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Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Na2O–CaF2–ZnO–Al2O3–SiO2 glasses with different Zn/Si ratios were prepared using the melt-quenching technique. The thermal stability was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Additionally, the absorption spectra were also analyzed to gather more information about their properties. The down-conversion luminescence corresponding to the strongest fluorescence at a wavelength of 547 nm was obtained under the 378 nm excitation, and a 4S3/2 level fluorescence lifetime was studied. By utilizing a laser pump with a wavelength of 980 nm, the process of both up-conversion and down-conversion luminescence was accomplished. In particular, the glasses substantially enhance fluorescence properties when the Zn/Si ratio is about 0.16. The changes in the Zn/Si ratio lead to modifications in the glass network structure, changing the coordination field environment around the fluorescence center and ultimately impacting the luminescence properties of the rare-earth ions. These effects are evidenced through the findings obtained from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of the glass material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular lasers pumped by quantum cascade laser (QCL) open new possibilities for THz generation and its numerous applications, in particular, for high resolution molecular spectroscopy. In this article, a THz water laser pumped by a mid-infrared QCL was demonstrated using the broad tunability of the pump laser. Twenty D 2 O laser lines were measured under a continuous wave pumping regime, in a spectral range expending from 63 to 177 cm − 1 (1.9–5.3 THz), and with an output power ranging from tens to hundreds of μ W. This letter contains a description of the experimental setup used to produce the THz laser radiation and a comparison of the measured output power with a molecular gain factor used to sort out the most favorable laser lines. In addition to the measured laser transitions, a complete list of laser frequencies together with their corresponding molecular gain is given in the supplementary material, for both H 2 O and D 2 O isotopologues excited in their bending and stretching vibrational states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forward stimulated Raman scattering and backward stimulated Raman scattering (BSRS) are measured when an intense 532 nm nanosecond pulsed laser is focused into water and heavy water. The investigation reveals a significant observation: the formation of the ice VII structure exclusively occurs in the backward direction when optical breakdown takes place, provided that the input energy falls below 90 mJ for liquid water or 75 mJ for heavy water. This phase transition is attributed to secondary shock compression, which comes from energy transfer and compression between the BSRS in plasmas with the pump laser. The optical breakdown experiment under pre-pressure reveals that the shock compression in the back direction is approximately 2.3 times that of the forward direction. This research is useful for shock compression and dynamics in plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is a crucial parameter in the spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) process of noble gas ( 3 He), but is hard to measure due to its confinement nature. In this paper, we conduct research upon the temperature and gas flow distribution within a sealed SEOP cell through computational fluid dynamics simulation. The simulation result shows that the external heat exchange of the initial heating of the cell becomes a cooling process in the presence of high pumping laser power absorbed by the alkali metal. The heat from the pumping laser would also cause the gas in the cell to reach a much higher temperature than the oven, with the hottest part appearing on the upper side of the cell. These predicted behaviors from the simulation are later confirmed by our experiment measurement, which strongly indicates that a gas flow and heat flow exist within the cell. These results help us to understand the temperature distribution of 3 He gas in the cell and provide references for the development and improvement of the future SEOP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-resolved photoionization measurements were performed on o-nitrophenol pumped with UV laser pulses at a central wavelength of 255 nm (4.9 eV) and probed with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) pulses at 153 nm (8.1 eV). The photoelectron spectrum and time of flight mass spectrum for ions were recorded at each pump–probe delay. The measurements are interpreted with the aid of electronic structure calculations for both the neutral and ionic states. Evidence is found for the formation of a bicyclic intermediate followed by NO dissociation through a process of internal conversion and intersystem crossing. The combination of photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy, together with computational results, provides strong evidence of intersystem crossing that is difficult to establish with only a single technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent demonstrations of room-temperature lasing in optically pumped GeSn show promise for future CMOS compatible lasers for Si-photonics applications. However, challenges remain for electrically pumped devices. Investigation of the processes that limit device performance is therefore vital in aiding the production of future commercial devices. In this work, a combined experimental and modelling approach is utilised to explore the dominant loss processes in current devices. By manipulating the band structure of functioning devices using high hydrostatic pressure techniques at low temperature, the dominant carrier recombination pathways are identified. This reveals that 93 ± 5% of the threshold current is attributable to defect-related recombination at a temperature, T = 85 K. Furthermore, carrier occupation of L-valley states (carrier leakage) is responsible for 1.1 ± 0.3% of the threshold current, but this sharply increases to 50% with a decrease of just 30 meV in the L- Γ separation energy. This indicates that thermal broadening of a similar order may reproduce these adverse effects, limiting device performance at higher temperatures. Temperature dependent calculations show that carrier occupation of indirect valley L-states strongly affects the transparency carrier density and is therefore very sensitive to the Sn composition, leading to an effective operational temperature range for given Sn compositions and strain values. Recommendations for future device designs are proposed based on band structure and growth optimisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a broadband second-harmonic generator for the green spectral range based on a periodical polarity GaN waveguide structure. We grew the structure with a periodicity of 4 μ m using an MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) reactor. We tested the structure using femtosecond laser pulse pumping and obtained the second harmonic ( λ SH =512 nm) conversion efficiency 0.79 · 10 - 7 % · W - 1 for the pump peak power of 440 kW inside the waveguide. Based on the theoretical modeling of the dispersion curves of the pump and the second harmonic, we found multiple crossings, including an extended crossing. We relate this fact to the experimentally measured broadened second harmonic spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber pump lasers are widely used in a variety of fields, such as optical fiber communication, national defense, and medical beauty due to their high beam quality and intense laser energy. However, the alignment errors of optical parameters can influence the beam quality in the packaging of the fiber pump lasers. It is necessary to analyze the reflector, focusing lens, fiber, and the laser diode on the coupling influence between for guiding the fiber pump laser packaging. Firstly, we establish the optical path between the laser diode, focusing lens and reflector based on the physical ray-tracing method. On the other hand, the high coupling efficiency of whole system is achieved by optimize the parameters of each optical element. The simulation result shows that the highest coupling efficiency is 98.6% based on optimizing the parameters of the optical path while the experimental result of coupling efficiency is 90.36%. Also, the effects of refractive index, wavelength and fiber diameter on coupling efficiency are further investigated. The experimental results show that the radial displacement has the greatest influence on the coupling efficiency. The simulation results show that increasing the fiber core diameter can effectively improve the coupling efficiency. The results of rigorous analysis will provide an effective reference for manufacturing compact, high coupling efficiency fiber pumped laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of lasing materials with weak pile‐up effect from triplet excitons, low lasing threshold, and long operational lifetime is much significant for truly continuous wave operation and electrically pumping organic lasers. However, most of organic gain media has been verified to have extreme quenching effect from triplet excitons due to its wide‐band distribution of triplet absorption spectrum. Here, it is found that the phenanthroimidazole derivatives as gain media have congenital advantages on handling triplet's issues. A very low amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold of 0.56 µJ cm−2 and a long operational lifetime of 5.77 × 105 pump pulses in air atmosphere are well obtained. When increasing the pump repetition frequency from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, the operational lifetimes of the thin films have small reduction. Under a high pump repetition frequency of 200 kHz, which is quasi‐continuous wave operational regime, the PI2PhDPO thin film exhibits very low ASE threshold of 0.78 µJ cm−2 due to the tiny overlap between triplet absorption and ASE spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface velocity and the bulk lifetime of photo-excited free carriers in GaAs were measured using an optical-pump and THz-probe time-domain technique. By varying the pump laser photon energy from 1.56 to 4.15 eV, we observe that the surface velocity drops abruptly from 0.7 × 10 6 cm/s down to 0.2 × 10 6 cm/s at 2.5 eV, while the bulk lifetime remains almost constant. We tentatively explain this step-like behavior of the surface velocity vs the photon energy by a trapping of the free carriers at surface states, whose density of states shows a maximum at 2.5 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an experimental and theoretical comparison of non-oxide LiGaS2, HgGa2S4, and AgGaS2 crystals performance for wavelength conversion into the near and mid-IR range 1.5–8 μm in optical parametric amplifier pumped by Cr:Forsterite laser, delivering 100 fs pulses at 1.24 μm. It is shown that exceptionally high total energy conversion efficiency into the idler (4–5 μm) and signal (1.65–1.8 μm) waves up to 18% can be achieved using the HGS crystal, providing high nonlinearity, while the LGS crystal is more preferable for generating few-cycle mid-IR pulses due its unique dispersive properties. Our source features high peak power in gigawatt regime (0.4–2.4 GW) with pulse duration below 80 fs and optical synchronization with high harmonic generation (HHG) and THz beamlines, which is ideal for pump-probe experiments of nonlinear and strong-field physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-temperature self-flux strategy has been applied to fabricate a large collection of pure hexagonal phase rare earth fluorides NaREF4 and REF3 (RE = rare earth) using NaNO3, RE(NO3)3·xH2O and NH4F with low melting points as the initial raw and semifinished materials. It is found that the stable structure and morphology evolution of hexagonal rare earth fluorides are highly dependent upon the type of rare earth ion, the reaction temperature and the reaction time. After incorporating Fe3+ ions at less than 40 mol% into NaYbF4:Tm3+ crystal, the resultant samples still maintain a hexagonal crystalline structure and rod-like morphology. The NaYb0.89Tm0.01Fe0.10F4 (89Yb1Tm10Fe) material exhibits the strongest upconversion (UC) emission and its maximal absolute UC quantum yield (UCQY) is 0.45% under the illumination of a laser diode with pumping energy density of 45 W cm−2. Strikingly, applying a magnetic field of 15 kOe compels its UCQY to advance up to 0.56%. Moreover, the intrinsic mechanism of Fe3+-induced UC luminescence enhancement has also been explored at length. These advances in enhancing UC emissions and UCQYs under an applied magnetic field offer exciting opportunities for important photonic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses of composition 40B2O3-10Na2O-(50-x)ZnO-xSb2O3, where x = 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mol% were synthesised through the melt quenching technique. The physical characteristics such as density, molar volume, refractive index, molar refraction, and oxide ion polarizability ensure that the overall polarizability of the glass network changes with the enhanced incorporation of antimony. Supercontinuum generation from these glasses were recorded at various femtosecond (fs) pump laser intensities. The observed change in the spectral broadening for the glasses is further discussed using different structural and optical characterisation methods such as Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), and UV–Vis-NIR spectroscopy. The reduction in O1s binding energy and the increase in the concentration of BO3− structural groups associated with Antimony content indicates an increase in the formation of Non-Bridging Oxygens (NBO) in the glass network. The impact of this enhanced polarizability nature of atomic bonds and the formation of NBOS within the glass network on the generation of supercontinuum are discussed in the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relying on a reverse energy transfer mechanism between erbium (Er3+) and ytterbium (Yb3+) ions, optical gains at wavelengths of 1550, 980, and 1067 nm are achieved in NaYF4: Er3+, and Yb3+ nanoparticles‐doped polymer waveguides under excitation of low‐power light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) instead of 976 or 1480 nm semiconductor laser as pump sources. The optical gains at 1550, 980, and 1067 nm are demonstrated in five waveguide structures: active‐rectangular, evanescent‐field with and without an aluminium (Al) reflector, and dual‐active hybrid with and without an Al reflector. The maximum relative optical gains of 6.6, 4.0, and 3.8 dBcm−1 are realized at 1550, 1067, and 980 nm, respectively, in a 5 mm long dual‐active hybrid waveguide with cross‐section of 4 × 10 µm, and a ≈100 nm‐thick Al reflector grown under the lower cladding layer under excitation of a 395 nm LED. This work proves the feasibility of using a low‐cost LED to realize multi‐wavelength amplification in a dense wavelength‐division multiplexing system and is thus valuable for the development of complex multi‐functional photonic‐integrated‐module mixed‐band optical communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a numerical study on efficient mid-infrared Raman soliton generation in a tellurite microstructured optical fiber with femtosecond Tm-doped fiber laser pulses as the pump source. A tunable soliton exhibits a wavelength shift of up to 3.54 µm and a power conversion efficiency of up to 74.2% while consuming a pump peak power of no more than 1 kW at 1.96 µm, owing to the proper design of the dispersion and nonlinearity of the tellurite fiber. We investigated the effects of pump parameters on soliton properties and found that adjusting the pump pulse duration allows for a broader tuning range of up to 3.63 µm or a higher conversion efficiency of 94.5%. The study describes an effective means of constructing compact and efficient femtosecond tunable mid-infrared laser sources with low operation power, which will boost potential applications in the important region of above 2 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lidar observations of metal layers play a significant role in research on the chemistry and dynamics of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. This work reports on Fe lidar observations conducted in Beijing and Mohe. Utilizing the same laser emission system, a 1064 nm seed laser was injected into an Nd: YAG laser to generate a single longitudinal-mode pulse 532 nm laser, which pumped a dye laser to produce a 572 nm laser. The 572 nm laser and the remaining 1064 nm fundamental frequency laser passed through a sum–frequency module to generate a 372 nm laser to detect the Fe layer. According to a total of 52.6 h of observations for 10 nights in Beijing, the Fe layer has an average column density of 1.24 × 1010 cm−2, an RMS width of 4.4 km and a centroid altitude of 89.4 km. In Mohe, observed for 16 nights and a total of 91.5 h, the Fe layer has an average column density of 1.08 × 1010 cm−2, an RMS width of 4.6 km and a centroid altitude of 89.5 km. The probability of the occurrence of sporadic Fe layers was 42.4% in Beijing and 29.4% in Mohe. Compared to simultaneously observed Na layers, the occurrence probabilities of sporadic Fe layers were higher than those of sporadic Na layers in both stations. Based on the two cases observed in Beijing, it is conjectured that the formation mechanism of sporadic metal layers above approximately 100 km has a more significant influence on sporadic Fe layers than on sporadic Na layers. The lower thermospheric Fe layers with densities significantly larger than those of the main layer were observed during two nights in Mohe. This work contributes to the refinement of the global distribution of Fe layers and provides abundant observational data for the modeling and study of the metal layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation, aimed to prepare lead silicate glasses doped with samarium ions and to study it's structure, elastic, spectroscopic and thermoluminiscence properties with Al(10−x)Sbx composite influence. The objective of the investigation is to develop TL sustained good laser active resource by means of studying photo and thermoluminiscence properties. In this direction, we have prepared the glass series of Al(10−x)SbxSm0.1Pb30Si59.9 materials (where, 0 ≤ x ≤ 10, with steps of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mol%) after that planned for structural (XRD, FT-IR, DTA, EDS & SEM), Optical (UV & PL) and thermoluminescence characterization. The XRD and SEM studies reveal the glassy behavior of test samples. The EDX analysis signifies the chemical constitutes with atomic weight %. The physical properties such as density and molar volume of glasses were evaluated. The DTA studies of glasses reveal the glass transition and crystallization temperature points. The values of thermal stabilities of glasses found to be purely function of Sb3+ ions. Various structural vibrations of test glass conformed using FT-IR studies. Using ultrasonic velocities of the test glasses, the glasses' micro-hardness was evaluated. From the absorption spectra, the Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω2, Ω4, Ω6) have been calculated. The PL spectra under stimulation at 402 nm show a prominent reddish–orange emission at 602 nm. The experimental lifetimes (τr) of the 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 (602 nm) luminescence transition were measured using the decay spectral profiles of this transition. The evaluated emission cross-sections (σse), branching ratios (βr), and quantum efficiency (η) allow us to speculate that the lead silicate glasses doped with Sm3+ ions are ideally suitable as potential gain mediums for visible reddish orange lasers pumped directly by readily available 405 nm laser diodes. Quantum efficiencies of the produced glasses are obtained using a decay curve analysis. The emission spectra used to establish the developed glasses' reddish orange emission are used to compute the CIE chromaticity coordinates. It is evident from the stated fluorescent properties that the developed glasses are suited for reddish–orange laser applications, particularly in opto-electronic devices. From all of the values obtained, it can be observed that SAS6 glass code is ideally suited for reddish–orange laser applications. The TL properties are studied at 30 kGy gamma irradiation dose range. The frequency factor and A.E. of glasses were evaluated. This reveals that the TL behavior of glasses is a purely function of Sb3+ ions. Overall, the Al(10−x)SbxSm0.1Pb30Si59.9 glasses prepared are mechanical hard, TL effective, and optically useful resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiplexing techniques will be employed based on duration, polarization, and frequency to achieve the expanding demand for broadcast bandwidth. Adding time as an additional aspect to transmission networks has been put out as a flexible way to handle potential bandwidth problems. For interaction programs such as space imaging, optical fiber setup, submerged portable visual hyperlinks, onboard interconnects, information centers indoor relations, radio signals, and auditory interactions, we examine the possibilities of utilizing time as a further level of independence. Beginning in 2010, space-divisional multiplexer (SDM) studies gained popularity, partly because they had been suggested to increase the data-carrying ability of fiber optics while also boosting effectiveness through collaboration on assets. The proposed SDM transfer technologies spectrum includes identical single-mode fibers using shared amplifiers pumping laser light and the complete spatial arrangement of transceiver equipment, signal analysis, and amplifiers near a fiber with more than 100 geographical networks composed of several threads, all executing various forms. In this study, we discuss SDM study's advancements. The major categories and characteristics of innovative SDM fibers, like multiple-core fibers (MCFs), multiple-mode fibers, fewer-mode MCFs, and coupled-core MCFs, are initially described. While examining present tendencies and speculating on potential advances and uses outside optical data transfer, we provide analyses between various fiber kinds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the popular coherent Raman scattering techniques, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) has made significant progress in recent years, especially in label-free biological imaging. Polarization provides an additional degree of freedom to manipulate the SRS process. In previous studies, only linearly polarized SRS was fully investigated, in which both pump and Stokes laser fields are linearly polarized. Here, we theoretically analyzed the SRS process excited by two circularly polarized laser fields and then experimentally demonstrated it by taking a spherical symmetric CH4 molecule as a model system. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical ones. It is shown that circularly polarized SRS (CP-SRS) has unique characteristics different from linear polarization. When the handedness of circular polarization states of two laser fields is the same, CP-SRS further suppresses the depolarized vibrational band while keeping the polarized band almost unaffected. On the other hand, when the handedness is opposite, CP-SRS enhances the depolarized band while suppressing the polarized band. Therefore, the CP-SRS not only allows us to resolve the symmetry of vibrational modes but also can enhance vibrational contrast based on symmetry selectivity by suppressing or enhancing the signal from a specific vibrational mode. These results will have potential applications in improving chemical selectivity and imaging contrast as well as spectral resolution SRS microscopy. In addition, the CP-SRS has the ability to determine the depolarization ratio ρ and identify the overlapping Raman bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced white emission of diamond was investigated under irradiation with a focused beam of an infrared laser diode. It is a surface-related coherent emission, characterized by an excitation threshold and an exponential dependence on pumping laser power. The mechanism of white emission is discussed in terms of multiphoton ionization of carbon atoms in an irradiated spot. The excitation power dependence of white emission intensity has demonstrated hysteresis loop behavior. This phenomenon could be useful in new broadband laser sources and optical information storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far-UVC light in the wavelength range of 200–230 nm has attracted renewed interest because of its safety for human exposure and effectiveness in inactivating pathogens. Here we present a compact solid-state far-UVC laser source based on second-harmonic generation (SHG) using a low-cost commercially-available blue laser diode pump. Leveraging the high intensity of light in a nanophotonic waveguide and heterogeneous integration, our approach achieves Cherenkov phase-matching across a bonded interface consisting of a silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide and a beta barium borate (BBO) nonlinear crystal. Through systematic investigations of waveguide dimensions and pump power, we analyze the dependencies of Cherenkov emission angle, conversion efficiency, and output power. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of generating far-UVC, paving the way for mass production in a compact form factor. This solid-state far-UVC laser source shows significant potential for applications in human-safe disinfection, non-line-of-sight free-space communication, and deep-UV Raman spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We asses impact of the temperature of 87Rb atoms on the linewidths and amplitudes of the F = 1 → F′ = 0, 1, 2 and F = 2 → F′ = 1, 2, 3 hyperfine resonances of the 87Rb D2 line, using the circularly-polarized pumping beam and the probe laser beam. To achieve high-precision and accuracy, frequency-stabilized narrow-linewidth extended-cavity diode lasers, we employ a temperature-controlled Fabry–Pérot interferometer and a magnetically-shielded temperature-controlled Rb cell with dimensions in the centimeter range, containing enriched 87Rb atoms. Consequently, the linewidth and amplitude measurements are conducted with inaccuracies of 1.5 MHz and 0.4 mV, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated a narrow‐linewidth Ho:yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) injection‐locked laser by using a 1908 nm thulium‐doped fiber laser as a pumping source to generate 2.09 μm single‐frequency pulses. A compact single‐longitudinal‐mode nonplanar ring oscillator (NPRO) based on Ho:YAG material with a beam quality factor of 1.01 at the central wavelength of 2090.91 nm was considered as the seed source. In the experiment, the pulse energy of 3.6 mJ with a pulse width of 161.6 ns from single‐frequency Ho laser was achieved at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 100 Hz. The linewidth of the single‐frequency pulse spectrum monitored through the heterodyne method was approximately 1.9 MHz at the lowest Ho laser energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear microscopy (NM) enables us to investigate the morphology or monitor the physiological processes of the skin through the use of ultrafast lasers. Fiber (or fiber-coupled) lasers are of great interest because they can easily be combined with a handheld, scanning nonlinear microscope. This latter feature greatly increases the utility of NM for pre-clinical applications and in vivo tissue imaging. Here, we present a fiber-coupled, sub-ps Ti–sapphire laser system being optimized for in vivo, stain-free, 3D imaging of skin alterations with a low thermal load of the skin. The laser is pumped by a low-cost, 2.1 W, 532 nm pump laser and delivers 0.5–1 ps, high-peak-power pulses at a ~20 MHz repetition rate. The spectral bandwidth of the laser is below 2 nm, which results in a low sensitivity for dispersion during fiber delivery. The reduction in the peak intensity due to the increased pulse duration is compensated by the lower repetition rate of our laser. In our proof-of-concept imaging experiments, a ~1.8 m long, commercial hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber was used for fiber delivery. Fresh and frozen skin biopsies of different skin alterations (e.g., adult hemangioma, basal cell cancer) and an unaffected control were used for high-quality, two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy (2PEF) and second-harmonic generation (SHG) z-stack (3D) imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gain characteristics of a CO2 laser pumped by a longitudinal pulsed discharge were investigated to develop a compact He-free CO2 laser operating at a high repetition rate. The longitudinal discharge tube had an inner diameter of 0.8 cm and a length of 45 cm. High-voltage pulses with a discharge starting voltage of 13.4–30.2 kV at a rise time of about 321 ns were applied to the discharge tube. CO2/N2 mixture gas with mixing ratios of 1:0, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 was used. The small signal gain coefficient was measured by inputting a seed CO2 laser pulse into the longitudinal discharge tube. The small signal gain coefficient depended on the delay time between the start of the discharge in the longitudinal discharge tube and the input of a seed CO2 laser pulse, the gas mixing ratio, the gas pressure, the repetition rate and the input energy to the longitudinal discharge tube. In this work, in He-free gas, the maximum small signal gain coefficient at a repetition rate of 300 Hz was 2.11%/cm with a delay time of 30.4 μs, a CO2/N2 gas mixing ratio of 1:2, a gas pressure of 2.6 kPa and an input energy of 191 mJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrapulse Difference Frequency Generation (iDFG) is an interesting technique for generating femtosecond pulses in the Mid-Infrared (MIR) range with unique properties such as robust Carrier-Envelope Phase (CEP) stability. However, its efficiency is low compared to other techniques. In this paper, we describe an iDFG system operating within the 4–10 μ m range that features an original architecture to enhance efficiency. First, we introduce an interesting technique on the generation process. This approach involves polarization and spectral phase shaping techniques on the driving pulse to maximize the number of photons enrolled in the process. Second, we demonstrate that the polarization shaping allows further enhancement of efficiency by recycling the iDFG signal to pump a subsequent optical parametric amplification (OPA) stage. These two concepts and the associated parameters optimization are described into details, and supported by experimental results. Combined with a high-power Yb-fiber-based pump laser, these techniques allow to achieve record efficiencies, and generate μ J-level, few-cycle, tunable, CEP-stable pulses in the MIR at repetition rates above 100 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulating micro/nanoparticles on deformed liquid interfaces induced by radiation pressure presents an active, non‐invasive, and contactless method. However, a significant challenge arises due to the relatively small magnitude of the radiation force in normal incidence. Nevertheless, this technique holds immense utility in controlling particle movement at interfaces, with numerous applications in both physical and biological contexts. To overcome this, the peculiar properties of total internal reflection (TIR) in retro‐reflection mode are expoited to create a ≈1μm$\approx \ 1\nobreakspace \umu m$ high amplitude bulge on the water surface, which can migrate 2μm$2\nobreakspace \umu m$ radius particles as forcibly as the traditional micro‐post paradigm. The bulge height is measured using an interferometric technique, and the underlying physics are demonstrated using an imitated particle with a capillary charge. By shining two pump lasers, an interface shape is created with increasing complexity, and the relative pump laser intensity is tuned to migrate particles in the desired direction. The method provides a non‐invasive and contactless way to remotely actuate almost all types of micro/nanoparticles at the liquid surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optomechanical cavities are one of the most important systems for observing quantum phenomena. In this paper, we investigated the quantum aspect of an optomechanical system made up of a two-level atom under two laser pump stimulation. One of the laser pumps drives the optical cavity, known as a longitudinal pump, while the second laser was used to excite the atom inside the cavity, directly and called as transverse pump. We observe the quasi-random walk of atom inside the cavity. Next, entanglement evolution among the atomic states and the other parts of the system with the von Neumann entropy measure was investigated. The study was done for distinctive atomic states in a strong coupling regime between the atom and field of cavity. Also, we investigated the evidence for non-Markovian behavior with trace distance measure. Our results demonstrate that the random walk of the atom can offer assistance to us to upgrade the entanglement between the inside atom mode and the other parts of the system for a long time. Furthermore, adding atomic motion provides evidence for the non-Markovian treatment of the system at the initial time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chloroform-infiltrated square lattice photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) are designed with the difference of the air hole diameters in the cladding to improve chromatic dispersion and nonlinear properties. Based on numerical simulation results, two optimal structures with flat dispersion, high nonlinear coefficient, and small confinement loss are used for supercontinuum (SC) generation. The first fiber has an all-normal dispersion regime, a nonlinear coefficient of 486.355 W − 1 .km − 1 generating an SC spectrum of 640.3 nm within 30 dB levels at a pump wavelength of 0.945 μ m with peak power as low as 1.44 kW. With anomalous dispersion properties, the second fiber gives a very broad SC spectrum of 1471.8 nm within 30 dB levels at a 1.4 μ m pumping wavelength with a peak power of 20 kW. All-fiber SC sources operating with low-power pump lasers can use these fibers to effectively replace glass-core fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masers, the microwave analogs of lasers, have seen a renaissance owing to the discovery of gain media that mase at room temperature and zero-applied magnetic field. However, despite the ease with which the devices can be demonstrated under ambient conditions, achieving the ubiquity and portability, which lasers enjoy, has to date remained challenging. We present a maser device with a miniaturized maser cavity, gain material, and laser pump source that fits within the size of a shoebox. The gain medium used is pentacene-doped para-terphenyl, and it is shown to give a strong masing signal with a peak power of −5 dBm even within a smaller form factor. The device is also shown to mase at different frequencies within a small range of 1.5 MHz away from the resonant frequency. The portability and simplicity of the device, which weighs under 5 kg, paves the way for demonstrators particularly in the areas of low-noise amplifiers, quantum sensors, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and long-range communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manipulation of magnetization through optically generated ultrafast spin currents is a fascinating area that needs a thorough understanding for its potential future applications. In this work, a comprehensive investigation of helicity‐driven optical spin‐orbit torque in heavy metal/ferromagnetic metal heterostructures is presented, specifically cobalt capped with gold or platinum, subject to laser pumping at different wavelengths. The results demonstrate up to tenfold enhancement in optical spin‐orbit torque quantum efficiency for gold compared to platinum of the same thickness when pumped with a visible laser. Additionally, the study provides the first experimental analysis of the photon energy dependence of optical spin‐orbit torque and derives the optical spin orientation spectra for both gold/cobalt and platinum/cobalt heterostructures. A key insight gained from the study is the impact of photon energy‐dependent spin transport in the system, which suggests the use of a high photon energy pump for efficient spin transport. These findings highlight the potential of spin current generation and manipulation in gold/ferromagnet heterostructures for a wide range of applications such as all‐optical magnetization switching, spin‐wave generation and control, and spintronic terahertz emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide perovskites are widely used as components of electronic and optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), optically pumped lasers, field-effect transistors, photodetectors, and γ -detectors. Despite this wide range of applications, the construction of an electrically pumped perovskite laser remains challenging. In this paper, we numerically justify that mixing two perovskite compounds with different halide elements can lead to optical properties suitable for electrical pumping. As a reference, the chosen model material was CsPbBr 3 , whose performance as a part of lasers has been widely recognised, with some Br atoms substituted by I at specific sites. In particular, a strong enhancement of the low-energy absorption peaks has been obtained using the ab initio Bethe–Salpeter equation. Based on these results, we propose specific architectures of ordered doping that could be realised by epitaxial growth. Efficient light emission from the bottom of the conduction band is expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonreciprocal materials and devices play an irreplaceable role in isolating, routing, and multiplexing. However, in the terahertz (THz) band, their active control mechanisms are still limited. Herein, a THz nonreciprocal photonic spin transmission is demonstrated in the undoped InSb actively manipulated by a light‐magneto‐joint modulation method, in which THz cyclotron resonance of the photoinduced carriers is conjunctively excited by both pump laser and external magnetic field. Moreover, a diffusion model of photoinduced non‐equilibrium carriers and its nonreciprocal dispersion model of magnetized plasma are established to interpret the experimental observation. The results indicate that the light‐magneto‐joint modulation achieves a broadband amplitude‐phase modulation with a higher modulation depth (>2π rad phase shift), as well as an active nonreciprocal spin transmission with magnetic circular dichroism (>20dB) and the Faraday rotation effect (>90°) in InSb, which is more efficient and faster than the traditional thermal excitation. Furthermore, the demonstration in a single‐frequency THz transmission system shows that this light‐magneto‐joint modulation mechanism in InSb can be multifunctionally applied in active control, isolation, and polarization conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a nonlinear optical cascaded difference frequency generation model based on double rapid adiabatic passage technique is established, and a theoretical scheme for generating THz waves based on the above model is proposed. In this model, when the incident signal laser interacts with a pump laser, the signal laser can be completely converted into the output laser by special processing of the coupling wave equation and making reasonable assumptions. Numerical simulation results show that THz waves with a centre frequency of 260 GHz can be obtained. The maximum quantum conversion efficiency of the signal laser to THz waves is about 43.4%. Under the premise of keeping the wavelength of the pump laser unchanged, the tunable THz waves of 0.26–2.94 THz can be obtained when tuning the wavelength of the signal laser to change in the range of 1.054–1.064 μ m. Compared with the scheme using stimulated Raman adiabatic passage technique, the scheme can still generate terahertz waves during the application of a pump laser to two simultaneous difference frequency generation processes, and the intensity of the pump laser can be reduced from Gigawatt level to Megawatt level. This scheme is robust to the temperature variation and provides a new method for generating terahertz wave band for high-speed wireless transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have emerged as promising materials due to their exceptional photoluminescence (PL) properties. A wide range of applications could benefit from adjustable luminescence properties, while preserving the physical and chemical properties of the PQDs. Therefore, post‐synthesis engineering has gained attention recently, involving the use of ion‐exchange or external stimuli, such as extreme pressure, magnetic and electric fields. Nevertheless, these methods typically suffer from spectrum broadening, intensity quenching or yield multiple bands. Alternatively, photonic antennas can modify the radiative decay channel of perovskites via the Purcell effect, with the largest wavelength shift being 8 nm to date, at an expense of fivefold intensity loss. Here, this work presents an optical nanoantenna array with polarization‐controlled quasi‐bound‐states‐in‐the‐continuum resonances, which can engineer and shift the photoluminescence wavelength over a ≈39 nm range and confers a 21‐fold emission enhancement of FAPbI3 perovskite QDs. The spectrum is engineered in a non‐invasive manner via lithographically defined antennas and the pump laser polarization at ambient conditions. This research provides a path toward advanced optoelectronic devices, such as spectrally tailored quantum emitters and lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a two-color plasma in air or gas allows for the generation of ultra-broadband and highly intense terahertz (THz) pulses. Precisely controlling the shape of THz pulses, particularly the carrier envelope phase, is crucial for a wide range of technological and scientific applications. Recent research has revealed that the phase difference between the fundamental laser wave and its second harmonic influences the shape of the emitted THz pulse. However, the combined impact of laser chirp and the air-dispersion-induced phase difference between the two colors has not been explored in detail. This study aims to fill this gap. The results show that both of these factors have a significant impact on the THz waveform and emitted pulse energy. Positive and negative chirps lead to distinct effects on the pulse shape. A positively chirped pump laser produces a THz waveform with a negative monopolar shape, while a negatively chirped pump laser results in a positive THz pulse shape. Additionally, our findings indicate that the relationship between THz pulse energy and chirp changes with variations in the specific phase difference between the first and second harmonics. These results underscore the importance of carefully tuning both parameters to achieve maximum generation efficiency for a given waveform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a Ho:GdVO4 solid‐state laser pumped by a thulium (Tm)‐doped fiber laser at 1940nm. In continuous wave mode, a maximum output power of 6.1 W was obtained under the absorbed pump power of 31.9 W with the slope efficiency of 24.3% at the temperature of 18°C. The wavelength of output laser was 2048.53 nm with full width at half maximum of 0.2 nm. In Q‐switched mode, a maximum single pulse energy of 0.94 mJ was obtained with a minimum pulse duration of 7.3 ns at the pulse repetition frequency of 5 kHz, corresponding to a peak power of 129 kW and an average output power of 4.7 W. The beam quality factor of M2 was 1.01 under the maximum absorbed pump power. To the best of our knowledge, 0.94 mJ is the highest single pulse energy in single holmium (Ho) doped GdVO4 laser pumped by Tm‐doped fiber laser at 1940 nm, and 1.01 is the best beam quality factor of M2 in Ho:GdVO4 laser pumped by a Tm‐doped fiber laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity in design is an important factor that enables developers to explore techniques aiming to reduce cost, complexity, and manufacturability. The optical window around 2000 nm is attracting rapid research considerations for the next generation optical networks as a continuation of C‐, L‐, and U‐bands. Optical amplifier is considered to be one of the major research directions in this optical window. Holmium‐doped fiber amplifier is an appropriate component to amplify signals in this optical window. But, the major issue is the pump laser for pumping the Holmium‐doped fiber (HDF) is that it is costly and not readily procurable. In a pioneering design, the authors introduced a method to pump the HDF using traditional 1480 nm pump diode by taking the advantage of cascaded lasers which were made of Erbium‐doped fiber (EDF) and Thulium‐doped fiber (TDF). In this paper, we propose an alternate method for pumping the HDF using commercially available 1480 nm pump diode by exploiting cascaded lasers implemented using two pairs of reflective fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and pieces of EDF and TDF. The EDF in the first laser is excited with a standard 1480 nm pump diode to create 1610 nm continuous wave (CW) laser which is used to excite the TDF in the second laser to generate 1950 nm CW laser that is used to pump the HDF. Peak gain of 40.5, 36, and 23 dB can be attained corresponding to –30, –15, and 0 dBm signal powers, respectively at 2055.6 nm signal wavelength. Output powers of 10.5, 21, and 23 dBm are obtained for –30, –15, and 0 dBm signal powers, respectively at 2055.6 nm signal wavelength. Noise figures (NFs) of 5, 4.2, and 4 dB are observed at signal wavelength of 2066.7 nm for signal powers of −30, −15, and 0 dBm, respectively. Penalty of 4.5 dB has been observed both in peak gain and power at 2055.6 nm signal wavelength for signal power of −15 dBm considering the pair induced quenching. Finally, the proposed alternate pumping scheme is compared with the previous pumping scheme in terms of 3 dB gain bandwidth and NF. It has been observed that 88% increase in 3 dB gain bandwidth and 19% decrease in NF at a signal wavelength of 2044.4 nm for signal power of –30 dBm is noticed in the proposed pumping scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hetero‐epitaxy for integration of efficient III‐V lasers on silicon can enable wafer‐scale silicon photonic integrated circuits, which can unleash the full advantages of silicon photonics in production on large silicon wafers with low cost, high throughput, and large bandwidth and large‐scale integration. In this work, efficient III‐V distributed feedback (DFB) lasers selectively grown on (001) silicon‐on‐insulator (SOI) wafers are presented. The selective hetero‐epitaxy of sufficiently large areas of III‐V segments allows the demonstration of DFB lasers on the SOI wafer. The fabricated DFB lasers feature a co‐planar configuration with the Si layer, allowing for efficient coupling between III‐V lasers and Si waveguides. The unique III‐V‐on‐insulator structure also provides strong optical confinement for the lasers. Gratings are designed and fabricated with minimal non‐radiative recombination and a simple process with good tolerance. The optically pumped DFB laser has a low lasing threshold of around 17.5 µJ cm−2, stable single‐mode lasing at 1.5 µm, a side‐mode‐suppression‐ratio of over 35 dB, and a spontaneous emission factor of 0.7. The results here demonstrate a step forward towards wafer‐scale integration with monolithically grown lasers, thus outlining the prospect of fully integrated Si photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technique of time‐resolved macromolecular crystallography (TR‐MX) has recently been rejuvenated at synchrotrons, resulting in the design of dedicated beamlines. Using pump–probe schemes, this should make the mechanistic study of photoactive proteins and other suitable systems possible with time resolutions down to microseconds. In order to identify relevant time delays, time‐resolved spectroscopic experiments directly performed on protein crystals are often desirable. To this end, an instrument has been built at the icOS Lab (in crystallo Optical Spectroscopy Laboratory) at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility using reflective focusing objectives with a tuneable nanosecond laser as a pump and a microsecond xenon flash lamp as a probe, called the TR‐icOS (time‐resolved icOS) setup. Using this instrument, pump–probe spectra can rapidly be recorded from single crystals with time delays ranging from a few microseconds to seconds and beyond. This can be repeated at various laser pulse energies to track the potential presence of artefacts arising from two‐photon absorption, which amounts to a power titration of a photoreaction. This approach has been applied to monitor the rise and decay of the M state in the photocycle of crystallized bacteriorhodopsin and showed that the photocycle is increasingly altered with laser pulses of peak fluence greater than 100 mJ cm−2, providing experimental laser and delay parameters for a successful TR‐MX experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the fabrication method that enables the development of transparent conductive metasurfaces capable of the resonant absorption of light in specific frequency bands. The approach is based on embedding linear sp-carbon chains and metallic nanoparticles in a porous matrix of titanium dioxide (TiO2). We develop a blading technique for the formation of a periodical grating of TiO2 microtubes at the macroscale. The method allowed us to maintain the periodicity of an array of microtubes with an accuracy of ±5%. Tuning the diameter of the tubes and the concentration of metallic nanoparticles, we achieved the regime of strong resonant absorption of the fabricated complex metasurface in the visible range. Computer simulations helped revealthe regime of TE/TM-polarized laser pumping that allowed for the most efficient transformation of light energy into electric current flow. In the studied structures, the sp-carbon clusters embedded inside transparent titanium dioxide tubes play the role of atomic wires. The interplay between efficient conductivity through carbon wires and the plasmon-enhanced absorption of light allows the design of photodiode structures based on periodical metasurfaces and characterized by highly selective optical sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal and essential parameter of laser light conversion is achieving emitted radiation of higher brightness. For many applications, the laser beam must have the highest available beam quality and highest achievable power. However, lasers with higher average power values usually have poorer beam quality, limiting the achievable brightness. Here, we present a method for improving the beam quality by using a spatially structured optical pump for a membrane external cavity laser resonator. An increase in brightness is achieved under fixed focusing conditions just by changing the pump intensity profile. A controllable output laser mode can be achieved by using a dynamically changing pump pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase-matching of the third-harmonic generation process can be used to extend the emission of radiation from Kerr microresonators into new spectral regions far from the pump wavelength. Here, we present a theoretical mean-field model for optical frequency combs in a dissipative and nonlinear χ(3)-based cavity system with parametric coupling between fundamental and third-harmonic waves. We investigate temporally dispersive dual-comb generation of phase-matched combs with broad bandwidth and anomalous dispersion of the fundamental field, individuating conditions for accessing a multistable regime that simultaneously supports two types of coupled bright cavity solitons. These bistable cavity solitons coexist for the same pump power and frequency detuning, while featuring dissimilar amplitudes of their individual field components. Third-harmonic generation frequency combs grant telecom pump laser sources a simultaneous and direct access to both the near-infrared and the visible regions, which may prove advantageous for the development of optical clocks and sensing applications. Third-harmonic generation frequency combs grant telecom pump laser sources the direct and simultaneous access to both the near infrared and the visible spectral regions. The authors model the broadband and temporally dispersive dual-comb generation, and identify conditions for accessing a regime supporting two distinct and coexisting cavity solitons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonreciprocal devices, such as isolators, are of great importance for optical communication and optical information processing. To bypass the limitation of a strong magnetic field imposed by the traditional Faraday magneto-optic effect, many alternative mechanisms have been proposed to demonstrate magnetic-free nonreciprocity. However, limited by the drive-induced noise, the noiseless isolator capable of working in the quantum regime has yet to be realized in the experiment. Here, we show a noiseless all-optical isolator with genuine single photons in hot atoms. We experimentally study this mechanism using an open V-type level scheme and demonstrate a low insertion loss of 0.6 dB and high isolation of 30.3 dB with bandwidth up to hundreds of megahertz. Furthermore, the nonreciprocal direction can be truly reversed only by tuning the frequency of the pump laser with the same setup. Our scheme relies on widely used optical technology and is thus universal and robust. The single-photon isolator is in high demand for optical communications and optical information processing in the quantum regime, but the noise is still a limitation. Here, the author theoretically propose a noiseless single-photon isolator scheme and demonstrate experimentally using hot atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new implementation of the method of optical pumping of alkaline atoms in the scheme of a highly sensitive compact single-beam sensor of a nonzero magnetic field is proposed, which allows it to be used as part of a magnetoencephalographic complex with a remote laser pumping source. The proposed method makes it possible, in particular, to pump an array of sensors with a single source of polarization-modulated resonant radiation connected to sensors by means of polarization-supporting optical fibers. A model experiment has been carried out confirming the principle feasibility and effectiveness of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photothermal vortex interferometer (PTVI) is proposed to fill the gap of full-field measurement of the laser-induced nanoscale thermal lens dynamics of optical elements. The PTVI produces a multi-ring petal-like interferogram by the coaxial coherent superposition of the high-order conjugated Laguerre–Gaussian beams. The non-uniform optical path change (OPC) profile resulting from the thermal lens causes the petals of the interferogram at the different radii to shift by the different azimuths. To demodulate such an interferogram, an azimuthal complex spectra analysis is presented by using a camera with a pixelated multi-ring pattern written on its sensor to extract multiple azimuthal intensity profiles synchronously from the interferogram. Therefore, the OPC profile can be determined dynamically from the complex spectra of the azimuthal intensity profiles at the main frequency components. An analytical thermophysical model of the thermal lens is given, and the basic principle of the azimuthal complex spectra analysis is revealed. A proof-of-concept experiment is demonstrated using a N-BK7 glass sample heated by a pump laser. The results verified that the PTVI achieves the measurement accuracy of 47 pm with a standard deviation of 358 pm (3σ) and can be used for full-field measurement of the nanoscale OPC profile caused by the thermal lens dynamics. Due to the picometer-scale accuracy of the PTVI, the absorption coefficient and thermal diffusivity of the glass sample were determined to be A0 = 0.126 m−1 and D = 5.63 × 10−7 m2 s−1, respectively, which agree with the nominal ones of A0 = 0.129 m−1 and D = 5.17 × 10−7 m2 s−1. Although the PTVI is only suitable for measuring the rotationally symmetric OPC, it shows less computation burden and hardware complexity, and it is proved to be a highly sensitive and effective tool in studying optical, thermo-physical, and mechanical properties of optical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the atomic cell of the spin exchange optical pumping system, the optical pumping inevitably introduces a magnetic field gradient, which affects the measurement result of the nuclear spin relaxation time a lot. To address this issue, our method achieves the measurement while excluding the influence of this magnetic field gradient. In this method, the pump laser is turned off after the spins of 87Rb and 129Xe have been effectively polarized, which results in the spin polarization of the 87Rb atoms being provided only by the spin exchange with 129Xe. Ultimately, the transverse and longitudinal components of the polarization of 129Xe are detected by the in situ87Rb atom magnetometer to obtain the T1 and T2 of 129Xe under different conditions. Using our method, since the influence of inhomogeneity caused by the pump laser is eliminated, the relaxation characteristic of atomic cells can be measured more quickly, essentially, and conveniently, which helps compare the performance of different atomic cells and find the best cell fabrication process further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]