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Photonics, Volume 9, Issue 5 (May 2022) – 93 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Insight into electron dynamics of, e.g., biochemical molecules in the water window with a photon energy of 284–530 eV relies on well-defined ultra-short soft X-ray pulses. Their elongation during wavelength-dispersive monochromatization can be compensated by a second diffractive optical element. We propose a new time-delay-compensating monochromator based on reflection zone plates (RZPs) on curved substrates. As an example, a sub-femtosecond (fs) pulse with a bandwidth of 5 eV around E0 = 410 eV is elongated to 1.7 ps on a mirror stripe whose length of 0.5 mm narrows the bandwidth on the sample to 0.7 eV at a pulse duration of 4.4 fs. The spherical shape of the RZPs corrects for aberrations over a wide spectral range around E0. Alternatively, using an open mirror stripe for the full bandpass, chirped pulses may be compressed, too. View this paper
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13 pages, 2058 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Accommodation on Peripheral Refraction under Two Illumination Conditions
by Raquel van Ginkel, María Mechó, Genis Cardona and José M. González-Méijome
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050364 - 23 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2431
Abstract
The clinical importance of peripheral refraction as a function of accommodation has become increasingly evident in the last years with special attention given to myopia control. Low order ocular aberrations were measured with a Hartmann–Shack aberrometer in a sample of 28 young emmetropic [...] Read more.
The clinical importance of peripheral refraction as a function of accommodation has become increasingly evident in the last years with special attention given to myopia control. Low order ocular aberrations were measured with a Hartmann–Shack aberrometer in a sample of 28 young emmetropic subjects. A stationary Maltese cross was presented at 2.5 D and 5.0 D of accommodative demand and at 0°, 10° and 20° of eccentricity in the horizontal visual field under two different illumination conditions (white and red light). Wavefront data for a 3 mm pupil diameter were analyzed in terms of the vector components of refraction (M, J0 and J45) and the relative peripheral refractive error (RPRE) was calculated. M was myopic at both accommodative demands and showed a statistically significant myopic increase with red illumination. No significant change in J0 and J45 was found with accommodation nor between illumination conditions. However, J0 increased significantly with eccentricity, exhibiting a nasal-temporal asymmetry. The RPRE was myopic at both accommodation demands and showed a statistically significant hyperopic shift at 20° in the nasal retina. The use of red light introduced statistically and clinically significant changes in M, explained by the variation of the ocular focal length under a higher wavelength illumination, increasing the experimental accommodative demand. These findings may be of relevance for research exploring peripheral refraction under accommodation, as the choice of target illumination is not trivial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ocular Imaging for Eye Care)
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10 pages, 3259 KiB  
Article
Characteristic Study of Non-Line-of-Sight Scattering Ultraviolet Communication System at Small Elevation Angle
by Axin Du, Yuehui Wang, Jing Zhang, Yingkai Zhao, Ning Sun and Jianguo Liu
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 363; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050363 - 23 May 2022
Viewed by 1608
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) communication is considered an effective complement to traditional wireless communication. However, the scattering models of existing non-line-of-sight (NLOS) UV, which are complex, are difficult to combine with the test. In this paper, the single scattering isosceles model with a small elevation [...] Read more.
Ultraviolet (UV) communication is considered an effective complement to traditional wireless communication. However, the scattering models of existing non-line-of-sight (NLOS) UV, which are complex, are difficult to combine with the test. In this paper, the single scattering isosceles model with a small elevation angle is proposed first. Then, the relationships between the path loss of single scattering isosceles and elevation angle, emission beam angle, receiving field angle, and transmission distance are studied. Finally, we consider outdoor NLOS UV solar-blind communications test at ranges of up to 100 m and 400 m, with different transmit and receive elevation angles. The results show that the isosceles model is in good agreement with the experiments. In addition, the UV isosceles model exhibits good properties compared with the existing scattering model. The proposed UV isosceles model can be employed as a reference for practical applications in outdoor tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Optical Communication and Network)
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18 pages, 5586 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of Heat Load for Multilayer Laue Lens under Exposure to XFEL Pulse Trains
by Zlatko Rek, Henry N. Chapman, Božidar Šarler and Saša Bajt
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050362 - 22 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1728
Abstract
Multilayer Laue lenses (MLLs) made from WC and SiC were previously used to focus megahertz X-ray pulse trains of the European XFEL free-electron laser, but suffered damage with trains of 30 pulses or longer at an incident fluence of about 0.13 J/cm2 [...] Read more.
Multilayer Laue lenses (MLLs) made from WC and SiC were previously used to focus megahertz X-ray pulse trains of the European XFEL free-electron laser, but suffered damage with trains of 30 pulses or longer at an incident fluence of about 0.13 J/cm2 per pulse. Here, we present numerical simulations of the heating of MLLs of various designs, geometry and material properties, that are exposed to such pulse trains. We find that it should be possible to focus the full beam of about 10 J/cm2 fluence of XFEL using materials of a low atomic number. To achieve high diffraction efficiency, lenses made from such materials should be considerably thicker than those used in the experiments. In addition to the lower absorption, this leads to the deposition of energy over a larger volume of the multilayer structure and hence to a lower dose, a lower temperature increase, and an improved dissipation of heat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue XUV and X-ray Free-Electron Lasers and Applications)
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9 pages, 3732 KiB  
Article
An Ultra-Broadband Polarization Beam Splitter Based on the Digital Meta-Structure at the 2 µm Waveband
by Jiefeng Xu, Yingjie Liu, Xiaoyuan Guo, Jiangbing Du and Ke Xu
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050361 - 22 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1979
Abstract
The 2 μm waveband is considered to have great potential in optical communications. Driven by the demands on high-performance functional devices in this spectral band, various integrated photonic components have been demonstrated. In this work, an analog and digital topology optimization method is [...] Read more.
The 2 μm waveband is considered to have great potential in optical communications. Driven by the demands on high-performance functional devices in this spectral band, various integrated photonic components have been demonstrated. In this work, an analog and digital topology optimization method is proposed to design an ultra-broadband polarization beam splitter at the 2 μm waveband. Within an optical bandwidth of 213 nm, the excess losses of TE and TM modes are <0.53 dB and 0.3 dB, respectively. The corresponding polarization extinction ratios are >16.5 dB and 18.1 dB. The device has a very compact footprint of only 2.52 µm × 5.4 µm. According to our best knowledge, this is a benchmark demonstration of an ultra-broadband and ultra-compact polarization beam splitter enabled by the proposed optimization method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Integrated Devices and Circuits)
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12 pages, 4765 KiB  
Article
Examination of the Blank Error on Mirror Accuracy of Lightweight SiC Mirror and a Compensation Method
by Ping Jiang and Pingwei Zhou
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050360 - 21 May 2022
Viewed by 1639
Abstract
Due to excellent characteristics of specific stiffness and thermal stability, silicon carbide-based (SiC) material is commonly selected to construct large-scale lightweight mirror. In general, the fabrication process of SiC mirror is similar to the casting process. The blank error of SiC mirror is [...] Read more.
Due to excellent characteristics of specific stiffness and thermal stability, silicon carbide-based (SiC) material is commonly selected to construct large-scale lightweight mirror. In general, the fabrication process of SiC mirror is similar to the casting process. The blank error of SiC mirror is 0~1 mm. Due to the high hardness of SiC, only the mirror surface and some positioning surface will be milled. The mirror surface accuracy will be degraded due to the fact that the blank error can cause significant changes in weight distribution. In this paper, Monte Carlo analysis is firstly performed to examine the blank error on gravity center, stiffness and mirror accuracy of a SiC mirror. It is found that according to the designed mount location, the amount of degradation is more than 2.5 nm of which the probability is 40.3%. It is known that the error of gravity center can be compensated by optimizing the axial mount location. Then inverse modeling and testing of gravity center for the SiC mirror is carried out in order to determine the optimal axial mount location. Based on the proposed method, the mirror degradation introduced by the blank error has been eliminated to the greatest extend. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Optical and Optoelectronic Materials and Applications)
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18 pages, 31230 KiB  
Article
Optical Properties of Black Carbon Aerosols with Different Coating Models
by Yanxia Tang, Yong Huang and Keyong Zhu
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050359 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1864
Abstract
Research on the optical properties of black carbon (BC) aerosols is highly important for investigating global climate change. A general inhomogeneous particle superposition model is developed. Inhomogeneous particles with arbitrary shapes can be constructed by this model. BC aerosols with core-shell, spherical, ellipsoid, [...] Read more.
Research on the optical properties of black carbon (BC) aerosols is highly important for investigating global climate change. A general inhomogeneous particle superposition model is developed. Inhomogeneous particles with arbitrary shapes can be constructed by this model. BC aerosols with core-shell, spherical, ellipsoid, and irregular coating models are established to explore the impact of coating shape on their optical properties. The optical properties are studied employing the discrete dipole approximation method (DDA). The influences of the morphology of BC aerosols, the coating volume fractions, and the shape of coatings on the optical properties are analyzed. The irregular coating shape causes a higher forward scattering intensity and a lower extinction cross-section. The forward scattering intensity of the core-shell model is lower than other models. The effect of the coating shape on forward scattering intensity becomes smaller as coating volume and fractal dimension increase. Consequently, assuming irregular coating as spherical coating models considered in most studies leads to inaccuracy in the optical properties of BC aerosols. It is necessary to comprehensively consider the effects of aerosol morphology and coating volume for investigating the optical properties of black carbon aerosols. Full article
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18 pages, 3042 KiB  
Review
Resolution and Contrast Enhancement for Lensless Digital Holographic Microscopy and Its Application in Biomedicine
by Duofang Chen, Lin Wang, Xixin Luo, Hui Xie and Xueli Chen
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050358 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3708
Abstract
An important imaging technique in biomedicine, the conventional optical microscopy relies on relatively complicated and bulky lens and alignment mechanics. Based on the Gabor holography, the lensless digital holographic microscopy has the advantages of light weight and low cost. It has developed rapidly [...] Read more.
An important imaging technique in biomedicine, the conventional optical microscopy relies on relatively complicated and bulky lens and alignment mechanics. Based on the Gabor holography, the lensless digital holographic microscopy has the advantages of light weight and low cost. It has developed rapidly and received attention in many fields. However, the finite pixel size at the sensor plane limits the spatial resolution. In this study, we first review the principle of lensless digital holography, then go over some methods to improve image contrast and discuss the methods to enhance the image resolution of the lensless holographic image. Moreover, the applications of lensless digital holographic microscopy in biomedicine are reviewed. Finally, we look forward to the future development and prospect of lensless digital holographic technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectroscopic Imaging)
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19 pages, 2377 KiB  
Review
Early Days of SACLA XFEL
by Tetsuya Ishikawa
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050357 - 18 May 2022
Viewed by 1981
Abstract
The SACLA (SPring-8 Angstrom compact laser) was designed to significantly downsize the SASE (self-amplified spontaneous emission) type XFEL (X-ray free-electron laser), in order to generate coherent light in the wavelength region of 0.1 nm by adopting an in-vacuum undulator that can shorten the [...] Read more.
The SACLA (SPring-8 Angstrom compact laser) was designed to significantly downsize the SASE (self-amplified spontaneous emission) type XFEL (X-ray free-electron laser), in order to generate coherent light in the wavelength region of 0.1 nm by adopting an in-vacuum undulator that can shorten the magnetic field period length. In addition, a SASE XFEL facility with a total length of 700 m has become a reality by using a C-band RF accelerating tube that enables a high acceleration gradient. Although progress was initially slow, the small-scale, low-cost SACLA was smoothly constructed, and it became the second light source to lase in the 0.1 nm wavelength region, following the LCLS (linac coherent light source) in the United States. In this paper, we look back on the history leading up to SACLA. and describe the SCSS (SPring-8 compact SASE source) project as a preparatory stage and a part of the construction/commissioning of SACLA. Since March 2012, SACLA has been operating as a shared user facility. Just a few of the upgrade activities of the facility and advanced research conducted are introduced. Finally, we will discuss the future development of the SPring-8 site, which has co-located the third-generation synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8 and the X-ray free-electron laser facility SACLA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue XUV and X-ray Free-Electron Lasers and Applications)
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14 pages, 835 KiB  
Article
Weak Randomness Analysis of Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution with Finite Resources
by Xiao-Lei Jiang, Xiao-Qin Deng, Yang Wang, Yi-Fei Lu, Jia-Ji Li, Chun Zhou and Wan-Su Bao
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050356 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1560
Abstract
The ideal quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol requires perfect random numbers for bit encoding and basis selecting. Perfect randomness is of great significance to the practical QKD system. However, due to the imperfection of practical quantum devices, an eavesdropper (Eve) may acquire some [...] Read more.
The ideal quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol requires perfect random numbers for bit encoding and basis selecting. Perfect randomness is of great significance to the practical QKD system. However, due to the imperfection of practical quantum devices, an eavesdropper (Eve) may acquire some random numbers, thus affecting the security of practical systems. In this paper, we analyze the effects of the weak randomness in the measurement-device-independent QKD (MDI-QKD) with finite resources. We analytically derive concise formulas for estimating the lower bound of the single-photon yield and the upper bound of the phase error rate in the case of the weak randomness. The simulation demonstrates that the final secret key rate of MDI-QKD with finite resources is sensitive to state preparation, even with a small proportion of weak randomness, the secure key rate has a noticeable fluctuation. Therefore, the weak randomness of the state preparation may bring additional security risks. In order to ensure the practical security of the QKD system, we are supposed to strengthen the protection of state preparation devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress on Quantum Cryptography)
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15 pages, 7875 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Optical and Near-Infrared Luminescence of Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ Co-Doped Heavy Metal Borate Glasses for Optical Amplifier Applications
by Vinod Hegde, G. Devarajulu, A. G. Pramod, Sangeeta B. Kolavekar, Dalal Abdullah Aloraini, Aljawhara H. Almuqrin, M. I. Sayyed and G. Jagannath
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050355 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1975
Abstract
For the near-infrared emission, Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ co-activated borate based glass hosts were synthesized by the method of melting andquenching. The emission intensity was maximum for 0.5 mol% Er3+ singly activated glass in the near-infrared (NIR) region covering [...] Read more.
For the near-infrared emission, Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ co-activated borate based glass hosts were synthesized by the method of melting andquenching. The emission intensity was maximum for 0.5 mol% Er3+ singly activated glass in the near-infrared (NIR) region covering the telecommunication window. The 2 mol% of Yb3+ co-doping enhanced the emission gain cross-section of the glass by two times contrast to 0.5 mol% Er3+ loaded glass. This enhancement shifted to lower spectral regions when P increased from 0 to 1. The effect of Yb3+ loading on the gain cross-section of the Er3+ co-activated glasses was analyzed using the McCumber theory. The results showed that the 0.5Er2Yb glass has a flat gain in the range of 1460–1640 nm, this suggest a lower pump threshold is enough to perform the laser functioning of a 1530 nm band and optical window of telecommunication applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Amplifiers: Progress, Challenges, and Future Prospects)
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13 pages, 14296 KiB  
Article
Generation and Detection of Optical Vortices with Multiple Cascaded Spiral Phase Plates
by Ziheng Zhou, Peng Li, Jingbo Ma, Shirui Zhang and Yuzong Gu
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050354 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2058
Abstract
Spiral phase plate (SPP) is the widely used method in the generation of vortex beam (VB) with fixed topological charges (TCs) for specific wavelength. Although VB with large TCs can be directly generated by using the SPP with high vortex order. The fabrication [...] Read more.
Spiral phase plate (SPP) is the widely used method in the generation of vortex beam (VB) with fixed topological charges (TCs) for specific wavelength. Although VB with large TCs can be directly generated by using the SPP with high vortex order. The fabrication of high-quality SPPs with high vortex orders usually requires complex manufacturing process and high machining accuracy. An alternative method to generate VBs with large TCs is cascaded multiple SPPs with low order. In this study, we numerically calculate the transmitted light field of cascaded multiple SPPs according to the Huygens–Fresnel diffraction integral, and perform the experimental verifications. Based on cascading 6 SPPs (3 SPPs with TCs of 2, and 3 SPPs with TCs 4, respectively), an VB with TCs as high as 18 is generated. Furthermore, The TCs of the generated VB are detected by coaxial and off-axis interfering with fundamental Gaussian beam or its conjugate beam, respectively. The generated fork and spiral patterns allow us to distinguish the value and sign of TCs carried by the VB. The experimental results coincide well with the theoretical simulations. The fork pattern shows better resolution than the spiral one, and the petal pattern with small spiral allows us to distinguish large TCs with a higher resolution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Singular Optics)
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7 pages, 1553 KiB  
Communication
Achieving Up-Conversion Amplified Spontaneous Emission through Spin Alignment between Coherent Light-Emitting Excitons in Perovskite Microstructures
by Xixiang Zhu, Yulin Xie and Xiaoling Ma
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050353 - 18 May 2022
Viewed by 1544
Abstract
Metal hybrid perovskites have presented interesting infrared-to-visible up-conversion light-emitting lasing properties through multi-photon absorption. Here, when the optical pumping switches between circular and linear polarization, up-conversion amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) intensity exhibits large and small amplitudes, respectively, leading to a positive up-conversion ΔASE [...] Read more.
Metal hybrid perovskites have presented interesting infrared-to-visible up-conversion light-emitting lasing properties through multi-photon absorption. Here, when the optical pumping switches between circular and linear polarization, up-conversion amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) intensity exhibits large and small amplitudes, respectively, leading to a positive up-conversion ΔASE in the CsPbBr3 perovskite microrods. This observed phenomenon demonstrates that the coherent interaction between coherent light-emitting excitons is indeed established at the up-conversion ASE regime in the CsPbBr3 perovskite microrods. In addition, the positive up-conversion ΔASE indicates the orbital magnetic dipoles between coherent light-emitting excitons are conserved during up-conversion ASE action. Essentially, the up-conversion ΔASE results provide evidence that shows up-conversion ASE can be realized by the orbit−orbit polarization interaction between light-emitting excitons. Moreover, up-conversion ASE proportionally increased as the pumping fluence increased, which shows that orbit–orbit polarization interaction can be gradually enhanced between coherent light-emitting excitons by increasing pumping density in the CsPbBr3 perovskite microrods. Substantially, our studies provide a fundamental understanding of the spin alignment between coherent light-emitting excitons towards developing spin-dependent nonlinear lasing actions in metal halide perovskites. Full article
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8 pages, 829 KiB  
Communication
Autoionization of Ultracold Cesium Rydberg Atom in 37D5/2 State
by Yuechun Jiao, Liping Hao, Jiabei Fan, Jingxu Bai, Jianming Zhao and Suotang Jia
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050352 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1745
Abstract
We present the observation of an autoionization of cesium 37D5/2 Rydberg atoms in ultracold gases and analyze the autoionization mechanism. The autoionization process is investigated by varying the delay time tD and Rydberg atomic density. The dependence of [...] Read more.
We present the observation of an autoionization of cesium 37D5/2 Rydberg atoms in ultracold gases and analyze the autoionization mechanism. The autoionization process is investigated by varying the delay time tD and Rydberg atomic density. The dependence of ionization signals on Rydberg density shows that the Rydberg density has an effect on not only the initial ion signals but also the evolution of the Rydberg atoms. The results reveal that the initial ionization of 37D5/2 Rydberg atoms is mostly attributed to the blackbody radiation (BBR)-induced photoionization, and the BBR-induced transitions to the nearby Rydberg states that lead to further ionization. Our work plays a significant role in investigating the collision between Rydberg atoms and many-body physics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Quantum Manipulation of Rydberg Atoms)
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13 pages, 5183 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Correction of a Laser Beam Wavefront Distorted by an Artificial Turbulent Heated Airflow
by Alexey Rukosuev, Alexander Nikitin, Vladimir Toporovsky, Julia Sheldakova and Alexis Kudryashov
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050351 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1524
Abstract
This paper presents a FPGA-based closed-loop adaptive optical system with a bimorph deformable mirror for correction of the phase perturbation caused by artificial turbulence. The system’s operating frequency of about 2000 Hz is, in many cases, sufficient to provide the real-time mode. The [...] Read more.
This paper presents a FPGA-based closed-loop adaptive optical system with a bimorph deformable mirror for correction of the phase perturbation caused by artificial turbulence. The system’s operating frequency of about 2000 Hz is, in many cases, sufficient to provide the real-time mode. The results of the correction of the wavefront of laser radiation distorted by the airflow formed in the laboratory conditions with the help of a fan heater are presented. For detailed consideration, the expansion of the wavefront by Zernike polynomials is used with further statistical analysis based on the discrete Fourier transform. The result of the work is an estimation of the correction efficiency of the wavefront distorted by the turbulent phase fluctuations. The ability of the bimorph adaptive mirror to correct for certain aberrations is also determined. As a result, it was concluded that the adaptive bimorph mirrors, together with a fast adaptive optical system based on FPGA, can be used to compensate wavefront distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence in the real-time mode. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Various Applications of Methods and Elements of Adaptive Optics)
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10 pages, 2562 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Photobiomodulation Dose in Biological Tissue by Adjusting the Focal Point of Lens
by Chuan-Tsung Su, Fu-Chien Chiu, Shih-Hsin Ma and Jih-Huah Wu
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050350 - 16 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
The optical power density in biotissue is an important issue for photobiomodulation (PBM) clinical applications. In our previous study, the maximal dose and the power density distributions of 830 nm lasers under human skin could be exactly calculated and measured. In this work, [...] Read more.
The optical power density in biotissue is an important issue for photobiomodulation (PBM) clinical applications. In our previous study, the maximal dose and the power density distributions of 830 nm lasers under human skin could be exactly calculated and measured. In this work, the laser power density in tissue can be changed by adjusting the focal point of the lens. From the experimental results, it is evident that the power densities on the attached gingiva and the surrounding tissues can be improved. Thus, the dose of a near-infrared (NIR) laser in the target tissue can be increased with a suitable lens. Most importantly, focusing lasers on deeper tissue can avoid any damage to the skin. This study provides a dose optimization method on the target tissue, and the results can be applied to clinical applications, especially laser acupuncture (LA). Full article
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13 pages, 2512 KiB  
Article
The BER Performance of the LDPC-Coded MPPM over Turbulence UWOC Channels
by Hongyan Jiang, Ning He, Xin Liao, Wasiu Popoola and Sujan Rajbhandari
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050349 - 16 May 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2164
Abstract
Turbulence-induced fading is a critical performance degrading factor for underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems. In this paper, we propose a quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) code with multiple-pulse-position modulation (MPPM) to overcome turbulence-induced fading. MPPM is adopted as a compromise between the [...] Read more.
Turbulence-induced fading is a critical performance degrading factor for underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems. In this paper, we propose a quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) code with multiple-pulse-position modulation (MPPM) to overcome turbulence-induced fading. MPPM is adopted as a compromise between the low-power efficiency of on–off keying (OOK) and the low bandwidth efficiency of pulse position modulation (PPM). The bit error rate (BER) performance of LDPC-coded MPPM over turbulence UWOC channels is investigated. The log-likelihood ratio (LLR) of MPPM is derived, and a simplified approximation is used for iterative decoding. Subsequently, the closed-form expression of the BER, without forward error correction (FEC) code, is obtained for the generalized-gamma (GG) fading model. Finally, Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation results are provided to demonstrate the correctness of the derived closed-form expressions and the effectiveness of the LDPC code with simplified LLR to improve the BER performance for different MPPM formats over fading channels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Wireless Communications Systems)
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12 pages, 2987 KiB  
Article
Interaction between Graphene Nanoribbon and an Array of QDs: Introducing Nano Grating
by Sahar Armaghani, Ali Rostami and Peyman Mirtaheri
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050348 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1769
Abstract
In this work, the interaction between an array of QDs and Graphene nanoribbon is modeled using dipole–dipole interaction. Then, based on the presented model, we study the linear optical properties of the considered system and find that by changing the size, number, and [...] Read more.
In this work, the interaction between an array of QDs and Graphene nanoribbon is modeled using dipole–dipole interaction. Then, based on the presented model, we study the linear optical properties of the considered system and find that by changing the size, number, and type of quantum dots as well as how they are arranged, the optical properties can be controlled and the controllable grating plasmonic waveguides can be implemented. Therefore, we introduce different structures, compare them together and find that each of them can be useful based on their application in optical integrated circuits. The quantum dot arrays are located on a graphene nanoribbon with dimensions of 775 × 40 nm2. Applying electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of 1.55 µm causes polarization in the quantum dots and induces surface polarization on graphene. It is shown that, considering the large radius of the quantum dot, the induced polarization is increased, and ultimately the interaction with other quantum dots and graphene nanoribbon is stronger. Similarly, the distance between quantum dots and the number of QDs on Graphene nanoribbon are basic factors that affect the interaction between QDs and nanoribbon. Due to the polarization effect of these elements between each other, we see the creation of the effective grating refractive index in the plasmonic waveguide. This has many applications in quantum optical integrated circuits, nano-scale atomic lithography for nano-scale production, the adjustment coupling coefficient between waveguides, and the implementation of optical gates, reflectors, detectors, modulators, and others. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Optical and Optoelectronic Materials and Applications)
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14 pages, 2727 KiB  
Article
Fast and Inexpensive Separation of Bright Phosphor Particles from Commercial Sources by Gravitational and Centrifugal Sedimentation for Deep Tissue X-ray Luminescence Imaging
by Mohammad Arifuzzaman, Meenakshi Ranasinghe, Apeksha C. Rajamanthrilage, Sriparna Bhattacharya and Jeffrey N. Anker
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050347 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1847
Abstract
X-ray luminescence tomography (XLT) detects X-ray scintillators contrast agents using a focused or collimated X-ray beam to provide high spatial resolution excitation through thick tissue. The approach requires bright nanophosphors that are either synthesized or purchased. However, currently available commercial nanophosphors are mostly [...] Read more.
X-ray luminescence tomography (XLT) detects X-ray scintillators contrast agents using a focused or collimated X-ray beam to provide high spatial resolution excitation through thick tissue. The approach requires bright nanophosphors that are either synthesized or purchased. However, currently available commercial nanophosphors are mostly composed of a polydisperse mixture of several micro- to nano-sized particles that are unsuitable for biomedical imaging applications because of their size and aggregated form. Here, we demonstrate a fast and robust method to obtain uniform nano to submicron phosphor particles from a commercial source of polydisperse Eu- and Tb-doped Gd2O2S particles by separating the smaller particles present using gravitational and centrifugal sedimentation. In contrast to ball milling for 15–60 min, which drastically degraded the particles’ brightness while reducing their size, our sedimentation method enabled the extraction of comparatively bright nanophosphors (≈100–300 nm in size) with a luminescence intensity of ≈10–20% of the several micron particles in the sample. Moreover, if scale up for higher yielding is required, the sedimentation process can be accelerated using fixed-angle and/or swinging bucket rotating centrifugation. Finally, after separation and characterization, nano and submicron phosphors were suspended and imaged through 5 mm thick porcine tissue using our in-house-built scanning X-ray induced luminescence chemical imaging (XELCI) system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Luminescence and Fluorescence)
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12 pages, 3816 KiB  
Article
Stem and Calyx Identification of 3D Apples Using Multi-Threshold Segmentation and 2D Convex Hull
by Man Xia, Haojie Zhu, Yuwei Wang, Jiaxu Cai and Lu Liu
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050346 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1756
Abstract
Traditional machine vision is widely used to identify apple quality, but this method finds it difficult to distinguish the apple stem and calyx from defects. To address this, we designed a new method to identify the stem and calyx of apples based on [...] Read more.
Traditional machine vision is widely used to identify apple quality, but this method finds it difficult to distinguish the apple stem and calyx from defects. To address this, we designed a new method to identify the stem and calyx of apples based on their concave shape. This method applies a fringe projection in a computer vision system of 3D reconstruction, followed by multi-threshold segmentation and a 2D convex hull technique to identify the stem and calyx. A camera and projector were used to reconstruct the 3D surface of the front half of an inspected apple. The height information for each pixel was reconstructed by a fringe projection and mathematical transformation. The 3D-reconstructed result was subjected to a multi-threshold segmentation technique and the segmentation results contained a concave feature in the curved line, representing the concave stem and calyx. The segmentation results were then subjected to a 2D convex hull technique, allowing for the identification of the stem and calyx. This method was evaluated using four groups of apples, and the proposed method is able to identify the stem and calyx with 98.93% accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical 3D Sensing Systems)
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30 pages, 640 KiB  
Review
The Role of Auxiliary Stages in Gaussian Quantum Metrology
by Danilo Triggiani, Paolo Facchi and Vincenzo Tamma
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050345 - 14 May 2022
Viewed by 1897
Abstract
The optimization of the passive and linear networks employed in quantum metrology, the field that studies and devises quantum estimation strategies to overcome the levels of precision achievable via classical means, appears to be an essential step in certain metrological protocols achieving the [...] Read more.
The optimization of the passive and linear networks employed in quantum metrology, the field that studies and devises quantum estimation strategies to overcome the levels of precision achievable via classical means, appears to be an essential step in certain metrological protocols achieving the ultimate Heisenberg-scaling sensitivity. This optimization is generally performed by adding degrees of freedom by means of auxiliary stages, to optimize the probe before or after the interferometric evolution, and the choice of these stages ultimately determines the possibility to achieve a quantum enhancement. In this work we review the role of the auxiliary stages and of the extra degrees of freedom in estimation schemes, achieving the ultimate Heisenberg limit, which employ a squeezed-vacuum state and homodyne detection. We see that, after the optimization for the quantum enhancement has been performed, the extra degrees of freedom have a minor impact on the precision achieved by the setup, which remains essentially unaffected for networks with a larger number of channels. These degrees of freedom can thus be employed to manipulate how the information about the structure of the network is encoded into the probe, allowing us to perform quantum-enhanced estimations of linear and non-linear functions of independent parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Optics: Entanglement and Coherence in Photonic Systems)
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12 pages, 4573 KiB  
Communication
Tunable Narrow-Band Filter Based on Long-Range Surface Plasmon Polariton Waveguide Bragg Grating
by Yan Xu, Jianbo Yue, Manzhuo Wang, Xiaoqiang Sun and Daming Zhang
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050344 - 14 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1707
Abstract
A narrow-band Bragg grating filter based on a long-range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) waveguide is theoretically demonstrated. The three-dimensional Au stripe that is embedded in polymer SU-8 acts as both the waveguide and the heating electrode. With the eigen mode expansion and finite [...] Read more.
A narrow-band Bragg grating filter based on a long-range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) waveguide is theoretically demonstrated. The three-dimensional Au stripe that is embedded in polymer SU-8 acts as both the waveguide and the heating electrode. With the eigen mode expansion and finite element method optimizations, the proposed filter shows a reflectivity of 0.578 and a 3 dB bandwidth of 1.1 nm. The central wavelength can be tuned from 1549.9 nm to 1544.3 nm by varying temperature from 25 °C to 75 °C, while maintaining the optical return loss at −2.5 dB. This proposed tunable filter has potential in on-chip light signal processing. Full article
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19 pages, 6676 KiB  
Article
A Compressed Reconstruction Network Combining Deep Image Prior and Autoencoding Priors for Single-Pixel Imaging
by Jian Lin, Qiurong Yan, Shang Lu, Yongjian Zheng, Shida Sun and Zhen Wei
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050343 - 13 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2449
Abstract
Single-pixel imaging (SPI) is a promising imaging scheme based on compressive sensing. However, its application in high-resolution and real-time scenarios is a great challenge due to the long sampling and reconstruction required. The Deep Learning Compressed Network (DLCNet) can avoid the long-time iterative [...] Read more.
Single-pixel imaging (SPI) is a promising imaging scheme based on compressive sensing. However, its application in high-resolution and real-time scenarios is a great challenge due to the long sampling and reconstruction required. The Deep Learning Compressed Network (DLCNet) can avoid the long-time iterative operation required by traditional reconstruction algorithms, and can achieve fast and high-quality reconstruction; hence, Deep-Learning-based SPI has attracted much attention. DLCNets learn prior distributions of real pictures from massive datasets, while the Deep Image Prior (DIP) uses a neural network′s own structural prior to solve inverse problems without requiring a lot of training data. This paper proposes a compressed reconstruction network (DPAP) based on DIP for Single-pixel imaging. DPAP is designed as two learning stages, which enables DPAP to focus on statistical information of the image structure at different scales. In order to obtain prior information from the dataset, the measurement matrix is jointly optimized by a network and multiple autoencoders are trained as regularization terms to be added to the loss function. Extensive simulations and practical experiments demonstrate that the proposed network outperforms existing algorithms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiphoton Microscopy)
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15 pages, 26874 KiB  
Article
Sputtering Deposition of TiO2 Thin Film Coatings for Fiber Optic Sensors
by Daniela Silva, Catarina S. Monteiro, Susana O. Silva, Orlando Frazão, Joana V. Pinto, Maria Raposo, Paulo A. Ribeiro and Susana Sério
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050342 - 13 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2106
Abstract
Thin films of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium (Ti) were deposited onto glass and optical fiber supports through DC magnetron sputtering, and their transmission was characterized with regard to their use in optical fiber-based sensors. Deposition parameters such as oxygen partial [...] Read more.
Thin films of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium (Ti) were deposited onto glass and optical fiber supports through DC magnetron sputtering, and their transmission was characterized with regard to their use in optical fiber-based sensors. Deposition parameters such as oxygen partial pressure, working pressure, and sputtering power were optimized to attain films with a high reflectance. The films deposited on glass supports were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Regarding the deposition parameters, all three parameters were tested simultaneously, changing the working pressure, the sputtering power, and the oxygen percentage. It was possible to conclude that a lower working pressure and higher applied power lead to films with a higher reflectance. Through the analysis of the as-sputtered thin films using X-ray diffraction, the deposition of both Ti and TiO2 films was confirmed. To study the applicability of TiO2 and Ti in fiber sensing, several thin films were deposited in single mode fibers (SMFs) using the sputtering conditions that revealed the most promising results in the glass supports. The sputtered TiO2 and Ti thin films were used as mirrors to increase the visibility of a low-finesse Fabry–Perot cavity and the possible sensing applications were studied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Sensing)
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13 pages, 1518 KiB  
Article
Effect of Near-Infrared Blood Photobiomodulation on Red Blood Cell Damage from the Extracorporeal Circuit during Hemodialysis In Vitro
by Tomasz Walski, Karolina Grzeszczuk-Kuć, Weronika Berlik, Izabela Synal-Kulczak, Raghvendra Bohara, Jerzy Detyna and Małgorzata Komorowska
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050341 - 13 May 2022
Viewed by 2083
Abstract
The contact of blood with the bioincompatible membranes of the dialyzer, which is part of the extracorporeal circuit during hemodialysis (HD), causes upregulation of various cellular and non-cellular processes, including massive generation and release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), (which is one of [...] Read more.
The contact of blood with the bioincompatible membranes of the dialyzer, which is part of the extracorporeal circuit during hemodialysis (HD), causes upregulation of various cellular and non-cellular processes, including massive generation and release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), (which is one of the primary causes of anemia in chronic renal failure). We hypothesize that near-infrared (NIR) radiation possesses antioxidant properties and is considered to protect the red blood cell (RBC) membrane by enhancing its resilience to negative pressures. Our experimental setup consisted of an HD machine equipped with a dialyzer with a polyamide membrane; whole bovine blood was examined in vitro in blood-treated circulation. Blood samples were taken at 0, 5, 15, and 30 min during the HD therapy. We also assessed osmotic fragility, hematocrit, hemolysis, and oxidative stress as a concentration of reactive thiobarbituric acid substances (TBARS). Our results have shown that RBC membrane peroxidation increased significantly after 30 min of circulation, whereas the TBARS level in NIR-treated blood remained relatively steady throughout the experiment. The osmotic fragility of NIR-irradiated samples during dialysis was decreased compared to control samples. Our studies confirm that in vitro, blood photobiomodulation using NIR light diminishes oxidative damage during HD and can be considered a simultaneous pretreatment strategy for HD. Full article
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36 pages, 1009 KiB  
Review
Randomized and Controlled Clinical Studies on Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy: An Overview
by Fernanda Alves, Mirian D. Stringasci, Michelle B. Requena, Kate C. Blanco, Lucas D. Dias, Thaila Q. Corrêa and Vanderlei S. Bagnato
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050340 - 13 May 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2258
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria is considered a critical public health problem. The need to establish alternative approaches to countering resistant microorganisms is unquestionable in overcoming this problem. Among emerging alternatives, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has become promising to control infectious diseases. aPDT [...] Read more.
The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria is considered a critical public health problem. The need to establish alternative approaches to countering resistant microorganisms is unquestionable in overcoming this problem. Among emerging alternatives, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has become promising to control infectious diseases. aPDT is based on the activation of a photosensitizer (PS) by a particular wavelength of light followed by generation of the reactive oxygen. These interactions result in the production of reactive oxygen species, which are lethal to bacteria. Several types of research have shown that aPDT has been successfully studied in in vitro, in vivo, and randomized clinical trials (RCT). Considering the lack of reviews of RCTs studies with aPDT applied in bacteria in the literature, we performed a systematic review of aPDT randomized clinical trials for the treatment of bacteria-related diseases. According to the literature published from 2008 to 2022, the RCT study of aPDT was mostly performed for periodontal disease, followed by halitosis, dental infection, peri-implantitis, oral decontamination, and skin ulcers. A variety of PSs, light sources, and protocols were efficiently used, and the treatment did not cause any side effects for the individuals. Full article
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7 pages, 1202 KiB  
Communication
Spurious Tone Reduction and Signal Stabilization of Optoelectronic Oscillators by Low-Frequency RF Signal Modulation
by Jun-Hyung Cho, Hyo-Sang Jeong and Hyuk-Kee Sung
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050339 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1837
Abstract
In this study, the oscillation signal stabilization and spurious tone suppression of a directly modulated optoelectronic oscillator (DM-OEO) are simultaneously achieved by modulating a laser with a low-frequency radio frequency (RF) signal. The laser in the DM-OEO is modulated by a rectangular wave [...] Read more.
In this study, the oscillation signal stabilization and spurious tone suppression of a directly modulated optoelectronic oscillator (DM-OEO) are simultaneously achieved by modulating a laser with a low-frequency radio frequency (RF) signal. The laser in the DM-OEO is modulated by a rectangular wave with a period inversely proportional to the frequency interval of the spurious tones and a duty cycle of 50%. The optical sidebands of the rectangular wave-modulated laser pulled the optical gain of the spurious tones of the DM-OEO, resulting in a spurious tone suppression and time stabilization in the DM-OEO signal. We achieve a 15 GHz DM-OEO with a 40.14 dB side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) and 2.55 dB improvement in the oscillation power stability compared to that without RF modulation. Full article
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27 pages, 5428 KiB  
Article
Theoretical Study on the Ultrafast Selective Excitation of Surface-Enhanced Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Based on Fano Resonance of Disk-Ring Nanostructures by Shaped Femtosecond Laser Pulses
by Yingjie Xia, Kaiqiang Cao, Hua Zhao, Shian Zhang, Donghai Feng, Zhenrong Sun, Jinping Li and Tianqing Jia
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050338 - 12 May 2022
Viewed by 1707
Abstract
The enhancement and selective excitation of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and the suppression of background noise are very important problems for real-time detection at the single-molecule level. Optimizing the plasmonic substrate to ensure that all the hot spots of the pump, probe, [...] Read more.
The enhancement and selective excitation of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and the suppression of background noise are very important problems for real-time detection at the single-molecule level. Optimizing the plasmonic substrate to ensure that all the hot spots of the pump, probe, Stokes, and anti-Stokes light are at the same position is the key to increasing the CARS signal to reach the level of single-molecule detection. The selective excitation of the target CARS peak and the suppression of the other peaks are the key to improving the signal-to-noise ratio. In this paper, we present a theoretical study to control the selective excitation and enhancement of any one of the three CARS peaks using the Fano resonance of a disk-ring structure. By optimizing the modulation of the pump, Stokes, and probe pulse, one CARS peak is maximized, while the other two are suppressed to zero. Fano resonance is applied to simultaneously enhance the four surface plasmon modes of the pump, probe, Stokes, and anti-Stokes light and to ensure that all the hot spots are located at the same position by adjusting the size of the disk-ring structure. The hot spots of the four pulses are concentrated in the disk-ring gap with a deviation distance of less than 2 nm, and the intensity of the CARS is enhanced by 1.43 × 1012 times, which is much higher than the requirement of single-molecule detection. The time, frequency, and phase distribution of the input and the response of the four pulses are studied in detail. It was found that the selective excitation and the spectra of CARS are both well preserved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultrafast Spectroscopy: Fundamentals and Applications)
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16 pages, 1497 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Finite Element-Based Photoacoustic Tomography by Localized Reconstruction Method
by Yao Sun and Huabei Jiang
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050337 - 12 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1604
Abstract
Iterative reconstruction algorithm based on finite element (FE) modeling is a powerful approach in photoacoustic tomography (PAT). However, an iterative inverse algorithm using conventional FE meshing of the entire imaging zone is computationally demanding, which hinders this powerful tool in applications where quick [...] Read more.
Iterative reconstruction algorithm based on finite element (FE) modeling is a powerful approach in photoacoustic tomography (PAT). However, an iterative inverse algorithm using conventional FE meshing of the entire imaging zone is computationally demanding, which hinders this powerful tool in applications where quick image acquisition and/or a large image matrix is needed. To address this challenge, parallel computing techniques are proposed and implemented in the field. Here, we present an alternative approach for 2D PAT, which locoregionally reconstructs the region of interest (ROI) instead of the full imaging zone. Our simulated and phantom experimental results demonstrate that this ROI reconstruction algorithm can produce almost the same image quality as the conventional full zone-based reconstruction algorithm; however, the computation time can be significantly reduced without any additional hardware cost by more than two orders of magnitude (100-fold). This algorithm is further applied and validated in an in vivo study. The major vessel structures in a rat’s brain can be imaged clearly using our ROI-based approach, coupled with a mesh of 11,801 nodes. This novel algorithm can also be parallelized using MPI or GPU acceleration techniques to further enhance the reconstruction performance of FE-based PAT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoacoustic Imaging for Biomedical Applications)
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7 pages, 2190 KiB  
Communication
A Stabilized Single-Longitudinal-Mode and Wide Wavelength Tunability Erbium Laser
by Li-Ci Chen, Yi-Ting Lai, Chien-Hung Yeh, Wen-Piao Lin, Chi-Wai Chow and Jing-Heng Chen
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050336 - 12 May 2022
Viewed by 1416
Abstract
An erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser with quad-ring is designed to reach the broad continuous-wave (CW) tunability and single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) behavior. Here, while a C-band erbium-based gain medium is exploited, the tunable scope can be extended from C- to part of L-bands and narrow [...] Read more.
An erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser with quad-ring is designed to reach the broad continuous-wave (CW) tunability and single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) behavior. Here, while a C-band erbium-based gain medium is exploited, the tunable scope can be extended from C- to part of L-bands and narrow the linewidth to several kHz by the presented compound-ring configuration. Additionally, the optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR), output power, and stability behavior of every lasing wavelength are also demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Lasers, Light Sources and Sensors)
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27 pages, 4866 KiB  
Review
A Review: The Functional Materials-Assisted Terahertz Metamaterial Absorbers and Polarization Converters
by Dexian Yan, Yi Wang, Yu Qiu, Qinyin Feng, Xiangjun Li, Jining Li, Guohua Qiu and Jiusheng Li
Photonics 2022, 9(5), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9050335 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3731
Abstract
When metamaterial structures meet functional materials, what will happen? The recent rise of the combination of metamaterial structures and functional materials opens new opportunities for dynamic manipulation of terahertz wave. The optical responses of functional materials are greatly improved based on the highly-localized [...] Read more.
When metamaterial structures meet functional materials, what will happen? The recent rise of the combination of metamaterial structures and functional materials opens new opportunities for dynamic manipulation of terahertz wave. The optical responses of functional materials are greatly improved based on the highly-localized structures in metamaterials, and the properties of metamaterials can in turn be manipulated in a wide dynamic range based on the external stimulation. In the topical review, we summarize the recent progress of the functional materials-based metamaterial structures for flexible control of the terahertz absorption and polarization conversion. The reviewed devices include but are not limited to terahertz metamaterial absorbers with different characteristics, polarization converters, wave plates, and so on. We review the dynamical tunable metamaterial structures based on the combination with functional materials such as graphene, vanadium dioxide (VO2) and Dirac semimetal (DSM) under various external stimulation. The faced challenges and future prospects of the related researches will also be discussed in the end. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Terahertz Metamaterials and Device Applications)
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