Transparency Window Research Articles

Temperature-Dependent Luminescence of Nd3+-Doped Carbon Nanodots for Nanothermometry.

Noncontact optical nanothermometers operating within the biological transparency windows are required to study temperature-sensitive biological phenomena at the nanoscale. Nanoparticles containing rare-earth ions such as Nd3+ have been reported to be efficient luminescence-based ratiometric thermometers, however often limited by poor water solubility and concentration-related quenching effects. Herein, we introduce a new type of nanothermometer, obtained by employing low-dimensional carbon nanodots (CNDs) as matrices to host Nd3+ ions (NdCNDs). By means of a one-pot procedure, small (∼7-12 nm), water-soluble nanoparticles were obtained, with high (15 wt %) Nd3+ loading. This stable metal-CND system features temperature-dependent photoluminescence in the second biological window (BW II) upon irradiation at 808 nm, thereby allowing accurate and reversible (heating/cooling) temperature measurements with good sensitivity and thermal resolution. The system possesses remarkable biocompatibility in vitro and promising performance at a high penetration depth in tissue models.

Inverse design of mid-infrared diamond waveguide beam splitter.

Diamond is a supreme material for mid-infrared (MIR) integrated photonics as it has a transparency window up to 20 µm that covers the entire fingerprint region. However, its relatively low refractive index poses a challenge in designing an MIR diamond functional device with both small footprint and high transmission efficiency. Here we propose and demonstrate the inverse design of an MIR diamond waveguide beam splitter operating at the wavelength of 15 µm with a small footprint of ∼15 µm × ∼15 µm and a total transmission efficiency above 95%. Our work paves a new avenue for the design of compact and high-efficiency MIR diamond photonic devices.

The impact of cross-Kerr nonlinearity on rotary photon drag and temporal cloaking in Sagnac interferometry

We theoretically explore the impact of cross-Kerr nonlinearity (CKN) on rotary photon drag (RPD) and temporal cloaking in a Sagnac interferometer. With the activation of CKN, significant improvements in RPD and temporal cloaking are observed. Drag angles of ±1×10−3 and ±5×10−3 radians are attained, similarly, temporal gaps of 10μ s, 12μ s and 13μ s are observed. In addition to the observed electromagnetically induced transparency window, the group refractive index is drastically enhanced, time delay/advance are tuned from pico-radians to micro-radians, and reduced relativistic group velocities are achieved by activating CKN within the system. Additionally, the transmission pulses intensities are observed to be reduced with the dragging phenomenon. The findings may have potential applications in controlled image coding, rotation sensing and secure communication technologies.

Efficient Second‐Harmonic Generation with Weak Polarization Sensitivity in Gallium Nitride Metasurfaces via Bound States in the Continuum

AbstractBound states in the continuum (BICs) are widely exploited in all‐dielectric metasurfaces to significantly enhance the Q‐factor and second harmonic generation (SHG). However, a higher SHG conversion efficiency is overshadowed by the narrow transparency window of all‐dielectric materials and strict requirement of polarization‐matching. Herein, an augmented SHG assisted is demonstrated by symmetry‐protected quasi‐BICs from z‐cut wurtzite GaN metasurfaces, whose wide transparent range suppresses self‐absorption of second harmonic. Strong resonances emerge under both X‐ and Y‐polarized excitations, where the multipole characters of each eigenmode are quantitatively identified via decomposition simulations. The local field enhancement enabled by the extreme energy confinement of quasi‐BICs contributes to an efficient SHG, recording a conversion efficiency up to 2 × 10−7 at moderately low input peak intensity (≈1 GW cm−2), orders of magnitude larger than bulk GaN. With proper design, the overlapping X‐ and Y‐polarized resonances can support SHG from excitation with arbitrary polarizations. The alleviation of polarization‐matching remarkably enhances the SHG power by 66.2% under unpolarized illumination condition. The results of intense SHG reveal GaN as a promising candidate for high‐performance nanoscale nonlinear photonic devices. The weak polarization sensitivity of the designed structure will chart a novel course for the advancement of next‐generation efficient all‐dielectric metasurfaces.

Real-imaginary spectrum decomposition of the transparency spectra in microwave dressed Rydberg systems

To distinguish the contributions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes splitting (ATS) in their applications in precision laser spectroscopy, we propose a real-imaginary spectrum decomposition method to investigate the transparency spectra in a four-level microwave (MW) dressed Rydberg system. We show that the opening transparency windows in the absorption spectra of probe field is a prominent character by EIT, EIT-ATS crossover, and ATS when the MW field is turned off and the intensity of the control field is adjusted. When the MW field is turned on and gradually increased, the EIT is destroyed and disappears. In addition, the most prominent characters that open a transparency window are the EIT-ATS crossover and the ATS. Then, if we further increase the intensity of the MW field, we find that the transparency windows open mainly due to the ATS. Compared to the previous considerations of this issue, which were limited to three-level systems, our four-level scheme reported here is useful for understanding the features of quantum interference in multilevel atomic systems, and has potential applications to study enhanced sensitivity, measurement spectroscopic, quantum processing, quantum communication, and transmission.

Silicon‐Rich Nitride Refractive Index as a Degree of Freedom to Maximize Nonlinear Wave Mixing in Nanowaveguides

Silicon nitride is widely used in integrated photonics for optical nonlinear wave mixing due to its low optical losses combined with relatively high nonlinear optical properties and a wide‐range transparency window. It is known that a higher concentration of Si in silicon‐rich nitride (SRN) magnifies both the nonlinear response and optical losses, including nonlinear losses. To address the trade‐off, four‐wave mixing (FWM) is implemented in over a hundred SRN waveguides prepared by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition in a wide range of SRN refractive indices varying between 2.5 and 3.2 (measured in the C‐band). It is determined that SRN with a refractive index of about 3 maximizes the FWM efficiency for continuous‐wave operation, indicating that the refractive index of SRN is indeed a crucial optimization parameter for nonlinear optics applications. The FWM efficiency is limited by large nonlinear optical losses observed in SRN waveguides with indices larger than 2.7, which are not related to two‐photon absorption. Finally, the third‐order susceptibility and the nonlinear refractive index are estimated for multiple SRN refractive indices, and, specifically, the nonlinearities as large as and are estimated in a waveguide with an SRN refractive index of 3.2.

Photonic Metamaterial‐Inspired Polarization Manipulating Devices on Etchless Thin Film Lithium Niobate Platform

AbstractPhotonic metamaterials interact with light at the micro–nano scale, enabling unprecedented optical manipulation capabilities, which play a key role in nonlinear optics, spin optics, negative index, and zero index materials. Recently, thin‐film lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) has emerged as a promising platform for integrated photonics due to its unique material properties, including an excellent electro–optic effect, wide transparency window, and low waveguide losses. Metamaterial structures are promising for constructing novel integrated photonic circuit building blocks on LNOI as they can provide advantageous circuit functionality. In this work, as a proof of concept, high‐performance polarization manipulating devices including polarization splitter rotator (PSR), polarization rotator (PR), and polarizer are demonstrated using photonic metamaterials on the etchless LNOI platform by introducing a silicon nitride layer on the top of LNOI wafer as the loading material. In this way, full advantage of lithium niobate (LN) can be taken to achieve various high‐performance integrated photonic devices, while avoiding the etching of LN and simplifying the fabrication process greatly, which can bring bright prospects for achieving large‐scale lithium niobate integrated photonic circuits.

Triple-band transparency effect by multiple couplings based on toroidal dipole resonance

We explored multiple couplings properties in composite metastructure. One part is the asymmetric double rings, supporting the narrow toroidal dipole resonance, and the other component is an upright rod that excites the broad electric dipole resonance. When these two resonant modes coincide in the spectrum, dual-band plasmon induced transparency (PIT) behavior can be obtained, which is attributed to in-phase and out-of-phase couplings between the toroidal dipole and electric dipole modes. Meanwhile, the dual-band features will become a single PIT band by varying the rotation offset angle between the upper- and lower-rings. Moreover, by introducing lateral displacement of the rod with respect to the toroidal component, a triple-band PIT effect can be achieved. In particular, under a large lateral displacement, a broadband transparency window appears across a wavelength range greater than 120 nm, where the transmission exceeds 0.9. It is derived from the hybrid coupling between toroidal dipole, electric dipole and induced high-order resonance modes. The toroidal-based PIT metamaterials not only promote the understanding of toroidal dipole moment but also provide a positive reference for toroidal-based meta-devices.

A Universal Design Strategy Achieving Large Birefringence and Short Phase‐Matching Capability of Optical Materials via Dissimilating Non‐π‐Conjugated Units

AbstractOptical materials with non‐π‐conjugated units usually can exhibit large bandgaps, which are conducive to a wide ultraviolet (UV) transparency window. However, the relatively small structural anisotropy hinders the application of these materials as nonlinear optical (NLO) and birefringent materials. Herein, a universal strategy of dissimilating non‐π‐conjugated units is proposed to enhance birefringence, optimize phase‐matching (PM) wavelength, and maintain a large bandgap. The functionality of the series of hetero‐anionic units is distinguished in terms of optimizing birefringence and PM wavelength. In particular, the dimeric hetero‐anionic unit N(SO2F)2− with the dual‐heteroatom dissimilation is found to be a novel superior optical hereto‐gene. In addition, AN(SO2F)2 (A = Li, Na‐I, K‐I/II, H) and Ba(SO3CF3)2 are identified with large birefringence of approximately 0.051–0.106 at 546 nm, which are much larger than those of corresponding sulfates. HN(SO2F)2 exhibits a short PM wavelength (208 nm), a large NLO coefficient (≈ 2 × KDP), and an extremely short UV cutoff edge (149 nm). Experimental polarizing microscope measurement confirms that the birefringence of Pbca‐KN(SO2F)2 is significantly enhanced to 0.06 at 546.1 nm, which is 12 times higher than that of K2SO4. Finally, this strategy offers direction for the design and synthesis of novel NLO or birefringent materials in the future.

Crystalline germanium high-Q microresonators for mid-IR

High-quality-factor optical microresonators have become an appealing object for numerous applications. However, the mid-infrared band experiences a lack of applicable materials for nonlinear photonics. Crystalline germanium demonstrates attractive material properties such as high nonlinear refractive index, large transparency window including the mid-IR band, particularly long wave multiphonon absorption limit. Nevertheless, the reported optical losses in germanium microresonators might not allow the potential of the Ge-based devices to be revealed. In this study, we report the fabrication of germanium microresonators with radii of 1.35 and 1.5 mm, exhibiting exceptional quality factors (Q-factors) exceeding 20 million, approaching the absorption-limited values at a wavelength of 2.68 µm. These Q-factors are a hundred times higher than previously reported, to the best of our knowledge. We measured the two-photon absorption coefficient combined with free-carrier absorption leveraging the high-Q of the resonators (obtained βTPA = (0.71 ± 0.12) · 10−8 m/W at 2.68 µm). This research underscores the potential of whispering gallery mode microresonators as valuable tools for measuring absorption coefficients at different wavelengths, providing a comprehensive analysis of various loss mechanisms. Furthermore, the exceptional Q-factors observed in germanium microresonators open intriguing opportunities for the advancement of germanium-based photonics within the mid-infrared spectral band.

Controlling behaviour of transparency and absorption in three-coupled multiple quantum wells via spontaneously generated coherence

This article presents a coherent phenomenon called spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) under the regime of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a three-coupled multiple quantum wells. We demonstrate that the presence of SGC in these quantum wells lead to intriguing modifications in the transparency window within the absorption spectrum. At the same time, modification of the dispersive nature is also demonstrated which enables the feasibility of the system in diverse applications based on light propagation. The absorption and dispersion responses are found to be varied by the individual strength of the first and second control fields in presence as well as in absence of SGC in the EIT regime. The positional shifting of the transparency window and simultaneous modifications in the dispersive profiles by tuning the control field detunings of both the first and second control fields are also revealed. Some absorption and dispersion contours are illustrated for getting better insights into the modifications of the optical responses via SGC. Finally, by manipulating the strength of the SGC parameter, we observe the changes in the respective position of the transparency window and dispersion curve. It is expected that the current investigations will pave novel ways for innovative applications in quantum communications, and fabrication of advanced photonic devices.

Magnomechanically induced transparency and tunable slow-fast light via a levitated micromagnet

In this paper, we theoretically investigate the magnomechanically induced transparency (MIT) phenomenon and slow-fast light propagation in a microwave cavity-magnomechanical system which includes a levitated ferromagnetic sphere. Magnetic dipole interaction determines the interaction between the photon, magnon, and center of mass motion of the cavity-magnomechanical system. As a result, we find that apart from coupling strength, which has an important role in MIT, the levitated ferromagnetic sphere’s position provides us a parameter to manipulate the width of the transparency window. In addition, the control field’s frequency has crucial influences on the MIT. Also this hybrid magnonic system allows us to demonstrate MIT in both the strong coupling and intermediate coupling regimes. More interestingly, we demonstrate tunable slow and fast light in this hybrid magnonic system. In other words, we show that the group delay can be adjusted by varying the control field’s frequency, the sphere position, and the magnon-photon coupling strength. These parameters have an influence on the transformation from slow to fast light propagation and vice versa. Based on the recent experimental advancements, our results provide the possibility to engineer hybrid magnonic systems with levitated particles for the light propagation, and the quantum measurements and sensing of physical quantities.

Controllable-gradient-porous cooling materials driven by multistage solvent displacement method

Passive radiative cooling holds significant potential for efficiently cooling terrestrial objects by simultaneously reflecting sunlight and radiating heat to the cold outer space. Numerous studies have designed high-performance radiative cooling structures using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) due to its inherent extinction coefficient.However, obtaining highly favorable spectral characteristics for reflecting sunlight using PMMA, often done through the fabrication of micro/nanoscale structures, remains a central barrier for widespread application. Herein, we report a facile, economical, and scalable multistage solvent displacement-based method for fabricating hierarchically gradient porous PMMA metafilms with highly efficient daytime and nighttime passive radiative cooling performance. Here, the “ouzo effect” works as the driving force for micro/nanopore formation by solvent displacement, which also controls the size of the pores based on different solution ratios. The PMMA metafilm features an ultrahigh solar reflectance of 0.99 and superior mid-infrared thermal emittance of 0.97, which allows for the average and peak subambient temperature drops of 4.6 °C and 8.2 °C, respectively, along with an average radiative cooling power of 90 W/m2 during a 24-h uninterrupted thermal measurement. The hierarchically gradient micro/nanopore distribution of the PMMA metafilm significantly enhances the solar reflectance and thermal emittance within the atmospheric transparency window. Moreover,the multistage solvent displacement method is highly versatile and promising for fabricating porous structures, further offering a cost-efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable manufacturing path for high-performance radiative cooling application.

Analysis of Interference Effect in Double Optomechanically Induced Transparency System

We propose a scheme to investigate the interference properties of a double optomechanically induced transparency system, which involves two charged nanomechanical resonators, coupled via Coulomb interaction. The results show that the opening of transparency windows is caused by a destructive interference effect only in the weak optical coupling region. For strong optical coupling, normal mode splitting dominates the transparency phenomenon. In the intermediate region, both destructive interference and normal mode splitting contribute to the transparency windows. When the Coulomb coupling is much weaker than the optical coupling, the Coulomb interaction strength linearly determines the distance between the two transparency windows, and has nearly no influence on the destructive interference effect. Otherwise, the system will work in a nonlinear region.

Theoretically predicted CO2 lines near 700 nm not observed

We present an experimental study of carbon dioxide absorption in the transparency window near 700 nm, where different calculations predicted several extremely weak bands. The measurements were done using the optical frequency comb-assisted cavity ring-down spectrometer reaching sensitivity (noise-equivalent absorption) of 3.1⋅10−12 cm−1. None of 21 lines, predicted by the most comprehensive calculations, were detected in five separate spectral regions near 700 nm. Our estimated detection limit ranges between 3 and 21 times lower than the expected peak absorption in the conditions of the experiment.

Absorption of collimated incident radiation in a semitransparent strongly scattering medium: Computational analysis and explanation of red algae blooming in snow

The study of directional radiation absorption in weakly absorbing and strongly scattering media is of interest for a variety of important applications, including laser hyperthermia of human tumors in a therapeutic window of transparency, determination of the optical and thermal properties of highly porous ceramics, and calculations of the deep solar heating of snow cover in polar regions and mountains. In such problems, multiple scattering of radiation can lead to a non-monotonic variation of the absorbed radiation power with distance from the illuminated surface of the medium and to the appearance of the absorption maximum at some depth below the surface. This effect has a known physical explanation and can be predicted using the suggested analytical solution based on the transport approximation for the scattering phase function and the two-flux approximation for the diffuse component of the radiation intensity. The range of illumination angles at which the absorption maximum inside an optically thick medium is observed is determined. The position and magnitude of this maximum are also obtained. In the present work, the verification of this approximate solution using reference numerical calculations is carried out for the first time. It is shown that the simple analytical model is acceptable for regular calculations. Computational results for pure snow illuminated by the Sun showed that red light gives the strongest absorption maximum at a small distance from the snow surface. This is a basis of the presented physical explanation for the intense photosynthesis of red microalgae responsible for the well-known ``snow blood'' phenomenon.

Picojoule-level supercontinuum generation in thin-film lithium niobate on sapphire.

We demonstrate ultraviolet-to-mid-infrared supercontinuum generation (SCG) inside thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) on sapphire nanowaveguides. This platform combines wavelength-scale confinement and quasi-phasematched nonlinear interactions with a broad transparency window extending from 350 to 4500 nm. Our approach relies on group-velocity-matched second-harmonic generation, which uses an interplay between saturation and a small phase-mismatch to generate a spectrally broadened fundamental and second harmonic using only a few picojoules of in-coupled fundamental pulse energies. As the on-chip pulse energy is increased to tens of picojoules, these nanowaveguides generate harmonics up to the fifth order by a cascade of sum-frequency mixing processes. For in-coupled pulse energies in excess of 25 picojoules, these harmonics merge together to form a supercontinuum spanning 360-2660 nm. We use the overlap between the first two harmonic spectra to detect f-2f beatnotes of the driving laser directly at the waveguide output, which verifies the coherence of the generated harmonics. These results establish TFLN-on-sapphire as a viable platform for generating ultra-broadband coherent light spanning from the ultraviolet to mid-infrared spectral regions.

Optomechanically induced transparency in a hybrid system containing two-level atomic ensemble and optical parametric amplifier

We investigate the physical properties of multiple optomechanically induced transparency in a system. The system consists of two charged mechanical resonators and an optical cavity. An optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and a two-level atom ensemble are filled into the optical cavity. Some physical phenomena appear in the system driven by the probe field and the pump field. The width of transparent windows can be manipulated by the coupling strengths of the system. Specifically, the width of the transparency window increases with an increase in the parametric gain of the optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Furthermore, the number of transparent windows and the location of transparent points are also affected by the system parameters. The presence of two-level atomic ensemble causes the double transparent windows to be split three transparent windows. The Coulomb coupling between the two charged mechanical resonators causes the transparent points to move. Our approach provides a great flexibility for manipulating multiple induced transparency. It is helpful to study the quantum properties of nonlinear optical systems.

Nanofibrous Biomaterial-Based Passive Cooling Paint Structurally Linked by Alkane-Oleate Interactions.

Passive radiative cooling materials, which provide cooling without consuming electricity, are widely recognized as an important technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and delivering thermal comfort to less industrialized communities. Optimizing thermal and optical properties is of primary importance for these materials, but for real-world utilization, ease of application and scalability also require significant emphasis. In this work, we embed the biomaterial hydroxyapatite, in the form of nanoscale fibers, within an oil-based medium to achieve passive cooling from an easy-to-apply paint-like solution. The chemical structure and bonding behaviors of this mixture are studied in detail using FTIR, providing transferable conclusions for pigment-like passive cooling solutions. By reflecting 95% of solar energy and emitting 92% of its radiative output through the atmospheric transparency window, this composite material realizes an average subambient cooling performance of 3.7 °C in outdoor conditions under a mean solar irradiance of 800 W m-2. The inflammability of the material provides enhanced durability as well as unique opportunities for recycling which promote circular economic practices. Finally, the surface structure can be easily altered to tune bonding behaviors and hydrophobicity, making it an ideal passive cooling coating candidate for outdoor applications.

Phase-sensitive large Kerr nonlinearity in semiconductor quantum wells

This paper presents a comprehensive investigation on Kerr nonlinearity in a three-level semiconductor quantum well (SQW) superlattice and validates the existence of large Kerr nonlinearity of the order of [Formula: see text] in the vicinity of an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) window. The Kerr nonlinearity is found to vary with the relative phase of the applied optical fields, and by selecting suitable relative phases, an enhanced Kerr nonlinearity can be obtained. The results may find significant applications in optoelectronic and photonic devices.