photonic circuits tagged posts

Artistic image of light trapped on the surface of a nanoparticle topological insulator. Credit: Vincenzo Giannini

New research suggests it is possible to create a new form of light by binding light to a single electron, combining the properties of both. According to the scientists from Imperial College London, the coupled light and electron would have properties that could lead to circuits that work with photons instead of electrons. It would also allow researchers to study quantum physical phenomena.

In normal materials, light interacts with a whole host of electrons present on the surface and within the material. But by using theoretical physics to model the behaviour of light and topological insulators, they have found that it could interact with just one electron on the surface...

Graphene/WSe2 (2-D material)/graphene heterostructure. Credit: ICFO-Fabien Vialla

A 2D crystal, combined with graphene, has the capability to detect optical pulses with a response faster than 10 picoseconds, while maintaining a high efficiency, a new study demonstrates. Ultra-fast detection of light lies at the heart of optical communication systems nowadays. Driven by the internet of things and 5G, data communication bandwidth is growing exponentially, thus requiring even faster optical detectors that can be integrated into photonic circuits.

Prof Frank Koppens’s team has shown that a 2D crystal, combined with graphene, has the capability to detect optical pulses with a response faster than 10 picoseconds, while maintaining a high efficiency...