Optical Output Signal Research Articles

Phase-Shifted Fiber Bragg Grating by Selective Pitch Slicing.

This paper presents a new type of phase-shifted Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG): the sliced-FBG (SFBG). The fabrication process involves cutting a standard FBG inside its grating region. As a result, the last grating pitch is shorter than the others. The optical output signal consists of the overlap between the FBG reflection and the reflection at the fiber-cleaved tip. This new fiber optic device has been studied as a vibration sensor, allowing for the characterization of this sensor in the frequency range of 150 Hz to 70 kHz. How the phase shift in the FBG can be controlled by changing the length of the last pitch is also shown. This device can be used as a filter and a sensing element. As a sensing element, we will demonstrate its application as a vibration sensor that can be utilized in various applications, particularly in monitoring mechanical structures.

Selective Detection of Divalent Cations (Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+) and Anions (SO42-, S2-, CO32-) Using a pH-Sensitive Multi-functional Schiff Base inNeutralMedium.

A new Schiff base-based multi-cation/anion probe (L) has been synthesized and characterized using HR-MS, FT-IR, 1H, and 13C NMR techniques. The Schiff base motif provides specific binding sites that detect cations and anions by generating distinct optical output signals upon interaction. A noticeable color change of the probe solution was observed from pale yellow to various shades of yellow upon adding cations such as Cu2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+ and anions such as CO32⁻, S2⁻, and SO42⁻. This color change results from forming complexes like M3L2 with metal ions. Whereas origin of color in presence of anion were attributed due to the deprotonation of acidic proton in the ligand. Moreover, the complexes formed by Zn2+, S2/CO32⁻ ion with L are fluorescent, enabling the detection of Cu2+ and SO42⁻ using the Stern-Volmer plot, with a limit of detection (LODs) of 8.48µM and 10.47µM, respectively. Additionally, increasing the pH of the probe solution above 8 reveals a significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity due to the deprotonation of phenolic -OH and amide -NH in the presence of hydroxide ions. This emission in the basic medium is quenched by Cu2+ ions and restored when Cu2+ is complexed with EDTA. A logic gate has also been constructed for understanding the TURN-OFF-TURN-ON mechanism involving Cu2+ ions and EDTA. Overall, the versatile performance of a single probe L opens up new possibilities as a multifunctional sensor, making it highly suitable for practical applications.

Biosensing in the optical switch configuration on strong plasmonic gratings enabling differential referenced detection

A deep gold-coated sinusoidal grating is proposed as a transducer for label-free real-time biosensing, operating in a new configuration based on the optical switch effect, which produces complementary optical outputs enabling differential and referenced detection. Biosensing experiments are reported for the first time on this platform, using immunoassays involving biospecific pairs consisting of bovine serum albumin and its antibody, and human serum albumin and its antibody. Direct and sandwich immunoassays are demonstrated along with negative controls. A limit of detection of 6 pg/mm2 was obtained. A theoretical model correlating the variation in the differential referenced output optical signal with adlayer growth is presented and supports the experimental results. The proposed detection device operating in the optical switch configuration makes a promising case for point-of-care detection applications because the differential detection of two diffracted orders enables common noise suppression and robust interrogation.

A High-Speed Silicon Ring Modulator with a Large Working Wavelength Range

With the advantages of high speed, small size, and easy integration, the silicon photonic resonant ring modulator has gradually become a critical device for emerging integrated optical platforms. Ring modulators are primarily used in optical communications, optical computing, artificial intelligence, and other fields. In this work, the proposed ring modulator can operate in both the O- and C-bands. The 3 dB electro-optical (EO) bandwidth of the ring modulator is 39 GHz and 34 GHz at −4 V in the O-band and C-band, respectively. The modulation efficiency of the device is 0.92 V·cm and 0.95 V·cm in the O-band and C-band, respectively. The eye diagram of an optical output signal from the device is tested using a 100 Gbit/s non-return-to-zero (NRZ) input signal with a 2.5 Vpp in both the O-band and C-band. The modulation speed can reach 140 Gb/s and 120 Gb/s in the O-band and C-band with four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) formats at a voltage swing of 2.5 Vpp, respectively.

Fiber-optic parametric amplifier-based all-optical format conversion enabling optical networks interconnection with different modulation formats

A fiber-optic parametric amplifier (FOPA)-based all-optical format conversion (AOFC) scheme is proposed and numerically simulated to achieve optical networks interconnection with different modulation formats. In this scheme, the power transfer function (PTF) and the relative phase shift (RPS) functions between the input and output optical signals for the single-pump FOPA are derived and numerically analyzed. For the input 20 Gbps bipolar 4-ary pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) signal, it can be converted into a BPSK signal (BPSK1) based on the power saturation characteristic of the PTF. By adjusting the input power of the input PAM4 signal, it can also be converted into a level-swapping PAM4 signal based on the single-pump FOPA. When the level-swapping PAM4 signal is sent into the single-pump FOPA with suitable power again, another BPSK signal (BPSK2) could also be generated. When the PAM4-to-BPSK format converter based on the single-pump FOPA is combined with the dual-pump FOPA (namely phase-sensitive amplifier, PSA), the 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM) signal can also be de-aggregated into four BPSK signals or two quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signals. The constellation diagrams, the power waveforms, the error vector magnitude (EVM) and the bit error rate (BER) of the relevant optical signals are measured to evaluate the scheme performance. The scheme can be deployed at the optical gateway to realize optical networks interconnection using different modulation formats.

Design of a high-precision current source system for tunable laser driving

Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), which is an Optical Fiber Sensor with high sensitivity, light weight, and strong anti-interference ability, can realize the measurement of physical quantities, such as temperature and strain. The sensor network formed by FBG sensors is through wavelength division multiplexing, which greatly reduced the difficulty of sensor wiring. Therefore, FBG sensors are widely used in sensing fields such as aerospace, bridges and tunnels. As a wavelength-modulated Optical Fiber Sensor, FBG’s sensing accuracy depends not only on the performance of the laser, but also on the stability of the driving current. In this paper, a high-precision current source system for laser S7500 modulation drive is designed, with a resolution of output current is higher than 2uA. and the laser S7500 is continuously linearly scanned at 20pm intervals in the wavelength range of 1527nm to 1567nm. The wavelength accuracy of the output optical signal is better than 2pm. The test results prove that the system has the advantages of high modulation speed, good stability and high reliability, and can be applied to high-precision FBG sensor networks.

Electroluminescence, Mechanoluminescence, and Triboelectric from Superior Multimode Systems Based on Flexible Hydrogels for Human Motion Sensing

AbstractFlexible sensors have attracted extensive research interest due to their great application potential in biodetection, flexible display, and wearable devices. However, they still have a lot of room for improvement in terms of luminous color, flexibility, and self‐powered systems. A wearable, antifreeze, and discoloration sensing system based on electroluminescence, mechanoluminescence, and tribo‐power generation is developed in this paper. Triboelectric nanogenerator systems can harvest biomechanical energy from hand clapping and knee/elbow bending to generate real‐time electrical signals. The use of dielectric materials reduces the initial voltage and frequency of light‐emitting devices, enabling them to be driven by Triboelectric nanogenerators. At the same time, the device can produce red, blue, white, and other multicolor light. In addition, the system can produce an optical signal output due to external mechanical stimulation. As a result, the sensor system is simple to manufacture and unique to operate, proving its potential applications in areas such as cold‐resistant displays, wearable optoelectronics, soft robotics, and electronic skin.

High‐accuracy optical delay measurement based on linear frequency sweeping technology

AbstractA high‐accuracy and wide‐range optical delay measurement method based on linear frequency modulation (LFM) of a microwave source is proposed, which can measure the delay of each channel in a parallel multichannel interference structure. The light wave emitted by the light source is injected into the dual‐parallel Mach‒Zehnder modulator (DPMZM) as a carrier wave. The LFM microwave signal is loaded into the radio frequency ports of the DPMZM through a 90° hybrid couple, and the bias voltages of the DPMZM are adjusted to make it work in carrier suppression single sideband (CS‐SSB) modulation mode. The CS‐SSB optical signal output by the modulator enters the test links, including a Mach‒Zehnder interference loop composed of the reference arm and the device under test arm. Then, the output optical signal of the interference loop is input into a photodetector, and the intermediate frequency (IF) signals are obtained by the beat frequency. The frequency of the IF signal is obtained through data acquisition and fast Fourier transform calculation. Thus, the delay time is calculated. By increasing or decreasing the LFM signal scanning time, the delay measurement range can be extended, or the measurement accuracy over a short distance can be improved. The feasibility of this method is verified by experiments, and the delay of parallel multichannel measurement is carried out.

Flexible All-Optical 8QAM Signal Format Conversion Using Pump Assisted Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror

A flexible all-optical format interconversion scheme based on a pump assisted nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) is proposed and numerically simulated for the first time to our knowledge. In this scheme, input multi-Gbps 8QAM signals are divided into clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) components by a 3-dB optical coupler (OC), which also couples light from the input pump into the NOLM from the CCW direction. The numerical model of the pump assisted NOLM with CW and CCW optical paths is simplified using a nonlinear Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). Optical signals in the upper MZI arm will be mainly affected by the self-phase modulation (SPM) effect when traversing the highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) and those in the lower MZI arm are impacted by cross-phase modulation (XPM) in addition to SPM when they experience the HNLF with the input pump light. When the upper-arm optical signal with SPM phase shift and the lower arm optical signal with SPM and XPM phase shifts are coherently mixed, a new converted 8QAM signal can be obtained. The power transfer function (PTF) of the pump assisted NOLM and the relative phase shift (RPS) between the input and the output optical signals are theoretically provided and verified. By only changing the input power of the 8QAM signal and the pump light, all-optical format interconversion of square-, standard- and star-shaped 8QAM signals can be achieved. Furthermore, the proposed scheme can achieve format conversion from the 30 Gbps square-shaped 8QAM signal to a 20 Gbps quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal. The scheme performance is analyzed via constellation diagrams, eye diagrams, the error vector magnitude (EVM) and the bit error rate (BER) of the optical signals. The scheme developed can be deployed in optical gateways to connect different optical networks by dynamically selecting their appropriate modulation formats.

All-optical wavelength and format conversion of DQPSK-to-PAM4 using DLI and pump assisted NOLM

An all-optical wavelength and format conversion scheme of 20 Gbps differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK)-to-4-ary pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) signals based on the delay line interferometer (DLI) and the pump assisted nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) is proposed and numerically simulated. The input DQPSK signal is converted into two star-16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (star-16QAM) signals (namely, star-16QAM-I and star-16QAM-Q) using DLI with the time delay of 1-symbol and different linear phase shifts of π/4 and −π/4, respectively. The star-16QAM signals are converted into the on-off keying (OOK) signals (namely, OOK-I and OOK-Q) using the pump assisted NOLM based on the self-phase modulation (SPM) and the cross-phase modulation (XPM) in the highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF). The two OOK signals can be aggregated into different types of PAM4 signals by adjusting their power ratio (PR) and relative phase shift (RPS) flexibly. Error vector magnitude (EVM) and bit error rate (BER) for the input and output optical signals are calculated to verify the scheme performance. Compared to the DQPSK signal with an input optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of 30 dB, there are about 2.5 dB penalty of receiver OSNR for the converted OOK-I and OOK-Q signals. For the corresponding aggregated equidistant PAM4 and equiamplitude PAM4 signals, they have about 6.3 dB and 12.1 dB penalty of receiver OSNR. The proposed scheme of DQPSK-to-PAM4 can be deployed at the all-optical gateway to bridge the long-hual and short-reach optical networks.

Exploring the luminescent thermometer and optical storage applications in negative thermal quenching phosphor of BaSc2Ge3O10:Pr3+

The optical contactless thermometer demonstrates remarkable advantages over traditional contact thermometers. However, maintaining a strong optical signal output across a wide temperature range poses a challenge due to the thermal quenching effect. In this study, we aimed to overcome the limitation of low signal intensity in high-temperature applications by developing a Pr3+-doped BaSc2Ge3O10 (BSGO) phosphor with anti-thermal quenching properties. This phosphor was designed to ensure a stable and sufficiently strong light signal for accurate temperature measurements. The phosphor exhibited a negative thermal quenching effect, where the integrated emission intensity spanning from 450 nm to 800 nm increased from 173 K to 253 K, and the intensity at 353 K still remained stronger than at 173 K. Multiple 4f-4f transition emissions were observed in the phosphor, and the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) was utilized as a standard parameter for temperature evaluation ranging from 82 K to 353 K. At 82 K, the phosphor achieved maximum relative sensitivity (Sr) of 2.3% K−1. The presence of multiple traps with depths ranging from 1.09 eV to 1.50 eV not only supported luminescence with a negative thermal quenching effect but also resulted in long persistent luminescence (LPL), which was systematically investigated in this study.

Integrated multifunctional molecular logic device powered by ion-specific dual mode optical responses

The current letter presents a new model of creating flexible interconvertible logic circuits by using various chemical components as inputs out of a specifically designed molecule. Very distinct output optical signals were received when Hg2+ and F− ions were incorporated as specific inputs. Interestingly, the degrees of responses, as quantified by spectral changes, were altered in the presence of specific masking agents or water. Thus, to obtain the intended results, multiple concentration modulated reversible and irreversible spectroscopic experiments were designed in a case-specific manner to examine the changes in absorption spectra at multiple channels. Beyond conventional logic gates like NOR, OR, AND, and NAND, we were also competent to create several integrated logic circuits including IMPLICATION, INHIBIT, TRANSFER, and NOT-TRANSFER. It's amazing how simple it is to switch the sort of logic sense in this case thanks to optical toggling.

Monitoring the Formation of Fibrin Clots as Part of the Coagulation Cascade Using Fluorescent Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Blood coagulation is a critical defense mechanism against bleeding that results in the conversion of liquid blood into a solid clot through a complicated cascade, which involves multiple clotting factors. One of the final steps in the coagulation pathway is the conversion of fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin mediated by thrombin. Because coagulation disorders can be life-threatening, the development of novel methods for monitoring the coagulation cascade dynamics is of high importance. Here, we use near-infrared (NIR)-fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to image and monitor fibrin clotting in real time. Following the binding of fibrinogen to a tailored SWCNT platform, thrombin transforms the fibrinogen into fibrin monomers, which start to polymerize. The SWCNTs are incorporated within the clot and can be clearly visualized in the NIR-fluorescent channel, where the signal-to-noise ratio is improved compared to bright-field imaging in the visible range. Moreover, the diffusion of individual SWCNTs within the fibrin clot gradually slows down after the addition of thrombin, manifesting a coagulation rate that depends on both fibrinogen and thrombin concentrations. Our platform can open new opportunities for coagulation disorder diagnostics and allow for real-time monitoring of the coagulation cascade with a NIR optical signal output in the biological transparency window.

Establishment of an Electro-Optical Mixing Design on a Photonic SOA-MZI Using a Differential Modulation Arrangement.

We design and evaluate two experimental systems for a single and simultaneous electro-optical semiconductor optical amplifier Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI) mixing system based on the differential modulation mode. These systems and the optimization of their optical and electrical performance largely depend on characteristics of an optical pulse source (OPS), operating at a frequency of f= 39 GHz and a pulse width of 1 ps. The passive power stability of the electro-optical mixing output over one hour is better than 0.3% RMS (root mean square), which is excellent. Additionally, we generate up to 22 dBm of the total average output power with an optical conversion gain of 32 dB, while achieving a record output optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) up to 77 dB. On the other hand, at the SOA-MZI output, the 128 quadratic amplitude modulation (128-QAM) signal at an intermediate frequency (IF), f1, is up-mixed to higher output frequencies nf ± f1. The advantages of the resulting 128-QAM mixed signal during electrical conversion gains (ECGs) and error vector magnitudes (EVMs) are also evaluated. The performed empirical SOA-MZI mixing can operate up to 118.5 GHz in its high-frequency range. The positive and almost constant conversion gains are achieved. Indeed, the obtained conversion gain values are very close across the entire range of output frequencies. The largest frequency range achieved during experimental work is 118.5 GHz, where the EVM achieves 6% at a symbol rate of 10 GSymb/s. Moreover, the peak data rate of the 128-QAM up mixed signal can reach 70 GBit/s. Finally, the study of the simultaneous electro-optical mixing system is accepted with unmatched performance improvement.

Quantum Dot Light‐Emitting Synaptic Transistor for Parallel Data Transmission of Diverse Artificial Neural Network

AbstractArtificial synaptic devices serve as the cornerstone of artificial neural networks, much research is devoted to the development of artificial synaptic devices with multiple functions for the future construction of large‐scale artificial neural networks. By adding optical signal output to traditional synaptic devices, the strategy of transforming the devices from a single electrical interconnection to an optoelectronic interconnection is considered to be an effective way to solve the problem of wire cross‐talk in large‐scale artificial neural networks. Herein, a quantum‐dot light‐emitting synaptic transistor capable of dual output of optoelectronic signals by integrating the functions of light‐emitting transistor and synaptic transistor into a single device is demonstrated for the first time. Based on the novel working mechanism and the excellent optoelectronic properties of quantum dots, the device can exhibit dual responses of electrical and optical signals under electrical pulse stimulation. More importantly, some key synaptic functions such as excitatory postsynaptic current, paired pulse facilitation, high‐pass filtering properties, and the transition from short‐term memory to long‐term memory are successfully simulated in the device. In addition, classical conditioned reflex experiments as well as the processes of learning and forgetting are optically and electrically simulated. This work provides a feasible way to realize multivariate artificial neural networks with high integration and optoelectronic interconnection to transmit information, showing great potential in the development of neuromorphic computing in the future.

Optically Readable Electrochromic-Based Microfiber Synaptic Device for Photonic Neuromorphic Systems.

Optical synaptic devices possess great potential in both artificial intelligence and neuromorphic photonics. In this work, an optically readable electrochromic-based microfiber synaptic device was designed by the combination of a multimode fiber and an electrochromic device and using an external voltage to control the transmission of light in the fiber. The proposed synaptic device has the ability to imitate various basic functions of the biological synapses, such as synaptic plasticity, and paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), as well as the transition from short-term memory to long-term memory. Moreover, the proposed device decodes the output optical signal with the international Morse code to express the signal "HFUT" in two ways, and a 3 × 3 array composed of this device can simulate the perceptual learning process. The device can be easily prepared for a wide range of applications, and the incorporated microfibers can be replaced by planar optical waveguides, making it easy to be integrated into a more complex and versatile photonic neuromorphic system.

Effects of Optical Laser Injection in Multistable Erbium Fiber Lasers

During the past years, the study of optical injection has been intensely carried in theoretical and experimental realizations, showing interesting emergent behaviors, and synchronized states between other results. This work proposes an experimental scheme of an array of three driven erbium-doped fiber lasers (EDFLs), which dynamics exhibit the coexistence of multiple attractors. The laser array is controlled by a driver EDFL by injecting its optical intensity into the three coupled driven EDFLs array. The experimental realization was with the aim to induce an attractor tracking in the driving lasers, then to get coexisting states with increasing output power, and to study other emergent behavior given by the differences between doped fibers. To find the multistability regions, some bifurcation diagrams of the laser peak intensities are constructed. The obtained results are identified by comparing them with the modulation frequency. In some cases, the obtained results show that the intensity of the optical output signal of the driven systems is increased with respect to the initial individual response. In the case of synchronized states, it’s possible to get an increased signal from the whole system. The obtained results could have important applications in repeaters of communications systems.

Monitoring the Activity and Inhibition of Cholinesterase Enzymes using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Fluorescent Sensors.

Cholinesterase enzymes are involved in a wide range of bodily functions, and their disruption is linked to pathologies such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. While cholinesterase inhibitors are used as drug treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer and dementia at therapeutic doses, acute exposure to high doses, found in pesticides and nerve agents, can be lethal. Therefore, measuring cholinesterase activity is important for numerous applications ranging from the search for novel treatments for neurodegenerative disorders to the on-site detection of potential health hazards. Here, we present the development of a near-infrared (near-IR) fluorescent single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) optical sensor for cholinesterase activity and demonstrate the detection of both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, as well as their inhibition. We show sub U L–1 sensitivity, demonstrate the optical response at the level of individual nanosensors, and showcase an optical signal output in the 900–1400 nm range, which overlaps with the biological transparency window. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest wavelength cholinesterase activity sensor reported to date. Our near-IR fluorescence-based approach opens new avenues for spatiotemporal-resolved detection of cholinesterase activity, with numerous applications such as advancing the research of the cholinergic system, detecting on-site potential health hazards, and measuring biomarkers in real-time.

Directed self-assembly of organic crystals into chip-like heterostructures for signal processing

Organic single crystals show broad application prospects in the field of optical confinement and waveguides due to their low optical transmission loss and tunable optical properties. Individual one- or two-dimensional (1D or 2D) optical waveguide crystals have the limitations of a single function in organic photonics. In this work, a chip-like organic heterostructure was fabricated using an elaborately designed, sequential growth method. By regulating the concentration of each organic component, the processes of solution self-assembly, etching, and epitaxial self-assembly are successively performed to complete the directional growth of organic micro/nanostructures. Notably, the as-prepared chip-like organic heterostructure is composed of 1D/2D optical waveguide crystals, which can realize multidimensional photon transportation and multi-terminal directional optical signal output. Furthermore, the unique 2D optical waveguide properties of the chip-like heterostructures offer opportunities for constructing the encoding form of the output optical signal at the micro/nanoscale.

Design of compact dual-mode photoelectric modulator with high process tolerance based on vanadium dioxide.

Opto-electro modulators with nanometer-scale footprint are indispensable in integrated photonic electronic circuits. Due to weak light-matter interactions and limits of micro-nano fabrication technology, it is challenging to shrink a modulator to subwavelength size. In recent years, hybrid modulators based on surface plasmons have been proposed to solve this problem. Although the introduced high lossy surface plasmons provide large modulation depth, the polarization selectivity limits its application. Toward this end, in this paper, we present a design of an ultra-compact vanadium oxide (VO2)-based plasmonic waveguide modulator for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes. The device consists of two silicon tapers and a silicon waveguide embedded with a VO2 wedge. When electrical signals put on the device change the phase of VO2 from a metal to an insulator, the output optical signals along the waveguide are significantly modulated. For a 1.5 µm length modulator operating at 1.55 µm wavelength, the extinction ratio is 11.62 dB for the TE mode and 8.86 dB for the TM mode, while the insertion loss is 4.31 dB for the TE mode and 4.12 dB for the TM mode. Furthermore, the proposed design has excellent tolerance for fabrication process error, which greatly increases the yield rate of products and indicates a promotable application prospect.