Volume 9 Issue 5, May 2015

Photonic crystal structures enable the controlled creation of long-range atomic interactions and may be a powerful tool for quantum simulation when combined with laser-cooled atoms.

The ability to invoke and switch between asymmetric lasing states in two coupled cavities built in a nonlinear photonic crystal creates opportunities for a new form of optical memory.

The finding that multimode optical fibres support a rich and complex mix of spatial and temporal nonlinear phenomena could yield a plethora of promising applications.

Competitive activities around the globe to develop the world's brightest synchrotron light source have accelerated in recent years. Taiwanese scientists now aspire to be at the top of the list with the recently constructed Taiwan Photon Source.

Coherent Raman imaging techniques have evolved to become powerful tools for biomedical imaging without the need for labelling.

Highly nonlinear effects are observed in graded-index multimode optical fibres.

The observation of symmetry breaking in a coupled nanolaser system could yield new types of switchable devices.

The capabilities of continuous variable (CV) quantum technology — homodyne detection and characterization of Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen entangled light — are demonstrated by sending CV light at 860 nm to optical circuits on a chip.

Novel trapping mechanisms for ultracold atoms in specially engineered two-dimensional photonic crystals are proposed. The photonic crystal waveguides provide versatile means for creating strongly long-range atom–atom interactions mediated by photons.

Researchers propose that a cold atom in a one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguide can form a cavity. This system should allow interaction with other atoms within the effective cavity length.

A quantum memory based on a Raman scheme is implemented for photonic qubits encoded in the path and polarization of single photons. The performance is quantified before and after storage in cold atomic ensembles and the storage bandwidth is ∼140 MHz.

2D Raman spectroscopy, based on fifth-order optical nonlinearity, is performed with a single beam of shaped fs optical pulses. The scheme inherently eliminates the cascade signal, making the vibrational coupling information easy to extract.