Celebrating the data revolution - p605

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.193

Two innovations in photonics that underpin society's adoption of information technology have been honoured in this year's Nobel Prize for Physics.

Full Text - Celebrating the data revolution | PDF (118 KB) - Celebrating the data revolution

Our choice from the recent literature - pp606 - 607

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.194

Full Text - Our choice from the recent literature | PDF (173 KB) - Our choice from the recent literature

Fluorescence: Molecules in a tight spot - pp608 - 609

Christopher C. Davis

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.198

Researchers at Stanford University and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have demonstrated fluorescence enhancements ten times greater than previously demonstrated, by placing single fluorophores in an optical bowtie nano-antenna.

Full Text - FluorescenceMolecules in a tight spot | PDF (124 KB) - FluorescenceMolecules in a tight spot

Light sources: Coloured heat - pp609 - 610

Rainer Hillenbrand & Javier Aizpurua

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.197

Stanford University researchers have demonstrated the potential of single SiC whiskers to function as narrowband infrared emitters that have controllable emission characteristics.

Full Text - Light sourcesColoured heat | PDF (135 KB) - Light sourcesColoured heat

Quantum optics: On-chip factorization - p611

David Pile

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.196

Full Text - Quantum opticsOn-chip factorization | PDF (257 KB) - Quantum opticsOn-chip factorization

Quantum light: Sound tunes single-photon source - pp611 - 612

John Cunningham

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.199

Controlling the transport of charge carriers between two semiconductor nanostructures using an acoustic wave yields a high-repetition-rate source of single photons with tunable emission energy.

Full Text - Quantum lightSound tunes single-photon source | PDF (293 KB) - Quantum lightSound tunes single-photon source

Optical functional materials: Self-erasing images - p613

Noriaki Horiuchi

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.195

Full Text - Optical functional materialsSelf-erasing images | PDF (153 KB) - Optical functional materialsSelf-erasing images

Semiconductors: Excitonic lattice control - pp613 - 615

Hyatt M. Gibbs & Galina Khitrova

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.200

Customizing the refractive index of wells and barriers in a periodic array of quantum wells yields a way to control the reflectivity and dispersion of an excitonic lattice. The result is a new method for slowing or modulating light.

Full Text - SemiconductorsExcitonic lattice control | PDF (262 KB) - SemiconductorsExcitonic lattice control

View from... JSAP autumn meeting: Spotlight on Japanese science - pp615 - 616

Noriaki Horiuchi

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.201

Visual encryption, manipulation of terahertz waves and the improved surface-treatment of GaN crystals were all topics of discussion at this year's JSAP meeting in Toyama, Japan.

Full Text - View from... JSAP autumn meetingSpotlight on Japanese science | PDF (181 KB) - View from... JSAP autumn meetingSpotlight on Japanese science

A biological quarter-wave retarder with excellent achromaticity in the visible wavelength region - pp641 - 644

N. W. Roberts, T.-H. Chiou, N. J. Marshall & T. W. Cronin

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.189

A natural quarter-wave retarder in the eye of a stomatopod is demonstrated to have an achromaticity in the visible wavelength regime that outperforms existing designs of synthetic optical retarders. The performance is shown to be due to compensatory birefringent effects that eliminate wavelength dependence, resulting in an almost constant retardation at 450–700 nm.

Abstract - | Full Text - A biological quarter-wave retarder with excellent achromaticity in the visible wavelength region | PDF (306 KB) - A biological quarter-wave retarder with excellent achromaticity in the visible wavelength region

Subject Category: Biophotonics

Photon anti-bunching in acoustically pumped quantum dots - pp645 - 648

O. D. D. Couto, Jr, S. Lazi, F. Iikawa, J. A. H. Stotz, U. Jahn, R. Hey & P. V. Santos

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.191

It is now possible to acoustically control the transfer of electrons and holes between a quantum well and a quantum dot by exploiting the moving piezoelectric potential modulation induced by an acoustic phonon. The effect has been used to demonstrate a high-frequency single-photon source with tunable emission energy, by acoustically transferring carriers to selected quantum dots.

Abstract - | Full Text - Photon anti-bunching in acoustically pumped quantum dots | PDF (497 KB) - Photon anti-bunching in acoustically pumped quantum dots

Subject Categories: Quantum optics | Lasers, LEDs and light sources

See also: News and Views by Cunningham

Polymer solar cells with enhanced open-circuit voltage and efficiency - pp649 - 653

Hsiang-Yu Chen, Jianhui Hou, Shaoqing Zhang, Yongye Liang, Guanwen Yang, Yang Yang, Luping Yu, Yue Wu & Gang Li

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.192

Adding electron-withdrawing groups to the backbone of the polymer PBDTTT is shown to increase the open-circuit voltage of photovoltaic cells, resulting in a polymer solar-cell that has a certified power-conversion efficiency of 6.77%.

Abstract - | Full Text - Polymer solar cells with enhanced open-circuit voltage and efficiency | PDF (558 KB) - Polymer solar cells with enhanced open-circuit voltage and efficiency

Large single-molecule fluorescence enhancements produced by a bowtie nanoantenna - pp654 - 657

Anika Kinkhabwala, Zongfu Yu, Shanhui Fan, Yuri Avlasevich, Klaus Müllen & W. E. Moerner

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.187

A 1,340-fold increase in single-molecule fluorescence has been observed from a lithographically fabricated gold bowtie nanoantenna — approximately an order of magnitude greater than that achieved in previous reports on such structures. The improvement results from an estimated ninefold increase in quantum efficiency, caused by enhanced absorption and an increased radiative emission rate.

Abstract - | Full Text - Large single-molecule fluorescence enhancements produced by a bowtie nanoantenna | PDF (391 KB) - Large single-molecule fluorescence enhancements produced by a bowtie nanoantenna | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Fundamental optical physics | Plasmonics | Novel materials and engineered structures

See also: News and Views by Davis

Optical antenna thermal emitters - pp658 - 661

Jon A. Schuller, Thomas Taubner & Mark L. Brongersma

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.188

Single SiC whiskers can be made into infrared emitters by thermal excitation. The broadband thermal emission is coupled to the electromagnetic resonances of the whisker, allowing relatively narrowband emission at infrared frequencies. The emission frequency can be tuned by adjusting the size of the whiskers.

Abstract - | Full Text - Optical antenna thermal emitters | PDF (303 KB) - Optical antenna thermal emitters | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Lasers, LEDs and light sources | Displays

See also: News and Views by Hillenbrand & Aizpurua

Exciton-lattice polaritons in multiple-quantum-well-based photonic crystals - pp662 - 666

David Goldberg, Lev I. Deych, Alexander A. Lisyansky, Zhou Shi, Vinod M. Menon, Vadim Tokranov, Michael Yakimov & Serge Oktyabrsky

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.190

So-called photonic-crystal-excitonic-lattice polaritons can be observed by coupling excitons and Bloch waves in a periodic arrangement of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. The effect can be tuned by using an electric field. These hybrid states may allow slow-light-enhanced nonlinear effects and enable observation of macroscopic coherence phenomena in solid-state systems.

Abstract - | Full Text - Exciton-lattice polaritons in multiple-quantum-well-based photonic crystals | PDF (387 KB) - Exciton-lattice polaritons in multiple-quantum-well-based photonic crystals

Subject Categories: Fundamental optical physics | Optoelectronic devices and components

See also: News and Views by Gibbs & Khitrova

Increased light harvesting in dye-sensitized solar cells with energy relay dyes - p667

Brian E. Hardin, Eric T. Hoke, Paul B. Armstrong, Jun-Ho Yum, Pascal Comte, Tomás Torres, Jean M. J. Fréchet, Md Khaja Nazeeruddin, Michael Grätzel & Michael D. McGehee

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.212

Full Text - Increased light harvesting in dye-sensitized solar cells with energy relay dyes | PDF (71 KB) - Increased light harvesting in dye-sensitized solar cells with energy relay dyes

An eye for inspiration - p668

Interview with Nicholas Roberts

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2009.211

The discovery that the eye of a particular mantis shrimp has an achromatic quarter-waveplate that is superior to modern-day devices could be a source of inspiration to those designing optical components. Nature Photonics spoke to Nicholas Roberts, one of the researchers involved in the study.

Full Text - An eye for inspiration | PDF (115 KB) - An eye for inspiration