Optics (physics.optics)

Abstract: In this study, we present numerical investigations on a large Zeeman manifold in an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium, focusing on the D1 and D2 lines of 87 Rb as our model system. We examine two distinct models comprising 13 and 16 energy levels, respectively, using pump-probe spectroscopy with varying polarization of the light fields. A longitudinal magnetic field is used, and the ellipticity of both light fields is varied with the constraint that both lights have orthogonal polarization. We discover that in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field, the change in ellipticity of light polarization induces optical anisotropy. This anisotropy results from the uneven distribution of population among the ground Zeeman levels, leading to the absorption of weak probe light. For a large number of states interacting with different field components, the existence of a steady state depends upon the multi-photon resonance and phase matching conditions. A comment is made on why such conditions are not required in our model, and the assumptions and limitations of the model are also discussed. To validate our numerical findings, we perform experimental measurements at two different magnetic field strengths in the D2 line of 87 Rb. The experimental results align well with our numerical simulations. Specifically, we conclude that the probe transmission spectra at lower magnetic field values (up to 20 G) exhibit similarity for both the D1 and D2 lines of 87 Rb, effectively described by the 13-level model. However, at higher magnetic field values, a more complicated 16-level (or higher) system is necessary to accurately capture the response of the probe in D2 line.

Abstract: We perform optimization of Q-factor in the system of freestanding three/four/five/six coaxial subwavelength dielectric disks over all scales. Each parameter contributes almost one order of magnitude of the Q-factor due to multiple avoided crossings of resonances to give totally the unprecedented values for the Q-factors: $6.6\cdot10^4$ for the three, $4.8\cdot10^6$ for four, $8.5\cdot10^7$ for five and one billion for six freestanding silicon disks. By multipole analysis of the resulting hybridized resonant mode we observe that such extremely large values of the $Q$-factor are attributed to strong redistribution of radiation that originates from almost exact destructive interference of dominating complex multipole radiation amplitudes.

Abstract: The significance of bound states in the continuum (BICs) lies in their potential for theoretically infinite quality factors. However, their actual quality factors are limited by imperfections in fabrication, which lead to coupling with the radiation continuum. In this study, we present a novel approach to address this issue by introducing a merging BIC regime based on a Lieb lattice. By utilizing this approach, we effectively suppress the out-of-plane scattering loss, thereby enhancing the robustness of the structure against fabrication artifacts. Notably, unlike previous merging systems, our design does not rely on the up-down symmetry of metasurfaces. This characteristic grants more flexibility in applications that involve substrates and superstrates with different optical properties, such as microfluidic devices. Furthermore, we incorporate a lateral band gap mirror into the design to encapsulate the BIC structure. This mirror serves to suppress the in-plane radiation resulting from finite-size effects, leading to a remarkable ten-fold improvement in the quality factor. Consequently, our merged BIC metasurface, enclosed by the Lieb lattice photonic crystal mirror, achieves an exceptionally high-quality factor of 105 while maintaining a small footprint of 26.6X26.6 um. Our findings establish an appealing platform that capitalizes on the topological nature of BICs within compact structures. This platform holds great promise for various applications, including optical trapping, optofluidics, and high-sensitivity biodetection, opening up new possibilities in these fields.

Abstract: Chirped Bragg volume gratings (CBGs) offer a useful alternative for spectral analysis, but increasing the bandwidth necessitates increasing the device area. In contrast, recently developed rotated CBGs (r-CBGs), in which the Bragg structure is rotated by $45^{\circ}$ with respect to the device facets, require increasing only the device length to extend the bandwidth, in addition to the convenience of resolving the spectrum at normal incidence. Here, we multiplex r-CBGs in the same device to enable spectral analysis in two independent spectral windows without increasing the system volume. This new device, which we term an X-CBG, allows for compact multi-band spectroscopy in contiguous or separated spectral windows in the visible and near-infrared for applications in nonlinear microscopy and materials identification and sensing.

Abstract: The new generation of laser-based solid-state lighting (SSL) white light sources requires new material systems capable of withstanding, diffusing and converting high intensity laser light. State-of-the-art systems use a blue light emitting diode (LED) or laser diode (LD) in combination with color conversion materials, such as yellow emitting Ce-doped phosphors or red and green emitting quantum dots (QD), to produce white light. However, for laser-based high-brightness illumination in particular, thermal management is a major challenge, and in addition, a light diffuser is required to diffuse the highly focused laser beam. Here, we present a hybrid material system that simultaneously enables efficient, uniform light distribution and color conversion of a blue LD, while ensuring good thermal management even at high laser powers of up to 5W. A highly open porous (> 99%) framework structure of hollow SiO$_2$ microtubes is utilized as an efficient light diffuser that can drastically reduce speckle contrast. By further functionalizing the microtubes with halide perovskite QDs (SiO$_2$@CsPbBr$_3$ as model system) color conversion from UV to visible light is achieved. Under laser illumination, the open porous structure prevents heat accumulation and thermal quenching of the QDs. By depositing an ultrathin (~ 5.5 nm) film of poly(ethylene glycol dimethyl acrylate) (pEGDMA) via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), the luminescent stability of the QDs against moisture is enhanced. The demonstrated hybrid material system paves the way for the design of advanced and functional laser light diffusers and converters that can meet the challenges associated with laser-based SSL applications.

Abstract: Owing to their unique tunable optical properties, chalcogenide phase change materials are increasingly being investigated for optics and photonics applications. However, in situ characterization of their phase transition characteristics is a capability that remains inaccessible to many researchers. In this article, we introduce a multi-functional silicon microheater platform capable of in situ measurement of structural, kinetic, optical, and thermal properties of these materials. The platform can be fabricated leveraging industry-standard silicon foundry manufacturing processes. We fully open-sourced this platform, including complete hardware design and associated software codes.

Abstract: X-ray dark-field or ultra-small angle scatter imaging has become increasingly important since the introduction of phase-based x-ray imaging and is having transformative impact in fields such as in vivo lung imaging and explosives detection. Here we show that dark-field images acquired with the edge-illumination method (either in its traditional double mask or simplified single mask implementation) provide a direct measurement of the scattering function, which is unaffected by system-specific parameters such as the autocorrelation length. We show that this is a consequence both of the specific measurement setup and of the mathematical approach followed to retrieve the dark-field images. We show agreement with theoretical models for datasets acquired both with synchrotron and laboratory x-ray sources. We also introduce a new contrast mechanism, the variance of refraction, which is extracted from the same dataset and provides a direct link with the size of the scattering centres. We show that this can also be described by the same theoretical models. We study the behaviour of both signals vs. key parameters such as x-ray energy and scatterer radius. We find this allows quantitative, direct, multi-scale scattering measurements during imaging, with implications in all fields where dark-field imaging is used.