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Entanglement and correlation of quantum light can enhance LiDAR sensitivity in the presence of strong background noise. However, the power of such quantum sources is fundamentally limited to a stream of single photons and cannot compete with the detection range of high-power classical LiDAR transmitters. To circumvent this, we develop and demonstrate a quantum-inspired LiDAR prototype based on coherent measurement of classical time-frequency correlation. This system uses a high-power classical source and maintains the high noise rejection advantage of quantum LiDARs. In particular, we show that it can achieve over 100dB rejection (with 100ms integration time) of indistinguishable (with statistically identical properties in every degree of freedom) in-band noise while still being sensitive to single photon signals. In addition to the LiDAR demonstration, we also discuss the potential of the proposed LiDAR receiver for quantum information applications. In particular, we propose the chaotic quantum frequency conversion technique for coherent manipulation of high dimensional quantum states of light. It is shown that this technique can provide improved performance in terms of selectivity and efficiency as compared to pulse-based quantum frequency conversion., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion are essential for optical quantum information processing, in which the quality of biphoton states is crucial for the performance. To engineer the biphoton wave function (BWF) on-chip, the pump envelope function and the phase matching function are commonly adjusted, while the modal field overlap has been considered as a constant in the frequency range of interest. In this work, by using modal coupling in a system of coupled waveguides, we explore the modal field overlap as a new degree of freedom for biphoton engineering. We provide design examples for on-chip generations of polarization entangled photons and heralded single photons. This strategy can be applied to waveguides of different materials and structures, offering new possibilities for photonic quantum state engineering.

Non-local effects have the potential to radically move forward quantum enhanced imaging to provide an advantage over classical imaging not only in laboratory environments but practical implementation. In this work, we demonstrate a 43dB higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using a quantum enhanced LiDAR based on time-frequency entanglement compared with a classical phase-insensitive quantum imaging system. Our system can tolerate more than 3 orders of magnitude higher noise than classical single-photon counting quantum imaging systems before detector saturation with a detector dead time of 25ns. To achieve these advantages, we use non-local cancellation of dispersion to take advantage of the strong temporal correlations in photon pairs in spite of the orders of magnitude larger detector temporal uncertainty. We go on to incorporate this scheme with purpose-built scanning collection optics to image non-reflecting targets in an environment with noise., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This Letter presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of a narrow-linewidth ∼790-800 n m edge-emitting semiconductor distributed feedback Bragg reflection waveguide diode laser ( D F B 2 R L ). The D F B 2 R L s were fabricated using a ridge waveguide structure with 5th order, surface-etched grating forming the wavelength selective element. Unbonded devices with a 500 µm cavity length exhibited continuous wave threshold currents in the region of 25 mA with an output power of 2.5 mW per (uncoated) facet at 100 mA drive current. The devices operated in a single longitudinal mode, with side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) as high as 49 dB and linewidths as low as 207 kHz. Devices maintained single mode operation with high SMSR over a 9 nm wavelength range as the temperature was swept from 15°C to 50°C.

In this work, we develop a design methodology to generate spectrally pure photon pairs in asymmetric heterogeneously coupled waveguides by spontaneous parametric down conversion. Mode coupling in a system of waveguides is used to directly tailor the group velocity of a supermode to achieve group velocity matching that is otherwise not allowed by material dispersion. Design examples based on thin film lithium niobate waveguides are provided, demonstrating high spectral purity and temperature tunability. This approach is a versatile strategy applicable to waveguides of different materials and structures, allowing more versatility in single-photon source designs.

Schottky photodetectors are attractive for CMOS-compatible photonic integrated circuits, but the inability to simultaneously optimize the metal emitter thickness for photon absorption and hot carrier emission limits the detection efficiency and sensitivity. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a supermode hybridization waveguiding effect that can overcome the trade-off. By introducing structural asymmetry into coupled plasmonic nanostructures, hybridization-induced field enhancement can help ultrathin metal emitters to achieve greater optical absorption than bulk counterparts. Despite the use of amorphous materials with higher transport losses, our hybridized Schottky detectors demonstrate higher responsivity per device volume compared to crystalline-based and unhybridized Schottky designs with broadband (1.5-1.6 μm) and athermal (15-100 °C) behavior as well as record sensitivity of -55 dBm that approaches Ge counterparts that are 36 times larger. The hybridization effect can be utilized across diverse nanomaterial platforms to facilitate light-matter interaction, paving the way toward backend-compatible, chip-integrated photonics with greater manufacturing flexibility.

Nanostructured forms of stoichiometric In 2 O 3 are proving to be efficacious catalysts for the gas-phase hydrogenation of CO 2 . These conversions can be facilitated using either heat or light; however, until now, the limited optical absorption intensity evidenced by the pale-yellow color of In 2 O 3 has prevented the use of both together. To take advantage of the heat and light content of solar energy, it would be advantageous to make indium oxide black. Herein, we present a synthetic route to tune the color of In 2 O 3 to pitch black by controlling its degree of non-stoichiometry. Black indium oxide comprises amorphous non-stoichiometric domains of In 2 O 3-x on a core of crystalline stoichiometric In 2 O 3 , and has 100% selectivity towards the hydrogenation of CO 2 to CO with a turnover frequency of 2.44 s -1 .

Guided-wave plasmonic circuits are promising platforms for sensing, interconnection, and quantum applications in the subdiffraction regime. Nonetheless, the loss-confinement trade-off remains a collective bottleneck for plasmonic-enhanced optical processes. Here, we report a unique plasmonic waveguide architecture that can alleviate such trade-off and improve the efficiencies of plasmonic-based emission, light-matter-interaction, and detection simultaneously. Specifically, record experimental attributes such as normalized Purcell factor approaching 10 4 , 10 dB amplitude modulation with <1 dB insertion loss and fJ-level switching energy, and photodetection sensitivity and internal quantum efficiency of -54 dBm and 6.4% respectively have been realized within our amorphous-based, coupled-mode plasmonic structure. The ability to support multiple optoelectronic phenomena while providing performance gains over existing plasmonic and dielectric counterparts offers a clear path toward reconfigurable, monolithic plasmonic circuits.

We have designed and fabricated a monolithic semiconductor ring laser based on a Bragg waveguide structure. Through careful control of the waveguiding, we have overcome the inherent "leaky" nature of this waveguide mode and demonstrated a ring laser lasing in the Bragg mode. Best behavior was obtained from lasers with a diameter of 400 µm, where they exhibited output power ${ \gt }{1}\;{\rm mW}$>1mW, in continuous wave (CW) operation. A tangent waveguide provided access to the ring cavity using two ports through evanescent coupling. To meet the stringent waveguiding requirements imposed by the Bragg structure, a two-step etching process, consisting of a shallow-etched coupler and a deep-etched bend section of the ring, was developed in order to reduce the bend and scattering losses. The laser showed a threshold current density of ${\sim}{2.2}\;{{\rm kA/cm}^2}$∼2.2kA/cm 2 in CW operation with single longitudinal mode operation with a signal-to-noise ratio of 30 dBm obtained at 1.5 ${I&#95;{\rm th}}$I th . Broadband phase-matching of $\chi ^{(2)}$χ (2) nonlinearity is observed, offering self-pumped parametric C-band conversion ${ \gt }{40}\;{\rm nm}$>40nm with efficiency of ${142}\% \;{{\rm W}^{ - 1}}\;{{\rm cm}^{ - 2}}$142%W -1 cm -2 .

We present a modular design for integrated programmable multimode sources of arbitrary Gaussian states of light. The technique is based on current technologies, in particular recent demonstrations of on-chip photon manipulation and the generation of highly squeezed vacuum states in semiconductors. While the design is generic and independent of the choice of integrated platform, we adopt recent experimental results on compound semiconductors as a demonstrative example. Such a device would be valuable as a source for many quantum protocols that range from imaging to communication and information processing.

This study has designed and implemented a library of hetero-nanostructured catalysts, denoted as Pd@Nb 2 O 5 , comprised of size-controlled Pd nanocrystals interfaced with Nb 2 O 5 nanorods. This study also demonstrates that the catalytic activity and selectivity of CO 2 reduction to CO and CH 4 products can be systematically tailored by varying the size of the Pd nanocrystals supported on the Nb 2 O 5 nanorods. Using large Pd nanocrystals, this study achieves CO and CH 4 production rates as high as 0.75 and 0.11 mol h -1 g Pd -1 , respectively. By contrast, using small Pd nanocrystals, a CO production rate surpassing 18.8 mol h -1 g Pd -1 is observed with 99.5% CO selectivity. These performance metrics establish a new milestone in the champion league of catalytic nanomaterials that can enable solar-powered gas-phase heterogeneous CO 2 reduction. The remarkable control over the catalytic performance of Pd@Nb 2 O 5 is demonstrated to stem from a combination of photothermal, electronic and size effects, which is rationally tunable through nanochemistry.

Germanium nanocrystals (ncGe) have not received as much attention as silicon nanocrystals (ncSi). However, Ge has demonstrated superiority over Si nanomaterials in some applications. Examples include, high charge-discharge rate lithium-ion batteries, small band-gap opto-electronic devices, and photo-therapeutics. When stabilized in an oxide matrix (ncGe/GeO x ), its high charge-retention has enabled non-volatile memories. It has also found utility as a high-capacity anode material for Li-ion batteries with impressive stability. Herein, we report an organic-free synthesis of size-controlled ncGe in a GeO x matrix as well as freestanding ncGe, via the thermal disproportionation of GeO prepared from thermally induced dehydration of Ge(OH) 2 . The photothermal effect of ncGe, quantified by Raman spectroscopy, is found to be size dependent and superior to ncSi. This advance suggests applications of ncGe in photothermal therapy, desalination, and catalysis., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The organization of nanoparticles in constrained geometries is an area of fundamental and practical importance. Spherical confinement of nanocolloids leads to new modes of packing, self-assembly, phase separation and relaxation of colloidal liquids; however, it remains an unexplored area of research for colloidal liquid crystals. Here we report the organization of cholesteric liquid crystal formed by nanorods in spherical droplets. For cholesteric suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals, with progressive confinement, we observe phase separation into a micrometer-size isotropic droplet core and a cholesteric shell formed by concentric nanocrystal layers. Further confinement results in a transition to a bipolar planar cholesteric morphology. The distribution of polymer, metal, carbon or metal oxide nanoparticles in the droplets is governed by the nanoparticle size and yields cholesteric droplets exhibiting fluorescence, plasmonic properties and magnetic actuation. This work advances our understanding of how the interplay of order, confinement and topological defects affects the morphology of soft matter.

Silicon constitutes 28% of the earth's mass. Its high abundance, lack of toxicity and low cost coupled with its electrical and optical properties, make silicon unique among the semiconductors for converting sunlight into electricity. In the quest for semiconductors that can make chemicals and fuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide, unfortunately the best performers are invariably made from rare and expensive elements. Here we report the observation that hydride-terminated silicon nanocrystals with average diameter 3.5 nm, denoted ncSi:H, can function as a single component heterogeneous reducing agent for converting gaseous carbon dioxide selectively to carbon monoxide, at a rate of hundreds of μmol h(-1) g(-1). The large surface area, broadband visible to near infrared light harvesting and reducing power of SiH surface sites of ncSi:H, together play key roles in this conversion. Making use of the reducing power of nanostructured hydrides towards gaseous carbon dioxide is a conceptually distinct and commercially interesting strategy for making fuels directly from sunlight.

The reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction driven by Nb 2 O 5 nanorod-supported Pd nanocrystals without external heating using visible and near infrared (NIR) light is demonstrated. By measuring the dependence of the RWGS reaction rates on the intensity and spectral power distribution of filtered light incident onto the nanostructured Pd@Nb 2 O 5 catalyst, it is determined that the RWGS reaction is activated photothermally. That is the RWGS reaction is initiated by heat generated from thermalization of charge carriers in the Pd nanocrystals that are excited by interband and intraband absorption of visible and NIR light. Taking advantage of this photothermal effect, a visible and NIR responsive Pd@Nb 2 O 5 hybrid catalyst that efficiently hydrogenates CO 2 to CO at an impressive rate as high as 1.8 mmol gcat -1 h -1 is developed. The mechanism of this photothermal reaction involves H 2 dissociation on Pd nanocrystals and subsequent spillover of H to the Nb 2 O 5 nanorods whereupon adsorbed CO 2 is hydrogenated to CO. This work represents a significant enhancement in our understanding of the underlying mechanism of photothermally driven CO 2 reduction and will help guide the way toward the development of highly efficient catalysts that exploit the full solar spectrum to convert gas-phase CO 2 to valuable chemicals and fuels.

Generating entangled photons from a monolithic chip is a major milestone towards real-life applications of optical quantum information processing including quantum key distribution and quantum computing. Ultrabroadband entangled photons are of particular interest to various applications such as quantum metrology and multi-party entanglement distribution. In this work, we demonstrate the direct generation of broadband wavelength-multiplexed polarization entangled photons from a semiconductor chip for the first time. Without the use of any off-chip compensation or interferometry, entangled photons with a signal-idler separation as large as 95 nm in the telecom band were observed. The highest concurrence of 0.98±0.01 achieved in this work is also the highest, to the best of our knowledge, comparing to all previously demonstrated semiconductor waveguide sources. This work paves the way for fully integrated, ultrabroadband sources of polarization entangled photons.

We investigate the electro-optic properties of black phosphorus (BP) thin films for optical modulation in the mid-infrared frequencies. Our calculation indicates that an applied out-of-plane electric field may lead to red-, blue-, or bidirectional shift in BP's absorption edge. This is due to the interplay between the field-induced quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh effect and the Pauli-blocked Burstein-Moss shift. The relative contribution of the two electro-absorption mechanisms depends on doping range, operating wavelength, and BP film thickness. For proof-of concept, simple modulator configuration with BP overlaid over a silicon nanowire is studied. Simulation results show that operating BP in the quantum-confined Franz-Keldysh regime can improve the maximal attainable absorption as well as power efficiency compared to its graphene counterpart.

While silicon nanocrystals (ncSi) embedded in silicon dioxide thin films have been intensively studied in physics, the potential of batch synthesis of silicon nanocrystals from the solid-state disproportionation of SiO powder has not drawn much attention in chemistry. Herein we describe some remarkable effects observed in the diffraction, microscopy and spectroscopy of SiO powder upon thermal processing in the temperature range 850-1100 °C. Quantum confinement effects and structural changes of the material related to the size of the silicon nanocrystals nucleated and grown in this way were established by Photoluminescence (PL), Raman, FTIR and UV-Visible spectroscopy, PXRD and STEM, pinpointing that the most significant disproportionation transformations happened in the temperature range between 900 and 950 °C. With this know-how a high yield synthesis was developed that produced polydispersions of decyl-capped, hexane-soluble silicon nanocrystals predominantly with near infrared (NIR) PL. Using size-selective precipitation, these polydispersions were separated into monodisperse fractions, which allowed their PL absolute quantum yield (AQY) to be studied as a function of silicon nanocrystal size. This investigation yielded volcano-shaped plots for the AQY confirming the most efficient PL wavelength for ncSi to be located at around 820-830 nm, which corresponded to a size of 3.5-4.0 nm. This work provides opportunities for applications of size-selected near infrared emitting silicon nanocrystals in biomedical imaging and photothermal therapy.

In the search for induced chiral plasmonic activity, cholesteric films formed by cellulose nanocrystals have attracted great interest as potential hosts for plasmonic nanoparticles. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the composite films exhibit two peaks, one of which is ascribed to the cholesteric host and the other one to plasmonic chiroptical activity of the plasmonic nanoparticles. Here we report the results of comprehensive studies of extinction and CD properties of composite films formed by different types of cellulose nanocrystals and different types of plasmonic nanoparticles. We show that the second peak in the CD spectra acquired using CD spectrometers appears as the result of the local reduction of the CD signal of the host material, due to excessive absorption by the nanoparticles, and thus it cannot be interpreted as induced plasmonic chiroptical activity. Instead, we propose an alternative way to measure CD spectra of plasmonic cholesteric films by using Mueller matrix transmission ellipsometry. The results of this study are important for ongoing research in the field of chiral plasmonics and for the optical characterization of a broad range of chiral nematic nanostructured materials.

The balance between extinction ratio (ER) and insertion loss (IL) dictates strict trade-off when designing travelling-wave electro-optic modulators. This in turn entails significant compromise in device footprint (L3dB) or energy consumption (E). In this work, we report a nanoscale modulator architecture that alleviates this trade-off while providing dynamic reconfigurability that was previously unattainable. This is achieved with the aide of three mechanisms: (1) Utilization of epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) effect, which maximizes the attainable attenuation that an ultra-thin active material can inflict on an optical mode. (2) Non-resonant coupled-plasmonic structure which supports modes with athermal long-range propagation. (3) Triode-like biasing scheme for flexible manipulation of field symmetry and subsequently waveguide attributes. By electrically inducing indium tin oxide (ITO) to be in a local ENZ state, we show that a Si/ITO/HfO2/Al/HfO2/ITO/Si coupled-plasmonic waveguide can provide amplitude modulation with ER = 4.83 dB/μm, IL = 0.03 dB/μm, L3dB = 622 nm, and E = 14.8 fJ, showing at least an order of magnitude improvement in modulator figure-of-merit and power efficiency compared to other waveguide platforms. Employing different biasing permutations, the same waveguide can then be reconfigured for phase and 4-quadrature-amplitude modulation, with actively device length of only 5.53 μm and 17.78  μm respectively.

Spatial control of the conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is demonstrated through the use of ultraviolet (UV) exposure. With appropriate UV exposure, electrical characterization shows that the in-plane sheet resistance of PEDOT:PSS films is increased by 4 orders of magnitude compared to unexposed regions. Characterization of the films using Raman spectroscopy identifies a significant reduction of the inter-ring stretching modes between PEDOT monomers and a morphological shift from the quinoid to benzoid form of PEDOT. Additional analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicates a reduction in film doping and a decrease in C═C vibrational modes that are associated with PEDOT oligomer length. Height and phase images of these films obtained from atomic force microscopy exhibit a loss of phase segregation in the film between the PEDOT grains and PSS regions. Spectroscopic ellipsometry highlights an increase in both the real and imaginary components of the index upon UV exposure. This broad range of analysis consistently suggests that the increased resistivity can be attributed to a significant reduction in material doping caused by scission-driven decomposition of the conductive PEDOT chains. When flood exposure is combined with the use of an appropriate UV blocking mask, patterning in the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS films can be realized. In contrast to other patterning approaches, no resist development or etching is required for the electrical isolation of certain regions. To demonstrate the efficacy of this process, an organic light emitting diode was fabricated with UV-patterned PEDOT:PSS as a hole transport layer. The regions of unexposed PEDOT:PSS produced electroluminescence, whereas those exposed to UV remained unlit, enabling the realization of pixelated illumination with no removal of material.

We propose and demonstrate a technique to stabilize pulse generation based on gain-induced four wave mixing (FWM) via injection locking with no feedback. Robust and low-phase noise pulse generation was achieved. Pulse-train generation from 230 MHz to ∼76  GHz with a linewidth of ∼1  Hz is experimentally demonstrated. The injection locking effectively narrows the linewidth of the generated pulse by four orders of magnitude. The fiber ring cavity reduces the sideband phase noise by 100 times and suppresses the residual injection signal by three orders of magnitude.

We report on the generation of continuous-wave widely tunable light between 2360 and 2530 nm using difference-frequency generation with a pump tuned between 938 and 952 nm and a signal tuned between 1490 and 1590 nm in a type-II phase-matched monolithic semiconductor waveguide. The device internal conversion efficiency is estimated to be 0.29%  W(-1)  cm(-2). This design which uses a single-sided Bragg reflection waveguide has the potential for on-chip spectroscopy, as well as environmental monitoring applications, where a tunable source of coherent radiation tuned between 2 and 3 μm wavelength is desired.

We propose and demonstrate a technique to generate low-noise broadly tunable single-side-band microwaves using cascaded semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) using no RF bias. The proposed technique uses no RF components and is based on polarization-state controlled gain-induced four-wave mixing in SOAs. Microwave generation from 40 to 875 GHz with a line-width ~22 KHz is experimentally demonstrated.

Phase matching in a multilayer AlGaAs waveguide is used to generate mid-IR (7.5-8.5 μm) light through difference frequency generation (DFG) between a 1550 nm pump and 1950 nm signal. This represents the longest wavelength generated through DFG in a 2D waveguide mode in a semiconductor waveguide. It was produced with an efficiency of 1.2×10(-4) %/W in a 1 mm long sample. The process is shown to be tunable across >2 μm through appropriate tuning of the input pump and signal wavelengths and/or waveguide geometry, and is therefore a viable platform for monolithic, tunable, mid-IR sources.

Alginate is a biofilm exopolysaccharide secreted by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa that acts to prevent the diffusion of antibiotics toward the bacterial cell membrane. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAPs) have been increasingly recognized as a viable alternative for prospective antimicrobial agents. The D-isomer chiral counterparts of active L-isomer CAPs tend to show slightly greater antimicrobial activities because bacteria lack proteases to hydrolyze the unnatural D-isomers. Using an enantiomeric pair of synthetic CAPs designed in our laboratory (L-4Leu in the sequence KKKKKKALFALWLAFLA-NH2 and its D-analog D-4Leu), we studied the binding and interactions of Lvs. D-isomers of CAPs with alginate using circular dichroism and Raman spectroscopic techniques. We found that the peptide D-4Leu underwent a more rapid structural transition over time from an initial alginate-induced α-helical conformation to a less soluble β-sheet conformation than L-4Leu, indicating that the D-isomer of this peptide has a relatively greater affinity for alginate. Through Raman spectroscopy it was observed that Raman modes at 1297 cm-1 and 1453 cm-1 wavenumbers were found to differ between the spectra obtained from the insoluble complexes formed between L-4Leu vs. D-4Leu and alginate. These modes were tentatively assigned to CH, and CH3 deformation modes, respectively. Our findings reveal previously undetected subtleties in the binding of this diastereomeric pair of peptides in the microenvironment of a biofilm exopolysaccharide, and provide guidelines for future development of antimicrobial peptides.

A simple all-optical pulse generation technique based on gain-induced four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier is introduced. The introduced concept is theoretically investigated and experimentally demonstrated. For a concept demonstration, 10 GHz and 42.5 GHz pulse trains are generated. A 20 nm central wavelength tunability is achieved.

Creating miniature chip scale implementations of optical quantum information protocols is a dream for many in the quantum optics community. This is largely because of the promise of stability and scalability. Here we present a monolithically integratable chip architecture upon which is built a photonic device primitive called a Bragg reflection waveguide (BRW). Implemented in gallium arsenide, we show that, via the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion, the BRW is capable of directly producing polarization entangled photons without additional path difference compensation, spectral filtering or post-selection. After splitting the twin-photons immediately after they emerge from the chip, we perform a variety of correlation tests on the photon pairs and show non-classical behaviour in their polarization. Combined with the BRW's versatile architecture our results signify the BRW design as a serious contender on which to build large scale implementations of optical quantum processing devices.

Oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs) that have four repeats of the human telomeric sequence d(TTAGGG)(n) can assume multiple monomolecular G-quadruplex topologies. These are determined by the cation species present, the bases at the 5' or 3' end, and the sample preparation technique. In this work, we report our studies of the concentration dependence of the circular dichroism (CD) and the vibrational modes probed by Raman scattering of three previously characterized monomolecular G-quadruplexes: H-Tel, d[5'-A(GGGTTA)(3)GGG-3']; hybrid-1, d[5'-AAA(GGGTTA)(3)GGGAA-3']; and hybrid-2, d[5'-TTA(GGGTTA)(3)GGGTT-3']. At high (millimolar) ODN concentrations, we observed a transformation of the CD spectrum of H-Tel, with a relaxation time on the order of 10 h. Analysis of the kinetics of this process is consistent with the formation of an aggregated complex of folded H-Tel monomers. Upon dilution, the aggregates dissociate rapidly, yielding spectra identical to those of monomeric H-Tel. Both hybrid sequences undergo a similar transition under high-salt (1 M) conditions. The measurements suggest that for these ODN concentrations, which are typically used in high-resolution spectroscopies, the monomolecular G-quadruplex structures undergo a transition to multimolecular structures at room temperature. Guided by our findings, we propose that the terminal bases of the hybrid-1 and hybrid-2 ODNs impede the formation of these aggregates; however, in solutions containing 1 M salt, the hybrid oligonucleotides aggregate.

A technique to generate polarization entangled photons using concurrent type-I and type-0 second-order nonlinear processes in monolithic Bragg reflection waveguides is presented and analyzed. Concurrent phase matching is achieved by lithographic tuning of the waveguide ridge width. Nearly perfect entanglement is achievable on-chip through appropriate epistructure design without the need of spectral filtering and group velocity compensation. Theoretical calculations predict that a high quantum interference visibility could be experimentally achieved with the pair generation rate of each process being approximately 3.0×10(6) pairs/s/mW/GHz.

In this Letter, we demonstrate the efficacy of hollow core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs) as a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) platform for investigating the ligand exchange process on the surface of gold nanoparticles. Raman measurements carried out using this platform show the capability to monitor minute amounts of surface ligands on gold nanoparticles used as an SERS substrate. The SERS signal from an HCPCF exhibits a tenfold enhancement compared to that in a direct sampling scheme using a cuvette. Using exchange of cytotoxic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide with α-methoxy-ω-mercaptopoly(ethylene glycol) on the surface of gold nanorods as an exemplary system, we show the feasibility of using HCPCF SERS to monitor the change in surface chemistry of nanoparticles.

We propose and investigate an ultra-wideband leaky-wave antenna that operates at optical frequencies for the purpose of efficient energy coupling between localized nanoscale optical circuits and the far-field. The antenna consists of an optically narrow aluminum slot on a silicon substrate. We analyze its far-field radiation pattern in the spectral region centered around 1550 nm with a 50% bandwidth ranging from 2000 nm to 1200 nm. This plasmonic leaky-wave slot produces a maximum far-field radiation angle at 32° and a 3 dB beamwidth of 24° at its center wavelength. The radiation pattern is preserved within the 50% bandwidth suffering only insignificant changes in both the radiation angle and the beamwidth. This wide-band performance is quite unique when compared to other optical antenna designs. Furthermore, the antenna effective length for radiating 90% and 99.9% of the input power is only 0.5λ(0) and 1.5λ(0) respectively at 1550 nm. The versatility and simplicity of the proposed design along with its small footprint makes it extremely attractive for integration with nano-optical components using existing technologies.

A novel hollow-core photonic crystal fiber platform was used for the first time to observe clear vibrational modes of the CdTe core, CdS(0.7)Te(0.3) interface, and carboxylate-metal complexes in dilute aqueous CdTe quantum dot (QD) solutions. These modes demonstrate the presence of crystalline cores, defects, and surface passivation responsible for photoluminescent efficiency and stability. In addition, 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-capped QDs show higher crystallinity and stability than those capped with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and 1-thioglycerol (TG). This detailed, nondestructive characterization was carried out using Raman spectroscopy for solutions with QD concentration of 2 mg/mL, which is similar to their concentration during synthesis process. This platform can be extended to the in situ studies of any colloidal nanoparticles and aqueous solutions of relevant biological samples using Raman spectroscopy.

This work proposes and analyses a novel approach for the generation of separable (quantum uncorrelated) photon pairs based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion in Bragg reflection waveguides composed of semiconductor AlGaN layers. This platform allows the removal of any spectral correlation between paired photons that propagate in different spatial modes. The photons can be designed to show equal or different spectra by tuning the structural parameters and hence the dispersion of the waveguide.

In this paper, novel ultra compact and ultra wide band couplers between silicon and plasmonic slot waveguides are analyzed, characterized, and fabricated. This novel coupling scheme is fabricated using silicon on insulator platform. An orthogonal junction configuration is designed to provide non-resonate wideband coupling from a 400 nm silicon waveguide to 50-nm wide air-filled plasmonic slot. The 1 μm wide full-width half-max coupling spectrum can theoretically reach high peak of 70% coupling to the plasmonic slot centered around the 1550 nm wavelength. This center wavelength can be controlled by varying the silicon waveguide width. Theoretical analysis is in good agreement with FDTD simulated results, and experimental results. The fabrication procedure is also presented and discussed.

Plasmonic modes in rectangular metallic waveguides are analyzed in depth and are demonstrated to possess attractive properties for different applications. Their dispersion characteristics allow for wide range of applications including slow and fast light, metamaterial, low loss energy transmission, and opportunities for sensing devices. The sensitivity of this waveguide configuration is higher than its counterparts and can reach four times the sensitivity of the MIM structures. The characteristics of the TM(10) mode are demonstrated. Its applications for sensing, low propagation loss with relaxed practical dimension are also highlighted. A high effective index of more than 30 is also obtainable for the TE(01) mode for slow light operation. A non resonant negative index material with isotropic polarization in the visible region is also proposed using this waveguide structure.

We demonstrate Type II difference-frequency generation (DFG) around 1550 nm in AlGaAs Bragg reflection waveguides using a pump around 778 nm and a signal within the C-band range. Difference-frequency power of 0.95 nW was obtained using a pump power of 62.9 mW and a signal power of 2.9 mW. Nonlinear conversion efficiency was estimated to be 2.5 x 10(-2)%/W(-1) cm(-2) in a 1.5-mm-long sample. Using numerical simulations, the phase-matching bandwidth was predicted to be 100 nm, while the measured DFG showed no sign of bandwidth limitation across a wavelength span of 40 nm, which was limited by instrumentation.

We report the observation of type-0 phase-matching in bulk z-grown Al(x)Ga(1-x)As Bragg reflection waveguides where TM-polarized second-harmonic is generated using TM-polarized pump. For a pulsed pump with 1.8 ps temporal width and an average power of 3.3 mW, secondharmonic power of 16 microW was detected at 1567.8 nm. The normalized nonlinear conversion efficiency was obtained to be 2.84 x 10(3) %W(-1)cm(-2) in a 2.2 mm long waveguide. The highly versatile modal birefringence in Bragg reflection waveguides enabled the phase-matching of the three modalities; namely type-0 TM(omega)-->TM(2omega), type-I TE(omega)-->TM(2omega) and type-II TE(omega)+TMomega-->TE(2omega) interactions to simultaneously take place within a spectral bandwidth as small as 17 nm.

Second-harmonic generation using the type-II polarization configuration is demonstrated in quasi-phase-matched GaAs radicalAlGaAs superlattice waveguides. Phase-matching wavelengths and conversion efficiencies were determined for several quasi-phase-matching periods using 1.9 ps pulses. Saturation effects at high input power were concluded to be the result of third-order nonlinear effects.

Oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs) with long, terminal runs of consecutive guanines, and either a dA or dT tract at the other end form higher-order structures called DNA frayed wires. These aggregates self-assemble into species consisting of 2, 3, 4, 5, ... associated strands. Some of the remarkable features of these structures are their extreme thermostability and resistance to chemical denaturants and nucleases. However, the nature of the molecular interactions that stabilize these structures remains unclear. Based on dimethyl sulfate (DMS) methylation results, our group previously proposed DNA frayed wires to be a unique set of nucleic-acid assemblies in which the N7 of guanine does not participate in the guanine-guanine interactions. To probe the hydrogen bonding involved in the stabilization of d(A(15)G(15)) frayed wires, we used Raman spectroscopy in which the DNA sample is held in photonic crystal fibers. This technique significantly enhances the signals thus allowing the use of very low laser power. Based on our results for d(A(15)G(15)) and those of incorporating the isoelectronic guanine analog pyrazolo[3,4,-d]pyrimidine or PPG, into a frayed wire-forming sequence, we provide evidence that these structures are based on the G-quadruplex model. Furthermore, from the Raman spectrum, we observed markers that are consistent with the presence of deoxyguanosine residues in the syn conformation, this suggests the presence of anti-parallel G-quadruplexes. To identify the species that contain syn guanine residues, we used circular dichroism and gel electrophoresis to study an ODN in which all of the guanine residues were brominated, d(A(15)(8-Br)G(15)). In the presence of potassium, d(A(15)(8-Br)G(15)) forms what appears to be an anti-parallel dimeric G-quadruplex. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a DNA sequence having all its guanine residues replaced by 8-bromo-guanine and maintaining its ability to form a G-quadruplex structure., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Efficient sum-frequency generation in epitaxial GaAs/AlGaAs waveguides is reported. Phase matching is achieved for type II nonlinear interaction using Bragg reflection waveguides. Continuous-wave signal and pump in 1550 nm wavelength window were used for upconversion of photons to the 775 nm region. For a pump and signal with powers of 0.69 mW and 0.35 mW, sum-frequency power of 35 nW was measured. The normalized conversion efficiency was estimated to be 298 %W(-1)cm(-2) in a device with a length of 2.2 mm. The bandwidth of the process was found to exceed 60 nm.

What we believe to be the first demonstration of an edge-emitting Bragg reflection waveguide laser is reported. The laser utilized InGaAs quantum wells emitting at 980 nm, with Al(x)Ga(1-x)As core and claddings. The lasing mode is centered in a low-index core with a width of 700 nm, hence providing a large mode volume with strong discrimination against any modes other than the fundamental photonic bandgap mode. Single-transverse mode operation is observed with thresholds as low as 157 A/cm(2). The propagation losses of the mode were measured for the first time and found to be 11.4 cm(-1).

We propose a "meta-screen" design, consisting of a metallic sheet patterned with a dense array of nano-sized slot antennas, for inducing sub-wavelength optical spots in the near-field. Compared to other transmission screen topologies, our design overcomes the trade-off of low throughput versus resolution of a sub-wavelength aperture by inducing resonance in the slots. In addition, the antenna array serves to effectively narrow the spot size through the superposition of spatially shifted beams produced by each slot element. Such a design offers a practical approach for extending the near-field sensing/imaging distance at optical frequencies. The effectiveness of narrowing the spot size through the array topology is demonstrated by evaluating the full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) beamwidth at a distance of 0.1lambda(0) away from the screen. We show that an array with just three elements improves the beamwidth by more than 30% compared to a single resonant slot element. In this paper, important issues such as the operating principle and the design process of the meta-screen, the characteristics of plasmonic slot antenna, the impact of the number of array elements, and the effect of asymmetry due to the presence of a supporting substrate are discussed.

Bragg reflection waveguides are considered as monolithic sources of frequency correlated photon pairs generated using spontaneous-parametric down-conversion in a AlxGa1-xAs material system. The source described here offers unprecedented control over the process bandwidth, enabling bandwidth tunability between 1 nm and 450 nm while using the same wafer structure. This tuning is achieved by exploiting the powerful control over the waveguide dispersion properties afforded by the phase-matching technique used. The offered technology provides a route for realizing electrically pumped, monolithic photon pair sources on a chip with versatile characteristics.

We report the observation of continuous-wave second harmonic generation for a pump at 1559.9 nm in type-I phase-matched Bragg reflection waveguide using the GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1)1-(x)As material system. For an internal pump power of 94 mW, phase-matched second harmonic power of 23 nW was measured in a waveguide with a length of 1.96 mm and ridge width of 4 mum. The internal conversion efficiency of the process was estimated as 6.8 x 10-(3) %W-(1)cm-(2). The full-width at half-maximum bandwidth of the nonlinear process was found to be 0.91 nm.

Ultrashort pulse laser interaction with silica-silicon interfaces is presented as a means for all-solid-phase formation of high-purity silicon nanoparticles in the absence of ablation plumes or any substrate intermixing with surfaces in ambient air. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy provide definitive evidence for creation of nanocrystals in the silica host, while compressive stress in the silicon substrate corroborates the formation of optical waveguides parallel to the tracks.