Metasurface-Based Phosphor-Converted Micro-LED Architecture for Displays─Creating Guided Modes for Enhanced Directionality.

Phosphor-converted micro-light emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) are a crucial technology for display applications but face significant challenges in light extraction because of the high refractive index of the blue pump die chip. In this study, we design and experimentally demonstrate a nanophotonic approach that overcomes this issue, achieving up to a 3-fold increase in light extraction efficiency. Our approach involves engineering the local density of optical states (LDOS) to generate quasi-guided modes within the phosphor layer by strategically inserting a thin low-index spacer in combination with a metasurface for mode extraction.

Nanocavities for Molecular Optomechanics: Their Fundamental Description and Applications.

Vibrational Raman scattering-a process where light exchanges energy with a molecular vibration through inelastic scattering-is most fundamentally described in a quantum framework where both light and vibration are quantized. When the Raman scatterer is embedded inside a plasmonic nanocavity, as in some sufficiently controlled implementations of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), the coupled system realizes an optomechanical cavity where coherent and parametrically amplified light-vibration interaction becomes a resource for vibrational state engineering and nanoscale nonlinear optics. The purpose of this Perspective is to clarify the connection between the languages and parameters used in the fields of molecular cavity optomechanics (McOM) versus its conventional, "macroscopic" counterpart and to summarize the main results achieved so far in McOM and the most pressing experimental and theoretical challenges.

Near-Unity All-Optical Modulation of Third-Harmonic Generation with a Fano-Resonant Dielectric Metasurface.

We demonstrate all-optical modulation with a near-unity contrast of nonlinear light generation in a dielectric metasurface. We study third-harmonic generation from silicon Fano-resonant metasurfaces excited by femtosecond pulses at 1480 nm wavelength. We modulate the metasurface resonance by free carrier excitation induced by absorption of an 800 nm pump pulse, leading to up to 93% suppression of third-harmonic generation.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of a Feather-Boa Model of a Bacterial Chromosome.

The chromosome of a bacterium consists of a mega-base pair-long circular DNA, which self-organizes within the micron-sized bacterial cell volume, compacting itself by three orders of magnitude. Unlike eukaryotic chromosomes, it lacks a nuclear membrane and freely floats in the cytosol confined by the cell membrane. It is believed that strong confinement, cross-linking by associated proteins, and molecular crowding all contribute to determine chromosome size and morphology.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in plasmon lattice lasers.

Spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) is key for our understanding of phase transitions and the spontaneous emergence of order. In this work, we report that, for a two-dimensional (2D) periodic metasurface with gain, SSB occurs in the lasing transition. We study diffractive hexagonal plasmon nanoparticle lattices, where the -points in momentum space provide two modes that are degenerate in frequency and identically distributed in space.

Temporal Dynamics of Collective Resonances in Periodic Metasurfaces.

Temporal dynamics of confined optical fields can provide valuable insights into light-matter interactions in complex optical systems, going beyond their frequency-domain description. Here, we present a new experimental approach based on interferometric autocorrelation (IAC) that reveals the dynamics of optical near-fields enhanced by collective resonances in periodic metasurfaces. We focus on probing the resonances known as waveguide-plasmon polaritons, which are supported by plasmonic nanoparticle arrays coupled to a slab waveguide.

Toward Optimum Coupling between Free Electrons and Confined Optical Modes.

Free electrons are excellent tools to probe and manipulate nanoscale optical fields with emerging applications in ultrafast spectromicroscopy and quantum metrology. However, advances in this field are hindered by the small probability associated with the excitation of single optical modes by individual free electrons. Here, we theoretically investigate the scaling properties of the electron-driven excitation probability for a wide variety of optical modes including plasmons in metallic nanostructures and Mie resonances in dielectric cavities, spanning a broad spectral range that extends from the ultraviolet to the infrared region.

Free Electron-Plasmon Coupling Strength and Near-Field Retrieval through Electron Energy-Dependent Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy.

Tightly confined optical near fields in plasmonic nanostructures play a pivotal role in important applications ranging from optical sensing to light harvesting. Energetic electrons are ideally suited to probing optical near fields by collecting the resulting cathodoluminescence (CL) light emission. Intriguingly, the CL intensity is determined by the near-field profile along the electron propagation direction, but the retrieval of such field from measurements has remained elusive.

Roadmap for Optical Metasurfaces.

Metasurfaces have recently risen to prominence in optical research, providing unique functionalities that can be used for imaging, beam forming, holography, polarimetry, and many more, while keeping device dimensions small. Despite the fact that a vast range of basic metasurface designs has already been thoroughly studied in the literature, the number of metasurface-related papers is still growing at a rapid pace, as metasurface research is now spreading to adjacent fields, including computational imaging, augmented and virtual reality, automotive, display, biosensing, nonlinear, quantum and topological optics, optical computing, and more. At the same time, the ability of metasurfaces to perform optical functions in much more compact optical systems has triggered strong and constantly growing interest from various industries that greatly benefit from the availability of miniaturized, highly functional, and efficient optical components that can be integrated in optoelectronic systems at low cost.

Angular Dispersion of Free-Electron-Light Coupling in an Optical Fiber-Integrated Metagrating.

Free electrons can couple to optical material excitations on nanometer-length and attosecond-time scales, opening-up unique opportunities for both the generation of radiation and the manipulation of the electron wave function. Here, we exploit the Smith-Purcell effect to experimentally study the coherent coupling of free electrons and light in a circular metallo-dielectric metagrating that is fabricated onto the input facet of a multimode optical fiber. Using hyperspectral angle-resolved (HSAR) far-field imaging inside a scanning electron microscope, we probe the angular dispersion of Smith-Purcell radiation (SPR) that is simultaneously generated in free space and inside the fiber by an electron beam that grazes the metagrating at a nanoscale distance.

Electrons catch light pulses on the fly.

Energy exchange between electrons and photons enables ultrafast probing of materials.

A probabilistic algorithm for optimising the steady-state diffusional flux into a partially absorbing body.

Cells in an aqueous environment absorb diffusing nutrient molecules through nanoscale protein channels in their outer membranes. Assuming that there are constraints on the number of such channels a cell can produce, we ask the question: given a nondepleting source of nutrients, what is the optimal distribution of these channels over the cell surface? We coarse-grain this problem, phrasing it as a diffusion problem with position-dependent Robin boundary conditions on the surface. The aim is to maximize the steady-state total flux through the partially absorbing surface under an integral constraint on the local reactivities.

Nanopatterned Back-Reflector with Engineered Near-Field/Far-Field Light Scattering for Enhanced Light Trapping in Silicon-Based Multijunction Solar Cells.

Multijunction solar cells provide a path to overcome the efficiency limits of standard silicon solar cells by harvesting a broader range of the solar spectrum more efficiently. However, Si-based multijunction architectures are hindered by incomplete harvesting in the near-infrared (near-IR) spectral range as Si subcells have weak absorption close to the band gap. Here, we introduce an integrated near-field/far-field light trapping scheme to enhance the efficiency of silicon-based multijunction solar cells in the near-IR range.

Human Small Heat Shock Protein B8 Inhibits Protein Aggregation without Affecting the Native Folding Process.

Small Heat Shock Proteins (sHSPs) are key components of our Protein Quality Control system and are thought to act as reservoirs that neutralize irreversible protein aggregation. Yet, sHSPs can also act as sequestrases, promoting protein sequestration into aggregates, thus challenging our understanding of their exact mechanisms of action. Here, we employ optical tweezers to explore the mechanisms of action of the human small heat shock protein HSPB8 and its pathogenic mutant K141E, which is associated with neuromuscular disease.

Optical Characterization of Plasmonic Indium Lattices Fabricated via Electrochemical Deposition.

The optical properties of periodic metallic nanoparticle lattices have found many exciting applications. Indium is an emerging plasmonic material that offers to extend the plasmonic applications given by gold and silver from the visible to the ultraviolet spectral range, with applications in imaging, sensing, and lasing. Due to the high vapor pressure/low melting temperature of indium, nanofabrication of ordered metallic nanoparticles is nontrivial.

Integrated Sideband-Resolved SERS with a Dimer on a Nanobeam Hybrid.

In analogy to cavity optomechanics, enhancing specific sidebands of a Raman process with narrowband optical resonators would allow for parametric amplification, entanglement of light and molecular vibrations, and reduced transduction noise. We report on the demonstration of waveguide-addressable sideband-resolved surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We realized a hybrid plasmonic-photonic resonator consisting of a 1D photonic crystal cavity decorated with a sub-20 nm gap dimer nanoantenna.

Solving integral equations in free space with inverse-designed ultrathin optical metagratings.

As standard microelectronic technology approaches fundamental limitations in speed and power consumption, novel computing strategies are strongly needed. Analogue optical computing enables the processing of large amounts of data at a negligible energy cost and high speeds. Based on these principles, ultrathin optical metasurfaces have been recently explored to process large images in real time, in particular for edge detection.

Synthesis, optoelectronic properties, and charge carrier dynamics of colloidal quasi-two-dimensional CsBiI perovskite nanosheets.

Non-toxicity and stability make two-dimensional (2D) bismuth halide perovskites better alternatives to lead-based ones for optoelectronic applications and catalysis. In this work, we synthesize sub-micron size colloidal quasi-2D CsBiI perovskite nanosheets and study their generation and relaxation of charge carriers. Steady-state absorption spectroscopy reveals an indirect bandgap of 2.

Passive Radiative Cooling of Silicon Solar Modules with Photonic Silica Microcylinders.

Passive radiative cooling is a method to dissipate excess heat from a material by the spontaneous emission of infrared thermal radiation. For a solar cell, the challenge is to enhance PRC while retaining transparency for sunlight above the bandgap. Here, we design a hexagonal array of cylinders etched into the top surface of silica solar module glass to enhance passive radiative cooling.

Microtubule organization and cell geometry.

A characteristic feature of nondividing animal cells is the radial organization of microtubules (MTs), emanating from a single microtubule organizing center (MTOC). As generically these cells are not spherically symmetric, this raises the question of the influence of cell geometry on the orientational distribution of microtubules. We present a systematic study of this question in a simplified setting where MTs are nucleated from a single fixed MTOC in the center of an elliptical cell geometry.

Modeling the molecular structures and dynamics responsible for the remarkable mechanical properties of a plant cell wall.

The primary plant cell wall is a hydrated meshwork of polysaccharides that is strong enough to withstand large mechanical stresses imposed by turgor while remaining pliant in ways that permit growth. To understand how its macromolecular architecture produces its complex mechanical properties, Zhang . computationally assembled a realistic network of cellulose microfibrils, hemicellulose, and pectin.

Optically Resonant Bulk Heterojunction PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cell.

We design an optically resonant bulk heterojunction solar cell to study optoelectronic properties of nanostructured p-n junctions. The nanostructures yield strong light-matter interaction as well as distinct charge-carrier extraction behavior, which together improve the overall power conversion efficiency. We demonstrate high-resolution substrate conformal soft-imprint lithography technology in combination with state-of-the art ZnO nanoparticles to create a nanohole template in an electron transport layer.

Frustration-induced complexity in order-disorder transitions of the J_{1}-J_{2}-J_{3} Ising model on the square lattice.

We revisit the field-free Ising model on a square lattice with up to third-neighbor (NNNN) interactions, also known as the J_{1}-J_{2}-J_{3} model, in the mean-field approximation. Using a systematic enumeration procedure, we show that the region of phase space in which the high-temperature disordered phase is stable against all modes representing periodic magnetization patterns up to a given size is a convex polytope that can be obtained by solving a standard vertex enumeration problem. Each face of this polytope corresponds to a set of coupling constants for which a single set of modes, equivalent up to a symmetry of the lattice, bifurcates from the disordered solution.

Cylindrical Metalens for Generation and Focusing of Free-Electron Radiation.

Metasurfaces constitute a powerful approach to generate and control light by engineering optical material properties at the subwavelength scale. Recently, this concept was applied to manipulate free-electron radiation phenomena, rendering versatile light sources with unique functionalities. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate spectral and angular control over coherent light emission by metasurfaces that interact with free-electrons under grazing incidence.

Rare-earth quantum cutting in metal halide perovskites - a review.

Ytterbium-doped lead halide perovskite (Yb:CsPbX with x = Cl or Cl/Br) nanocrystals and thin films have shown surprisingly efficient downconversion by quantum cutting with PLQYs up to 193%. After excitation of the perovskite host with high-energy photons, the excited states of two Yb ions are rapidly populated, subsequently emitting lower-energy photons. Several synthesis routes lead to highly efficient materials, and we review the progress on both the synthesis, material quality and applicability of these downconversion layers.