Jacob Taylor, Robin Swanson, Parker Levesque
et al.
With the commissioning of the refurbished adaptive secondary mirror (ASM) for the 6.5-meter MMT Observatory under way, special consideration had to be made to properly calibrate the mirror response functions to generate an interaction matrix (IM). The commissioning of the ASM is part of the MMT Adaptive optics exoPlanet characterization System (MAPS) upgrade the observatory's legacy adaptive optics (AO) system. Unlike most AO systems, MAPS employs a convex ASM which prevents the introduction of a calibration source capable of simultaneously illuminating its ASM and wavefront sensor (WFS). This makes calibration of the AO system a significant hurdle in commissioning. To address this, we have employed a hybrid calibration strategy we call the Efficient Synthesis of Calibrations for Adaptive Optics through Pseudo-synthetic and Empirical methods (ESCAPE). ESCAPE combines the DO-CRIME on-sky calibration method with the SPRINT method for computing pseudo-synthetic calibration matrices. To monitor quasi-static system change, the ESCAPE methodology rapidly and continuously generates pseudo-synthetic calibration matrices using continual empirical feedback in either open or closed-loop. In addition, by measuring the current IM in the background while in close-loop, we are also able to measure the optical gains for pyramid wavefront sensor (PyWFS) systems. In this paper, we will provide the mathematical foundation of the ESCAPE calibration strategy and on-sky results from its application in calibrating the MMT Observatory's ASM. Additionally, we will showcase the validation of our approach from our AO testbed and share preliminary on-sky results from MMT.
Optical tweezers has emerged as a powerful tool in manipulating microscopic particles and in measuring weak forces of the order of a pico-Newton. As a result, it has found wide applications ranging from material science to biology. Dual-trap optical tweezers (DTOT) are of particular importance as they allow for two point correlation measurements as in molecular force spectroscopy, two-point active micro-rheology, etc. Here we report a novel design for a steerable DTOT setup which uses back-scattered light from the two traps for position detection. This is performed using a confocal scheme where the two detectors are placed at the conjugate points to the respective traps. This offers several significant advantages over current designs, such as, zero cross-talk between signals, single module assembly and robustness to thermal drift. Moreover, our design can be very easily integrated with standard microscopy techniques like Phase contrast and Differential Interference Contrast, without modifying the microscope illumination unit.
Richard Haindl, Valentina Bellemo, Praveenbalaji Rajendran
et al.
Non-invasive imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing and studying eye diseases. However, existing photoacoustic ophthalmoscopy (PAOM) techniques in mice have limitations due to handling restrictions, suboptimal optical properties, limited availability of light sources and permissible light fluence at the retina. This study introduces an innovative approach that utilizes Rose Bengal, a contrast agent, to enhance PAOM contrast. This enables visualization of deeper structures like the choroidal microvasculature and sclera in the mouse eye using visible light. The integration of near-infrared-II optical coherence tomography (NIR-II OCT) provides additional tissue contrast and insights into potential NIR-II PAOM capabilities. To optimize imaging, we developed a cost-effective 3D printable mouse eye phantom and a fully 3D printable tip/tilt mouse platform. This solution elevates PAOM to a user-friendly technology, which can be used to address pressing research questions concerning several ocular diseases such as myopia, glaucoma and/or age-related macular degeneration in the future.
Correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) requires the availability of robust probes which are visible both in light and electron microscopy. Here we demonstrate a CLEM approach using small gold nanoparticles as a single probe. Individual gold nanoparticles bound to the epidermal growth factor protein were located with nanometric precision background-free in human cancer cells by light microscopy using resonant four-wave-mixing (FWM), and were correlatively mapped with high accuracy to the corresponding transmission electron microscopy images. We used nanoparticles of 10 nm and 5 nm radius, and show a correlation accuracy below 60 nm over an area larger than 10 um size, without the need for additional fiducial markers. Correlation accuracy was improved to below 40 nm by reducing systematic errors, while the localisation precision is below 10 nm. Polarisation-resolved FWM correlates with nanoparticle shapes, promising for multiplexing by shape recognition in future applications. Owing to the photostability of gold nanoparticles and the applicability of FWM microscopy to living cells, FWM-CLEM opens up a powerful alternative to fluorescence-based methods.
Philip A. Thomas, Kishan S. Menghrajani, William L. Barnes
Strong light-matter coupling occurs when the coupling strength between a confined electromagnetic mode and a molecular resonance exceeds losses to the environment. The study of strong coupling has been motivated by applications such as lasing and the modification of chemical processes. Here we show that strong coupling can be used to create phase singularities. Many nanophotonic structures have been designed to generate phase singularities for use in sensing and optoelectronics. We utilise the concept of cavity-free strong coupling, where electromagnetic modes sustained by a material are strong enough to strongly couple to the material's own molecular resonance, to create phase singularities in a simple thin film of organic molecules. We show that the use of photochromic molecules allows for all-optical control of phase singularities. Our results suggest a new application for strong light-matter coupling and a new, simplified, more versatile pathway to singular phase optics.
Chenxi Ma, Daming Zheng, Dominique Demaille
et al.
While perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are now reaching high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), further performance improvement requires a fine management and an optimization of the light pathway and harvesting in the cells. These go through an accurate understanding, characterization and modelling of the optical processes occurring in these complex, often textured, multi-layered systems. In the present work, we have considered a typical methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) solar cell built on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode of high roughness (43 nm RMS). By variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) of the full PSC device, we have been able to determine the optical constants of all the device layers. We have designed a one-dimensional (1D) optical model of the stacked layers where the rough texture is described as layers of effective-medium index. We have supported the model using data extracted from scanning electron microscopy, diffuse spectroscopy and photovoltaic efficiency measurements. We show that the 1D model, while insufficient to describe scattering by the FTO plate alone, gives an accurate description of the full device optical properties. By comparison with the experimental external quantum efficiency (EQE), we estimate the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and the effect of the losses related to electron transfer. Based on this work, we finally discuss the optical losses mechanisms and the possible strategies that can be implemented to improve light management within PSC devices and further increase their performances.
We provide a vivid demonstration of the mechanical effect of transverse spin momentum in an optical beam in free space. This component of the Poynting momentum was previously thought to be virtual, and unmeasurable. Here, its effect is revealed in the inertial motion of a probe particle in a circularly polarized Gaussian trap, in vacuum. Transverse spin forces combine with thermal fluctuations to induce a striking range of non-equilibrium phenomena. With increasing beam power we observe (i) growing departures from energy equipartition, (ii) the formation of coherent, thermally excited orbits and, ultimately, (iii) the ejection of the particle from the trap. Our results complement and corroborate recent measurements of spin momentum in evanescent waves, and extend them to a new geometry, in free space. In doing so, we exhibit fundamental, generic features of the mechanical interaction of circularly polarized light with matter. The work also shows how observations of the under-damped motion of probe particles can provide detailed information about the nature and morphology of momentum flows in arbitrarily structured light fields as well as providing a test bed for elementary non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.
We theoretically and numerically demonstrate an actively tunable slow light in a hybrid metal-graphene metamaterial in the terahertz (THz) regime. In the unit cell, the near field coupling between the metallic elements including the bright cut wire resonator and the dark double split-ring resonator gives rises to a pronounced transmission peak. By positioning a monolayer graphene under the dark mode resonator, an active modulation of the near field coupling is achieved via shifting the Fermi level of graphene. The physical origin can be attributed to the variation in the damping rate of the dark mode resonator arising from the conductive effect of graphene. Accompanied with the actively tunable near filed coupling effect is the dynamically controllable phase dispersion, allowing for the highly tunable slow light effect. This work offers an alternative way to design compact slow light devices in the THz regime for future optical signal processing applications.
The new generation of LED-based illuminating infrastructures has enabled a "dual-paradigm" where LEDs are used for both illumination and communication purposes. The ubiquity of lighting makes visible light communication (VLC) well suited for communication with mobile devices and sensor nodes in indoor environment. Existing research on VLC has primarily been focused on advancing the performance of one-way communication. In this paper, we present Retro-VLC, a low-power duplex VLC system that enables a mobile device to perform bi-directional communication with the illuminating LEDs over the same light carrier. The design features a retro-reflector fabric that backscatters light, an LCD shutter that modulates information bits on the backscattered light carrier, and several low-power optimization techniques. We have prototyped the Reader system and made a few battery-free tag devices. Experimental results show that the tag can achieve a 10kbps downlink speed and 0.5kbps uplink speed over a distance of 2.4m. We also outline several potential applications of the proposed Retro-VLC system.
From 1971 to 2012 dual-wavelength optical-metrology used only the demodulated low-sensitivity phase-difference of two close-sensitive fringes. Dual-wavelength phase-metrology that additionally uses the phase-sum was first reported by Di et al. in 2013 [28]; this was an important step to increase the phase-accuracy in optical metrology. This and its derived papers however do not offer mathematical analysis for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the phase-difference and phase-sum. Neither provide the mathematical analysis for unwrapping the phase-sum without errors. Here a general theory for super-sensitive two-wavelength phase-metrology is given. In particular mathematical analysis and formulas for SNR and error-free phase-unwrapping for two-wavelength metrology is provided. We start by phase-demodulating two close-sensitivity fringes by phase-shifting algorithms (PSAs). We then calculate their phase-difference and their phase-sum; the phase-difference is assumed non-wrapped. However the phase-sum is highly wrapped, super-sensitive and has much higher SNR. Spatial phase unwrapping for a highly discontinuous phase-sum is precluded. However as we show, it is possible to unwrap the noisy phase-sum from the noisier phase-difference without errors. We apply this super-sensitive phase-metrology theory to profilometry allowing us to obtain super-sensitive height measurements. To the best of our knowledge the mathematical analysis and formulas herein presented for the SNR and error-free unwrapping have not been reported before.
The ability to control the light matter interaction and simultaneous tuning of both structural order and disorder in materials, although are important in photonics, but still remain as major challenges. In this paper, we show that optical path length dictates light-matter interaction in the same crystal structure formed by the ordering of magnetic nanoparticle self-assembled columns inside magnetic nanofluid under applied field. When the optical path length (L=80 μm) is shorter than the optical (for wavelength, λ=632.8 nm) coherence length inside the magnetic nanofluid under applied field, a Debye diffraction ring pattern is observed; while for longer path length (L=1mm), a corona ring of scattered light is observed. Analysis of Debye diffraction ring pattern suggests the formation of 3D hexagonal crystal structure, where the longitudinal and lateral inter-column spacings are 5.281 and 7.344 microns, respectively. Observation of speckles within the Debye diffraction pattern confirms the presence of certain degree of structural disorder within the crystal structure, which can be tuned by controlling the applied field strength, nanoparticle size and particle volume fraction. Our results provide a new approach to develop next generation of tunable photonic devices, based on simultaneous harnessing of the properties of disordered photonic glass and 3D photonic crystal.
Christian Häger, Alexandre Graell i Amat, Fredrik Brännström
et al.
Soft forward error correction with higher-order modulations is often implemented in practice via the pragmatic bit-interleaved coded modulation paradigm, where a single binary code is mapped to a nonbinary modulation. In this paper, we study the optimization of the mapping of the coded bits to the modulation bits for a polarization-multiplexed fiber-optical system without optical inline dispersion compensation. Our focus is on protograph-based low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes which allow for an efficient hardware implementation, suitable for high-speed optical communications. The optimization is applied to the AR4JA protograph family, and further extended to protograph-based spatially coupled LDPC codes assuming a windowed decoder. Full field simulations via the split-step Fourier method are used to verify the analysis. The results show performance gains of up to 0.25 dB, which translate into a possible extension of the transmission reach by roughly up to 8%, without significantly increasing the system complexity.