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Kerr optical nonlinearities are known to be well suited for achieving optical isolation, but the fact that the degree of non-reciprocity is signal-level dependent brings new opportunities as well as limitations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A photoacoustic imaging scheme that uses genetically altered cells that express an absorbing pigment can monitor in vivo growth of cells and tumour development.
Natural hyperbolic materials hold the key to unlocking the full potential of hyperbolic media in nanophotonics. Until now no such materials were available for visible light but recent work finally brings down this roadblock.
Using an electro-optic effect, submicrometre-sized beams have been shown to exhibit non-paraxial propagation over 1,000 Rayleigh lengths. The discovery does not require inhomogeneous or lossy media like plasmon waveguiding.
Light-emitting fibres that suit integration with textiles are prepared by dip-coating a steel wire with an electroluminescent material and then cleverly wrapping the structure with a carbon nanotube sheet that functions as a transparent electrode.
A fibre probe that relies on frequency mixing in a nonlinear crystal provides an all-optical scheme for mapping the amplitude and phase of terahertz fields.
Quantum physics and gravitational physics remain separate due to the vastly different scales of time and space that they refer to. Now, research may point to links between them.
The introduction of periodic inversion in the geometry of a plasmonic metasurface markedly boosts the efficiency of nonlinear processes in ultracompact structures.
Elegant experiments performed with X-rays and a double slit formed from molecular oxygen have finally made it possible to realize and test a long-standing and famous gedanken experiment in quantum mechanics.
The development of a group IV semiconductor laser that is CMOS-compatible represents a step towards the creation of fully integrated electronic and photonic circuitry.
