Optical Line Research Articles

Analytical design of fiber-optic FM/PM demodulator

Abstract In this paper, the concept of a novel optical FM/PM demodulator which can be designed from low-cost passive optical components and can have peak-to-peak bandwidth in the GHz region has been described. The bandwidth can be increased by reducing the single mode fiber length incorporated in the design, which is followed by a corresponding fall in frequency sensitivity of the device. The bandwidth and frequency sensitivity can be traded-off keeping their product a constant. The crossover wavelength can be tuned by changing the length of the optical delay line and the length of the single mode fiber (SMF). The Figure of Merit (FOM) of the demodulator, defined as the bandwidth sensitivity product, has a value of π which is greater than that of a passive hybrid Tee microwave discriminator and those of Mach-Zehnder interferometer-based designs. Calculated third harmonic distortion (3HD) of the demodulated optical FM signal increases with the increase in FM index and with the increase in SMF length for a given modulation frequency. Typical 3HD for the device with SMF length of 1 cm is calculated to be −39.9 dB for FM index = 2 and a modulation frequency of 400 MHz.

CLASS: Coronal Line Activity Spectroscopic Survey

We conduct the first systematic survey of a comprehensive set of the twenty optical coronal lines in the spectra of nearly 1 million galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 8 catalog. This includes often overlooked high ionization potential lines such as [Ar x] λ5533, [S xii] λ7609, [Fe xi] λ7892, and [Fe xiv] λ5303. We find that, given the limited sensitivity of SDSS, strong coronal line emission is extremely rare, with only ∼0.03% of the sample showing at least one coronal line, significantly lower than the fraction of galaxies showing optical narrow line ratios (∼17%) or mid-infrared colors (∼2%) indicative of nuclear activity. The coronal line luminosities exhibit a large dynamic range, with values ranging from ∼1034 to 1042 erg s−1. We find that a vast majority (∼80%) of coronal line emitters in dwarf galaxies (M * < 9.6 × 109 M ⊙) do not display optical narrow line ratios indicative of nuclear activity, in contrast to higher mass galaxies (∼17%). Moreover, we find that the highest ionization potential lines are preferentially found in lower mass galaxies. These findings are consistent with the theory that lower mass black holes found in lower mass galaxies produce a hotter accretion disk, which in turn enhances the higher ionization coronal line spectrum. Future coronal line searches with 30 m class telescopes or JWST may provide a pathway into uncovering the intermediate mass black hole population.

First look with JWST spectroscopy: Resemblance among z ∼ 8 galaxies and local analogs

Deep images and near-IR spectra of galaxies in the field of the lensing cluster SMACS J0723.3−7327 were recently taken as part of the Early Release Observations (EROs) program of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Among these, two NIRSpec spectra of galaxies, at z = 7.7 and at z = 8.5, were obtained, revealing, for the first time, the rest-frame optical emission line spectra of galaxies in the epoch of reionization, including the detection of the important [O III]λ4363 auroral line (see JWST PR 2022-035). We present an analysis of the emission line properties of these galaxies, finding that these galaxies have a high excitation (as indicated by high ratios of [O III]λ5007/[O II] λ3727, [Ne III] λ3869/[O II] λ3727), strong [O III]λ4363, high equivalent widths, and other properties typical of low-metallicity star-forming galaxies. Using the direct method, we determined oxygen abundances of 12 + log(O/H)≈7.9 in two z = 7.7 galaxies and a lower metallicity of 12 + log(O/H)≈7.4 − 7.5 (∼5% solar) in the z = 8.5 galaxy using different strong line methods. More accurate metallicity determinations will require better data. With stellar masses estimated from spectral energy distribution (SED) fits, we find that the three galaxies lie close to or below the z ∼ 2 mass-metallicity relation. Overall, these first galaxy spectra at z ∼ 8 show a strong resemblance in their the emission line properties of galaxies in the epoch of reionization with those of relatively rare local analogs previously studied with the SDSS. Clearly, the first JWST observations demonstrate already the incredible power of spectroscopy to reveal the properties of galaxies in the early Universe.

Diagnosing FU Ori-like Sources: The Parameter Space of Viscously Heated Disks in the Optical and Near-infrared

FU Ori-type objects (FUors) are decades-long outbursts of accretion onto young stars that are strong enough to viscously heat disks so that the disk outshines the central star. We construct models for FUor objects by calculating emission components from a steady-state viscous accretion disk, a passively-heated dusty disk, magnetospheric accretion columns, and the stellar photosphere. We explore the parameter space of the accretion rate and stellar mass M * to investigate implications on the optical and near-infrared spectral energy distribution and spectral lines. The models are validated by fitting to multiwavelength photometry of three confirmed FUor objects, FU Ori, V883 Ori, and HBC 722, and then comparing the predicted spectra to the observed optical and infrared spectra. The brightness ratio between the viscous disk and the stellar photosphere, η, provides an important guide for identifying viscous accretion disks, with η = 1 (“transition line”) and η = 5 (“sufficient dominance line”) marking turning points in diagnostics, evaluated here in the near-infrared. These turning points indicate the emergence and complete development of FUor-characteristic strong CO absorption, weak metallic absorption, the triangular spectral continuum shape in the H band, and location in color–magnitude diagrams. Lower M * and higher imply larger η; for M * = 0.3 M ⊙, η = 1 corresponds to yr−1 and η = 5 to yr−1. The “sufficient dominance line” also coincides with the expected accretion rate where accreting material directly reaches the star. We discuss implications of the models on extinction diagnostics, FUor brightening timescales, viscous disks during initial protostellar growth, and eruptive young stellar objects associated with FUors.

The Physical Properties of Low-redshift FeLoBAL Quasars. III. The Location and Geometry of the Outflows

We present continued analysis of a sample of low-redshift iron low-ionization broad-absorption-line quasars (FeLoBALQs). Choi et al. presented SimBAL spectral analysis of broad-absorption-line (BAL) outflows in 50 objects. Leighly et al. analyzed the optical emission lines of 30 of those 50 objects and found that they are characterized by either a high accretion rate (L Bol/L Edd > 0.3) or low accretion rate (0.03 < L Bol/L Edd < 0.3). We report that the outflow velocity is inversely correlated with the BAL location among the high-accretion-rate objects, with the highest velocities observed in parsec-scale outflows. In contrast, the low-Eddington-ratio objects showed the opposite trend. We confirmed the known relationship between the outflow velocity and L Bol/L Edd and found that the scatter plausibly originates in the force multiplier (launch radius) in the low(high)-accretion-rate objects. A log volume filling factor between −6 and −4 was found in most outflows but was as high as −1 for low-velocity compact outflows. We investigated the relationship between the observed [O iii] emission and that predicted from the BAL gas. We found that these could be reconciled if the emission-line covering fraction depends on the Seyfert type and BAL location. The difference between the predicted and observed [O iii] luminosity is correlated with the outflow velocity, suggesting that [O iii] emission in high-Eddington-ratio objects may be broad and hidden under Fe ii emission. We suggest that the physical differences in the outflow properties as a function of location in the quasar and accretion rate point to different formation, acceleration, and confinement mechanisms for the two FeLoBALQ types.

Flexible energy-efficient and direct intra-ODN/OPN communication capable TWDM PON architecture with centralized OLT sharing among multiple optical networks

Nowadays, service reliability, operation cost, transmission latency of optical access networks are the major challenging issues that need to be addressed while planning and developing the next-generation passive optical networks (NG-PONs). This paper proposes a flexible, energy-efficient, time and wavelength division multiplexed (TWDM) PON architecture that has the capability of centralized optical line terminal (OLT) resource sharing with multiple optical networks. The architecture has the point-to-point direct inter-optical networking unit (dedicated inter-ONU) transmission capability among the various ONUs located within the same optical distribution network (ODN). Such transmission may also be referred to as direct intra-ODN communication. The architecture also has the potential of transmitting an inter-ONU signal to the ONUs residing in the different ODNs (inter-ODN) belonging to the same optical network (OPN). Such transmission may be referred as the direct inter-ODN or intra-OPN transmission. The architecture reduces the normalized energy consumption of approximately 2.21875 Wh per hour, normalized transmission latency of approximately 148 µs for the direct inter-ONU transmission. This is achieved by diverting the inter-ONU signal from the remote nodes (RNs) itself towards the intended ONUs. The percentage energy saving of the proposed architecture is approximately 74 % as compared to the conventional architecture. The proposed architecture is suitable for strengthening the existing information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructures and can be implemented in next-generation flexible, energy-efficient, latency-aware, and reliable optical networks for developing smart rural and urban communities.

Generation of triangular waveform radiofrequency signals based on photonic filtering using a broad-spectrum source

This work proposes a photonic method to generate optical pulses with a triangular wave shape using a low coherence source. We modulate this source using a sinusoidal radio frequency signal as a local oscillator. We eliminate the second harmonic of the spectral components generated by the modulation process tuning a reject filter to get a triangular wave. We implement the filter using an interferometer with a delay line in one of their branches. To tune the filter, the only adjustment required is over the optical delay line. We developed our scheme in a simulation environment but based on the use of optical and optoelectronic elements with parameters of commercial devices, some of them available in our laboratory. We generate triangular waveform signals with pulse frequencies of 100, 150, 250, and 300 MHz as proof of concept. The proposed scheme has the advantage of being low cost and easy to use because it does not require bias control nor adjustment to Vpi voltage. Usually, other authors must vary these parameters to get the desired electrical signal. Still, we generate the triangular waveform by adjusting only the local oscillator frequency and the optical delay line. Therefore, because we use a broad-spectrum optical source and do not require a strictly controlled variable voltage, our system will be cheaper.&#x0D;

First Peek with JWST/NIRCam Wide-field Slitless Spectroscopy: Serendipitous Discovery of a Strong [O iii]/Hα Emitter at z = 6.11

We report the serendipitous discovery of an [O iii] λ λ4959/5007 and Hα line emitter in the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) commissioning data taken in the NIRCam wide-field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) mode. Located ∼55″ away from the flux calibrator P330-E, this galaxy exhibits bright [O iii] λ λ4959/5007 and Hα lines detected at 3.7σ, 9.9σ, and 5.7σ, respectively, with a spectroscopic redshift of z = 6.112 ± 0.001. The total Hβ+[O iii] equivalent width is 664 ± 98 Å (454 ± 78 Å from the [O iii] λ5007 line). This provides direct spectroscopic evidence for the presence of strong rest-frame optical lines (Hβ+[O iii] and Hα) in EoR galaxies as inferred previously from the analyses of the Spitzer/IRAC spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Two spatial and velocity components are identified in this source, possibly indicating that this system is undergoing a major merger, which might have triggered the ongoing starburst with strong nebular emission lines over a timescale of ∼2 Myr, as our SED modeling suggests. The tentative detection of He ii λ4686 line (1.9σ), if real, may indicate the existence of very young and metal-poor star-forming regions with a hard UV radiation field. Finally, this discovery demonstrates the power and readiness of the JWST/NIRCam WFSS mode, and marks the beginning of a new era for extragalactic astronomy, in which EoR galaxies can be routinely discovered via blind slitless spectroscopy through the detection of rest-frame optical emission lines.

A Comprehensive Framework For Itu Next Generation Pons

Due to the higher number of Optical Network Units (ONU), the power dissipation of Next Generation Passive Optical Network (PON) has gradually risen. Several energy energy-saving schemes have been proposed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) such as Cyclic Doze Mode (CDM) and Cyclic Sleep Mode (CSM). The performance of the small capacity devices (nodes) is relying on traffic advent or arrival rate and traffic threshold on which Local Wakeup Indication (LWI) ignited. Thus, an investigative model of ONU to review different CSM / CDM control schemes need extremely important and as well as becoming a hot topic among the scientific community. The state-of-the-art models do not use the sleep buffer parameter that yields lower performance assessment of the CSM process at limited traffic advent rates. They are incapable to acquire the CSM / CDM process at the above traffic rates. The proposed work boosts the current Discrete-Time Markov Chain (DTMC) established power exhibit taking into account a parameter i.e. sleep buffer at each ONU. Additionally, it governs the LWI events at the ONU and as well as Optical Line Terminal (OLT). Furthermore, the suggested exhibit precisely measures the ONU sojourn in every CSM / CDM state, energy savings, and power dissipation of ONU which depends on the advent rate of traffic. According to the recommended model, a CSM / CDM framework is also supplemented to configure all the parameters effectively under the given average delay constraints.

Experimental demonstration of dispersion-diversity multicore fiber optical beamforming.

Phased array antenna (PAA) beam-steering in high radiofrequency bands will be key for upcoming 5G & Beyond wireless communications systems. As a compact and efficient solution to provide tunable beam steering simultaneously to parallel antenna distribution and connectivity, we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, tunable optical beamforming implemented on a dispersion-diversity multicore optical fiber. The uniqueness of this fiber lies in the fact that each one of its seven step-index trench-assisted cores has been tailored to provide the required chromatic dispersion to enable tunable optical true-time delay line operation. Continuous 1D beam-steering was demonstrated by measuring the radiating pattern of an in-house fabricated 8-element PAA in an anechoic chamber at the radiofrequency of 26 GHz, sweeping the beam-pointing angle from -43° up to 40° by varying the operating optical wavelength from 1542.50 up to 1548.28 nm. Next-generation fiber-wireless communications systems will benefit from the demonstrated dispersion-diversity MCF optical beamforming in terms of flexibility, versatility, capacity, and connectivity along with reduced size, weight, and power consumption.

1600 Gbps PAM-4 FSO link enabled using OFCL-based WDM and OAM-multiplexing techniques

The twisted light beams carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), which acts as additional degrees of freedom. In this work, we have proposed a free space optics (FSO) communication system employing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), OAM multiplexing, and four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) techniques. A 1600 Gbps data has been successfully transmitted over free space in different environmental scenarios such as clear weather, weak turbulence, moderate turbulence, and strong turbulence. The effects of atmospheric turbulence on the PAM-4 signals carrying OAM modes are examined theoretically and simulated for the first time. Optical frequency comb lines are generated by employing a single laser source and used as a broadband laser source. A sufficient low power penalty of 1.489 dB at a BER value ∼ 10-9 along with clear eye diagrams has been achieved for the proposed system. Thus, the proposed 1600 Gbps PAM-4, OAM, and WDM-based system can be a promising solution for the next generation of long-reach and high-data-rate free-space communication.

A Loading-Aware TDMA Sleep Scheme to Improve Power Consumption Performance on Medium to High Traffic for NG-EPON Networks

The inter-cycle sleep design previously proposed as a power-saving scheme for next-generation Ethernet passive optical networks (NG-EPONs) is able to effectively decrease the power consumption of heavy-load traffic. However, with a medium to high traffic load, these networks may still suffer from a high level of power consumption if no enhanced mechanisms are used. It was noted that the optical line terminal (OLT) often fully opens all communication channels at a medium to heavy load. Moreover, the number of opened channels was changed cyclically according to the traffic loading status. Accordingly, optical network units (ONUs) may be frequently allocated to different channels with changing loads. This may lead to inefficient operation and result in significant channel tuning delays. We thus propose a loading-aware time-division multiple access (TDMA) mechanism that allows the OLT to reserve a maximum bandwidth for each ONU when the network experiences heavy-load traffic. The performance results of our simulations reveal that the proposed scheme is able to reduce power consumption for targeted medium to high loads since ONUs under such loads can extend their sleep time because the cycle length is maximized. Moreover, the total delay is maintained at a relatively low level after applying the proposed scheme since the tuning delay is reduced significantly; however, the transmission delay is slightly increased due to the increased cycle length.

NGC 3147: a prototypical low-luminosity active galactic nucleus with double-peaked optical and ultraviolet lines

ABSTRACT A previous narrow-slit (0.1 arcsec) Hubble Space Telescope observation unveiled a broad relativistic Hα profile in NGC 3147, a low-luminosity (Lbol ∼ 1042 erg s−1), low-Eddington ratio (Lbol/LEdd ∼ 10−4) active galactic nucleus (AGN), formerly believed to be a candidate true type 2 AGN intrinsically lacking the broad-line region. The new observations presented here confirm the double-peaked profile of the Hα line, which further shows variability both in flux and in the inner radius of the emitting disc with respect to the previous epoch. Similar disc line profiles are also found in prominent ultraviolet (UV) lines, in particular Lyα and C iv. The new data also allow us to build a simultaneous subarcsec optical-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution of NGC 3147, which is characterized by the absence of a thermal UV bump, and an emission peak in the X-rays. The resulting very flat αox = −0.82 is typical of low-luminosity AGNs, and is in good agreement with the extrapolation to low luminosities of the well-known trend with luminosity observed in a standard AGN. Indeed, we are possibly observing the accretion disc emission in NGC 3147 in the optical, close to the expected peak. On the other hand, the steep −2 UV power law may be Comptonization of that cold disc by a warm corona, what is instead generally observed as a ‘soft excess’ in a more luminous AGN.

Bidirectional Symmetrical 100 Gb/s/λ Coherent PON Using a Simplified ONU Transceiver

In this letter, a bidirectional symmetric 100 Gb/s/ <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> coherent passive optical network (PON) scheme with a simplified optical network unit (ONU) transceiver is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed scheme, the downstream signal is generated in a dual-polarization coherent transmitter with Alamouti-coding at the optical line terminal (OLT) side and then received by a single-polarization heterodyne receiver at the ONU side. The upstream signal is generated in a low-cost C-band electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) at the ONU side and then received by a standard dual-polarization integrated coherent receiver at the OLT side. The experimental results show that more than 30 dB power budget is achieved after 25 km standard single mode fibre transmission for both downstream and upstream signal at 100 Gb/s/ <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> . The cost at the ONU side is maintained low as the required bandwidth of the optoelectrical device is >25 GHz and the local oscillator power at the ONU side can be as low as 4 dBm.

Performance Assessments of Joint Linear and Nonlinear Pre-Equalization Schemes in Next Generation IM/DD PON

Nonlinear distortions in passive optical network (PON) systems degrade signal transmission performance. Joint linear and nonlinear pre-equalizers based on the Volterra series, memory polynomials and artificial neural networks (ANNs) are utilized to mitigate linear and nonlinear impairments. Centralized pre-equalization at the transmitter side of the optical line terminal (OLT) keeps the receiver side digital signal processing (DSP) at the optical network unit (ONU) simple. In this study, performance assessments of these three different pre-equalization schemes in intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD)-based 25-GBaud PON systems were evaluated. The joint linear and nonlinear pre-equalization schemes were based on the weight coefficients and the model obtained by channel estimation on the receiver side. We studied and compared the performance of three pre-equalization methods under various implementation conditions, such as received optical power (ROP), number of equalizer taps, and semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) current. Besides, we studied the equalization performance under different modulation orders, which were applied for data rate optimization to support different power budgets, being the potential solutions for future PON systems with various fiber-reach and split-ratio distributions. As a proof-of-concept, the equalization performance of the 25-Gbaud signals modulated with non-return-to-zero (NRZ), four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) and PAM-8 formats, corresponding to 25-, 50-, and 75-Gbps data rates, respectively, were tested. Both numerical simulations and experimental demonstrations were conducted to assess the performance of different pre-equalization schemes. With ANN pre-equalization, more than 4dB improvement in power budget was achieved for 25-GBaud PAM4 and PAM8 signals after 20 km fiber transmission. ANN-based pre-equalizer performed better than ANN-based post-equalizer even when the received signals were in low SNR. The power budgets of the 25-Gbaud NRZ, PAM4 and PAM8 signals after 20 km fiber transmission were 36.2 dB, 29.5 dB and 18 dB, respectively.

Low loss silicon nitride 1×4 microwave photonic beamforming chip.

In this paper, based on the low loss double strip silicon nitride platform, we designed and fabricated an ultra-low loss 1×4 microwave photonic beamforming chip, which contains a 1×4 beam splitter and four 5-bit optical delay lines. Each optical delay line can achieve 32 delay states varying from 0 ps to about 130 ps, which can support 21 different beamforming angles covers from -56.42° to 56.68° for 10 GHz RF signal. A low on-chip insertion loss of about 4 dB is achieved for each 5-bit optical delay line. Furthermore, a very low loss delay ratio of about 0.0016 dB/ps is achieved and a recorded low loss fluctuation of about 0.3 dB is obtained during the 32 states delay switching. In addition, the switching speed and driving power consumptions of the proposed beamforming chip were investigated. The proposed beamforming chip could have great potential in optical controlled phased antenna arrays systems.

Stochastic exciton-scattering theory of optical line shapes: Renormalized many-body contributions.

Spectral line shapes provide a window into the local environment coupled to a quantum transition in the condensed phase. In this paper, we build upon a stochastic model to account for non-stationary background processes produced by broad-band pulsed laser stimulation, as distinguished from those for stationary phonon bath. In particular, we consider the contribution of pair-fluctuations arising from the full bosonic many-body Hamiltonian within a mean-field approximation, treating the coupling to the system as a stochastic noise term. Using the Itô transformation, we consider two limiting cases for our model, which lead to a connection between the observed spectral fluctuations and the spectral density of the environment. In the first case, we consider a Brownian environment and show that this produces spectral dynamics that relax to form dressed excitonic states and recover an Anderson-Kubo-like form for the spectral correlations. In the second case, we assume that the spectrum is Anderson-Kubo like and invert to determine the corresponding background. Using the Jensen inequality, we obtain an upper limit for the spectral density for the background. The results presented here provide the technical tools for applying the stochastic model to a broad range of problems.

Extreme X-Ray Reflection in the Nucleus of the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 5033

NGC 5033 is an intriguing Seyfert galaxy because its subclassification may change with time, and because optical and submillimeter observations find that the massive black hole does not sit at the dynamical center of the galaxy, pointing to a past merger. We obtained a new optical spectrum of NGC 5033 using the 200″ Hale telescope at Palomar that clearly reveals a broad Hβ line (FWHM = 5400 ± 300 km s−1). This signals a clear view of the optical broad line region and requires Seyfert-1.5 designation. Some spectra obtained in the past suggest a Seyfert-1.9 classification, potentially signaling a variable or “changing-look” geometry. Our analysis of a 2019 Chandra spectrum of the massive black hole reveals very little obscuration, also suggesting a clean view of the central engine. However, the narrow Fe Kα emission line is measured to have an equivalent width of EW eV. This value is extremely high compared to typical values in unobscured active galactic nuclei . Indeed, the line is persistently strong in NGC 5033: the line equivalent width in a 2002 XMM-Newton snapshot is EW eV, similar to the EW eV equivalent width measured using ASCA in 1999. These results can likely be explained through a combination of an unusually high covering factor for reflection, and fluxes that are seen out of phase owing to light travel times. We examine the possibility that NGC 5033 may strengthen evidence for the X-ray Baldwin effect.

The environmental dependence of the stellar and gas-phase mass–metallicity relation at 2 &lt; z &lt; 4

In the local universe, galaxies in clusters typically show different physical and chemical properties compared to more isolated systems. Understanding how this difference originates, and whether it is already in place at high redshift, is still a matter of debate. Thanks to uniquely deep optical spectra available from the VANDELS survey, we investigate environmental effects on the stellar mass–metallicity relation (MZR) for a sample of nearly 1000 star-forming galaxies in the redshift range 2 &lt; z &lt; 4. We complement our dataset with the MOSFIRE follow-up of 21 galaxies to study the environmental dependence of the gas-phase MZR. Robust stellar and gas-phase metallicities are derived from well-calibrated photospheric absorptions features, respectively at 1501 and 1719 Å in the stacked spectra, and from optical emission lines ([OII]λλ3726−3729, [OIII]λ5007, and Hβ) in individual systems. We characterize the environment through multiple criteria by using the local galaxy density maps derived in the VANDELS fields to identify overdense structures and protoclusters of varying sizes. We find that environmental effects are weak at redshifts 2 &lt; z &lt; 4, and they are more important around the densest overdensity structures and protoclusters, where galaxies have a lower stellar metallicity (by ∼0.2 dex) and a lower gas-phase metallicity (by 0.1 dex) compared to the field, with a significance of 1σ and 2σ, respectively. Crucially, this downward offset cannot be explained by a selection effect due to a higher star formation rate, a fainter UV continuum, or different dust attenuations and stellar ages for galaxies in overdense enviroments with respect to the field. In spite of the still low signal-to-noise ratio of our results, we consider possible explanations of this environmental dependence. We propose a combination of increased mergers and high-speed encounters, more efficient AGN feedback in dense cores, and cold gas inflows from the cosmic web as viable physical mechanisms diluting the metal content of the cold gas reservoirs of overdense galaxies or expelling their metals to the intergalactic medium, even though additional studies are needed to determine the most significant scenario. Finally, some tensions remain between observations and both semi-analytic models and hydrodynamical simulations, which predict no significant metallicity offset as a function of host halo mass, suggesting that an explicit implementation of environmental processes in dense protocluster cores is needed.

Frequency Stability Transfer in Passive Mode-Locked Quantum-Dash Laser Diode Using Optical Injection Locking

In this paper, we present an experimental study of the metrological stabilization of a solid-state frequency comb for embedded metrology applications. The comb is a passively mode-locked laser diode based on InGaAs/InP Quantum-dash structure emitting optical lines into a 9 nm bandwidth centered at 1.55 $\mu$m with a repetition rate of 10.09 GHz. The frequency stabilization is achieved by optical injection locking of the comb with an external cavity laser diode referenced onto a metrological frequency standard. One observes the transfer of the spectral purity from the injection laser to the neighbouring modes of the injected one as well as the transfer of stability to the adjacent modes. The measurement of the long term stability highlights a frequency noise with random walk behavior specific of the passive mode locking process. Demonstration of sidebands of the injection laser at the repetition frequency of the comb also makes it possible to propose a transfer mechanism and to consider a complete stabilization of the frequency comb at a metrological stability level.