Plentiful research of InP semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) has been launched over the past few decades for their excellent photoluminescence properties and environmentally friendly characteristics in various applications. However, InP QDs show inferior photostability because they are extremely sensitive to the ambient environment. In this study, we propose a novel method to enhance the photostability of InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs by doping zirconium into the ZnS layer. We certify that Zr can be oxidized to Zr oxides, which can prevent the QDs from suffering oxidation during light irradiation. The InP/ZnSe/ZnS:Zr QDs maintained 78% of the original photoluminescence quantum yields without significant photodegradation under the irradiation of LED light (450 nm, 3.0 W power intensity) for 14 h, while conventional InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs dramatically decreased to 29%. Full article

The tin dioxide (SnO₂) photocatalyst has a broad application prospect in the degradation of toxic organic pollutants. In this study, micron-sized spherical SnO₂ and flower indium oxide (In₂O₃) structures were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method, and the In₂O₃/SnO₂ composite samples were prepared by a “two-step method”. Using Rhodamine B (RhB) as a model organic pollutant, the photocatalytic performance of the In₂O₃/SnO₂ composites was studied. The photocurrent density of 1.0 wt.% In₂O₃/SnO₂ was twice that of pure SnO₂ or In₂O₃, and the degradation rate was as high as 97% after 240 min irradiation (87% after 120 min irradiation). The reaction rate was five times that of SnO₂ and nine times that of In₂O₃. Combined with the trapping experiment, the transient photocurrent response, and the corresponding characterization of active substances, the possible degradation mechanism was that the addition of In₂O₃ inhibited the efficiency of electron–hole pair recombination, accelerated the electron transfer and enhanced the photocatalytic activity. Full article

A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogator is a scientific instrument that converts the wavelength change of FBG sensors into readable electrical signals. To achieve miniaturization and integration of FBG interrogator, we designed and fabricated a 36-channel array waveguide grating (AWG) on silica-based planar lightwave circuits (PLC) as a key device in a built FBG interrogation system. It is used to achieve continuous demodulation in C-band, while maintaining high resolution. This AWG has a 1.6 nm channel spacing, 3-dB bandwidth of 1.76 nm, non-adjacent channel crosstalk of −29.76 dB, and insertion loss of 3.46 dB. The dynamic range of the FBG interrogation system we built was tested to be 1522.4–1578.4 nm, with an interrogation resolution of 1 pm and accuracy of less than 1 pm in the dynamic range of 1523.16–1523.2 nm. The test results show that the FBG interrogation technology, based on AWG, can realize FBG wavelengths accurately demodulated, which has high application value in aerospace, deep sea exploration, and environmental monitoring, as well as other fields. Full article

Combining tunable properties and various functionalities into a single metamaterial structure has become a novel research hotspot and can be used to tackle great challenges. The multifunctional metamaterial structure that combines absorption, linear-to-circular (LTC) polarization conversion, filtering and switching functions into a single metamaterial device was designed and investigated in this study. The switching of different functions can be achieved based on the phase transition of vanadium dioxide (VO₂) and change of graphene chemical potential. When VO₂ is in a metal state, the multi-frequency absorption and LTC polarization conversion can be achieved with different chemical potentials. When VO₂ is in the insulator state and the polarization angle of incident wave is 45°, the device can be used to select or isolate the incident waves with different polarization states in the frequency region of 1.2–1.8 THz. Furthermore, when the chemical potentials are 0.05 eV and 1.2 eV, the corresponding transmissions of the TE-polarized wave demonstrate the opposite results, realizing the switching functions in the frequency region of 0.88–1.34 THz. In the frequency region above 2 THz, the multi-frequency rejection filter can be achieved. The designed switchable multifunctional metamaterial device can be widely implemented in radar monitoring and communication systems. Full article

The metal doping at the Pb²⁺ position provides improved luminescence performance for the cesium lead halide perovskites, and their fabrication methods assisted by microwave have attracted considerable attention due to the advantages of fast heating and low energy consumption. However, the postsynthetic doping strategy of the metal-doped perovskites driven by microwave heating still lacks systematic research. In this study, the assembly of CsPbBr₃/CsPb₂Br₅ with a strong fluorescence peak at 523 nm is used as the CsPbBr₃ precursor, and through the optimization of the postsynthetic conditions such as reaction temperatures, Mn²⁺/Pb²⁺ feeding ratios, and Mn²⁺ sources, the optimum Mn²⁺-doped product (CsPb(Cl/Br)₃:Mn) is achieved. The exciton fluorescence peak of CsPb(Cl/Br)₃:Mn is blueshifted to 437 nm, and an obvious fluorescence peak attributing to the doped Mn²⁺ ions at 597 nm is obtained. Both the CsPbBr₃ precursor and CsPb(Cl/Br)₃:Mn have high PLQY and stability because there are CsPb₂Br₅ microcubic crystals to well disperse and embed the CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals (NCs) in the precursor, and after Mn²⁺-doping, this structure is maintained to form CsPb(Cl/Br)₃:Mn NCs on the surface of their microcrystals. The exploration of preparation parameters in the microwave-assisted method provides insights into the enhanced color-tunable luminescence of the metal-doped perovskite materials. Full article

Graphene is well-known for its extraordinary physical properties such as broadband optical absorption, high electron mobility, and electrical conductivity. All of these make it an excellent candidate for several infrared applications such as photodetection, optical modulation, and optical sensing. However, a standalone monolayer graphene still suffers from a weak infrared absorption, which is ≅2.3%. In this work, a novel configuration of graphene metamaterial embedded inside Bundt optical-antenna (optenna) is demonstrated. It can leverage the graphene absorption up to 57.7% over an ultra-wide wavelength range from 1.26 to 1.68 µm (i.e., Bandwidth ≅ 420 nm). This range covers the entire optical communication bands of O, E, S, C, L, and U. The configuration mainly consists of a Bundt-shaped plasmonic antenna with a graphene metamaterial stack embedded within its nano-wide waveguide that has a 1.5 µm length. The gold average plasmonic loss is ≅25%. This configuration can enhance graphene ultra-broadband absorption through multiple mechanisms. It can nano-focus the infrared radiation down to a 50 nm spot on the graphene metamaterial, thus yielding an 11.5 gain in optical intensity (i.e., 10.6 dB). The metamaterial itself has seven concentric cylindrical graphene layers separated by silicon dioxide thin films, thus each layer contributes to the overall absorption. The focused infrared propagates tangential to the graphene metamaterial layers (i.e., grazing propagation), and thus maximizes the light–graphene interaction length. In addition, each graphene layer experiences a double-face exposure to the nano-focused propagating spot, which increases each layer’s absorption. This configuration is compact and polarization-insensitive. The estimated maximum absorption enhancement compared to the standalone monolayer graphene was 25.1 times (i.e., ≅4 dB). The estimated maximum absorption coefficient of the graphene stack was 5700 cm⁻¹, which is considered as one of the record-high reported coefficients up to date. Full article

Circularly polarized light (CPL) detection and polarization state recognition are required for a wide range of applications. Conventional polarization detection with optical components causes difficulties for miniaturization and integration. An effective design strategy is proposed for direct CPL detection with chiral material. Here, we realized direct CPL detection based on the combination of chiral photonic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and ultraviolet-sensitive ZnO photoconductive material. The CNC layer deposited by evaporation-induced self-assembly established the left-handed chiral nematic structure with a photonic bandgap (PBG) to recognize left-handed CPL (LCPL) and right-handed CPL (RCPL) at specific wavelengths. The PBG of CNC layer has been modulated by the adjustment of chiral nematic pitch to match the semiconductor bandgap of ZnO film in ultraviolet region. The photocurrents under RCPL and LCPL are 2.23 × 10⁻⁶ A and 1.77 × 10⁻⁶ A respectively and the anisotropy factor Δg_pc of 0.23 is acquired for the CPL detection based on the chiral photonic CNC. This design provides a new approach to the detection of CPL polarization state with competitive performance. Full article

The crystalline quality of ZnO NR (nanorod) as a sensing material for visible blind ultraviolet PDs (photodetectors) critically depends on the SL (seed layer) material of properties, which is a key to high-quality nanocrystallite growth, more so than the synthesis method. In this study, we fabricated two different device structures of a gateless AlGaN/GaN HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) and a photoconductive PD structure with an IDE (interdigitated electrode) pattern implemented on a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) flexible substrate, and investigated the impact on device performance through the SL N₂O plasma treatment. In case of HEMT-based PD, the highest current on-off ratio (~7) and spectral responsivity R (~1.5 × 10⁵ A/W) were obtained from the treatment for 6 min, whereas the IDE pattern-based PD showed the best performance (on-off ratio = ~44, R = ~69 A/W) from the treatment for 3 min and above, during which a significant etch damage on PET substrates was produced. This improvement in device performance was due to the enhancement in NR crystalline quality as revealed by our X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and microanalysis. Full article

The current pandemic crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 has also pushed researchers to work on LEDs, especially in the range of 220–240 nm, for the purpose of disinfecting the environment, but the efficiency of such deep UV-LEDs is highly demanding for mass adoption. Over the last two decades, several research groups have worked out that the optical power of GaN-based LEDs significantly decreases during operation, and with the passage of time, many mechanisms responsible for the degradation of such devices start playing their roles. Only a few attempts, to explore the reliability of these LEDs, have been presented so far which provide very little information on the output power degradation of these LEDs with the passage of time. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the degradation factors of AlGaN-based near UV-LEDs emitting in the range of 200–350 nm by means of combined optical and electrical characterization so that work groups may have an idea of the issues raised to date and to achieve a wavelength range needed for disinfecting the environment from SARS-CoV-2. The performance of devices submitted to different stress conditions has been reviewed for the reliability of AlGaN-based UV-LEDs based on the work of different research groups so far, according to our knowledge. In particular, we review: (1) fabrication strategies to improve the efficiency of UV-LEDs; (2) the intensity of variation under constant current stress for different durations; (3) creation of the defects that cause the degradation of LED performance; (4) effect of degradation on C-V characteristics of such LEDs; (5) I-V behavior variation under stress; (6) different structural schemes to enhance the reliability of LEDs; (7) reliability of LEDs ranging from 220–240 nm; and (8) degradation measurement strategies. Finally, concluding remarks for future research to enhance the reliability of near UV-LEDs is presented. This draft presents a comprehensive review for industry and academic research on the physical properties of an AlGaN near UV-LEDs that are affected by aging to help LED manufacturers and end users to construct and utilize such LEDs effectively and provide the community a better life standard. Full article