Tag

Nonlinear Optics

All articles tagged with #nonlinear optics

innovation1 month ago•7 min saved

Nano metasurface boosts light frequency conversion by 1,000x

Researchers combined gallium arsenide/aluminum gallium arsenide multi-quantum-well layers with a nanoscale metasurface to amplify light’s nonlinear frequency conversion by up to 1,000 times, enabling smaller, scalable photonic devices for telecom and quantum technologies. The approach engineers both the material and the optical structure, yielding strong light–matter interactions at near-infrared wavelengths and compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing, with potential applications including quantum communication and entangled-photon sources.

via Interesting Engineering|

#frequency-conversion #innovation #metasurface

science1 month ago•39 min saved

Quantum-well metasurface boosts free-space second-harmonic generation to giant levels

Researchers combine a GaAs/AlGaAs multi-quantum-well stack with a high-Q TiO2 metasurface to access and enhance second-order nonlinearities from near-infrared to visible. Engineered interband transitions yield an intrinsic χ(2) ≈ 1.6 nm/V at 1.57 μm, while coupling to a guided-mode resonance in the metasurface elevates the effective χ(2) to ~14 nm/V (≈17 nm/V after correcting for SH absorption), enabling free-space-accessible SHG with normal incidence. The device uses a 16-period MQW film (~595 nm) and a metasurface that provides polarization conversion and strong field overlap; the strongest SHG occurs at small incidence angles with a high-Q resonance (Q ~1125). This co-design demonstrates a scalable route to compact, efficient nonlinear photonic devices and could extend to other nonlinear processes.

via Nature|

#gaasalgaas-quantum-wells #metasurfaces #nonlinear-optics

science2 months ago•135 min saved

Lab-made black hole from light tests Hawking radiation and its recoil

Physicists built a laboratory black hole analogue by launching a strong pump pulse through a photonic-crystal fiber, creating a moving optical front that forms an event horizon for a probe pulse. They detected Hawking-like ultraviolet radiation and, for the first time, observed the backreaction—a spectral shift indicating the analogue black hole paid a small energetic price for emitting the glow. The results align with Hawking’s predictions and suggest a direct one-step mechanism for Hawking radiation in this setup, with future work planned to explore quantum features such as entanglement.

via Live Science|

#black-hole-analogue #hawking-radiation #nonlinear-optics

innovation4 months ago•9 min saved

Quantum Fluctuations Yield 20x Boost in Laser Interactions Without Extra Power

Chinese researchers used bright squeezed vacuum, a quantum light state, to amplify nonlinear laser interactions by over 20x at the same average energy, reducing damage risk and enabling tunable interaction strength through light statistics—potentially advancing attosecond science and ultrafast optical technologies.

via Interesting Engineering|

#attosecond-science #innovation #laser-physics

innovation4 months ago•9 min saved

Quantum-Fluctuation Light Sparks 20x Laser Boost at the Same Power

Chinese researchers show that bright squeezed vacuum, a quantum light state, boosts nonlinear laser interactions by over 20x without increasing average power, enabling safer, more controllable ultrafast optics; the effect is tunable by adjusting the light’s quantum statistics and could impact attosecond science and high-intensity laser applications.

via Interesting Engineering|

#attosecond-science #bright-squeezed-vacuum #innovation

technology5 months ago•5 min saved

Self-organizing laser beam enables ultrafast, high-res brain imaging

MIT researchers reveal a laser that self-organizes into a stable pencil beam inside a multimode fiber under precise on-axis high-power conditions, enabling ultrafast, high-resolution 3D imaging of the blood–brain barrier and real-time tracking of drug uptake without fluorescent tags—potentially speeding brain-targeted therapy research by about 25x and opening paths to imaging neurons and other tissues.

via MIT News|

#bioimaging #blood-brain-barrier #nonlinear-optics

technology7 months ago•13 min saved

Two-Timescale Photonic Chips Forge New Colors On Demand

Researchers at JQI designed a chip consisting of an array of resonators that exploit two distinct light-circulation timescales to passively satisfy frequency-phase matching, enabling second-, third-, and fourth-harmonic generation from a 190 THz input without active tuning. The on-chip generation of new colors (red, green, blue) eliminates the need for additional lasers or heaters and could impact metrology and nonlinear optical computing by providing compact, scalable light sources.

via SciTechDaily|

#frequency-conversion #integrated-photonics #nonlinear-optics

technology8 months ago•21 min saved

Resonant second-harmonic boost enables low-power on-chip optical amplification

Researchers on a thin-film lithium niobate chip demonstrate an integrated optical parametric amplifier that achieves >17 dB gain at telecom wavelengths using a resonant second-harmonic pump, dramatically reducing required pump power from watts to tens of milliwatts. The SH resonance enhances broadband parametric gain (>150 nm) with measurable noise figures, enabling low-power, chip-scale amplification for communications and quantum sensing in photonic circuits.

via Nature|

#nonlinear-optics #optical-amplifiers #photonic-integrated-circuits

science1 year ago•37 min saved

Revolutionizing Light with Programmable Nonlinear Photonics

The article discusses a novel programmable nonlinear waveguide that allows dynamic control of χ(2) nonlinearity for versatile nonlinear optical functions, demonstrated through experiments on spectral, spatial, and spatio-spectral engineering of second-harmonic generation, with potential applications in integrated photonics and quantum technologies.

via Nature|

#nonlinear-optics #photonic-devices #programmable-waveguide

science1 year ago•7 min saved

Butterfly Wings Spark Breakthrough in Optical Technology

Researchers have developed a new ultra-thin, tunable optical device inspired by butterfly wings, enabling dynamic control of nonlinear optical processes at visible wavelengths, with potential applications in camouflage, biosensing, and quantum computing.

via Phys.org|

#butterfly-wings #metasurfaces #nonlinear-optics

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Hidden Symmetries Enable Advanced Light Control in Quantum Materials

Researchers have discovered that nonsymmorphic symmetry in quantum materials like nodal-line semimetals suppresses even-order optical responses and enables polarization-dependent light emission patterns, opening new avenues for ultrafast lightwave-based devices and quantum technologies.

via Phys.org|

#light-control #nonlinear-optics #quantum-materials

science1 year ago•5 min saved

Innovative Contact Lenses Enable Night Vision by Making Infrared Light Visible

ETH Zurich researchers have developed ultra-thin metalenses made from lithium niobate that can convert infrared light into visible light by halving its wavelength, using nanostructures and nonlinear optical effects, with potential applications in security, imaging, and electronics.

via Phys.org|

#lithium-niobate #metalenses #nanostructures

science1 year ago•2 min saved

Scientists Uncover Light's Ability to Cast Shadows in Laser Experiment

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered that a narrow green laser beam can cast a shadow when passed through a larger blue laser beam inside a ruby crystal, challenging conventional understanding of light interactions. This phenomenon, attributed to optical nonlinear absorption, could lead to new applications in optical switching and light transmission control. The research, published in Optica, opens up possibilities for further exploration of light-matter interactions using different wavelengths and materials.

via Futurism|

#lasers #light-matter-interaction #nonlinear-optics

science1 year ago•4 min saved

Lasers Found to Cast Shadows in Surprising Experiment

Researchers have discovered that under certain conditions, a laser beam can cast a shadow, challenging traditional understandings of light and shadow. By directing a high-power green laser through a ruby crystal and illuminating it with a blue laser, the green laser increased the optical absorption of the blue light, creating a visible shadow. This finding, published in Optica, opens new possibilities for technologies that use laser beams to control other light sources, such as optical switching and precise light transmission control.

via Phys.org|

#laser #light-interaction #nonlinear-optics

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Novel Technique for Distortion-Free Manipulation of Structured Light Developed by Researchers"

Researchers have developed a method to correct aberrated light coming out of a noisy environment by pairing it with another unstructured beam of light that experienced the same aberration. Using difference frequency generation in a nonlinear crystal, the structured beam is automatically restored without the need for knowledge of the aberration, enabling a nonlinear form of adaptive optics that works at the speed of light. This breakthrough has the potential to be integrated into systems for diverse applications, such as communications, imaging, and optical trapping, and also allows for communication and detection with different wavelengths.

via Phys.org|

#adaptive-optics #light-manipulation #nonlinear-optics