Search Results (318)

To improve the efficiency and stability of the system, this paper proposes a monolithic integrated optical path design for a cavity optomechanical accelerometer based on a 250 nm top silicon thickness silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer instead of readout through U-shape fiber coupling. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) methods are employed to systematically investigate the performance of key optical structures, including the resonant modes and bandgap characteristics of photonic crystal (PhC) microcavities, transmission loss of strip waveguides, coupling efficiency of tapered-lensed fiber-to-waveguide end-faces, coupling characteristics between strip waveguides and PhC waveguides, and the coupling mechanism between PhC waveguides and microcavities. Simulation results demonstrate that the designed PhC microcavity achieves a quality factor (Q-factor) of 2.26 × 10⁵ at a 1550 nm wavelength while the optimized strip waveguide exhibits a low loss of merely 0.2 dB over a 5000 μm transmission length. The strip waveguide to PhC waveguide coupling achieves 92% transmittance at the resonant frequency, corresponding to a loss below 0.4 dB. The optimized edge coupling structure exhibits a transmittance of 75.8% (loss < 1.2 dB), with a 30 μm coupling length scheme (60% transmittance, ~2.2 dB loss) ultimately selected based on process feasibility trade-offs. The total optical path system loss (input to output) is 5.4 dB. The paper confirms that the PhC waveguide–microcavity evanescent coupling method can effectively excite the target cavity mode, ensuring optomechanical coupling efficiency for the accelerometer. This research provides theoretical foundations and design guidelines for the fabrication of high-precision monolithic integrated cavity optomechanical accelerometers. Full article

Multiband transmission is, nowadays, being implemented worldwide to increase the optical transport network capacity, mainly because it uses the already-installed single-mode fiber (SMF). The G.654E SMF, due to its attributes (e.g., low-loss, and large-effective area in comparison with the standard G.652 SMF), can also increase network capacity and can also be used for multiband (MB) transmission. Nevertheless, in MB transmission, power mode coupling arises when bands with wavelengths below the cut-off wavelength are used, inducing multipath interference (MPI). This work investigates the impact of the MPI, due to mode coupling from G.654E SMF, in the transmission reach of a C+L+S band transmission system. Our results indicate that for the S-band scenario, the band below the wavelength cut-off, an approximately 25% reach decrease is observed when the MPI/span increases to −26 dB/span, considering quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signals with a 64 GBaud symbol rate. We also concluded that if the L-band were not above the wavelength cut-off, it would be much more affected than the S-band, with an approximately 52% reach decrease due to MPI impact. Full article

Bruising in ‘Korla’ pears represents a prevalent phenomenon that leads to progressive fruit decay and substantial economic losses. The detection of early-stage bruising proves challenging due to the absence of visible external characteristics, and existing deep learning models have limitations in weak feature extraction under complex optical interference. To address the postharvest latent damage detection challenges in ‘Korla’ pears, this study proposes a collaborative detection framework integrating structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) with multi-order gated attention mechanisms. Initially, an SIRI optical system was constructed, employing 150 cycles·m⁻¹ spatial frequency modulation and a three-phase demodulation algorithm to extract subtle interference signal variations, thereby generating RT (Relative Transmission) images with significantly enhanced contrast in subsurface damage regions. To improve the detection accuracy of latent damage areas, the MOGA-UNet model was developed with three key innovations: 1. Integrate the lightweight VGG16 encoder structure into the feature extraction network to improve computational efficiency while retaining details. 2. Add a multi-order gated aggregation module at the end of the encoder to realize the fusion of features at different scales through a special convolution method. 3. Embed the channel attention mechanism in the decoding stage to dynamically enhance the weight of feature channels related to damage. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves 94.38% mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) and 97.02% Dice coefficient on RT images, outperforming the baseline UNet model by 2.80% with superior segmentation accuracy and boundary localization capabilities compared with mainstream models. This approach provides an efficient and reliable technical solution for intelligent postharvest agricultural product sorting. Full article

In response to the increasing demands for reliable, fast, and secure communications beyond 5G scenarios, the high-capacity networks have become a focal point. Quantum communication is at the forefront of this research, offering unmatched throughput and security. A free space optics (FSO) communication system integrated with fiber-end is designed and investigated using the Bennett–Brassard 1984 quantum key distribution (BB84-QKD) protocol. Simulation results show that reliable transmission can be achieved over a 10–15 km fiber length with a signal power of −19.54 dBm and high optical-to-signal noise of 72.28–95.30 dB over a 550 m FSO range under clear air, haze, fog, and rain conditions at a data rate of 1 Gbps. Also, the system using rectilinearly and circularly polarized signals exhibits a Stokes parameter intensity of −4.69 to −35.65 dBm and −7.7 to −35.66 dBm Stokes parameter intensity, respectively, over 100–700 m FSO range under diverse weather conditions. Likewise, for the same scenario, an FSO range of 100 m incorporating 2.5–4 mrad beam divergence provides the Stokes power intensity of −6.03 to −11.1 dBm and −9.04 to −14.12 dBm for rectilinearly and circularly polarized signals, respectively. Moreover, compared to existing works, this work allows faithful and secure signal transmission in free space, considering FSO–fiber link losses. Full article

We propose a dual-ring optical filter based on direct binary search inverse design. The proposed device comprises two cascaded rings in an add–drop configuration. A physical model was established using temporal coupled mode theory to derive theoretical spectra and analyze key parameters governing transmission performance. Based on theoretical results, a direct binary search algorithm was implemented. The parameters of the proposed device were calculated using a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method for verification. The numerical results demonstrate a free spectral range of 86 nm, with insertion loss and extinction ratios of 0.3 dB and 22 dB, respectively. The proposed device has a narrow spectral linewidth of 0.3 nm within a compact footprint of $24 \mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}\times 25.5 \mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}$. The device shows significant application potential in laser external cavities and dense wavelength division multiplexing systems. Moreover, this work provides a novel methodology for precision design of photonic devices. Full article

Integrated photonics is a transformative technology for enhancing communication and computation in Cloud and Fog computing networks. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) enable significant improvements in data-processing speed, energy-efficiency, scalability, and latency. In Cloud infrastructures, PICs support high-speed optical interconnects, energy-efficient switching, and compact wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), addressing growing data demands. Fog computing, with its edge-focused processing and analytics, benefits from the compactness and low latency of integrated photonics for real-time signal processing, sensing, and secure data transmission near IoT devices. PICs also facilitate the low-loss, high-speed modulation, transmission, and detection of RF signals in scalable Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) links, enabling seamless IoT integration with Cloud and Fog networks. This results in centralized processing, reduced latency, and efficient bandwidth use across distributed infrastructures. Overall, integrating photonic technologies into RoF, Fog and Cloud computing networks paves the way for ultra-efficient, flexible, and scalable next-generation network architectures capable of supporting diverse real-time and high-bandwidth applications. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state and emerging trends in integrated photonics for IoT sensors, RoF, Fog and Cloud computing systems. It also outlines open research opportunities in photonic devices and system-level integration, aimed at advancing performance, energy-efficiency, and scalability in next-generation distributed computing networks. Full article

To enhance the sensing performance of fiber-optic magnetic field sensors, we explored the design, optimization, and application prospects of a D-type fiber-optic magnetic field sensor. This D-type PCF-SPR sensor is metal coated on one side (the metal used in this study is gold), which serves as the active metal for SPR and enhances structural stability. Magnetic fluid is applied on the outer side of the gold film for SPR magnetic field sensing. Six internal air holes arranged in a hexagonal shape form a central light transmission channel that facilitates the connection between the two modes, which are the sensor’s core mode and SPP mode, respectively. The outer six large air holes and two small air holes are arranged in a circular pattern to form the cladding, which allows for better energy transmission and reduces energy loss in the fiber. In this paper, the finite element method is employed to analyze the transmission performance of the sensor, focusing on the transmission mode. Guidelines for optimizing the PCF-SPR sensor are derived from analyzing the fiber optic sensor’s dispersion curve, the impact of surface plasmon excitation mode, and the core mode energy on sensing performance. After analyzing and optimizing the transmission mode and structural parameters, the optimized sensor achieves a magnetic field sensitivity of 18,500 pm/mT and a resolution of 54 nT. This performance is several orders of magnitude higher than most other sensors in terms of sensitivity and resolution. The SPR-PCF magnetic field sensor offers highly sensitive and accurate magnetic field measurements and shows promising applications in medical and industrial fields. Full article

Accurate visual inspection of underwater infrastructure, such as bridge piers and retaining walls, is often hindered by severe image degradation due to light attenuation and scattering. This paper introduces an unsupervised enhancement framework tailored for restoring underwater images containing structural cracks. The method combines a physical modeling of underwater light transmission with a deep image translation architecture that operates without requiring paired training samples. To address the loss of fine structural details, this paper incorporates a multi-scale feature integration module and a region-focused discriminator that jointly guide the enhancement process. Moreover, a physics-guided loss formulation is designed to promote optical consistency and texture fidelity during training. The proposed approach is validated on a real-world dataset collected from submerged structures under varying turbidity and illumination levels. Both objective evaluations and visual results show substantial improvements over baseline models, with better preservation of crack boundaries and overall visual quality. This work provides a robust solution for preprocessing underwater imagery in structural inspection tasks. Full article

Recently, free-space optical (FSO) communication systems utilizing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) relays have garnered significant attention. Integrating UAV relays into FSO communication and employing cooperative diversity techniques not only fulfill the need for long-distance transmission but also enable flexible adjustments of relay positions based on the actual environment. This paper investigates the performance of a parallel-UAV-relay-based FSO communication system. In the considered system, the channel fadings include atmospheric loss, atmospheric turbulence, pointing errors, and angle-of-arrival fluctuation. Using the established channel model, we derive a tractable expression for the probability density function of the total channel gain. Then, we derive closed-form expressions of the system outage probability (OP) and average bit error rate (ABER). Moreover, we also derive the asymptotic OP and ABER for a high-optical-intensity regime. Our numerical results validate the accuracy of the derived theoretical expressions. Additionally, the effects of the number of relay nodes, the field of view, the direction deviation, the signal-to-noise ratio threshold, the atmospheric turbulence intensity, the transmit power, and the transmission distance on the system’s performance are also discussed. Full article

Fluorinated polyimide (FPI), renowned for its exceptional low-dielectric properties, colorless transparency, high-temperature resistance, and flexibility, has emerged as an ideal material for addressing challenges in 5G/6G high-frequency signal transmission and flexible electronic substrates. Nevertheless, the structure–property relationship between molecular architectures and the dielectric characteristics of FPI films remains insufficiently understood, necessitating urgent elucidation of the underlying mechanisms. In this study, a diamine monomer containing bis-amide bonds, 4-amino-N-{4-[(4-aminobenzoyl)amino]phenyl}benzamide (PABA), was synthesized. Subsequently, six FPI films (FPAIs, FPEIs, and FPEsIs) with distinct structural features were prepared through homopolymerization of PABA and five other diamines (containing amide bonds, ether, and ester groups) with fluorinated dianhydride (6FDA). Systematic characterization of thermal, mechanical, optical, and dielectric properties revealed that these films exhibit excellent thermal stability (T_g: 296–388 °C), mechanical strength (σ: 152.5–248.1 MPa, E: 2.1–3.4 GPa), and optical transparency (T_{550 nm}: 82–86%). Notably, they demonstrated a low dielectric constant (D_k as low as 2.8) and dielectric loss (D_f down to 0.002) under both low- and high-frequency electric fields. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical were employed to calculate critical physical parameters and HOMO–LUMO energy levels of the six FPIs. This computational analysis provides deeper insights into the structure–performance correlations governing dielectric behavior and optical transparency in FPIs. The findings establish valuable theoretical guidance for designing advanced PI films with tailored dielectric properties and high transparency. Full article

The refractive index is an important optical property of materials which can be used to understand the composition of materials. Therefore, refractive index sensing plays a vital role in biological diagnosis and therapy, material analysis, (bio)chemical sensing, and environmental monitoring. Conventional optical refractive index sensors based on optical fibers and ridge waveguides have relatively large sizes of a few millimeters, making them unsuitable for on-chip integration. Photonic crystals (PCs) have been used to significantly improve the compactness of refractive index sensors for on-chip integration. However, PC structures suffer from defect-introduced strong scattering, resulting in low transmittance, particularly at sharp bends. Valley photonic crystals (VPCs) can realize defect-immune unidirectional transmission of topological edge states, effectively reducing the scattering loss and increasing the transmittance. However, optical refractive index sensors based on VPC structures have not been demonstrated. This paper proposes a refractive index sensor based on a VPC Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) structure with a high forward transmittance of 0.91 and a sensitivity of 1534%/RIU at the sensing wavelength of λ = 1533.97 nm within the index range from 1.0 to 2.0, which is higher than most demonstrated optical refractive index sensors in the field. The sensor has an ultracompact footprint of 9.26 μm × 7.99 μm. The design can be fabricated by complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication technologies. Therefore, it will find broad applications in biology, material science, and medical science. Full article

In future hybrid fiber and radio access networks, wavelength division multiplexing passive optical networks (WDM-PON) based fifth-generation (5G) fronthaul systems are anticipated to coexist with current protocols, potentially leading to non-linearity impairment due to stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). To meet the loss budget requirements of 5G fronthaul networks, this paper investigates the power changes induced by SRS in WDM-PON based 5G fronthaul systems. The study examines wavelength allocation schemes utilizing both the C-band and O-band, with modulation formats including non-return-to-zero (NRZ), optical double-binary (ODB), and four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4). Simulation results indicate that SRS non-linearity impairment causes a power depletion of 1.3 dB in the 20 km C-band link scenario, regardless of whether the modulation formats are 25 Gb/s or 50 Gb/s NRZ, ODB, and PAM4, indicating that the SRS-induced power changes are largely independent of both modulation formats and modulation rates. This effect occurs when only the upstream and downstream wavelengths of the 5G fronthaul are broadcast. However, when the 5G fronthaul wavelengths coexist with previous protocols, the maximum power depletion increases significantly to 10.1 dB. In the O-band scenario, the SRS-induced maximum power depletion reaches 1.5 dB with NRZ, ODB, and PAM4 modulation formats at both 25 Gb/s and 50 Gb/s. Based on these analyses, the SRS non-linearity impairment shall be fully considered when planning the wavelengths for 5G fronthaul transmission. Full article

316L steel is widely used in various industries and is also one of the metallic materials used for biomedical applications because of its excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. This article reports a comprehensive study on the effects of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and subsequent recovery treatment on the microstructure and the mechanical, tribological, and corrosion properties of 316L. The process includes an initial annealing at 1050 °C for 2 h to obtain a homogenous microstructure, ECAP at room temperature with a 120° inner angle, and subsequent recovery treatment at 340 °C for 1 h. The microstructure was investigated with an optical microscope and a transmission electron microscope. The mechanical properties were evaluated with hardness and compression tests. The corrosion behavior was analyzed with dynamic polarization tests. The wear test was performed using a scratching tester, and the volume loss was measured with a profilometer. The results of the study demonstrate that the ECAP–recovery sample exhibits improved properties compared to both the annealed sample and the ECAP sample. The corrosion tests show that the ECAP sample has a corrosion resistance higher than that of the annealed sample but lower than that of the ECAP–recovery sample. The ECAP–recovery sample shows the highest wear resistance and corrosive wear resistance among the three samples. Full article

Optical 3 dB power splitters are fundamental building blocks for advanced silicon photonic integrated circuits, with applications ranging from high-speed modulators to optical phased arrays and programmable photonic processors. However, 3 dB power splitters are commonly hampered by trade-offs in device dimensions, operation bandwidth, and fabrication technology. In this paper, we present a compact and ultra-broadband 3 dB power splitter based on segmented adiabatic tapered rib waveguides, with a length of 23.4 μm. The simulated splitter achieved an output transmission efficiency exceeding 48% over a large wavelength of 400 nm (1200–1600 nm). The power splitter was successfully fabricated on a commercial platform and exhibited excellent splitting ratios within 50 ± 3.8% and insertion losses below 0.38 dB over the range of 1260–1360 nm and 1525–1600 nm. Additionally, a high-speed Mach–Zehnder modulator based on the power splitter was built, demonstrating 40 Gbps NRZ signal modulations across both O-band and C-band. The proposed splitter and modulator are promising elements for large-scale and broadband integrated photonic systems. Full article

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂) is a well-known phase-change material that exhibits a thermally driven insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) near 68 °C, leading to significant changes in its electrical and optical properties. This transition is governed by structural modifications in the VO₂ crystal lattice, enabling dynamic control over absorption, reflection, and transmission. Despite its promising tunability, VO₂-based optical absorbers face challenges such as a narrow IMT temperature window, intrinsic optical losses, and fabrication complexities associated with multilayer designs. In this work, we propose and numerically investigate a single-layer VO₂-based optical absorber for the visible spectrum using full-wave electromagnetic simulations. The proposed absorber achieves nearly 95% absorption at 25 °C (insulating phase), which drops below 5% at 80 °C (metallic phase), demonstrating exceptional optical tunability. This behavior is attributed to VO₂’s high refractive index in the insulating state, which enhances resonant light trapping. Unlike conventional multilayer absorbers, our single-layer VO₂ design eliminates structural complexity, simplifying fabrication and reducing material costs. These findings highlight the potential of VO₂-based crystalline materials for tunable and energy-efficient optical absorption, making them suitable for adaptive optics, smart windows, and optical switching applications. The numerical results presented in this study contribute to the ongoing development of crystal-based phase-transition materials for next-generation reconfigurable photonic and optoelectronic devices. Full article