October 2011 Volume 5, Issue 10

Editorial

Fluidic vision p567
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.234
Liquid waveguides, deformable lenses, microdroplet lasers and biosensors are all technologies based on optofluidics. Now the field may even be able to help with issues such as energy production.
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Interview

An interdisciplinary approach p569
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.224
Optofluidics brings together light and liquids to provide technologies such as fluid waveguides, deformable lenses and microdroplet lasers. Nature Photonics spoke to Frances Ligler about the origins of the field and where it might be heading.
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Research Highlights

Microscopy: STED for living cells | Lasers: Gap plasmons | X-ray optics: Probing diamond | X-ray imaging: Synchrotron alternative | Plasmonics: Nanowire cavities | Rogue waves: Surely deterministic | Biophotonics: Subcellular sensing | Photonic crystals: Building LEDs | Sensing: Carbon ratio convenience | Silicon photonics: Integrated isolators

News and Views

Reviews

Optofluidics for energy applications pp583 - 590
David Erickson, David Sinton and Demetri Psaltis
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.209
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Optofluidic microsystems for chemical and biological analysis pp591 - 597
Xudong Fan and Ian M. White
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.206
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

The photonic integration of non-solid media using optofluidics pp598 - 604
Holger Schmidt and Aaron R. Hawkins
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.163
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Letters

Dynamic modulation of photonic crystal nanocavities using gigahertz acoustic phonons pp605 - 609
Daniel A. Fuhrmann, Susanna M. Thon, Hyochul Kim, Dirk Bouwmeester, Pierre M. Petroff, Achim Wixforth and Hubert J. Krenner
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.208
The authors demonstrate dynamic tuning of a photonic-crystal cavity by surface acoustic waves at frequencies exceeding 1.7 GHz. The tuning is claimed to preserve the quality factor and to be an order of magnitude faster than alternative approaches.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Ruppert & Betz

All-optical control of the quantum flow of a polariton condensate pp610 - 614
D. Sanvitto, S. Pigeon, A. Amo, D. Ballarini, M. De Giorgi, I. Carusotto, R. Hivet, F. Pisanello, V. G. Sala, P. S. S. Guimaraes, R. Houdre, E. Giacobino, C. Ciuti, A. Bramati and G. Gigli
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.211
Vortex-antivortex pairs in a polariton condensate are experimentally trapped and manipulated by a light beam in a semiconductor microcavity. Quantum hydrodynamical effects are observed and corroborated by time-dependent simulations.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: Interview with Daniele Sanvitto

The mode-locking transition of random lasers pp615 - 617
Marco Leonetti, Claudio Conti and Cefe Lopez
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.217
Researchers report the first observation of the synchronous oscillation of electromagnetic modes in a cavity — known as mode-locking — in random lasers.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Kalt

Sub-picosecond phase-sensitive optical pulse characterization on a chip pp618 - 623
Alessia Pasquazi, Marco Peccianti, Yongwoo Park, Brent E. Little, Sai T. Chu, Roberto Morandotti, José Azaña & David J. Moss
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.199
Based on CMOS-compatible spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER), researchers show that they are able to characterize both the amplitude and phase of ultrafast optical pulses with a time-bandwidth product of more than 100.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Quantum communication with Gaussian channels of zero quantum capacity pp624 - 627
Graeme Smith, John A. Smolin and Jon Yard
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.203
Researchers have shown that imperfect quantum channels have a strong kind of synergy: there exist pairs of discrete, memoryless quantum channels that acquire positive quantum capacity when used together. Here the authors show that this superactivation phenomenon also occurs in the more realistic setting of optical channels with attenuation and Gaussian noise.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Giedke & Wolf

Preparation and storage of frequency-uncorrelated entangled photons from cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric downconversion pp628 - 632
Han Zhang, Xian-Min Jin, Jian Yang, Han-Ning Dai, Sheng-Jun Yang, Tian-Ming Zhao, Jun Rui, Yu He, Xiao Jiang, Fan Yang, Ge-Sheng Pan, Zhen-Sheng Yuan, Youjin Deng, Zeng-Bing Chen, Xiao-Hui Bao, Shuai Chen, Bo Zhao and Jian-Wei Pan
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.213
Researchers report the preparation and storage of frequency-uncorrelated narrowband (5 MHz) entangled photons from a cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric downconversion source. Electromagnetically induced transparency was implemented using ultraviolet pump pulses, and the violation of Bell's inequality was clearly observed for storage times of up to 200 ns.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Cavity electromagnetically induced transparency and all-optical switching using ion Coulomb crystals pp633 - 636
Magnus Albert, Aurélien Dantan & Michael Drewsen
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.214
Researchers demonstrate all-optical light switching based on electromagnetically induced transparency at the single-photon level using a Coulomb crystal of ⁴⁰Ca⁺ ions enclosed in a moderately high-finesse linear cavity. Changes from essentially full transmission to full absorption for a single-photon probe field were achieved within unprecedentedly narrow windows of 47.5 ± 2.4 kHz.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Interview

Controlling quantum flow p638
Interview with Daniele Sanvitto
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2011.252
Achieving dynamic optical control of exciton polariton quantum flow could provide a deeper understanding of quantum behaviour and inspire new types of device, says Daniele Sanvitto from the Istituto Nanoscienze in Italy.
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