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Nonlinear high-harmonic generation in micro-resonators is a common technique used to extend the operating range of applications such as self-referencing systems and coherent communications in the visible region. However, the generated high-harmonic emissions are subject to a resonance shift with a change in temperature. We present a comprehensive study of the thermal behavior induced phase mismatch that shows this resonance shift can be compensated by a combination of the linear and nonlinear thermo-optics effects. Using this model, we predict and experimentally demonstrate visible third harmonic modes having temperature dependent wavelength shifts between -2.84 pm/℃ and 2.35 pm/℃ when pumped at the L-band. Besides providing a new way to achieve athermal operation, this also allows one to measure the thermal coefficients and Q-factor of the visible modes. Through steady state analysis, we have also identified the existence of stable athermal third harmonic generation and experimentally demonstrated orthogonally pumped visible third harmonic modes with a temperature dependent wavelength shift of 0.05 pm/℃ over a temperature range of 12 ℃. Our findings promise a configurable and active temperature dependent wavelength shift compensation scheme for highly efficient and precise visible emission generation for potential 2f-3f self-referencing in metrology, biological and chemical sensing applications.

This paper proposes a medium access control (MAC) protocol based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL), i.e., multi-channel transmit deep-reinforcement learning multi-channel access (MCT-DLMA) in heterogeneous wireless networks (HetNets). The work concerns practical unsaturated channel traffic that arrives following a Poisson distribution instead of saturated traffic that arrives before.By learning the access mode from historical information, MCT-DLMA can well fill the spectrum holes in the communication of existing users. In particular, it enables the cognitive user to multi-channel transmit at a time, e.g., via the multi-carrier technology. Thus, the spectrum resource can be fully utilized, and the sum throughput of the HetNet is maximized. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm provides a much higher throughput than the conventional schemes, i.e., the whittle index policy and the DLMA algorithms for both the saturated and unsaturated traffic, respectively. In addition, it also achieves a near-optimal result in dynamic environments with changing primary users, which proves the enhanced robustness to time-varying communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a reference-modulated permutation index differential chaos shift keying (RM-PI-DCSK) over multipath fading channels. Due to quasi-orthogonal property between different permutated chaotic signals, the proposed scheme can remarkably suppress the inter-sequence interference to recover the desired information. Moreover, the proposed RM-PI-DCSK has one more modulation bit in the reference segment than the conventional permutation index differential chaos shift keying (PI-DCSK). Both the reference signal in the first time-slot and a permuted replica of the reference in the second time-slot are modulated for efficient transmission. The theoretical bit-error-rate (BER) performance and the highly consistent simulation results demonstrate that the proposed RM-PI-DCSK can achieve a performance gain 3 dB over the conventional PI-DCSK at a BER of $10^{-4}$ , and this gain becomes larger in a high-delay-spread channel. In particular, the performance superiority of the RM-PI-DCSK is further demonstrated in a typical ultra-wideband (UWB) channel with narrow-band interference. Therefore, this proposed scheme can be deemed as an efficient transmission alternative for chaotic-based wireless communications, such as in wireless local area network (WLAN) applications and indoor applications of the transmitted-reference UWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact and broadband polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on silicon (Si) nitride (SiN)-on-Si-on-insulator multilayer platform with vertical asymmetrical directional coupler (ADC) is designed and analyzed. The vertical ADC is consisted of two waveguides, which are placed in the bottom Si layer and upper SiN layer separately. It is found that by properly choosing the values of the structure parameters, especially taking advantages of the extra freedom of the relative location between these two waveguides, the performance of the PBS can be significantly improved. By incorporating tapered structures into the coupling region in the further step, bandwidth of 294 nm, which is determined by the insertion loss of <1 dB and the extinction ratio of >20 dB in both polarizations, is realized within a coupling length as compact as 6.9 μm. The proposed device has a good potential to be applied in three-dimensional photonic integration, where higher integration density or more on-chip functions can be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing optimization for logic circuits is one of the key steps in logic synthesis. Extant research data are mainly proposed based on various intelligence algorithms. Hence, they are neither comparable with timing optimization data collected by the mainstream electronic design automation (EDA) tool nor able to verify the superiority of intelligence algorithms to the EDA tool in terms of optimization ability. To address these shortcomings, a novel verification method is proposed in this study. First, a discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm was applied to optimize the timing of the mixed polarity Reed-Muller (MPRM) logic circuit. Second, the Design Compiler (DC) algorithm was used to optimize the timing of the same MPRM logic circuit through special settings and constraints. Finally, the timing optimization results of the two algorithms were compared based on MCNC benchmark circuits. The timing optimization results obtained using DPSO are compared with those obtained from DC, and DPSO demonstrates an average reduction of 9.7% in the timing delays of critical paths for a number of MCNC benchmark circuits. The proposed verification method directly ascertains whether the intelligence algorithm has a better timing optimization ability than DC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we grew Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) crystals of two types by Bridgmen–Stockbarger technology in different temperature gradients and compared their optical transmissions and energy resolutions before and after ultraviolet irradiation. It was found that the optical transmissions and energy resolutions of the two types of BGO crystals are similar before UV-irradiation. After UV-irradiation, the optical transmissions at 480 nm of the first type of BGO crystals which were grown in higher temperature gradient cut down about 20% and their energy resolutions obviously deteriorated from about 12–18%. But the optical transmissions and energy resolutions of the second type of BGO crystals which were grown in lower temperature gradient keep unchanged on the whole. After 250 °C/4 h annealing, the optical transmissions and energy resolutions of the second type of BGO crystals can be completely recovered, whereas the optical transmissions and energy resolutions of the first type of BGO crystals cannot be completely recovered until through 600 °C/8 h annealing. The reason for the difference between the first and second type of BGO crystals is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the evolution of artificial intelligence, the explosive growth of data from sensory terminals gives rise to severe energy-efficiency bottleneck issues due to cumbersome data interactions among sensory, memory, and computing modules. Heterogeneous integration methods such as chiplet technology can significantly reduce unnecessary data movement; however, they fail to address the fundamental issue of the substantial time and energy overheads resulting from the physical separation of computing and sensory components. Brain-inspired in-sensor neuromorphic computing (ISNC) has plenty of room for such data-intensive applications. However, one key obstacle in developing ISNC systems is the lack of compatibility between material systems and manufacturing processes deployed in sensors and computing units. This study successfully addresses this challenge by implementing fully CMOS-compatible TiN/HfO x -based neuristor array. The developed ISNC system demonstrates several advantageous features, including multilevel analogue modulation, minimal dispersion, and no significant degradation in conductance (@125 °C). These characteristics enable stable and reproducible neuromorphic computing. Additionally, the device exhibits modulatable sensory and multi-store memory processes. Furthermore, the system achieves information recognition with a high accuracy rate of 93%, along with frequency selectivity and notable activity-dependent plasticity. This work provides a promising route to affordable and highly efficient sensory neuromorphic systems.

A broadband and CMOS-compatible polarization beam splitter and rotator (PSR) built on the silicon nitride-on-silicon multilayer platform is presented. The PSR is realized by cascading a polarization beam splitter and a polarization rotator, which are both subtly constructed with an asymmetrical directional coupler waveguide structure. The advantage of this device is that the function of PSR can be directly realized in the SiN layer, providing a promising solution to the polarization diversity schemes in SiN photonic circuits. The chip is expected to have high power handling capability as the light is input from the SiN waveguide. The use of silicon dioxide as the upper cladding of the device ensures its compatibility with the metal back-end-of-line process. By optimizing the structure parameters, a polarization conversion loss lower than 1 dB and cross talk larger than 27.6 dB can be obtained for TM-TE mode conversion over a wavelength range of 1450 to 1600 nm. For TE mode, the insertion loss is lower than 0.26 dB and cross talk is larger than 25.3 dB over the same wavelength range. The proposed device has good potential in diversifying the functionalities of the multilayer photonic chip with high integration density.

A CMOS-compatible, broadband, and polarization-independent edge coupler for efficient chip coupling with standard single-mode fiber is proposed. Three layers of a silicon nitride waveguide array with the same structures are used in the top oxide cladding of the chip to achieve high coupling efficiency and to simplify the mode transformation structure. Optimal total coupling loss at the wavelength of 1550 nm, -0.49 d B for TE mode polarization and -0.92 d B for TM mode polarization is obtained. The -1 d B bandwidth is beyond 160 nm for TE mode polarization and ∼130 n m for TM mode polarization, respectively. A significant reduction in the packaging cost of silicon photonic chips is anticipated. Meanwhile, the structure holds vast potential for on-chip three-dimensional photonic integrations or fiber-to-chip, chip-to-chip optical interconnections.

The integration of ferroic oxide thin films into advanced flexible electronics will bring multifunctionality beyond organic and metallic materials. However, it is challenging to achieve high flexibility in single-crystalline ferroic oxides that is considerable to organic or metallic materials. Here, we demonstrate the superior flexibility of freestanding single-crystalline BiFeO 3 membranes, which are typical multiferroic materials with multifunctionality. They can endure cyclic 180° folding and have good recoverability, with the maximum bending strain up to 5.42% during in situ bending under scanning electron microscopy, far beyond their bulk counterparts. Such superior elasticity mainly originates from reversible rhombohedral-tetragonal phase transition, as revealed by phase-field simulations. This study suggests a general fundamental mechanism for a variety of ferroic oxides to achieve high flexibility and to work as smart materials in flexible electronics., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

In this work, we present a nonlinear silicon nitride waveguide. These waveguide are fabricated by readily available PECVD, conventional contact UV-lithography and high-temperature annealing techniques, thus dramatically reducing the processing complexity and cost. By patterning the waveguide structures firstly and then carrying out a high-temperature annealing process, not only sufficient waveguide thickness can be achieved, which gives more freedom to waveguide dispersion control, but also the material absorption loss in the waveguides be greatly reduced. The linear optical loss of the fabricated waveguide with a cross-section of 2.0 × 0.58 µm 2 was measured to be as low as 0.58 dB/cm. The same loss level is demonstrated over a broad wavelength range from 1500 nm to 1630 nm. Moreover, the nonlinear refractive index of the waveguide was determined to be ~6.94 × 10 -19 m 2 /W, indicating that comparable nonlinear performance with their LPCVD counterparts is expected. These silicon nitride waveguides based on a PECVD deposition platform can be useful for the development of more complicated on-chip nonlinear optical devices or circuits.