Microwave photonics articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here the authors demonstrate a laser system that can directly output soliton microcombs, with high power efficiency and reconfigurability, paving the way for communication, computing, and metrology based on integrated photonics.

    • Jingwei Ling
    • , Zhengdong Gao
    •  & Qiang Lin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here the authors have developed a superconducting microwave frequency comb that is fully integrated, easy to manufacture, and operates with ultra-low power consumption, and could significantly advance microwave photonics and quantum processor integration.

    • Chen-Guang Wang
    • , Wuyue Xu
    •  & Peiheng Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors demonstrate a very stable yet broadly tunable photonic THz source, characterized from 2 GHz to 1.4 THz. A very narrow Lamb dip feature is observed in a water absorption line, showcasing its potential for sub-kHz resolution spectroscopy.

    • Léo Djevahirdjian
    • , Loïc Lechevallier
    •  & Samir Kassi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors report the realization of a sub-THz wireless data link based on a graphene-integrated optoelectronic mixer with a >96 GHz bandwidth, −44 dB upconversion efficiency and <0.1 mm2 footprint, providing an alternative approach for the realization of millimeter-wave transmitters.

    • Alberto Montanaro
    • , Giulia Piccinini
    •  & Marco Romagnoli

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In most optical computing schemes, the size of the chip increases quadratically with the problem size. Here, the authors demonstrate an architecture for optical convolutional neural networks which, while losing the independent reconfigurability of the kernels, allows for linear scaling of the circuit size.

    • Xiangyan Meng
    • , Guojie Zhang
    •  & Ming Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A double-layer lens consists of a first gradient-index/geodesic profile in an upper waveguide, partially surrounded by a mirror that reflects the wave into a lower guide where there is a second profile. A family of such lens profiles are derived.

    • Qiao Chen
    • , Simon A. R. Horsley
    •  & Oscar Quevedo–Teruel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It remains challenging to realize narrowband filters needed for high-performance communications systems using integrated photonics. Using a multi-port Brillouin-based optomechanical system, the authors demonstrate an ultra-narrowband notch filter with high rejection with CMOS compatible techniques.

    • Shai Gertler
    • , Nils T. Otterstrom
    •  & Peter T. Rakich

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The understanding of the topological properties of light is at the base of the future optical devices development. In this work the authors aim to suggesting a different paradigm for topological transport and manipulation of nonparaxial light, paving the way toward the new developments in the field of topological photonics

    • Qingqing Cheng
    • , Huaiqiang Wang
    •  & Yiming Pan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coherent conversion between optical and microwave photonics is needed for future quantum applications. Here, the authors combine thin-film lithium niobate and superconductor platforms as a hybrid electro-optic system to achieve high-efficiency frequency conversion between microwave and optical modes.

    • Yuntao Xu
    • , Ayed Al Sayem
    •  & Hong X. Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photonics-based radars offer intriguing potential but face tradeoffs in tunability, complexity, and noise. Here the authors present microwave generation in a photonics platform by heterodyning of two low-noise, self-injection-locked lasers, and demonstrate its advantages in an FMCW radar system.

    • Eric A. Kittlaus
    • , Danny Eliyahu
    •  & Siamak Forouhar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors present a microwave imaging system that can operate in continuous transmit-receive mode. Using an array of transmitters, a single receiver and a reconstruction matrix that correlate random time patterns with the captured signal, they demonstrate real-time imaging and tracking through a wall.

    • Fabio C. S. da Silva
    • , Anthony B. Kos
    •  & Archita Hati

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical analog computing has so far been mostly limited to solving a single instance of a mathematical problem at a time. Here, the authors show that the linearity of the wave equation allows to solve several problems simultaneously, and demonstrate it using an MW transmissive cavity.

    • Miguel Camacho
    • , Brian Edwards
    •  & Nader Engheta

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photonic solutions for generating free space millimeter radiation is a fast developing field that combines optoelectronics and RF domains but has many challenges. Here the authors present a quantum cascade laser (QCL) based solution for THz laser emission and millimeter wave generation in a single device.

    • Valentino Pistore
    • , Hanond Nong
    •  & Sukhdeep S. Dhillon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optoelectronic oscillators (OEOs) are used to generate low-noise microwave oscillations for many technologies but typically operate in a limited frequency range. Here the authors present an OEO that takes advantage of random distributed feedback and an open cavity structure to produce ultra-wideband random microwave signals.

    • Zengting Ge
    • , Tengfei Hao
    •  & Ming Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    For microcomb-based radiofrequency filters pulse shapers are required, which increase the system cost, footprint, and complexity. Here, the authors bypass this need by exploiting versatile soliton states inherent in microresonator and achieve reconfigurable radiofrequency filters.

    • Jianqi Hu
    • , Jijun He
    •  & Camille-Sophie Brès

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In-phase/quadrature (IQ) electro-optic modulators are underpinning devices for coherent transmission technology. Here the authors present IQ modulators in the lithium-niobate-on-insulator platform, which provide improved overall performance and advanced modulation formats for future coherent transmission systems.

    • Mengyue Xu
    • , Mingbo He
    •  & Xinlun Cai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    For edge-sensitive timing applications, the edge jitter of electrical pulses is important. Here, the authors report on very low rising edge jitter extracted from an optical frequency comb and explore the best condition for low jitter by minimizing the amplitude-to-timing conversion in photodiodes.

    • Minji Hyun
    • , Changmin Ahn
    •  & Jungwon Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Real-time dynamic Fourier analysis of high-speed signals is difficult using either digital or analog schemes. Here, the authors present a universal analog approach that can track the changing frequency spectrum of waveforms in a real-time fashion at the nanosecond level, continuously and with no gaps.

    • Saikrishna Reddy Konatham
    • , Reza Maram
    •  & José Azaña

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Most conventional PT-symmetric systems contain two physically separated modes. Here the authors proposed a PT-symmetric microwave optoelectronic oscillator, where the gain and loss modes are confined in a single spatial resonator, resulting in an increased structural simplicity, and long-term stability.

    • Jiejun Zhang
    • , Lingzhi Li
    •  & Jianping Yao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Overcoming reciprocity is important for novel functionalities. Here, the authors demonstrate a spatio-temporally modulated metasurface capable of complete violation of Lorentz reciprocity by reflecting an incident beam into far-field radiation in forward scattering, but into near-field surface waves in reverse scattering.

    • Andrew E. Cardin
    • , Sinhara R. Silva
    •  & Abul K. Azad

  • Article
    | Open Access

    FPGAs have long been of interest as reconfigurable circuits, but their electronic nature provides eventual limitations. Here the authors demonstrate a photonic digital signal processor that is field programmable using arrays of microdisk resonators.

    • Weifeng Zhang
    •  & Jianping Yao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Typical methods for optical vector analysis have tradeoffs among resolution, dynamic range, and bandwidth. The authors use an asymmetric optical probe signal generator and receiver to perform attometer resolution measurement over a THz of bandwidth while maintaining high dynamic range, aiming to characterize emerging optical devices.

    • Ting Qing
    • , Shupeng Li
    •  & Shilong Pan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Full spectral and temporal control of light has a multitude of applications but is often limited in frequency resolution. The authors implement a scheme using a frequency shifting optical loop for optical field spectral shaping with a high degree of control and megahertz resolution

    • Côme Schnébelin
    • , José Azaña
    •  & Hugues Guillet de Chatellus

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors implement surface acoustic waves on the silicon photonics platform by exciting a metallic grating with modulated pump light to enable microwave-photonic devices without the need for piezo-electric actuation, complex suspensions or hybrid materials.

    • Dvir Munk
    • , Moshe Katzman
    •  & Avi Zadok

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Satellite communications shall only thrive if being able to compete with fibre in both bandwidth and cost. Here, the authors demonstrate that a coherent and yet modular photonic-aided payload is feasible, paving the way for a new generation of communications satellites with photonics at their core.

    • Vanessa C. Duarte
    • , João G. Prata
    •  & Miguel V. Drummond

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Producing versatile radio-frequency chirped waveforms often requires complicated techniques. The authors use a fiber-optic frequency-shifting loop to create a low-complexity photonic chirp generator with high bandwidth and fully flexible properties for application in radar, spectroscopy, and imaging.

    • Hugues Guillet de Chatellus
    • , Luis Romero Cortés
    •  & José Azaña

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manipulating the properties of artificial graphene systems without changing the lattice has proven difficult. Here, Mann et al. theoretically show that changing the photonic environment alone can modify the fundamental properties of emergent massless Dirac polaritons in honeycomb metasurfaces.

    • Charlie-Ray Mann
    • , Thomas J. Sturges
    •  & Eros Mariani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The study of parity-time (PT) symmetric optical systems has recently attracted much attention. Here, the authors experimentally study an anti-PT symmetric circuit system and observe an exceptional point with an inverse PT symmetry breaking transition and energy-difference conserving dynamics.

    • Youngsun Choi
    • , Choloong Hahn
    •  & Seok Ho Song

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ordinary materials have their index ellipsoids centered at zero momentum. The authors propose a metamaterial of interpenetrating wire meshes whose connectivity can be used to control the number and position of index ellipsoids at arbitrary nonzero k-points. This could provide a new platform for broadband functionality.

    • Wen-Jie Chen
    • , Bo Hou
    •  & C. T. Chan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In optoelectronic oscillators used to produce chirps for radar or communications, low phase noise usually comes at a cost of slow tuning due to mode-building time. The authors use Fourier-domain mode locking to break this limitation and enable fast-tunable chirp production for microwave photonics.

    • Tengfei Hao
    • , Qizhuang Cen
    •  & Ming Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bragg gratings are versatile elements used to perform spectral filtering in optical circuits. Here, the authors develop a scalable, reconfigurable grating device which can be electrically tuned to actively change its behaviour and control of optical pathways, for use in photonic signal processing.

    • Weifeng Zhang
    •  & Jianping Yao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The phenomenon of wave mixing is expected to show peculiar features when scaled down to the quantum level. Here, the authors show how coherent electromagnetic waves propagating in a 1D transmission line with an embedded two-level artificial atom are mapped into a quantised spectrum of narrow peaks.

    • A. Yu. Dmitriev
    • , R. Shaikhaidarov
    •  & O. V. Astafiev

  • Article
    | Open Access

    State-of-the-art methods for sensing weak AC fields are only efficient in the low frequency domain. Here, Stark et al. demonstrate a sensing scheme that is capable of probing high frequencies through continuous dynamical coupling by applying it to a nitrogen-vacancy centre in diamond.

    • Alexander Stark
    • , Nati Aharon
    •  & Fedor Jelezko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Dynamical decoupling protocols can enhance the sensitivity of quantum sensors but this is limited to signal frequencies below a few MHz. Here, Joas et al. use the Mollow triplet splitting in a nitrogen-vacancy centre to overcome this limitation, enabling sensitive detection of signals in the GHz range.

    • T. Joas
    • , A. M. Waeber
    •  & F. Reinhard

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nonreciprocal optical elements often require magnetic materials in order to break time-reversal symmetry. Here, Barzanjeh et al. demonstrate a magnetic-free on-chip microwave circulator that utilizes the interference from six electro-mechanical signal paths.

    • S. Barzanjeh
    • , M. Wulf
    •  & J. M. Fink

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical non-reciprocity achieved through refractive index modulation can have its challenges and limitations. Here, Dinc et al. introduce the concept of non-reciprocity based on synchronized spatio-temporal modulation of conductivity to achieve different types of non-reciprocal functionality.

    • Tolga Dinc
    • , Mykhailo Tymchenko
    •  & Harish Krishnaswamy

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Integrated optical circuits today are typically designed for a few special functionalities and require complex design and development procedures. Here, the authors demonstrate a reconfigurable but simple silicon waveguide mesh with different functionalities.

    • Daniel Pérez
    • , Ivana Gasulla
    •  & José Capmany

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling all the optical properties of dielectric waveguides is a challenging task and often requires complicated core- and cladding designs. Here, Jiang et al. demonstrate that a thin metasurface coating can control several optical properties simultaneously over a broad frequency range.

    • Zhi Hao Jiang
    • , Lei Kang
    •  & Douglas H. Werner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Realizing metasurfaces with reconfigurability, high efficiency, and control over phase and amplitude is a challenge. Here, Li et al. introduce a reprogrammable hologram based on a 1-bit coding metasurface, where the state of each unit cell of the coding metasurface can be switched electrically.

    • Lianlin Li
    • , Tie Jun Cui
    •  & Shuang Zhang

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