Table of contents
Editorial
A new light - p671
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.233
Government investment in photonics seems to be paying dividends in South Africa, which has ambitions to become a major global player in the field.
Commentary
Photonics in South Africa - pp673 - 675
Christoph Bollig, Andrew Forbes & Thulani Dlamini
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.234
A growing research and development sector is a sign of a healthy economy. South Africa hopes that a focus on photonics technologies will help drive the country's socio–economic development.
Full Text - Photonics in South Africa | PDF (1,186 KB) - Photonics in South Africa
Out of the lab
Projectors get personal - pp677 - 679
Duncan Graham-Rowe
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.236
As the size of handheld gadgets decreases, their displays become harder to view. The solution could lie with integrated projectors that can project crisp, large images from mobile devices onto any chosen surface. Duncan Graham-Rowe reports.
Full Text - Projectors get personal | PDF (472 KB) - Projectors get personal
Research Highlights
Blinking nanowires, plasmonic laser antennas, virus detection, and more - pp680 - 681
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.235
Full Text - Blinking nanowires, plasmonic laser antennas, virus detection, and more | PDF (207 KB) - Blinking nanowires, plasmonic laser antennas, virus detection, and more
News and Views
Light-emitting diodes: A bright outlook for quantum dots - pp683 - 684
Alf Mews & Jialong Zhao
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.239
The rapidly improved performance of LEDs based on multilayers of highly luminescent quantum dots could lead to promising applications in next-generation displays and lighting.
Full Text - Light-emitting diodesA bright outlook for quantum dots | PDF (200 KB) - Light-emitting diodesA bright outlook for quantum dots
Biophotonics: Big images small features - pp684 - 685
Jennifer Barton
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.237
Optical coherence tomography is a powerful imaging technique. Thanks to work from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this technique just got faster and more powerful, with the potential to advance intricate imaging studies of the human body.
Full Text - BiophotonicsBig images small features | PDF (304 KB) - BiophotonicsBig images small features
Quantum optics: A brighter source of single photons - pp686 - 687
Charles Santori
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.241
Devices emitting one photon at a time are a key component for quantum applications ranging from secure communication to more efficient computation. Recent advances in semiconductor-based single-photon devices bring such applications closer to reality.
Full Text - Quantum opticsA brighter source of single photons | PDF (269 KB) - Quantum opticsA brighter source of single photons
Metamaterials: Semiconductor surprise - p687
Oliver Graydon
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.243
Full Text - MetamaterialsSemiconductor surprise | PDF (182 KB) - MetamaterialsSemiconductor surprise
Optical tweezers: All-fibre design - pp688 - 689
Miles Padgett
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.242
Optical tweezers enable precise, controlled and non-contact manipulation of small biological specimens. Rather than using a bulky microscope, it is now possible to create optical tweezers at the end of a fibre probe.
Full Text - Optical tweezersAll-fibre design | PDF (298 KB) - Optical tweezersAll-fibre design
Plasmonics: A shifting perspective - pp689 - 690
Domenico Pacifici
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.238
Wavelength converters typically rely on inefficient nonlinear light–matter interactions or electro–optic effects. Researchers in the USA have now demonstrated a low-power and broadband all-optical wavelength shifter, which has the potential to fit on a single optical chip.
Full Text - PlasmonicsA shifting perspective | PDF (182 KB) - PlasmonicsA shifting perspective
Laser design: A cooler Raman laser - pp691 - 692
Bahram Jalali
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.240
Textbooks suggest that heating, caused by phonon emission, is an inevitable and intrinsic by-product of light generation in a Raman laser. Now a design has emerged that reduces the phonon emission and may lead to higher efficiency and smaller devices.
Full Text - Laser designA cooler Raman laser | PDF (205 KB) - Laser designA cooler Raman laser
Progress Article
Optical refrigeration - pp693 - 699
Mansoor Sheik-Bahae & Richard I. Epstein
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.244
Abstract - Optical refrigeration | Full Text - Optical refrigeration | PDF (795 KB) - Optical refrigeration
Subject Category: Fundamental optical physics
Letters
Plasmonic all-optical tunable wavelength shifter - pp701 - 703
B. Fluegel, A. Mascarenhas, D. W. Snoke, L. N. Pfeiffer & K. West
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.229
Abstract - Plasmonic all-optical tunable wavelength shifter | Full Text - Plasmonic all-optical tunable wavelength shifter | PDF (242 KB) - Plasmonic all-optical tunable wavelength shifter
Subject Category: Plasmonics
See also: News and Views by Pacifici
High-frequency single-photon source with polarization control - pp704 - 708
Stefan Strauf, Nick G. Stoltz, Matthew T. Rakher, Larry A. Coldren, Pierre M. Petroff & Dirk Bouwmeester
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.227
Abstract - High-frequency single-photon source with polarization control | Full Text - High-frequency single-photon source with polarization control | PDF (430 KB) - High-frequency single-photon source with polarization control | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Lasers, LEDs and light sources | Quantum optics
See also: News and Views by Santori
Articles
Three-dimensional endomicroscopy using optical coherence tomography - pp709 - 716
Desmond C. Adler, Yu Chen, Robert Huber, Joseph Schmitt, James Connolly & James G. Fujimoto
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.228
Abstract - Three-dimensional endomicroscopy using optical coherence tomography | Full Text - Three-dimensional endomicroscopy using optical coherence tomography | PDF (6,809 KB) - Three-dimensional endomicroscopy using optical coherence tomography | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Imaging and sensing | Biophotonics
See also: News and Views by Barton
Bright, multicoloured light-emitting diodes based on quantum dots - pp717 - 722
Qingjiang Sun, Y. Andrew Wang, Lin Song Li, Daoyuan Wang, Ting Zhu, Jian Xu, Chunhe Yang & Yongfang Li
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.226
Abstract - Bright, multicoloured light-emitting diodes based on quantum dots | Full Text - Bright, multicoloured light-emitting diodes based on quantum dots | PDF (690 KB) - Bright, multicoloured light-emitting diodes based on quantum dots | Supplementary information
Subject Categories: Lasers, LEDs and light sources | Quantum optics
See also: News and Views by Mews & Zhao
Miniaturized all-fibre probe for three-dimensional optical trapping and manipulation - pp723 - 727
Carlo Liberale, Paolo Minzioni, Francesca Bragheri, Francesco De Angelis, Enzo Di Fabrizio & Ilaria Cristiani
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.230
Abstract - Miniaturized all-fibre probe for three-dimensional optical trapping and manipulation | Full Text - Miniaturized all-fibre probe for three-dimensional optical trapping and manipulation | PDF (573 KB) - Miniaturized all-fibre probe for three-dimensional optical trapping and manipulation | Supplementary information
Subject Category: Imaging and sensing
See also: News and Views by Padgett
Photonics at NPG
A round-up of recent papers in the field of photonics published by the physical sciences division of the Nature Publishing Group. - pp728 - 729
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.245
Full Text - A round-up of recent papers in the field of photonics published by the physical sciences division of the Nature Publishing Group. | PDF (248 KB) - A round-up of recent papers in the field of photonics published by the physical sciences division of the Nature Publishing Group.
Product Focus
Photodetectors - pp730 - 731
Neil Savage
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.246
A wide variety of photodetectors are available to suit applications spanning from telecommunications to single-photon counting. Neil Savage takes a look at some of the recent offerings.
Interview
One by one - p732
Interview with Stefan Strauf
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2007.247
Whatever format future quantum information systems take, they are likely to involve single photons in some way. Nature Photonics spoke to Stefan Strauf at the Stevens Institute of Technology about getting the most out of quantum dots.