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Controlling the transmission of broadband optical pulses in scattering media is a critical open challenge in photonics. To date, wavefront shaping techniques at optical frequencies have been successfully applied to control the spatial properties of multiple-scattered light. However, a fundamental restriction in achieving an equivalent degree of control over the temporal properties of a broadband pulse is the limited availability of experimental techniques to detect the coherent properties (i.e., the spectral amplitude and absolute phase) of the transmitted field. Terahertz experimental frameworks, on the contrary, enable measuring the field dynamics of broadband pulses at ultrafast (sub-cycle) time scales directly. In this work, we provide a theoretical/numerical demonstration that, within this context, complex scattering can be used to achieve spatio-temporal control of instantaneous fields and manipulate the temporal properties of single-cycle pulses by solely acting on spatial degrees of freedom of the illuminating field. As direct application scenarios, we demonstrate spatio-temporal focusing, chirp compensation, and control of the carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) of a CP-stable, transform-limited THz pulse.

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Neurophysiological studies have shown that our motor system plays a fundamental role in the scaffolding of our cognitive system. Taking these findings into account, we have designed and produced manipulatives that reproduce geometric figures. Through them, we can amplify our perception of the relationships between different elements. We believe that repeated interactions with the manipulatives generate the ability to imagine similar movements on drawn figures. An example is "squaring in motion", through which a given figure is transformed into an equivalent rectangle. We verified, through a quantitative study involving preadolescents (12-14 years old), the long-term effectiveness of the use of manipulatives on problem solving.

We theoretically present a design of self-starting operation of microcombs based on laser-cavity solitons in a system composed of a micro-resonator nested in and coupled to an amplifying laser cavity. We demonstrate that it is possible to engineer the modulational-instability gain of the system's zero state to allow the start-up with a well-defined number of robust solitons. The approach can be implemented by using the system parameters, such as the cavity length mismatch and the gain shape, to control the number and repetition rate of the generated solitons. Because the setting does not require saturation of the gain, the results offer an alternative to standard techniques that provide laser mode-locking., Comment: To be published in Optics Express

International audience; We summarize our results on the generation of temporal laser cavity-solitons in a system comprising an optical micro-cavity nested in a fiber laser. We will discuss their features, region of existence, potential and challenges ahead. Dissipative solitons are self-confined pulses which appear in driven and lossy systems when the phase dispersion is balanced by the nonlinear phase-shift. Ultrashort pulses generated by passive mode-locking lasers are a very important example of temporal dissipative solitons in optics. Temporal cavity-solitons [1,2,3] also belong to this class of pulses and have been instrumental in the development of optical frequency combs in nonlinear micro-cavities, or "micro-combs" [1]. Temporal cavity-solitons have been largely studied in a 'driven' configuration, where an external pumping source is resonantly coupled in the nonlinear micro-resonator to sustain and excite the solitary pulses. More recently, we demonstrated that it is possible to generate localised pulses in a configuration where the micro-cavity is inserted in a fiber laser loop, as described in Figure 1. In particular, we reported the observation of laser cavity-solitons [4], which have previously attracted large attention especially in spatial configurations, such as in semiconductor lasers [5]. By merging their properties with the physics of both micro-resonators and multi-mode systems, this scheme represents a fundamentally new paradigm for the generation, stabilisation and control of solitary optical pulses in micro-cavities. Fig. 1. Scheme of the nested, travelling-wave cavities configuration: a Kerr micro-resonator (green loop) is nested in an amplifying fibre-loop (black). The amplifying cavity comprises a gain fibre (erbium-ytterbium doped amplifier, EYDFA), a tuneable delay line with optical couplers (OC), polarising beam splitter (PBS), polarisation control and a band-pass filter (BPF). The output of the laser is monitored with an optical spectrum analyser (OSA), a second-harmonic non-collinear autocorrelator and an oscilloscope to measure the radio-frequency noise of the system. © 2 0 2 0 T h e Au t h o r (s)

Microcombs based on Turing patterns have been extensively studied in configurations that can be modelled by the Lugiato-Lefever equation. Typically, such schemes are implemented experimentally by resonant coupling of a continuous wave laser to a Kerr microcavity in order to generate highly coherent and robust waves. Here, we study the formation of such patterns in a system composed of a microresonator nested in an amplifying laser cavity, a scheme recently used to demonstrate laser cavity solitons with high optical efficiency and easy repetition rate control. Utilizing this concept, we study different regimes of Turing patterns, unveiling their formation dynamics and demonstrating their controllability and robustness. By conducting a comprehensive modulational instability study with a mean-field model of the system, we explain the pattern formation in terms of its evolution from background noise, paving the way towards complete self-starting operation. Our theoretical and experimental paper provides a clear pathway for repetition rate control of these waves over both fine (Megahertz) and large (Gigahertz) scales, featuring a fractional frequency nonuniformity better than 7 × 10−14 with a 100-ms time gate and without the need for active stabilization.

We theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate optical bi-stability and multi-stability in an integrated nonlinear high-order microring resonator filter based on high-index contrast doped silica glass. We use a nonlinear model accounting for both the Kerr and thermal effects to analyze the instability behavior of the coupled-resonator based filter. The model also accurately predicts the multi-stable behavior of the filter when the input frequency is slightly detuned. To understand the role of the intracavity power distribution, we investigate the detuning of the individual rings of the filter from the optical response with a pump–probe experiment. Such a measurement is performed scanning the filter with a low-power probe beam tuned a few free spectral ranges away from the resonance where the pump is coupled. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the nonlinear behavior and the intracavity power distribution for the high-order microring resonator filter will help the design and implementation of future all-optical switching systems using this type of filter.

Ghost imaging, based on single-pixel detection and multiple pattern illumination, is a crucial investigative tool in difficult-to-access wavelength regions. In the terahertz domain, where high-resolution imagers are mostly unavailable, ghost imaging is an optimal approach to embed the temporal dimension, creating a “hyperspectral” imager. In this framework, high resolution is mostly out of reach. Hence, it is particularly critical to developing practical approaches for microscopy. Here we experimentally demonstrate time-resolved nonlinear ghost imaging, a technique based on near-field, optical-to-terahertz nonlinear conversion and detection of illumination patterns. We show how space–time coupling affects near-field time-domain imaging, and we develop a complete methodology that overcomes fundamental systematic reconstruction issues. Our theoretical-experimental platform enables high-fidelity subwavelength imaging and carries relaxed constraints on the nonlinear generation crystal thickness. Our work establishes a rigorous framework to reconstruct hyperspectral images of complex samples inaccessible through standard fixed-time methods.

We report on 'slow' pulsing dynamics in a silica resonator-based laser system: by nesting a high-Q rod-resonator inside an amplifying fiber cavity, we demonstrate that trains of microsecond pulses can be generated with repetition rates in the hundreds of kilohertz. We show that such pulses are produced with a period equivalent to several hundreds of laser cavity roundtrips via the interaction between the gain dynamics in the fiber cavity and the thermo-optical effects in the high-Q resonator. Experiments reveal that the pulsing properties can be controlled by adjusting the amplifying fiber cavity parameters. Our results, confirmed by numerical simulations, provide useful insights on the dynamical onset of complex self-organization phenomena in resonator-based laser systems where thermo-optical effects play an active role. In addition, we show how the thermal state of the resonator can be probed and even modified by an external, counter-propagating optical field, thus hinting towards novel approaches for all-optical control and sensing applications. Published by The Optical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Modern optical systems increasingly rely on complex physical processes that require accessible control to meet target performance characteristics. In particular, advanced light sources, sought for, for example, imaging and metrology, are based on nonlinear optical dynamics whose output properties must often finely match application requirements. However, in these systems, the availability of control parameters (e.g., the optical field shape, as well as propagation medium properties) and the means to adjust them in a versatile manner are usually limited. Moreover, numerically finding the optimal parameter set for such complex dynamics is typically computationally intractable. Here, we use an actively controlled photonic chip to prepare and manipulate patterns of femtosecond optical pulses that give access to an enhanced parameter space in the framework of supercontinuum generation. Taking advantage of machine learning concepts, we exploit this tunable access and experimentally demonstrate the customization of nonlinear interactions for tailoring supercontinuum properties., Controlling complex properties of optical systems, like the output of nonlinear light sources, is increasingly important for applications. Here, Wetzel et al. use an actively-controlled photonic chip to prepare patterns of femtosecond laser pulses used for tailoring supercontinuum generation.

The quest towards the integration of ultra-fast, high-precision optical clocks is reflected in the large number of high-impact papers on the topic published in the last few years. This interest has been catalysed by the impact that high-precision optical frequency combs (OFCs) have had on metrology and spectroscopy in the last decade [ [1] , [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] ]. OFCs are often referred to as optical rulers: their spectra consist of a precise sequence of discrete and equally-spaced spectral lines that represent precise marks in frequency. Their importance was recognised worldwide with the 2005 Nobel Prize being awarded to T.W. Hansch and J. Hall for their breakthrough in OFC science [ 5 ]. They demonstrated that a coherent OFC source with a large spectrum – covering at least one octave – can be stabilised with a self-referenced approach, where the frequency and the phase do not vary and are completely determined by the source physical parameters. These fully stabilised OFCs solved the challenge of directly measuring optical frequencies and are now exploited as the most accurate time references available, ready to replace the current standard for time. Very recent advancements in the fabrication technology of optical micro-cavities [ 6 ] are contributing to the development of OFC sources. These efforts may open up the way to realise ultra-fast and stable optical clocks and pulsed sources with extremely high repetition-rates, in the form of compact and integrated devices. Indeed, the fabrication of high-quality factor (high-Q) micro-resonators, capable of dramatically amplifying the optical field, can be considered a photonics breakthrough that has boosted not only the scientific investigation of OFC sources [ [8] , [13] , [11] , [12] , [10] , [7] , [9] ] but also of optical sensors and compact light modulators [ [14] , [6] ]. In this framework, the demonstration of planar high-Q resonators, compatible with silicon technology [ [14] , [13] , [11] , [12] , [10] ], has opened up a unique opportunity for these devices to provide entirely new capabilities for photonic-integrated technologies. Indeed, it is well acknowledged by the electronics industry that future generations of computer processing chips will inevitably require an extremely high density of copper-based interconnections, significantly increasing the chip power dissipation to beyond practical levels [ [15] , [16] , [17] ]; hence, conventional approaches to chip design must undergo radical changes. On-chip optical networks, or optical interconnects, can offer high speed and low energy per-transferred-bit, and micro-resonators are widely seen as a key component to interface the electronic world with photonics. Many information technology industries have recently focused on the development of integrated ring resonators to be employed for electrically-controlled light modulators [ [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] ], greatly advancing the maturity of micro-resonator technology as a whole. Recently [ [13] , [11] , [12] ], the demonstration of OFC sources in micro-resonators fabricated in electronic (i.e. in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)) compatible platforms has given micro-cavities an additional appeal, with the possibility of exploiting them as light sources in microchips. This scenario is creating fierce competition in developing highly efficient OFC generators based on micro-cavities which can radically change the nature of information transport and processing. Even in telecommunications, perhaps a more conventional environment for optical technologies, novel time-division multiplexed optical systems will require extremely stable optical clocks at ultra-high pulse repetition-rates towards the THz scale. Furthermore, arbitrary pulse generators based on OFC [ [18] , [19] ] are seen as one of the most promising solutions for this next generation of high-capacity optical coherent communication systems. This review will summarise the recent exciting achievements in the field of micro-combs, namely optical frequency combs based on high-Q micro-resonators, with a perspective on both the potential of this technology, as well as the open questions and challenges that remain.

We introduce a method for diagnosing the electric surface potential of a semiconductor based on THz surface generation. In our scheme, that we name Optical Pump Rectification Emission, a THz field is generated directly on the surface via surface optical rectification of an ultrashort pulse after which the DC surface potential is screened with a second optical pump pulse. As the THz generation directly relates to the surface potential arising from the surface states, we can then observe the temporal dynamics of the static surface field induced by the screening effect of the photo-carriers. Such an approach is potentially insensitive to bulk carrier dynamics and does not require special illumination geometries.

We demonstrate temporal measurements of subpicosecond optical pulses via time-to-frequency conversion in a 45cm long CMOS compatible high index glass spiral waveguide. The measurements are based on efficient four wave mixing in the C-band, using around 1W of peak pump power. We achieve a resolution of 400fs over a time window of 100ps, representing a time-bandwidth product > 250., 8 pages, 12 figures, 33 references

We present the first system penalty measurements for all-optical wavelength conversion in an integrated ring resonator. We achieve wavelength conversion over a range of 27.7nm in the C-band at 2.5 Gb/s by exploiting four wave mixing in a CMOS compatible, high index glass ring resonator at ~22 dBm average pump power, obtaining < 0.3 dB system penalty., 6 pages, 4 figures

The UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Metrology is one of four flagship initiatives in the UK National of Quantum Technology Program. As part of a 20-year vision it translates laboratory demonstrations to deployable practical devices, with game-changing miniaturized components and prototypes that transform the state-of-the-art for quantum sensors and metrology. It brings together experts from the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Southampton, Strathclyde and Sussex, NPL and currently links to over 15 leading international academic institutions and over 70 companies to build the supply chains and routes to market needed to bring 10–1000x improvements in sensing applications. It seeks, and is open to, additional partners for new application development and creates a point of easy open access to the facilities and supply chains that it stimulates or nurtures.

The UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Metrology is one of four flagship initiatives in the UK National of Quantum Technology Program. As part of a 20-year vision it translates laboratory demonstrations to deployable practical devices, with game-changing miniaturized components and prototypes that transform the state-of-the-art for quantum sensors and metrology. It brings together experts from the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Nottingham, Southampton, Strathclyde and Sussex, NPL and currently links to over 15 leading international academic institutions and over 70 companies to build the supply chains and routes to market needed to bring 10–1000x improvements in sensing applications. It seeks, and is open to, additional partners for new application development and creates a point of easy open access to the facilities and supply chains that it stimulates or nurtures.

Recent developments in quantum photonics have initiated the process of bringing photonic-quantumbased systems out-of-the-lab and into real-world applications. As an example, devices to enable the exchange of a cryptographic key secured by the laws of quantum mechanics are already commercially available. In order to further boost this process, the next step is to transfer the results achieved by means of bulky and expensive setups into miniaturized and affordable devices. Integrated quantum photonics is exactly addressing this issue. In this paper, we briefly review the most recent advancements in the generation of quantum states of light on-chip. In particular, we focus on optical microcavities, as they can offer a solution to the problem of low efficiency that is characteristic of the materials typically used in integrated platforms. In addition, we show that specifically designed microcavities can also offer further advantages, such as compatibility with telecom standards (for exploiting existing fibre networks) and quantum memories (necessary to extend the communication distance), as well as giving a longitudinal multimode character for larger information transfer and processing. This last property (i.e., the increased dimensionality of the photon quantum state) is achieved through the ability to generate multiple photon pairs on a frequency comb, corresponding to the microcavity resonances. Further achievements include the possibility of fully exploiting the polarization degree of freedom, even for integrated devices. These results pave the way for the generation of integrated quantum frequency combs that, in turn, may find important applications toward the realization of a compact quantum-computing platform.

We report on light-induced optical tuning of colloidal photonic crystals doped with gold nanoparticles (Au-nps). By resonantly exciting the Au-np surface plasmon absorption with picosecond pulses at 0.53 micron in a standard pump-probe setup, we observed permanent changes in the stop band resonance around 1.7 micron, with blue wavelength shifts as large as 30 nm and associated to a nanoparticle reshaping. Fine tuning was achieved by controlling either the pulse energy or the irradiation time.

The spatial features of a sub-wavelength terahertz source are not accessible using time-integrated knife-edge techniques due to the non-separable space-time nature of the radiated field and to systematic modifications induced by the blade itself. We show that combining knife-edge with a time resolved electro-optical sampling, the space-time coupling can be addressed and the source field profile can be exactly reconstructed.

WOS: 000349894700001, PubMed ID: 25711343, Terahertz technologies recently emerged as outstanding candidates for a variety of applications in such sectors as security, biomedical, pharmaceutical, aero spatial, etc. Imaging the terahertz field, however, still remains a challenge, particularly when sub-wavelength resolutions are involved. Here we demonstrate an all-optical technique for the terahertz near-field imaging directly at the source plane. A thin layer (, MERST (Ministere de l'Enseignement superieur, de la Recherche et de la Science); NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council) in Canada; Skim Latihan Akademik IPTA (SLAI) from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE); "Le Fonds Quebecois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies'' (FQRNT)FQRNT; European CommissionEuropean Commission Joint Research Centre [630833, 299522, 327627], The work has been supported by the MERST (Ministere de l'Enseignement superieur, de la Recherche et de la Science) and by the NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council) in Canada. Ho Sze Phing gratefully acknowledges a fellowship from the Skim Latihan Akademik IPTA (SLAI) from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE). Mostafa Shalaby would like to acknowledge the financial support from "Le Fonds Quebecois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies'' (FQRNT). Marco Peccianti acknowledges the support from the FP7 Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission, via the Career-Integration Grant (contract-No 630833). Matteo Clerici acknowledges the support from the FP7 Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission, via the International-Outgoing-Fellowship (contract-No 299522). Alessia Pasquazi acknowledges the support from the FP7 Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission, via the International Incoming Fellowships (contract-No 327627).