Ultrafast direct laser writing of 2D materials for multifunctional photonics devices [Invited]

Recently,fundamental properties and practical applications of two-dimensional(2D)materials have attracted tremendous interest.Micro/nanostructures and functional devices in 2D materials have been fabricated by various methods.Ultrafast direct laser writing(DLW)with the advantages of rich light-matter interactions;unique three-dimensional processing capability;arbitrary-shape design flexibility;and minimized thermal effect,which enables high fabrication accuracy resolution,has been widely applied in the fabrication of 2D materials for multifunctional devices.This timely review summarizes the laser interactions with 2D materials and the advances in diverse functional photonics devices by DLW.The perspectives and challenges in designing and improving laser-fabricated 2D material photonic devices are also discussed.     

Ultra-long-period grating-based multi-wavelength ultrafast fiber laser [Invited]

We propose and demonstrate the cascaded multi-wavelength mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser(EDFL) based on ultralong-period gratings(ULPGs) for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Study found that the ULPG can be used as both a mode-locker for pulse shaping and a comb filter for multi-wavelength generation simultaneously. Using the dual-function of ULPG, three-, four-, five-, six-, and seven-wavelength mode-locked pulses are obtained in EDFL, seven of which are the largest number of wavelengths up to now. For the four-wavelength soliton pulses, their pulse width is about 7.8 ps. The maximum average output power and slope efficiency of these pulses are 8.4 m W and 2.03%, respectively. Besides the conventional pulses, hybrid soliton pulses composed of a four-wavelength pulse and single soliton are also observed. Finally, the effect of cavity dispersion on the multi-wavelength mode-locked pulses is also discussed. Our findings indicate that apart from common sensing and filtering, the ULPG may also possess attractive nonlinear pulse-shaping property for ultrafast photonics application.     

Recent development of saturable absorbers for ultrafast lasers [Invited]

As one of the greatest inventions in the 20 th century, ultrafast lasers have offered new opportunities in the areas of basic scientific research and industrial manufacturing. Optical modulators are of great importance in ultrafast lasers, which directly affect the output laser performances. Over the past decades, significant efforts have been made in the development of compact, controllable, repeatable, as well as integratable optical modulators(i.e., saturable absorbers). In this paper, we review the fundamentals of the most widely studied saturable absorbers, including semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors and low-dimensional nanomaterials. Then, different fabrication technologies for saturable absorbers and their ultrafast laser applications in a wide wavelength range are illustrated. Furthermore, challenges and perspectives for the future development of saturable absorbers are discussed and presented. The development of ultrafast lasers together with the continuous exploration of reliable saturable absorbers will open up new directions for the mass production of the nextgeneration optoelectronic devices.     

In-fiber integrated optics: an emerging photonics integration technology [Invited]

In-fiber integrated optics is an attempt to use silica fiber as a substrate, integrating various optical paths or optical components into a single fiber, to build a functional optical device or component, and to realize a micro optical system, achieving various functions. In-fiber integrated optics is expected to be a new branch of photonics integration. This integration technique enables convenient light beams control and manipulation inside in one fiber. It also provides a research platform with micro and nano scale for interaction between light wave and microfluidic materials. In this review, we briefly summarize the main ideas and key technologies of the in-fiber integrated optics by series integration examples.     

Editorial for special issue on photonics based on two-dimensional noncarbon materials

正Scientists are in the constant search of novel materials,or innovative applications of existing materials to solve problems we face in our everyday life.Although graphene,the two-dimensional(2D)form of carbon,has been a star player for the past decade,there is a significant shift towards other noncarbon materials in recent years.Apart from the large family of transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs),mono-elemental materials,such as phosphorene,arsenene,antimonene,and     

Intelligent algorithms: new avenues for designing nanophotonic devices [Invited]

The research on nanophotonic devices has made great progress during the past decades. It is the unremitting pursuit of researchers that realize various device functions to meet practical applications. However, most of the traditional methods rely on human experience and physical inspiration for structural design and parameter optimization, which usually require a lot of resources, and the performance of the designed device is limited. Intelligent algorithms, which are composed of rich optimized algorithms, show a vigorous development trend in the field of nanophotonic devices in recent years. The design of nanophotonic devices by intelligent algorithms can break the restrictions of traditional methods and predict novel configurations, which is universal and efficient for different materials, different structures, different modes, different wavelengths, etc. In this review, intelligent algorithms for designing nanophotonic devices are introduced from their concepts to their applications, including deep learning methods, the gradient-based inverse design method, swarm intelligence algorithms, individual inspired algorithms, and some other algorithms. The design principle based on intelligent algorithms and the design of typical new nanophotonic devices are reviewed. Intelligent algorithms can play an important role in designing complex functions and improving the performances of nanophotonic devices, which provide new avenues for the realization of photonic chips.     

Recent achievements on underwater optical wireless communication [Invited]

The growing number of underwater activities is giving momentum to the development of new technologies, such as buoys, remotely operated vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles. The data collected by these vehicles need to be transmitted to a high-speed central unit. Clearly, wired solutions are not suitable, since they strongly impact the mobility. In this scenario, a promising solution is offered by underwater optical wireless communication(UOWC) technology, which can achieve both high-speed and wireless operation. Here, we provide a comprehensive survey on the challenges, the experimental realizations, and the state of the art in UOWC researches.     

Directly laser-written integrated photonics devices including diffractive optical elements

Femtosecond laser-written integrated devices involving Fresnel Zone Plates (FZPs) and waveguide arrays are demonstrated as built-in optical couplers. These structures were fabricated in borosilicate glass using a direct laser writing technique. The optical properties of these integrated photonic structures were investigated using CW lasers and high-resolution CCDs. For a single FZP coupled to a single waveguide, the overall coupling efficiency was 9%. A multiplexed optical coupler composed of three FZP layers was demonstrated to couple three waveguides simultaneously in a waveguide array. Structures of this type can be used as platforms for multichannel waveguide coupling elements or as microfluidic sensors that require higher light collecting efficiency.     

Visible light positioning: moving from 2D planes to 3D spaces [Invited]

The global navigation satellite system(GNSS) is a well-established outdoor positioning system with industry-wide impact due to the multifaceted applications of navigation, tracking, and automation. At large, however, is the indoor equivalent. One hierarchy of solutions, visible light positioning(VLP) with its promise of centimeter-scale accuracy and widespread coverage indoors, has emerged as a viable, easy to configure, and inexpensive candidate. We investigate how the state-of-the-art VLP systems fare against two hard barriers in indoor positioning: the need for high accuracy and the need to position in the threedimensions(3D). We find that although most schemes claim centimeter-level accuracy for some proposed space or plane, those accuracies do not translate into a realistic 3D space due to diminishing field-of-view in 3D and assumptions made on the operating space. We do find two favorable solutions in ray–surface positioning and gain differentials. Both schemes show good positioning errors, low-cost potential, and single-luminaire positioning functionality.     

High-accuracy optical time delay measurement in fiber link [Invited]

Optoelectronic components and subsystems such as optically controlled phased array antennas, distributed radar networks, interferometric optical fiber hydrophones, and high-speed optoelectronic chips demand highaccuracy optical time delay measurement with large measurement range and the capability for single-end and wavelength-dependent measurement. In this paper, the recent advances in the optical time delay measurement of a fiber link with high accuracy are reviewed. The general models of the typical time delay measurement technologies are established with the operational principle analyzed. The performance of these techniques is also discussed.     

Effects of air bubbles on underwater optical wireless communication [Invited]

The received signal intensity fluctuation and communication performance of an underwater optical wireless communication(UOWC) system under the air bubble effects are experimentally investigated. For different bubble density and size, lognormal, gamma, Weibull, and generalized extreme value distributions are tested to fit the fluctuation of the signal intensity at the receiving end. The best fitting distribution is found to vary with bubble parameters. The communication system performance with on–off keying and pulse position modulation is further studied.     

Integrated optical delay lines:a review and perspective[Invited]

Optical delay lines(ODLs) are one of the key enabling components in photonic integrated circuits and systems.They are widely used in time-division multiplexing, optical signal synchronization and buffering, microwave signal processing, beam forming and steering, etc. The development of integrated photonics pushes forward the miniaturization of ODLs, offering improved performances in terms of stability, tuning speed, and power consumption. The integrated ODLs can be implemented using various structures, such as single or coupled resonators, gratings, photonic crystals, multi-path switchable structures, and recirculating loop structures.The delay tuning in ODLs is enabled by either changing the group refractive index of the waveguide or changing the length of the optical path. This paper reviews the recent development of integrated ODLs with a focus on their abundant applications and flexible implementations. The challenges and potentials of each type of ODLs are pointed out.     

Morse lens [Invited]

In this Letter, we find that Morse potential(proposed about 90 years ago) could be connected to Coulomb potential(or Newton potential) and harmonic potential(or Hooke potential) by conformal mappings. We thereby design a new conformal lens from Morse potential, Eaton lens, and Luneburg lens and propose a series of generalized Eaton/Luneburg lenses. We find that this Morse lens is a perfect self-focusing asymmetric lens that differs from a Mikaelian lens. Our theory provides a new insight to Morse potential and other traditional potentials, and revisits their classical applications on designing lenses.     

Dispersion compensation by microstructured optical devices in ultrafast optics

Dispersion compensation is a ubiquitous problem for the generation and application of ultrashort optical pulses. Early approaches to compensate for the spectral group-delay dependence in materials used prism and grating sequences for this purpose, but are limited in bandwidth. Microstructuring dielectric optical materials on the scale of the optical wavelength have developed as an alternative for inducing a desired spectral group-delay dependence. With this approach a nearly arbitrary dependence of group delay vs. wavelength can be compensated for. We will discuss different approaches to microstructured dispersion compensation, namely chirped Bragg gratings, different generations of chirped mirrors, quasi-phase-matching gratings, and arrayed-waveguide gratings. We will outline common limitations and discuss ideas to expand further the utility of these approaches. PACS 42.65 Re; 42.79 Wc; 42.81 Wg     

New functions of VCSEL-based optical devicesInvited Paper

We have seen a lot of unique features off vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), such as low power consumption, wafer-level testing, small packaging capability, and so on. The market of VCSELs has been growing up rapidly in recent years and they are now the key devices in local area networks using multi-mode optical fibers. In addition, new functions on VCSELs have been demonstrated. In this paper, the recent advances of VCSEL photonics will be reviewed, which include the wavelength engineering and the athermal operation based on microelectro mechanical system (MEMS) technologies. Also, this paper explores the potential and challenges for new functions of VCSELs, including high-speed control of optical phase, slow light devices, plasmonic VCSELs, and so on.     

Review of femtosecond laser fabricated optical fiber high temperature sensors [Invited]

The femtosecond laser has been an efficient tool for optical fiber high temperature sensor construction. Here, we review the progress of optical fiber high temperature sensors based on femtosecond laser fabricated fiber gratings and various types of fiber in-line interferometers in silica fibers and sapphire fibers.     

New approach of semiconductor laser related technologies for ultrafast photonics

Ultrashort laser pulses offer new jump in information and communication technology. Especially semiconductor laser based ultrafast photonic devices and systems are promising. We review our new approaches for femtosecond pulse generation, and thin film technology for broad band semiconductor optical amplifiers.     

Interferometric ultrafast SOA-based optical switches: From devices to applications

All-optical switches are fundamental building blocks for future, high-speed optical networks that utilize optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) techniques to achieve single channel data rates exceeding 100 Gb/s. Interferometric optical switches using semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) non-linearities perform efficient optical switching with < 500 fJ of control energy and are approaching optical sampling bandwidths of nearly 1 THz. In this paper, we review work underway at Princeton University to characterize and demonstrate these optical switches as processing elements in practical networks and systems. Three interferometric optical switch geometries are presented and characterized. We discuss limitations on the minimum temporal width of the switching window and prospects for integrating the devices. Using these optical switches as demultiplexers, we demonstrate two 100-Gb/s testbeds for photonic packet switching. In addition to the optical networking applications, we have explored simultaneous wavelength conversion and pulse width management. We have also designed high bandwidth sampling systems using SOA-based optical switches as analog optical sampling gates capable of analyzing optical waveforms with bandwidths exceeding 100 GHz. We believe these devices represent a versatile approach to all-optical processing as a variety of applications can be performed without significantly changing the device architecture.     

Multi-color ultrafast laser platform for nonlinear optical imaging based on independently tunable optical parametric oscillators

We report on design of a multi-color laser set up that allows for high spectral, time and spatial resolution imaging based on second- and third-order optical nonlinearities in soft condensed matter. Two femtosecond optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are pumped simultaneously to provide intrinsically synchronized pulses at more than a dozen tunable colors across visible and infrared wavelengths. We demonstrate the use of independently tunable OPOs in a variety of imaging modalities. In one useful application, we explore brain tissue in a two-photon absorption fluorescence imaging experiment with near infrared optical pulses (λ ~ 1,070 nm). We also demonstrate second and sum-frequency generation microscopies in different tissues. Results from application of time-resolved, three-color coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering in tissue are presented to demonstrate feasibility of quantitative spectroscopic imaging.     

Mode division multiplexing: from photonic integration to optical fiber transmission [Invited]

To overcome the capacity crunch of optical communications based on the traditional single-mode fiber(SMF), different modes in a few-mode fiber(FMF) can be employed for mode division multiplexing(MDM). MDM can also be extended to photonic integration for obtaining improved density and efficiency, as well as interconnection capacity. Therefore, MDM becomes the most promising method for maintaining the trend of "Moore's law" in photonic integration and optical fiber transmission. In this tutorial, we provide a review of MDM works and cutting-edge progresses from photonic integration to optical fiber transmission, including our recent works of MDM low-noise amplification, FMF fiber design, MDM Si photonic devices, and so on. Research and application challenges of MDM for optical communications regarding long-haul transmission and short reach interconnection are discussed as well. The content is expected to be of important value for both academic researchers and industrial engineers during the development of next-generation optical communication systems,from photonic chips to fiber links.