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A nanofibre optic force transducer with 0.2 pN sensitivity is demonstrated. The set-up is used to monitor bacterial motion, observe heart cell beating and detect infrasound power in solution.
The amplitude of a Schrödinger's cat (SC) state — superposed coherent state — is increased using a homodyne measurement. A pair of negative SC states with amplitude of 1.15 is probabilistically converted to a single positive SC state with amplitude of 1.85.
Boson sampling with three, four and five photons with high efficiency, purity and indistinguishability is realized using a quantum dot–micropillar as the single-photon source. A record-breaking sampling rate of 4.96 kHz is achieved.
A dye-sensitized solar cell that has been designed for efficient operation under indoor lighting could offer a convenient means for powering the Internet of Things.
Hyperbolic metamaterials are shown to enable the emission of Cherenkov radiation from low-energy charged particles travelling at slow speeds. The achievement could lead to new forms of light sources and detectors.
Ronald Drever may be most famous for co-founding the LIGO project and his gravitational-wave research, but his contributions to laser stabilization have had broad impact on the photonics community.
There is typically a compromise between speed and efficiency when designing silicon photodiodes. Now, researchers have exploited microstructuring to achieve fast and thin devices that are also efficient.
A laser-annealing technique for increasing the dopant concentration in semiconductors, the creation of a glass with second-order optical nonlinearity and the realization of optical topological insulators were highlights at the Japan Society of Applied Physics Spring Meeting.
Applying metamaterial concepts to dielectric systems offers low losses compared with metallic structures. Here, silicon-based metamaterial and nanophotonic advances are reviewed.
By exploiting one-dimensional photonic crystal nanocavities, an ultra-compact indium phosphide-on-silicon laser diode with low current threshold, high wall-plug efficiency and high integrability is demonstrated.
