Amphiphilic diblock copolymer‐based multiagent photonic sensing scheme

Efficient functionalization of polymer optical fibers' (POF) surface by a novel block copolymer material toward the development of low‐cost multiagent sensors is presented. The employed poly(styrene sulfonate‐b‐tert‐butylstyrene) (SPS‐b‐PtBS) diblock copolymer possesses two blocks of distinctively different polarity and charge, the hydrophilic SPS which is sensitive to polar substances and the hydrophobic PtBS which is sensitive to organic solvents. The coexistence of two different blocks allows for the detection of a wide variety of agents, ranging from ammonia, and organic solvents, to biomolecules like lysozyme, at room temperature as opposed to alternative usually more complicated techniques, all with the sole use of one sensing medium. Copolymers' high glass transition temperature enables the formation of stable and environmentally robust overlayers. The sensing performance of the material is evaluated experimentally on the customizable platform of POFs, demonstrating fast response, high operational reversibility, and also reusability in successively different testing agents. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 46–54     

Synthesis and surface functionalization of silica nanoparticles for nanomedicine

There are a wide variety of silica nanoformulations being investigated for biomedical applications. Silica nanoparticles can be produced using a wide variety of synthetic techniques with precise control over their physical and chemical characteristics. Inorganic nanoformulations are often criticized or neglected for their poor tolerance; however, extensive studies into silica nanoparticle biodistributions and toxicology have shown that silica nanoparticles may be well tolerated, and in some case are excreted or are biodegradable. Robust synthetic techniques have allowed silica nanoparticles to be developed for applications such as biomedical imaging contrast agents, ablative therapy sensitizers, and drug delivery vehicles. This review explores the synthetic techniques used to create and modify an assortment of silica nanoformulations, as well as several of the diagnostic and therapeutic applications.     

Diversity of photonic differentiators based on flexible demodulation of phase signals

We theoretically propose a multifunctional photonic differentiation （DIFF） scheme based on phase demodulation using two cascaded linear filters. The photonic D1FF has a diversity of output forms, such as the 1 st order intensity DIFF, the 1 st order field DIFF and its inversion, and the 2nd-order field DIFF, depending on the relative shift between the optical carrier and the filter＇s resonant notches. As a proof, we also experimentally demonstrate the DIFF diversity using a phase modulator and two delay interferometers （Dis）. The calculated average deviation is less than 7% for all DIFF waveforms. Our schemes show the advantages of flexible DIFF functions and forms, which may have different optical applications. For example, high order field differentiators can be used to generate complex temporal waveforms, and intensity differentiators are useful for the ultra-wideband pulse generation.     

基于布里渊载波相移的宽带可调谐二倍频微波信号生成

本文提出并实验验证了一种基于光纤中受激布里渊散射效应的光子二倍频微波信号生成技术.利用布里渊增益谱内的强色散特性,对光强度调制器产生的双边带调制信号的载波进行π/2相移,可实现载波与±1阶边带拍频仅生成二倍频微波信号.由于光纤中受激布里渊散射的窄带特性以及仅对双边带调制信号的载波进行相移,不影响调制信号两个边带的幅值和相位,因而生成的二倍频微波信号可实现宽带调谐,调谐范围仅受其他光器件的工作带宽限制.此外,信号光和产生受激布里渊散射的抽运光均来自同一光源,因而不受波长漂移的影响,系统具良好的稳定性.     

一种无需相位比较器的超高速光时分复用系统的自时钟恢复方法(英文)

基于带内时钟导引的置入与提取,提出一种在超高速时分复用系统中的自时钟恢复方案.通过在发送端插入带内时钟导引并在接收端提取出该时钟导引,实现系统时钟的瞬时同步恢复,无需传统时钟恢复中的超快相位比较器和锁相环.实验分别演示了由相位调制和强度调制构造的时钟导引,结果表明所提方法可实现160~40Gb/s的无误码解复用.该方法在光发射机之后和光接收机之前的光域内对数据信号进行预处理,简化了时钟恢复,同时并未改变光发射机和光接收机的原理、结构和设计,与现行的光纤通信系统兼容.     

On-chip optical pulse shaper for arbitrary waveform generation

We propose and demonstrate a silicon-on-insulator(SOI) on-chip optical pulse shaper based on four-tap finite impulse response. Due to different width designs in phase region of each tap, the phase differences for all taps are controlled by an external thermal source, resulting in an optical pulse shaper. We further demonstrate optical arbitrary waveform generation based on the optical pulse shaper assisted by an optical frequency comb injection. Four different optical waveforms are generated when setting the central wavelengths at 1533.78 nm and 1547.1 nm and setting the thermal source temperatures at 23℃ and 33℃, respectively. Our scheme has distinct advantages of compactness, capability for integrating with electronics since the integrated silicon waveguide is employed.     

Synthesis and photoswitching properties of bent-shaped liquid crystals containing azobenzene monomers

Three novel bent-shaped monomers, namely 1,3-phenylene bis-{4-[4-(n-allyloxyalkyloxy)phenylazo]benzoate} 5a–c, containing azobenzene as side arms, resorcinol as central units and terminal double bonds as polymerisable functional groups were synthesised and characterised. The mesophase behaviour was investigated by polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction measurements and it was found that all three compounds display SmA_intercal mesophases. These bent-shaped molecules exhibit strong photoisomerisation behaviour in solutions in which trans to cis isomerisation takes about 50 seconds whereas the reverse process takes almost 31 hours.     

Transfer printing of fully formed thin‐film microscale GaAs lasers on silicon with a thermally conductive interface material

High performance semiconductor lasers on silicon are critical elements of next generation photonic integrated circuits. Transfer printing methods provide promising paths to achieve hybrid integration of III‐V devices on Si platforms. This paper presents materials and procedures for epitaxially releasing thin‐film microscale GaAs based lasers after their full fabrication on GaAs native substrates, and for subsequently transfer printing arrays of them onto Si wafers. An indium‐silver based alloy serves as a thermally conductive bonding interface between the lasers and the Si, for enhanced performance. Numerical calculations provide comparative insights into thermal properties for devices with metallic, organic and semiconductor interfaces. Under current injection, the first of these three interfaces provides, by far, the lowest operating temperatures. Such devices exhibit continuous‐wave lasing in the near‐infrared range under electrical pumping, with performance comparable to unreleased devices on their native substrates.

     

Nanoscopically resolved dynamic charge‐carrier distribution in operating interband cascade lasers

Dynamic charge carriers play a vital role in active photonic quantum/nanodevices, such as electrically pumped semiconductor lasers. Here we present a systematic experimental study of gain‐providing charge‐carrier distribution in a lasing interband cascade laser. The unique charge‐carrier distribution profile in the quantum‐well active region is quantitatively measured at nanometer scales by using a noninvasive scanning voltage microscopy technique. Experimental results clearly confirm the accumulation and spatial segregation of holes and electrons in the beating heart of the device. The measurement also shows that the charge‐carrier density is essentially clamped in the presence of stimulated emission at low temperatures. The threshold charge‐carrier density exhibits a linear but fairly weak temperature dependence, in contrast to the exponential temperature dependence of the threshold current. The experimental approach will lead to a deeper understanding of fundamental processes that govern the operation and performance of nanoelectronic devices, quantum devices and optoelectronic devices.

     

Electrically pumped 1550 nm single mode III‐V‐on‐silicon laser with resonant grating cavity mirrors

This article presents a novel III‐V on silicon laser. This work exploits the phenomenon that a passive silicon cavity, side‐coupled to a III‐V waveguide, will provide high and narrow‐band reflectivity into the III‐V waveguide: the resonant mirror. This results in an electrically pumped laser with a threshold current of 4 mA and a side‐mode suppression ratio up to 48 dB.