Volume 13 Issue 2, February 2019

Using a single atom in a cavity to control a propagating optical pulse can deterministically create a Schrödinger-cat state — an intriguing quantum superposition of classically distinct states. The result is a new opportunity for quantum state engineering with potential applications in quantum networks and computation.

The demonstration of Pr³⁺-doped phosphors that exhibit persistent luminescence in the UVC region when exposed to X-rays not only expands the scope of afterglow phosphors, but also offers new opportunities for sensing and biomedicine.

Quantum correlations from photon antibunching enhance the resolution of image scanning microscopy in biological imaging by twofold, four times beyond the diffraction limit.

Integrated photonics could allow for the generation, manipulation and detection of quantum light on-chip, opening the path to a scalable, reliable platform for real-world deployment of quantum applications.

This Review discusses recent advances of microwave photonic technologies and their applications in communications and information processing, as well as their potential implementations in quantum and neuromorphic photonics.

Double-blind holography allows reconstruction of the missing spectral phases and characterization of the unknown signals in both isolated-pulse and double-pulse scenarios, facilitating the study of complex electron dynamics via a single-shot and linear measurement.

An interferometric homodyne method is employed to measure material-dependent intensity-induced phase shifts of extreme-ultraviolet high harmonics emerging from bulk magnesium oxide and quartz crystals, providing a robust platform for high-harmonic spectroscopy of solids.

Quantum cascade laser frequency combs are coherently locked to an external radio-frequency source even in extremely high-feedback conditions. The internal phase-locking mechanism and the possibility of all-electric stabilization are investigated.

Direct laser writing is shown to dramatically enhance the chemical etch rate of laser crystals yttrium aluminium garnet and sapphire, allowing nanostructuring.

An atom–light Schrödinger-cat state is deterministically created by reflecting laser pulses from a high-finesse optical cavity containing a single ⁸⁷Rb atom. A CNOT-type operation is also demonstrated between the atomic qubit and the optical qubit.

Characterizing not only the fluorescence intensity but also the inherent quantum correlations of the fluorescent photon stream can enhance the spatial resolution of image scanning microscopy up to twofold, a fourfold improvement over the diffraction limit.

Simultaneous spin and orbital angular momentum conservation enables control over the divergence and polarization of EUV vortex beams, paving the way to ultrafast studies of chiral systems using high-harmonic beams with designer spin and orbital angular momentum.

A device capable of inverting the polarization of light by efficient control of interlayer excitons in a van der Waals heterostructure is demonstrated, representing an important step towards implementing logic operations in valleytronics.