two other synthesis methods: one based on a standard (i.e. linear) frequency-domain representation of the WEC that incorporates the IM principle, and the other employing a gradient-free optimization routine applied to the nonlinear time-domain model of the WEC for PI parameter tuning through exhaustive numerical search. A discussion on the effectiveness of each tuning method in maximizing energy absorption is provided, including an appraisal of their associated computational time requirements. Numerical analyses demonstrate that the proposed method, which integrates spectral-domain modeling and IM, can achieve (almost) optimal PI controller design for a nonlinear WEC. Furthermore, this study addresses the inaccuracies inherent in the frequency-domain approach and significantly reduces the computational time compared to the exhaustive search procedure. The findings of this research represent a significant advancement towards the development of simple, effective, and efficient IM-based techniques for synthesis of controllers in nonlinear WEC systems