May 2012 Volume 6, Issue 5

Editorial

Laser fusion on the horizon p267
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.106
Could 2012 be the year that laser fusion becomes a reality? Progress at the National Ignition Facility in the USA certainly gives cause for optimism.
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Research Highlights

Materials: Topological electrodes | X-rays: Orbital angular momentum | Plasmonics: Laser-written conductors | Quantum dots: Superior single photons | Optoelectronics: Double-layer graphene boost | Biophotonics: Glucose detection | Interferometry: Overcoming Coriolis | Spectroscopy: Near-field effects | Quantum optics: Multimode frequency combs | Microfluidics: High-speed cell sorter

News and Views

Review

Controlling waves in space and time for imaging and focusing in complex media pp283 - 292
Allard P. Mosk, Ad Lagendijk, Geoffroy Lerosey and Mathias Fink
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.88
Scattering of light is usually seen as an impediment to focusing and imaging. This article reviews the recent progress of how strongly scattering media can be used to focus, shape and compress waves by controlling the many degrees of freedom in the incident waves.
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Letters

Observing the localization of light in space and time by ultrafast second-harmonic microscopy pp293 - 298
Manfred Mascheck, Slawa Schmidt, Martin Silies, Takashi Yatsui, Kokoro Kitamura, Motoichi Ohtsu, David Leipold, Erich Runge and Christoph Lienau
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.69
By combining high-resolution nonlinear optical microscopy with few-cycle time resolution, scientists show that they are able to probe the spatiotemporal localization of light waves in random dielectric nanostructures. The findings will aid the study of light localization dynamics in a variety of passive and active random media.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Electrically driven single-photon source at room temperature in diamond pp299 - 303
N. Mizuochi, T. Makino, H. Kato, D. Takeuchi, M. Ogura, H. Okushi, M. Nothaft, P. Neumann, A. Gali, F. Jelezko, J. Wrachtrup and S. Yamasaki
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.75
Researchers demonstrate single-photon generation by electrical excitation from a single neutral nitrogen–vacancy centre in a p–i–n diamond diode. The photon generation rate at room temperature was 4 × 10⁴ photons s⁻¹ for an injection current of 14 mA. The researchers also investigated the carrier recombination dynamics of the device.
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Giant half-cycle attosecond pulses pp304 - 307
H.-C. Wu and J. Meyer-ter-Vehn
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.76
Scientists show that irradiating a double-foil target with intense few-cycle laser pulses can produce single half-cycle 50 as pulses with peak electric fields as high as 10¹³ V m^-1 and pulse energies of up to 0.1 mJ. The findings may stimulate new types of attosecond pump-probe experiments.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

All-optical Compton gamma-ray source pp308 - 311
K. Ta Phuoc, S. Corde, C. Thaury, V. Malka, A. Tafzi, J. P. Goddet, R. C. Shah, S. Sebban and A. Rousse
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.82
Scientists demonstrate a Compton-based electromagnetic source based on a laser-plasma accelerator and a plasma mirror. The source generates a broadband spectrum of X-rays and is 10,000 times brighter than Compton X-ray sources based on conventional accelerators.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Mangles | Interview with Kim Ta Phuoc

Structured illumination microscopy using unknown speckle patterns pp312 - 315
E. Mudry, K. Belkebir, J. Girard, J. Savatier, E. Le Moal, C. Nicoletti, M. Allain and A. Sentenac
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.83
By illuminating a sample with several uncontrolled random speckles and implementing a blind structured illumination microscopy algorithm, researchers demonstrate that image reconstruction can be achieved without knowing the original illumination pattern, at a resolution two times better than that of conventional wide-field microscopy.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF

Articles

Direct generation of multiple excitons in adjacent silicon nanocrystals revealed by induced absorption pp316 - 321
M. Tuan Trinh, Rens Limpens, Wieteke D. A. M. de Boer, Juleon M. Schins, Laurens D. A. Siebbeles and Tom Gregorkiewicz
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.36
Using a photoluminescence-based carrier multiplication mechanism recently proposed for closely spaced silicon nanocrystals in SiO₂, scientists demonstrate that adjacent nanocrystals are excited directly upon absorption of a single high-energy photon. They also demonstrate efficient carrier multiplication with an onset close to the energy conservation threshold of twice the bandgap energy.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Nozik

Phase-locked coherent modes in a patterned metal-organic microcavity pp322 - 326
R. Brückner, A. A. Zakhidov, R. Scholz, M. Sudzius, S. I. Hintschich, H. Fröb, V. G. Lyssenko and K. Leo
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.49
By placing a thin silver grating inside a microcavity comprised of an organic semiconductor and two dielectric mirrors, researchers show that coherent emission can be selectively stimulated between in- and out-of-phase-locked arrays at room temperature. This work demonstrates that incorporating a lossy metal into a cavity does not suppress lasing.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Wouters

Wrinkles and deep folds as photonic structures in photovoltaics pp327 - 332
Jong Bok Kim, Pilnam Kim, Nicolas C. Pégard, Soong Ju Oh, Cherie R. Kagan, Jason W. Fleischer, Howard A. Stone and Yueh-Lin Loo
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.70
Researchers demonstrate that wrinkles and folds on polymer surfaces can improve the light-harvesting capabilities of solar cells, increasing external quantum efficiencies by up to 600% in the near-infrared. This fabrication method, which employs elastic instabilities of thin, layered materials, may be economical for patterning photonic structures over large areas.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: News and Views by Gregg & van de Lagemaat

Interview

Energy shifting p334
Interview with Kim Ta Phuoc
doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.89
Nature Photonics spoke to Kim Ta Phuoc about an extremely bright and compact X-ray and gamma-ray source that exploits laser plasma acceleration and Compton scattering simultaneously.
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