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Advances in Photonic Materials

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 31853

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Miguel Levy

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Guest Editor

Physics Department and Materials Science Department (Joint Appointment), Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
Interests: photonics; nonreciprocal phenomena
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Dolendra Karki

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Guest Editor

Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
Interests: photonic materials and applications; magneto-optical materials and devices; magneto-optic display; heterogeneous integration of optical materials; photonic integrated circuits; nano-fabrication; silicon photonics; spectroscopy; non-linear optics; plasmonics; photonic lattices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photonic materials play an important role in information processing, chemical sensors, solar cells, light-emitting devices, optical memories, and other important applications. They encompass a wide variety of materials and material technologies. Advances in photonic materials fabrication, processing, and integration into different platforms constitute important areas of research and technological development. Spectacular advances in photonic materials technologies in recent years have involved light–matter interaction control through photonic crystal technology, light-trapping in thin films for solar cell applications, surface effects for the enhancement of nonreciprocal materials response, the on-chip integration of bias-magnet-free magneto-optic films, the processing of light at the nanoscale through nanophotonics, advances in plasmonics, and the development of optical metamaterials. The exploitation of new optical phenomena and the development of optical devices have created opportunities for advances in fields such as optical memory and holographic storage, and the heterogeneous integration of materials for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) on a single chip to achieve maximum efficiencies. These vast multidisciplinary research efforts span the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering and encompass the development of new types of materials and new ways of integration. The outcomes of these diverse research efforts have led to a vast number of publications in multiple journals. This Special Issue will provide researchers and scientists with a collective platform for assembling in one issue the various aspects of material development. Original research articles, short communication letters, and review articles are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Miguel Levy
Dr. Dolendra Karki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Photonic materials
Material integration on photonic platforms
Magneto-optical devices
Magnetic garnets
Nanophotonics
Silicon photonics
Growth and fabrication of optical materials
Non-linear optics
Plasmonics
Electro-optics
Optical display
Photonic lattices
Optical metamaterials
Optical thin films
Optical lithography

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 9186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancement of the SPR Effect in an Optical Fiber Device Utilizing a Thin Ag Layer and a 3092A Liquid Crystal Mixture

by Joanna Korec, Karol A. Stasiewicz, Katarzyna Garbat and Leszek R. Jaroszewicz

Molecules 2021, 26(24), 7553; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26247553 - 13 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1895

Abstract

This paper is a continuation of previous work and shows the enhancement of the surface plasmon resonance effect in a tapered optical fiber device. The study investigated liquid crystal cells containing a tapered optical fiber covered with a silver nanolayer, surrounded by a low refractive index liquid crystal in terms of the properties of light propagation in the taper structure. Silver films with a thickness of d = 10 nm were deposited on the tapered waist area. Measurements were performed at room temperature; liquid crystal steering voltage U from 0 to 200 V, with and without any amplitude modulation with a frequency of f = 5 Hz, and the wavelength λ ranged from 550 to 1200 nm. A significant influence of the initial arrangement of liquid crystals molecules on light propagation was observed. Three types of liquid crystal cells—orthogonal, parallel, and twist—were considered. During the measurements, resonant peaks were obtained—the position of which can also be controlled by the type of liquid crystal cells and the steering voltage. Based on the obtained results, the best parameters, such as highest peak’s width reduction, and the highest SNR value were received for twisted cells. In addition, the present work was compared with the previous work and showed the possibility of improving properties of the manufactured probes, and consequently, the surface plasmon resonance effect. In the presented paper, the novelty is mainly focused on the used materials as well as suitable changes in applied technological parameters. In contrast to gold, silver is characterized by different optic and dielectric properties, e.g., refractive index, extension coefficient, and permittivity, which results in changes in the light propagation and the SPR wavelengths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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16 pages, 5722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Nitrogen Doping on the Optical Bandgap and Electrical Conductivity of Nitrogen-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide

by Gunawan Witjaksono, Muhammad Junaid, Mohd Haris Khir, Zaka Ullah, Nelson Tansu, Mohamed Shuaib Bin Mohamed Saheed, Muhammad Aadil Siddiqui, Saeed S. Ba-Hashwan, Abdullah Saleh Algamili, Saeed Ahmed Magsi, Muhammad Zubair Aslam and Rab Nawaz

Molecules 2021, 26(21), 6424; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26216424 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4856

Abstract

Graphene as a material for optoelectronic design applications has been significantly restricted owing to zero bandgap and non-compatible handling procedures compared with regular microelectronic ones. In this work, nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) with tunable optical bandgap and enhanced electrical conductivity was synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The properties of the synthesized N-rGO were determined using XPS, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, UV/vis, as well as FESEM techniques. The UV/vis spectroscopic analysis confirmed the narrowness of the optical bandgap from 3.4 to 3.1, 2.5, and 2.2 eV in N-rGO samples, where N-rGO samples were synthesized with a nitrogen doping concentration of 2.80, 4.53, and 5.51 at.%. Besides, an enhanced n-type electrical conductivity in N-rGO was observed in Hall effect measurement. The observed tunable optoelectrical characteristics of N-rGO make it a suitable material for developing future optoelectronic devices at the nanoscale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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11 pages, 2928 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Magnetization Switching in the GdFeCo Films with In-Plane Anisotropy via Femtosecond Laser Pulses

by Daria O. Ignatyeva, Pavel O. Kapralov, Kiran Horabail Prabhakara, Hiroki Yoshikawa, Arata Tsukamoto and Vladimir I. Belotelov

Molecules 2021, 26(21), 6406; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26216406 - 23 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1862

Abstract

Ferrimagnetic rare-earth substituted metal alloys GdFeCo were shown to exhibit the phenomenon of all-optical magnetization switching via femtosecond laser pulses. All-optical magnetization switching has been comprehensively investigated in out-of-plane magnetized GdFeCo films; however, the films with the in-plane magnetic anisotropy have not yet been studied in detail. We report experimental observations of the magnetization switching of in-plane magnetized GdFeCo films by means of the femtosecond laser pulses in the presence of a small magnetic field of about 40 µT. The switching effect has a threshold both in the applied magnetic field and in the light intensity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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17 pages, 3612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Photonic Bio-Chip Sensor Based on Strained Graphene Sheets for Blood Cell Sorting

by Fatemeh Ghasemi and Sepehr Razi

Molecules 2021, 26(18), 5585; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26185585 - 14 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1980

Abstract

A photonic biochip with a tunable response in the visible range is suggested for blood cell sorting applications. Multi-layers of ZnS and Ge slabs (as the main building blocks), hosting a cell in which bio-sample could be injected, are considered as the core of the sensor. In order to increase the sensitivity of the chip, the bio-cell is capsulated inside air slabs, and its walls are coated with graphene sheets. Paying special attention to white and red blood components, the optimum values for structural parameters are extracted first. Tunability of the sensor detectivity is then explored by finding the role of the probe light incident angle, as well as its polarization. The strain of the graphene layer and angle in which it is applied are also suggested to further improve the performance tunability. Results reflect that the biochip can effectively identify selected components through their induced different optical features, besides of the different figure of merit and sensitivity amounts that are recorded for them by the sensor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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8 pages, 2277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Narrow-Linewidth 2 μm All-Fiber Laser Amplifier with a Highly Stable and Precisely Tunable Wavelength for Gas Molecule Absorption in Photonic Crystal Hollow-Core Fibers

by Wenxi Pei, Hao Li, Yulong Cui, Zhiyue Zhou, Meng Wang and Zefeng Wang

Molecules 2021, 26(17), 5323; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26175323 - 01 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2249

Abstract

In recent years, mid-infrared fiber lasers based on gas-filled photonic crystal hollow-core fibers (HCFs) have attracted enormous attention. They provide a potential method for the generation of high-power mid-infrared emissions, particularly beyond 4 μm. However, there are high requirements of the pump for wavelength stability, tunability, laser linewidth, etc., due to the narrow absorption linewidth of gases. Here, we present the use of a narrow-linewidth, high-power fiber laser with a highly stable and precisely tunable wavelength at 2 μm for gas absorption. It was a master oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) structure, consisting of a narrow-linewidth fiber seed and two stages of Thulium-doped fiber amplifiers (TDFAs). The seed wavelength was very stable and was precisely tuned from 1971.4 to 1971.8 nm by temperature. Both stages of the amplifiers were forward-pumping, and a maximum output power of 24.8 W was obtained, with a slope efficiency of about 50.5%. The measured laser linewidth was much narrower than the gas absorption linewidth and the wavelength stability was validated by HBr gas absorption in HCFs. If the seed is replaced, this MOPA laser can provide a versatile pump source for mid-infrared fiber gas lasers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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14 pages, 22601 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Magnetless Optical Circulator Based on an Iron Garnet with Reduced Magnetization Saturation

by Gianni Portela, Miguel Levy and Hugo E. Hernandez-Figueroa

Molecules 2021, 26(15), 4692; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26154692 - 03 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2190

Abstract

A three-port circulator for optical communication systems comprising a photonic crystal slab made of a magneto-optical material in which an magnetizing element is not required to keep its magnetic domains aligned is suggested for the first time. By maximizing the incorporation of europium to its molecular formula, the magneto-optical material can remain in the saturated magnetic state even in the absence of an external DC magnetic field. Two- and three-dimensional simulations of the device performed with full-wave electromagnetic solvers based on the finite element method demonstrate that, at the 1550 nm wavelength, the insertion loss, isolation, and reflection levels are equal to or better than −1 dB, −14 dB, and −20 dB, respectively. Since its operation does not require an electromagnet or a permanent magnet, the suggested circulator is much more compact, being able to reach footprints in the range of three orders of magnitude smaller, when compared to other circulator designs referred to in the literature and the presented results can be useful for the design of other nonreciprocal devices with reduced dimensions for optical communication systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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9 pages, 2737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

All-Fiber Tunable Pulsed 1.7 μm Fiber Lasers Based on Stimulated Raman Scattering of Hydrogen Molecules in Hollow-Core Fibers

by Wenxi Pei, Hao Li, Wei Huang, Meng Wang and Zefeng Wang

Molecules 2021, 26(15), 4561; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26154561 - 28 Jul 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2012

Abstract

Fiber lasers that operate at 1.7 μm have important applications in many fields, such as biological imaging, medical treatment, etc. Fiber gas Raman lasers (FGRLs) based on gas stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs) provide an elegant way to realize efficient 1.7 μm fiber laser output. Here, we report the first all-fiber structure tunable pulsed 1.7 μm FGRLs by fusion splicing a hydrogen-filled HC-PCF with solid-core fibers. Pumping with a homemade tunable pulsed 1.5 μm fiber amplifier, efficient 1693~1705 nm Stokes waves are obtained by hydrogen molecules via SRS. The maximum average output Stokes power is 1.63 W with an inside optical–optical conversion efficiency of 58%. This work improves the compactness and stability of 1.7 μm FGRLs, which is of great significance to their applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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19 pages, 5721 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ta₂O₅ Nanocrystals Strengthened Mechanical, Magnetic, and Radiation Shielding Properties of Heavy Metal Oxide Glass

by Xinhai Zhang, Qiuling Chen and Shouhua Zhang

Molecules 2021, 26(15), 4494; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26154494 - 26 Jul 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2523

Abstract

In this study, for the first time, diamagnetic 5d⁰ Ta⁵⁺ ions and Ta₂O₅ nanocrystals were utilized to enhance the structural, mechanical, magnetic, and radiation shielding of heavy metal oxide glasses. Transparent Ta₂O₅ nanocrystal-doped heavy metal oxide glasses were obtained, and the embedded Ta₂O₅ nanocrystals had sizes ranging from 20 to 30 nm. The structural analysis of the Ta₂O₅ nanocrystal displays the transformation from hexagonal to orthorhombic Ta₂O₅. Structures of doped glasses were studied through X-ray diffraction and infrared and Raman spectra, which reveal that Ta₂O₅ exists in highly doped glass as TaO₆ octahedral units, acting as a network modifier. Ta⁵⁺ ions strengthened the network connectivity of 1–5% Ta₂O₅-doped glasses, but Ta⁵⁺ acted as a network modifier in a 10% doped sample and changed the frame coordination units of the glass. All Ta₂O₅-doped glasses exhibited improved Vicker’s hardness, magnetization (9.53 × 10⁻⁶ emu/mol), and radiation shielding behaviors (RPE% = 96–98.8%, MAC = 32.012 cm²/g, MFP = 5.02 cm, HVL = 0.0035–3.322 cm, and Z_eff = 30.5) due to the increase in density and polarizability of the Ta₂O₅ nanocrystals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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10 pages, 2003 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Fluorescent and Electron-Dense Green Color Emitting Nanodiamonds for Single-Cell Correlative Microscopy

by Neeraj Prabhakar, Markus Peurla, Olga Shenderova and Jessica M. Rosenholm

Molecules 2020, 25(24), 5897; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules25245897 - 13 Dec 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2933

Abstract

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) is revolutionizing how cell samples are studied. CLEM provides a combination of the molecular and ultrastructural information about a cell. For the execution of CLEM experiments, multimodal fiducial landmarks are applied to precisely overlay light and electron microscopy images. Currently applied fiducials such as quantum dots and organic dye-labeled nanoparticles can be irreversibly quenched by electron beam exposure during electron microscopy. Generally, the sample is therefore investigated with a light microscope first and later with an electron microscope. A versatile fiducial landmark should offer to switch back from electron microscopy to light microscopy while preserving its fluorescent properties. Here, we evaluated green fluorescent and electron dense nanodiamonds for the execution of CLEM experiments and precisely correlated light microscopy and electron microscopy images. We demonstrated that green color emitting fluorescent nanodiamonds withstand electron beam exposure, harsh chemical treatments, heavy metal straining, and, importantly, their fluorescent properties remained intact for light microscopy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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9 pages, 1742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Plasmon Resonances in Sierpinski-Like Photonic Crystal Fibers: Polarization Filters and Sensing Applications

by William O. F. Carvalho and J. R. Mejía-Salazar

Molecules 2020, 25(20), 4654; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules25204654 - 13 Oct 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1960

Abstract

We investigate the plasmonic behavior of a fractal photonic crystal fiber, with Sierpinski-like circular cross-section, and its potential applications for refractive index sensing and multiband polarization filters. Numerical results were obtained using the finite element method through the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics^® [...] Read more.

λ = 630

nm to

λ = 1700

nm. Subsets of close resonances were noted as a consequence of similar symmetries of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modes. Polarization filtering capabilities are numerically shown in the telecommunication windows from the O-band to the L-band. In the case of refractive index sensing, we used the wavelength interrogation method in the wavelength range from

λ = 670

nm to

λ = 790

nm, where the system exhibited a sensitivity of

S (λ) = 1951.43

nm/RIU (refractive index unit). Due to the broadband capabilities of our concept, we expect that it will be useful to develop future ultra-wide band optical communication infrastructures, which are urgent to meet the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth-hungry devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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Review

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20 pages, 6329 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in Photonic Devices Based on Optical Phase-Change Materials

by Xiaoxiao Wang, Huixin Qi, Xiaoyong Hu, Zixuan Yu, Shaoqi Ding, Zhuochen Du and Qihuang Gong

Molecules 2021, 26(9), 2813; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26092813 - 10 May 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4585

Abstract

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are important photonic materials that have the advantages of a rapid and reversible phase change, a great difference in the optical properties between the crystalline and amorphous states, scalability, and nonvolatility. With the constant development in the PCM platform and integration of multiple material platforms, more and more reconfigurable photonic devices and their dynamic regulation have been theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated, showing the great potential of PCMs in integrated photonic chips. Here, we review the recent developments in PCMs and discuss their potential for photonic devices. A universal overview of the mechanism of the phase transition and models of PCMs is presented. PCMs have injected new life into on-chip photonic integrated circuits, which generally contain an optical switch, an optical logical gate, and an optical modulator. Photonic neural networks based on PCMs are another interesting application of PCMs. Finally, the future development prospects and problems that need to be solved are discussed. PCMs are likely to have wide applications in future intelligent photonic systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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Other

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1 pages, 505 KiB

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Grancharov et al. Flexible Polymer–Organic Solar Cells Based on P3HT:PCBM Bulk Heterojunction Active Layer Constructed under Environmental Conditions. Molecules 2021, 26, 6890

by Georgy Grancharov, Mariya-Desislava Atanasova, Radostina Kalinova, Rositsa Gergova, Georgi Popkirov, Christosko Dikov and Marushka Sendova-Vassileva

Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4556; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28114556 - 05 Jun 2023

Viewed by 624

Abstract

The authors would like to correct a mistake in Figure 3 as published in the original publication [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Photonic Materials)

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