Versatile metal-wire waveguides for broadband terahertz signal processing and multiplexing.

Waveguides play a pivotal role in the full deployment of terahertz communication systems. Besides signal transporting, innovative terahertz waveguides are required to provide versatile signal-processing functionalities. Despite fundamental components, such as Bragg gratings, have been recently realized, they typically rely on complex hybridization, in turn making it extremely challenging to go beyond the most elementary functions. Here, we propose a universal approach, in which multiscale-structured Bragg gratings can be directly etched on metal-wires. Such an approach, in combination with diverse waveguide designs, allows for the realization of a unique platform with remarkable structural simplicity, yet featuring unprecedented signal-processing capabilities. As an example, we introduce a four-wire waveguide geometry, amenable to support the low-loss and low-dispersion propagation of polarization-division multiplexed terahertz signals. Furthermore, by engraving on the wires judiciously designed Bragg gratings based on multiscale structures, it is possible to independently manipulate two polarization-division multiplexed terahertz signals. This platform opens up new exciting perspectives for exploiting the polarization degree of freedom and ultimately boosting the capacity and spectral efficiency of future terahertz networks.

Homodyne Solid-State Biased Coherent Detection of Ultra-Broadband Terahertz Pulses with Static Electric Fields.

We present an innovative implementation of the solid-state-biased coherent detection (SSBCD) technique, which we have recently introduced for the reconstruction of both amplitude and phase of ultra-broadband terahertz pulses. In our previous works, the SSBCD method has been operated via a heterodyne scheme, which involves demanding square-wave voltage amplifiers, phase-locked to the THz pulse train, as well as an electronic circuit for the demodulation of the readout signal. Here, we demonstrate that the SSBCD technique can be operated via a very simple homodyne scheme, exploiting plain static bias voltages. We show that the homodyne SSBCD signal turns into a bipolar transient when the static field overcomes the THz field strength, without the requirement of an additional demodulating circuit. Moreover, we introduce a differential configuration, which extends the applicability of the homodyne scheme to higher THz field strengths, also leading a two-fold improvement of the dynamic range compared to the heterodyne counterpart. Finally, we demonstrate that, by reversing the sign of the static voltage, it is possible to directly retrieve the absolute THz pulse polarity. The homodyne configuration makes the SSBCD technique of much easier access, leading to a vast range of field-resolved applications.

Probing the role of thermal vibrational disorder in the SPT of VO[Formula: see text] by Raman spectroscopy.

Phase competition in transition metal oxides has attracted remarkable interest for fundamental aspects and technological applications. Here, we report a concurrent study of the phase transitions in undoped and Cr-doped VO[Formula: see text] thin films. The structural, morphological and electrical properties of our films are examined and the microstructural effect on the metal-insulator transition (MIT) are highlighted. We further present a distinctive approach for analyzing the Raman data of undoped and Cr-doped VO[Formula: see text] thin films as a function of temperature, which are quantitatively correlated to the electrical measurements of VO[Formula: see text] films to give an insight into the coupling between the structural phase transition (SPT) and the MIT. These data are also combined with reported EXAFS measurements and a connection between the Raman intensities and the mean Debye-Waller factors [Formula: see text] is established. We found that the temperature dependence of the [Formula: see text] as calculated from the Raman intensity retraces the temperature profile of the [Formula: see text] as obtained from the EXAFS data analysis. Our findings provide an evidence on the critical role of the thermal vibrational disorder in the VO[Formula: see text] phase transitions. Our study demonstrates that correlating Raman data with EXAFS analysis, the lattice and electronic structural dynamics can be probed.

Fabrication of buckling free ultrathin silicon membranes by direct bonding with thermal difference.

An innovative method to fabricate large area (up to several squared millimeters) ultrathin (100 nm) monocrystalline silicon (Si) membranes is described. This process is based on the direct bonding of a silicon-on-insulator wafer with a preperforated silicon wafer. The stress generated by the thermal difference applied during the bonding process is exploited to produce buckling free silicon nanomembranes of large areas. The thermal differences required to achieve these membranes (≥1 mm(2)) are estimated by analytical calculations. An experimental study of the stress achievable by direct bonding through two specific surface preparations (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) is reported. Buckling free silicon nanomembranes secured on a 2 × 2 cm(2) frame with lateral dimensions up to 5 × 5 mm(2) are successfully fabricated using the optimized direct bonding process. The stress estimated by theoretical analysis is confirmed by Raman measurements, while the flatness of the nanomembranes is demonstrated by optical interferometry. The successful fabrications of high resolution (50 nm half pitch) tungsten gratings on the silicon nanomembranes and of focused ion beam milling nanostructures show the promising potential of the Si membranes for X-ray optics and for the emerging nanosensor market.

Thermo-active elastomer composite for optical heating in microfluidic systems.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes are used as doping agents to form thermo-active composites with an elastomeric block-copolymer. Thermal imaging reveals that the temperature response upon irradiation with NIR laser light is dependent (among other things) on the mass fraction of the nanotubes in the polymer matrix.

Waveguide-coupled drop filters on SOI using quarter-wave shifted sidewalled grating resonators.

We report on the design, fabrication, and demonstration of waveguide coupled channel drop filters at 1550 nm, on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. These devices rely on resonant power transfer from a bus waveguide to side-walled Bragg resonators with quarter-wave shifts in the middle. By employing a second mirror resonator, and a tap-off waveguide, reflections along the bus waveguide can be reduced, leading to realization of circulator-free resonance filters. These devices were fabricated on SOI using e-beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching. Fabricated devices with two coupled cavities are demonstrated to have rejection ratios greater than 20 dB and 3-dB bandwidths of 110 GHz, close to the values predicted by numerical modeling. We also demonstrate power tap-off at resonance of around 16 dB.

PCR-free DNA detection using a magnetic bead-supported polymeric transducer and microelectromagnetic traps.

A fluorescent polymeric hybridization transducer supported on magnetic microbeads was investigated for the rapid, ultrasensitive, and sequence-specific detection of DNA. We show that the polymer derivative can be used to detect target DNA directly on magnetic particles by preparing "target-ready" microbeads grafted with the polymer and suitable DNA probes. A detection limit of approximately 200 target copies in a probed volume of 150 muL (1.4 copies/muL) was obtained for a DNA sequence specific to Candida albicans This detection scheme does not require the release of the hybridized target DNA prior to its detection or the labeling or amplification of the nucleic acids. Furthermore, we show that the fluorescence from these biosensing magnetic beads can be read while magnetically confined in a small volume by a microelectromagnetic trap, which offers the possibility of performing both the preconcentration and detection steps simultaneously on the same support. The combination of the fluorescent polymer biosensor with magnetic particle-assisted DNA preconcentration extends the application of this ultrasensitive biosensor to biological samples with complex matrixes and to integrated lab-on-a-chip platforms, where it could be used for fast multitarget DNA detection in point-of-care diagnostics and field analysis.

Investigation of the state of local thermodynamic equilibrium of a laser-produced aluminum plasma.

In this work, the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) for a laser-induced plasma in ambient air is examined experimentally using two different laser systems, namely an infrared short-pulse Ti : Sapphire laser and an ultraviolet long-pulse XeCl excimer laser. The LTE assumption is investigated by examining the plasma produced at a laser fluence of 10 J/cm(2) from aluminum targets containing iron and magnesium impurities. The excitation temperature is deduced from Boltzmann diagrams built from a large number of spatially integrated neutral iron lines distributed from 3.21 to 6.56 eV. It is shown that at any time after the end of the laser pulse, the neutral excited states are in excellent Boltzmann equilibrium. Detailed investigation of Boltzmann equilibrium further validates previous temperature measurements using less accurate diagrams. However, observations of ion lines provide some evidence that the ionized species do not obey Saha equilibrium, thereby indicating departure from LTE. This could be explained by the fact that the plasma cannot be considered as stationary for these species.

Laser-ablated volume and depth as a function of pulse duration in aluminum targets.

The ablated depth and volume per laser pulse from an aluminum target were measured for pulse durations that ranged from 80 fs to 270 ps at an average fluence of approximately 100 J/cm2 and a wavelength of 0.8 microm. The ablated volume showed a flat maximum for subpicosecond pulses and a minimum for approximately 6 ps. The crater diameters were rather constant up to pulse durations of approximately 6 ps and increased for larger pulse durations. As a result, the ablated depth also showed a plateau for subpicosecond pulses but decreased monotonically with pulse duration. A physical interpretation of these results and their consequences for laser applications are discussed.