The measurement of optical ultrafast laser pulses is done indirectly because the required bandwidth to measure these pulses exceeds the bandwidth of current electronics. As a result, this measurement problem is often posed as a 1-D phase retrieval problem, which is fraught with ambiguities. The phase retrieval method known as ptychography solves this problem by making it possible to measure ultrafast

The terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser (QCL), first demonstrated in 2002, is among the most promising radiation sources in the THz region owing to its high output power and broad frequency coverage from ∼1.3 to ∼5.4 THz and sub-terahertz, without and with assistance of external strong magnetic field. The operation of THz QCLs, however, has thus far been limited to applications below room temperature

The concept of tunneling injection was introduced in the 1990’s to improve the dynamical properties of semiconductor lasers by avoiding the problem of hot carrier injection which increase the gain nonlinearity and hence limit the modulation capabilities. Indeed, tunneling injection led to record modulation speeds in quantum well lasers. Employing tunneling injection in quantum dot lasers is significantly

Over the past few decades, optoelectronic devices have played a crucial role in human life and modern technology. To meet the development trends of the industry, photonics with tunable functions have emerged as building blocks with immense potential in controlling light–matter interactions, sensors, and integrated photonics. Compared with artificially designed materials and physical approaches, stimuli-responsive

Photonic spin and orbital angular momenta, which are determined by the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of photons, are strongly coupled with each other in subwavelength structured metasurfaces. The photonic spin-orbit interaction (PSOI) results in the splitting of the degenerated system states. In this review, we focus on the principles of symmetric PSOI associated with the conjugated geometric

Since the seminal work by J. H. Poynting, light has been known to carry momentum and angular momentum. The typical dynamical features of light and its interactions—termed spin–orbit interactions (SOIs), which have been investigated intensely over the last 30 years—play a crucial role in various light-matter interactions, for example: spin Hall effect, spin–orbit conversion, helicity-controlled unidirectional

Random Lasers (RLs) and Random Fiber Lasers (RFLs) have been the subject of intense research since their first experimental demonstration in 1994 and 2007, respectively. These low coherence light sources rely on multiple scattering of light to provide optical feedback in a medium combining a properly excited gain material and a scattering disordered structure. It is the feedback mechanism which makes

Mid-infrared region (2–20 ​μm) is an important region of electromagnetic spectrum. Most of the molecules including CH4, CO, NO, NO2, C6H6, TNT, NH3, SF6, HNO3, greenhouse gas radiation etc. have their fundamental vibrations in this domain. Thus, the mid-infrared region is known as ‘molecular fingerprint region’ and desirable to get the signature of these molecules. Tellurite and chalcogenide glasses

III-nitride semiconductor laser directly grown on Si is a potential on-chip light source for Si photonics. Moreover, it may greatly lower the manufacture cost of laser diodes and further expand their applications. Therefore, III-nitride lasers grown on Si have been pursued for about two decades. Different from GaN homoepitaxy on free-standing GaN substrates, III-nitride semiconductors grown on Si substrates

Integration of embedded dielectric structures with crystalline III-V materials has generated significant interest, due to a host of important applications and material improvements that are central to high performance optoelectronic devices. The core challenge is the production of high-quality crystalline layers grown above embedded dielectric materials, requiring the growth processes of both lateral

Improving the energy efficiency of electronics is one of the grand challenges of semiconductor device physics, as global energy consumption by electronics grows in tandem with society’s growing reliance on information technology. Computationally intensive applications such as artificial intelligence further incentivizes the improvement of energy efficiency of electronics. At the corpuscular level of

The paper is a review of gas lasers pumped by runaway electrons preionized diffuse discharge (REP DD). The various conditions under which the discharge occurs are described. It is shown that in the presence of the highly non-uniform electric field strength distribution in a gap filled with dense gases, a stable diffuse discharge is ignited without the use of additional sources of ionizing radiation

Abstract III-V semiconductor materials are the basis of photonic devices due to their unique optical properties. There is an increasing demand for fabricating these devices on unconventional substrates for various applications, such as silicon photonic integrated circuits, flexible optoelectronic devices, and ultralow-profile photonics. However, the III-V semiconductor epitaxy often encounters problems

Abstract Selective area epitaxial (SAE) growth of III-V materials and devices by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is selectively reviewed to illustrate the concepts employed in this technology and its most relevant applications. Special focus on the use of SAE use for photonic integration, heterogeneous integration of materials relevant to photonic integration, and nanostructure integration is

Abstract We present a review of selective area epitaxy and its history in the evolution of semiconductor lasers, with a focus on its application at the nanoscale level in the development of quantum dot and nanopore lasers. Recent applications will be discussed including applications to integrated photonics and quantum photonics, such as patterned single-photon sources.

Abstract As a newest family member of the III-nitrides, BN is considered amongst the remaining frontiers in wide energy bandgap semiconductors with potentials for technologically significant applications in deep UV (DUV) optoelectronics, solid-state neutron detectors, electron emitters, single photon emitters, switching/memory devices, and super-capacitors. It was shown that it is possible to produce

Abstract With the advent of the Internet of Things, energy- and bandwidth-related issues are becoming increasingly prominent in the context of supporting the massive connectivity of various smart devices. To this end, we propose that solar cells with the dual functions of energy harvesting and signal acquisition are critical for alleviating energy-related issues and enabling optical wireless communication

Abstract The ultrafast, reversible, nonvolatile and multistimuli responsive phase change of Ge-Sb-Te (GST) alloy makes it an interesting “smart” material. The optical features of GST undergo significant variation when its state changes between amorphous and crystalline, meaning that they are useful for tuning photonic components. A GST phase change material (PCM) can be efficiently triggered by stimuli

Abstract Lasers based on erbium ions using 4I11/2 ​→ ​4I13/2 transition can generate laser radiation in the spectral range from 2.7 ​μm to 3 ​μm. Since the strong absorption peak of water is located at 3 ​μm, there has been an effort to develop a suitable laser source for various medical applications, e.g. dentistry, dermatology, urology, or surgery. Laser radiation from this wavelength range can also

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology(KAUST) baseline funding, BAS/1/1614-01-01.

Abstract Biosensor technology is a quite attractive and rapidly developing research field in recent years, and the sub field of optical photonic crystal (PC) biosensor based on label free sensing technology has also made great progress in this period. This review mainly concentrates on advances in the label free refractometric sensing based two dimensional (2D) PC slab biosensors particularly in the

Abstract Underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) is an emerging and feasible underwater communication technology and has developed rapidly in recent years. Building a high-performance and practical UWOC system requires comprehensive consideration and optimization design from the device to the system, as well as from the internal modulation to the external environment. This paper provides an

Abstract We report on the first watt-level ultrafast laser inscribed Thulium waveguide (WG) lasers. Depressed-index buried channel WGs with a circular cladding (type III) are produced in monoclinic Tm3+:KLu(WO4)2 crystals. Laser operation is achieved under conventional (3H6 → 3H4) and in-band (3H6 → 3F4) pumping. In the former case, employing a Raman fiber laser emitting at 1679 ​nm as pump, the continuous-wave

Abstract Rectifying antennas are often prensented as a potentiel technological breakthrough for energy harvesting. First theorized in the 1970’s, the downsizing of an antenna coupled with a rectifier has become technologically achievable with the progresses of fabrication techniques such as electron beam or photolithography. However, reaching infrared or visible region of the electromagnetic spectra

Abstract The degree of spectral coherence characterizes the spectral purity of light. It can be equivalently expressed in the time domain by the decay time τ or the quality factor Q of the light-emitting oscillator, the coherence time τ coh or length l coh of emitted light or, via Fourier transformation to the frequency domain, the linewidth Δν of emitted light. We quantify these parameters for the

Abstract Ultrafast femtosecond mode-locked fiber laser plays an indispensable role in medical imaging, space ranging, ophthalmology, terahertz spectroscopy, material micromachining, and so on. It’s not only an important tool for people to explore the world, but also a pillar field of laser technology. This review present the generation of femtosecond pulses in ultrafast mode-locked fiber lasers using

Abstract Micro light-emitting diode (micro-LED) display, mainly based on inorganic GaN-based LED, is an emerging technique with high contrast, low power consumption, long lifetime and fast response time compared to liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Therefore, many research institutes and companies have conducted in-depth research on micro-LED in the full-colour

Abstract In this paper we review the field of terahertz (THz) sources which make use of the nonlinear, stimulated polariton scattering (SPS) process. A historical perspective of the technology is offered, in addition to an investigation of modern SPS-based THz sources. Breakthroughs in these source technologies have coincided with rapid developments in laser technology over the past 10 years. We are

Abstract Blue LEDs and HEMTs based on III-Nitride have been flourishing commercially across the globe, thanks largely to breakthroughs in the material quality of the wide-bandgap compound semiconductor back in the 1990s. The realizations of white-light LEDs, blu-ray systems, and lately efficient compact chargers have drastically changed the way we live and have contributed tremendously to global energy

Abstract This paper reviews the field of microwave photonics instantaneous frequency measurements (IFM). It aims to consolidate the literature, explains the key implementations and reviews the recent developments. Current photonic IFMs are capable of operating over a wide bandwidth with a good resolution. However, their implementations are often based on discrete components and exhibit limited dynamic

Abstract The development of the HgCdTe alloy as the most important intrinsic semiconductor for infrared (IR) technology is well established and recognized. In spite of the achievements in material and device quality, the drawbacks still exist due to bulk and surface instability, lower yields and higher costs particularly in fabrication of long wavelength infrared arrays. The difficulties with this

Abstract Cr: Colquiriite laser materials (Cr:LiCAF, Cr:LiSAF, Cr:LiSGaF) own broad absorption bands in the visible region that allow direct-diode pumping by well-developed low-cost red diodes. Moreover, they possess broad emission bands in the near infrared that enable widely tunable laser operation (720–1110 nm), and generation of sub-10-fs light pulses via mode-locking. Furthermore, Cr: Colquiriite

Abstract Recent advances in the development of quantum dots (QDs) have offered new possibilities for the exploration of sensors, bio imaging, batteries, electrochemical water splitting and optoelectronic applications because of their intriguing optical, electrical, catalytic and electrochemical properties. Among QDs, atomically thin two-dimensional quantum dots (2D QDs) derived from graphene sheets

Abstract Visible wavelength light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs) enabled optical wireless communication (OWC) is an emerging technology for realizing high-confidentiality and high-speed point-to-point (PtP), vehicle-to-vehicle, and white-lighting data access links in indoor/outdoor free-space and underwater environments. Notably, OWC facilitates users to access more transmission bandwidth

Abstract Electromagnetic (EM) metamaterials are artificially engineered media composed of subwavelength unit cells, which achieve exotic EM properties beyond the limits of natural materials and provide great freedom to manipulate EM waves. Here, we review the recent progress on metamaterials in terms of three aspects: effective medium metamaterials, plasmonic metamaterials, and information metamaterials

Abstract Development of Si photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has been impeded due to lack of efficient Si-based light-emitting sources. Because of their indirect bandgap, bulk Ge and Si are very inefficient at emitting light. Therefore, direct-bandgap III-V semiconductors have been extensively exploited for the active region of the lasers for PICs. Heterogeneous and monolithic integration of III-V

Abstract Plasmons, the electromagnetic excitations coupled with electron waves, possess the intrinsic ability of manipulating light at subwavelength scales down to picometer. This ability not only helps uncovering the fascinating quantum behaviors that strengthen the basic understanding of quantum science, but also enables the inventions of various quantum optoelectronic devices, triggering the birth

The optical microresonators reviewed in this paper are called bottle microresonators because their profile often resembles an elongated spheroid or a microscopic bottle. These resonators are commonly fabricated from an optical fiber by variation of its radius. Generally, variation of the bottle microresonator (BMR) radius along the fiber axis can be quite complex presenting, e.g., a series of coupled

The applications of light absorbers concern photodetectors, optical filters, solar applications or flexible electronics. In this review, we will detail the application of such light absorbers and we will develop the main demonstrations of the use of metallic nanoparticles embedded within a host matrix to fabricate coatings aiming at harvesting light. We will explain how chemically syn-thetized silver

Abstract In this review, we describe dielectric properties of biological tissues and liquids in the context of terahertz (THz) biophotonics. We discuss a model of the THz dielectric permittivity of water and water-containing media, which yields analysis of the relaxation and damped resonant molecules modes. We briefly describe modern techniques of THz spectroscopy and imaging employed in biophotonics

Abstract Since the first observation of stimulated emission from colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) in year 2000, tremendous progress has been made in developing solution-processed lasers from colloidal semiconductor nanostructures in terms of both understanding the fundamental physics and improving the device performance. In this review paper, we will start with a brief introduction about the fabrication

Abstract Intriguing intrinsic properties of light quanta and related topics are reviewed by emphasizing the self-consistency of light-matter interactions and open nano-systems dynamics. It is pointed out that there still remain fundamental and challenging issues related to quantization of a finite nano-system interacting with a massive (i.e., localized) photon field,as well as with a hierarchical or

Abstract Ideal integrated light emitters for optical interconnects should be compact in size, high in modulation bandwidth, efficient in energy consumption and tunable in frequency. Nanolasers are excellent candidates for such an application. In this article, we review and offer further in-depth analyses in three key aspects of recent nanolaser research, including second order intensity correlation

Abstract Combustion is one of the most dominant energy conversion processes used in all areas of human life, but global concerns over exhaust gas pollution and greenhouse gas emission have stimulated further development of the process. Lean combustion and exhaust gas recirculation are approaches to improve the efficiency and to reduce pollutant emissions; however, such measures impede reliable ignition

Abstract GaN is a great material for making optoelectronic devices in the blue, blue-violet and green bands. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have many advantages including small footprint, circular symmetry of output beam, two-dimensional scalability and/or addressability, surface-mount packaging, good price-performance ratio, and simple optics/alignment for output coupling. In this

For over half a century, laser technology has undergone a technological revolution. These technologies, particularly semiconductor lasers, are employed in a myriad of fields. Optical medical diagnostics, one of the emerging areas of laser application, are on the forefront of application around the world. Optical methods of non- or minimally invasive bio-tissue investigation offer significant advantages

Abstract Optical Coherent Multidimensional Spectroscopy (CMDS) has been developed to probe the electronic states of a diverse range of complex systems. The great advantage of CMDS over linear spectroscopy is the ability to separate and quantify different types of interactions. To do this, multiple carefully controlled femtosecond laser pulses drive a non-linear response in the sample. A specific component

Abstract We review recent research on nonlinear optical interactions in optical-fiber nanowires (OFNs) with sub-micron transverse dimensions. Such OFNs, which are fabricated from standard optical fibers, offer numerous beneficial optical and mechanical properties, including strong evanescent fields, high flexibility and configurability, a small mass, and low-loss interconnection to other optical fibers

Abstract The topological phase of matter, originally proposed and first demonstrated in fermionic electronic systems, has drawn considerable research attention in the past decades due to its robust transport of edge states and its potential with respect to future quantum information, communication, and computation. Recently, searching for such a unique material phase in bosonic systems has become a

Abstract This article reviews recent progress in theoretical studies of dressed photons. For providing concrete physical images of dressed photons, several experimental studies are demonstrated. They are applications of dressed photons to novel optical functional devices, nano-fabrication technologies, energy conversion technologies, and photon breeding devices. After these experimental demonstrations

Abstract The lack of wireless spectrum in the radio frequency bands has led to a rapid growth in research in wireless networking using light, known as LiFi (light fidelity). In this paper an overview of the subsystems, challenges and techniques required to achieve this is presented.

Abstract Interaction between light and materials is essential in the physics underlying all optical devices, including light emitting devices such as light emitting diodes and lasers, photo-voltaic devices, and photo-synthesis systems. The demand for higher light utilization efficiency is becoming increasingly important for advanced optical devices. This is because, when feature size is smaller than

Abstract The distributed quantum network, in which nodes comprising small but well-controlled quantum states are entangled via photonic channels, has in recent years emerged as a strategy for delivering a range of quantum technologies including secure communications, enhanced sensing and scalable quantum computing. Colour centres in diamond are amongst the most promising candidates for nodes fabricated

Abstract For over 55 years, laser technology has expanded from laboratory research to widespread fields, for example telecommunication and data storage amongst others. Recently application of lasers in biology and medicine presents itself as one of the emerging areas. In this review, we will outline the recent advances in using lasers for the generation of singlet oxygen, traditionally used to kill

Quantum optics is the study of the intrinsically quantum properties of light. During the second part of the 20th century experimental and theoretical progress developed together; nowadays quantum optics provides a testbed of many fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics such as coherence and quantum entanglement. Quantum optics helped trigger, both directly and indirectly, the birth of quantum technologies

Sir Peter Knight is a pioneer in quantum optics which has now grown to an important branch of modern physics to study the foundations and applications of quantum physics. He is leading an effort to develop new technologies from quantum mechanics. In this collection of essays, we recall the time we were working with him as a postdoc or a PhD student and look at how the time with him has influenced our

Abstract Perovskite solar cell research has been attracting increasing attention in recent years. In this review paper, we will provide an overview of the recent developments in terms of material composition, deposition techniques, and the device architecture (the choice of charge transport layers and electrodes). Then, we will critically discuss some of the major problems, namely device stability

Abstract The essential functionality of photonic and electronic devices is contained in thin surface layers leaving the substrate often to play primarily a mechanical role. Layer transfer of optimised devices or materials and their heterogeneous integration is thus a very attractive strategy to realise high performance, low-cost circuits for a wide variety of new applications. Additionally, new device

Abstract This paper will review the coupling by stimulated Raman scattering between two laser fields and its dependence on the spectral properties of those fields. We describe the coupling in terms of an effective Raman gain that depends on the fields’ linewidths, the material dispersion, and specific experimental conditions. The aim is to provide an intuitive understanding of this behaviour, by presenting