Optics and photonics articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical fibres enable high-speed communication over long distances, but traditional systems are limited by nonlinear optical effects. Here, the authors quantify the increase in capacity that is made possible by using an alternative approach that uses a nonlinear Fourier transform.

    • Stanislav A. Derevyanko
    • , Jaroslaw E. Prilepsky
    •  & Sergei K. Turitsyn

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Integration time limits the capacity of super-resolution microscopy to study dynamics. Here, Bartsch et al. use the 3D scanning of a nanoparticle held in an optical trap, and its thermal noise motion within the trap, to image the local dynamics of soft-matter structures with a 50 kHz bandwidth.

    • Tobias F. Bartsch
    • , Martin D. Kochanczyk
    •  & Ernst-Ludwig Florin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Imaging buried interfaces is necessary to assess the quality of electronic devices and their degradation mechanisms. Here, Hirohata et al. use energy-filtered scanning electron microscopy to image buried defects in an inorganic lateral spin-valve device, at the nanometre scale and non-destructively.

    • Atsufumi Hirohata
    • , Yasuaki Yamamoto
    •  & Andrew J. Vick

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The band gap of bulk semiconductors widens when excited by sub-bandgap wavelengths at low temperature—it’s the optical Stark effect. Here, the authors measure a room temperature optical Stark effect in lead halide perovskite films, due to their well-resolved excitonic transitions.

    • Ye Yang
    • , Mengjin Yang
    •  & Matthew C. Beard

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The refractive index of natural materials only covers a limited range. Here, Chang et al. use the principle of space-filling curves to construct a mesoscopic crystal with a refractive index greater than 1000 at GHz frequencies. The concept is inherently broadband and scalable.

    • Taeyong Chang
    • , Jong Uk Kim
    •  & Jonghwa Shin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photon upconversion can be used to harvest low energy photons, which are otherwise lost in solar cells. Here, Börjesson et al. use a well-oriented liquid crystal matrix to host the upconversion system in order to emit upconverted photons in a preferential direction, where the solar cells would be located.

    • K. Börjesson
    • , P. Rudquist
    •  & K. Moth-Poulsen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manipulating nitrogen vacancies in nitrogen-doped diamond is important for quantum information processing. Here the authors use a two-colour excitation to redistribute the localized trapping charges in type-1b diamonds.

    • Harishankar Jayakumar
    • , Jacob Henshaw
    •  & Carlos A. Meriles

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Phased metasurfaces have been extended to the nonlinear regime, enabling coherent generation, beam steering and lensing of light beams in one thin element. Here, Almeida et al. demonstrate a nonlinear multilayer metamaterial hologram generating images at the third harmonic frequency of the illuminating beam.

    • Euclides Almeida
    • , Ora Bitton
    •  & Yehiam Prior

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Microwave single photon sources are important for quantum applications, but their design often incorporates a resonator that fixes the frequency of the emitted photon. Here, the authors demonstrate a tuneable on-demand photon source based on an artificial atom asymmetrically coupled to two transmission lines.

    • Z. H. Peng
    • , S. E. de Graaf
    •  & O. V. Astafiev

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Knowing whether a quantum phase transition is first- or second-order is crucial for understanding any associated exotic phenomena, but direct experimental evidence has been scarce. Here, Frandsen et al. report first-order magnetic quantum phase transitions in archetypal Mott systems, providing insight into the underlying quantum fluctuations.

    • Benjamin A. Frandsen
    • , Lian Liu
    •  & Yasutomo J. Uemura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Weyl particles are massless relativistic fermions recently observed in solid-state materials where they are characterized by Weyl points: topologically protected crossings in their band structure. Here, the authors demonstrate a novel type of plasmonic Weyl point in a magnetized plasma.

    • Wenlong Gao
    • , Biao Yang
    •  & Shuang Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Dissipative Faraday instability by periodic zig-zag modulation of spectral losses can lead to pattern formation in variety of systems. Here, the authors employ this nonlinear instability as a technique to achieve high-order harmonic mode-locking in a fibre laser.

    • Nikita Tarasov
    • , Auro M. Perego
    •  & Sergei K. Turitsyn

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Comparing the frequency of two distant optical clocks will enable sensitive tests of fundamental physics. Here, the authors compare two strontium optical-lattice clocks 690 kilometres apart to a degree of accuracy that is limited only by the uncertainty of the individual clocks themselves.

    • C. Lisdat
    • , G. Grosche
    •  & P.-E. Pottie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene-plasmon optical modulators with broadly tunable operating frequencies are sought for photonic applications. Here, Kim et al.demonstrate tunable mid-infrared transmission that utilizes resonant absorption in graphene ribbons to modulate the extraordinary optical transmission effect in metallic slit arrays.

    • Seyoon Kim
    • , Min Seok Jang
    •  & Harry A. Atwater

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Integrated plasmonic sources are crucial in the development of plasmonic circuitry. Here, McPolin et al. show that vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers can be employed as an on-chip, electrically pumped source or detector of plasmonic signals and also demonstrate waveguiding and frequency conversion on this platform.

    • Cillian P. T. McPolin
    • , Jean-Sebastien Bouillard
    •  & Anatoly V. Zayats

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrically driven acousto-optic light modulators are limited to frequencies of a few hundred megahertz and are typically no smaller than a few micrometres. Here, the authors demonstrate gigahertz acousto-optic conversion of light polarization in a region of a few nanometres using pulsed laser stimulation of a ferroelectric.

    • Mariusz Lejman
    • , Gwenaelle Vaudel
    •  & Pascal Ruello

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Detection of a single nanoparticle or molecule is essential for many applications. Here, Yu et al.demonstrate the use of an optical cavity with optomechanical oscillation to detect single bovine serum albumin proteins, with potential for studying mechanical properties and interactions of individual molecules.

    • Wenyan Yu
    • , Wei C Jiang
    •  & Tao Lu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Angiopoietin-like 4 protein (ANGPTL4) is a regulator of lipoprotein metabolism whose role in atherosclerosis has been controversial. Here the authors show that ANGPTL4 deficiency in haematopoietic cells increases atherogenesis by promoting myeloid progenitor cell expansion and differentiation, foam cell formation and vascular inflammation.

    • Binod Aryal
    • , Noemi Rotllan
    •  & Carlos Fernández-Hernando

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single-photon detection is challenging in the microwave regime due to the small photon energy. Here, the authors demonstrate the deterministic detection of single microwave photons through an impedenance-matched artificial Λ system composed by a driven superconducting qubit and a microwave resonator.

    • Kunihiro Inomata
    • , Zhirong Lin
    •  & Yasunobu Nakamura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photon localization microscopy uses stochastic emission events from fluorescent molecules to enable super-resolution imaging, but spectroscopic information is lost. Here, the authors improve the spatial resolution of this technique with a method that also detects each blink’s fluorescence spectrum.

    • Biqin Dong
    • , Luay Almassalha
    •  & Hao F. Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scaling of photonic devices requires materials with sufficiently strong elecro-optic effects. Here, Schoen et al.demonstrate and analyze single electrically induced switching events that can operate in the visible with a small active volume using electron energy loss in a scanning transmission electron microscope.

    • David T. Schoen
    • , Aaron L. Holsteen
    •  & Mark L. Brongersma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The detection of low-energy photons may be enabled by devices that make use of the excess thermal energy from photoexcited carriers as a result of light absorption. Here the authors demonstrate a vertical graphene-WSe2-graphene heterostructure that takes advantage of the photo-thermionic effect.

    • M. Massicotte
    • , P. Schmidt
    •  & F. H. L. Koppens

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Underwater microscopes have limited spatial and temporal resolutions. Here, Mullen et al. present a small non-invasive underwater microscope for both direct and fluorescence microscopy. They image coral bleaching and interspecific competition with resolutions approaching a micron and hundreds of milliseconds.

    • Andrew D. Mullen
    • , Tali Treibitz
    •  & Jules S. Jaffe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Enhancement techniques are a viable route to improve the intrinsically weak Raman scattering intensity. Here the authors demonstrate Purcell enhancement of Raman scattering in a tunable, high-finesse microcavity and use it for Raman imaging of individual carbon nanotubes

    • Thomas Hümmer
    • , Jonathan Noe
    •  & David Hunger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A three-dimensional imaging system which distributes the optical illumination over the full field-of-view is sought after. Here, the authors demonstrate the capability of reconstructing 128 × 128 pixel resolution three-dimensional scenes to an accuracy of 3 mm as well as real-time video with a frame-rate up to 12 Hz.

    • Ming-Jie Sun
    • , Matthew P. Edgar
    •  & Miles J. Padgett

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Combining freeform optics with micro- and nano-optics can permit wavefront shaping, phase engineering, k-space and polarization control. Here, Gissibl et al. use femtosecond 3D printing to manufacture free-form optical elements, giving sub-micrometre accuracy so that direct manufacturing on single-mode fibres is possible.

    • Timo Gissibl
    • , Simon Thiele
    •  & Harald Giessen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Active optical imaging systems use their own light sources to recover scene information but typically operate with large number of photon detections. Here, the authors present a 3D imaging system that acquires depth and reflectivity information with a single photon camera operating in low-light conditions.

    • Dongeek Shin
    • , Feihu Xu
    •  & Jeffrey H. Shapiro

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Active metamaterials are largely controlled by light, preventing integration in electronic systems. Here, the authors introduce electroluminescent metamaterials based on metal nano-inclusions hybridized with colloidal quantum dots and use this approach to weave intricate light-emitting surfaces.

    • Quynh Le-Van
    • , Xavier Le Roux
    •  & Aloyse Degiron

  • Article
    | Open Access

    There is a need to characterize devices during operation in real-time and at nanoscopic length scales. Here, King et al. perform electroluminescence-STED imaging with a polymer based light-emitting diode, revealing nanoscopic defects that would be unresolvable with traditional optical microscopy.

    • John T. King
    •  & Steve Granick

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantum information processing requires a system in which a single photon controls a single atom and vice versa. Here, the authors demonstrate such reciprocal operation and achieve coherent manipulation of a quantum dot by a few photons sent on an optical cavity.

    • V. Giesz
    • , N. Somaschi
    •  & P. Senellart

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Three-dimensional computer-generated holography cannot be implemented with temporal focusing. Here, Hernandez et al. use two spatial light modulators to control transverse- and axial-target light distribution, generating spatiotemporally focused patterns with uniform light distribution throughout the entire volume.

    • Oscar Hernandez
    • , Eirini Papagiakoumou
    •  & Valentina Emiliani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coupled semiconductor microcavities constitute a model system where the hopping, interaction, and decay of exciton polaritons can be engineered. Here, Rodriguez et al. show how the phase acquired by polaritons hopping between cavities can be controlled through polariton-polariton interactions.

    • S. R. K. Rodriguez
    • , A. Amo
    •  & J. Bloch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Strong coupling at the limit of a single quantum emitter has not been reported. Here, Santhosh et al.show a transparency dip is observed in the scattering spectra of individual silver bowties with one to a few quantum dots, placing the plasmonic bowtie-quantum dot constructs close to the strong coupling regime.

    • Kotni Santhosh
    • , Ora Bitton
    •  & Gilad Haran

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The interaction between light and acoustic phonons is radically modified in sub-wavelength photonic structures. Here, the authors engineer the optical and acoustic modes to perfectly cancel the two interaction mechanisms—the photo-elastic and moving-boundary effects—which leads to Brillouin self-cancellation.

    • O. Florez
    • , P. F. Jarschel
    •  & P. Dainese

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Optical modulators are easily damaged by high-intensity pulses. Here, the authors propose a method for directly modulating high-power laser light across a broad spectral range using a wave generated in a sub-millimetre-scale underdense plasma by a second laser.

    • Lu-Le Yu
    • , Yao Zhao
    •  & Jie Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In organic photovoltaics, the best performing devices usually involve low-bandgap polymers whose limited solubility and stability constrain the scalability of organic solar cells. Here, Holliday et al. develop a new acceptor and pair it with canonical P3HT to obtain 6.4% efficient and stable devices.

    • Sarah Holliday
    • , Raja Shahid Ashraf
    •  & Iain McCulloch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ultraviolet-visible molecular excited states (excitons) may couple to collective excitations in metals (plasmons) to form plexitons, which transfers energy ballistically over tens of microns. Here, the authors propose a plexitonic system which exhibits Dirac points and topologically nontrivial band structure.

    • Joel Yuen-Zhou
    • , Semion K. Saikin
    •  & Marc A. Baldo

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    Recent work has shown that quantum mechanical effects in plasmonic nanogap structures become important as the gap distances approach the subnanometre length-scale. Here, the authors review the major findings which challenge the classical picture of these structures and discuss future directions for the field.

    • Wenqi Zhu
    • , Ruben Esteban
    •  & Kenneth B. Crozier

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Studying quantum transport in biological systems is difficult so developing an artificial platform that can be used to understand quantum transport is desirable. Here, Caruso, et al. demonstrate how a quantum walker can quickly reach the output of a maze by partially suppressing the presence of interference.

    • Filippo Caruso
    • , Andrea Crespi
    •  & Roberto Osellame

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Quantum teleportation has found important applications in quantum technologies, but pushing it to macroscopic objects is challenging because of the fragility of quantum states. Here, the authors demonstrate teleportation of states from light beams to the vibrational states of a macroscopic diamond sample.

    • P.-Y. Hou
    • , Y.-Y. Huang
    •  & L.-M. Duan

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