Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Waveguide "Photonic Nose"- Augmented Sensing Platform for VOC Gases in Mid-Infrared.

On-chip nanophotonic waveguide sensor is a promising solution for miniaturization and label-free detection of gas mixtures utilizing the absorption fingerprints in the mid-infrared (MIR) region. However, the quantitative detection and analysis of organic gas mixtures is still challenging and less reported due to the overlapping of the absorption spectrum. Here,an Artificial-Intelligence (AI) assisted waveguide "Photonic nose" is presented as an augmented sensing platform for gas mixture analysis in MIR. With the subwavelength grating cladding supported waveguide design and the help of machine learning algorithms, the MIR absorption spectrum of the binary organic gas mixture is distinguished from arbitrary mixing ratio and decomposed to the single-component spectra for concentration prediction. As a result, the classification of 93.57% for 19 mixing ratios is realized. In addition, the gas mixture spectrum decomposition and concentration prediction show an average root-mean-square error of 2.44 vol%. The work proves the potential for broader sensing and analytical capabilities of the MIR waveguide platform for multiple organic gas components toward MIR on-chip spectroscopy.

Environmentally Robust Triboelectric Tire Monitoring System for Self-Powered Driving Information Recognition via Hybrid Deep Learning in Time-Frequency Representation.

Developing a robust artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) system with a self-powered triboelectric sensor for harsh environment is challenging because environmental fluctuations are reflected in triboelectric signals. This study presents an environmentally robust triboelectric tire monitoring system with deep learning to capture driving information in the triboelectric signals generated from tire-road friction. The optimization of the process and structure of a laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode layer in the triboelectric tire is conducted, enabling the tire to detect universal driving information for vehicles/robotic mobility, including rotation speeds of 200-2000 rpm and contact fractions of line. Employing a hybrid model combining short-term Fourier transform with a convolution neural network-long short-term memory, the LIG-based triboelectric tire monitoring (LTTM) system decouples the driving information, such as traffic lines and road states, from varied environmental conditions of humidity (10%-90%) and temperatures (50-70 °C). The real-time line and road state recognition of the LTTM system is confirmed on a mobile platform across diverse environmental conditions, including fog, dampness, intense sunlight, and heat shimmer. This work provides an environmentally robust monitoring AIoT system by introducing a self-powered triboelectric sensor and hybrid deep learning for smart mobility.

Enabling Active Nanotechnologies by Phase Transition: From Electronics, Photonics to Thermotics.

Phase transitions can occur in certain materials such as transition metal oxides (TMOs) and chalcogenides when there is a change in external conditions such as temperature and pressure. Along with phase transitions in these phase change materials (PCMs) come dramatic contrasts in various physical properties, which can be engineered to manipulate electrons, photons, polaritons, and phonons at the nanoscale, offering new opportunities for reconfigurable, active nanodevices. In this review, we particularly discuss phase-transition-enabled active nanotechnologies in nonvolatile electrical memory, tunable metamaterials, and metasurfaces for manipulation of both free-space photons and in-plane polaritons, and multifunctional emissivity control in the infrared (IR) spectrum. The fundamentals of PCMs are first introduced to explain the origins and principles of phase transitions. Thereafter, we discuss multiphysical nanodevices for electronic, photonic, and thermal management, attesting to the broad applications and exciting promises of PCMs. Emerging trends and valuable applications in all-optical neuromorphic devices, thermal data storage, and encryption are outlined in the end.

Multiplexing Optical Images for Steganography by Single Metasurfaces.

Image steganography based on intelligent devices is one of the effective routes for safely and quickly transferring secret information. However, optical image steganography has attracted far less attention than digital one due to the state-of-the-art technology limitations of high-resolution optical imaging in integrated devices. Optical metasurfaces, composed of ultrathin subwavelength meta-atoms, are extensively considered for flat optical-imaging nano-components with high-resolutions as competitive candidates for next-generation miniaturized devices. Here, multiplex imaging metasurfaces composed of single nanorods are proposed under a detailed strategy to realize optical image steganography. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate that an optical steganographic metasurface can simultaneously transfer independent secret image information to two receivers with special keys, without raising suspicions for the general public under the cloak of a cover image. The proposed optical steganographic strategy by metasurfaces can arbitrarily distribute a continuous grayscale image together with a black-and-white image in separate channels, implying the distinguishing feature of high-density information capacity for integration and miniaturization in optical meta-devices.

Evolution of Thermoelectric Generators: From Application to Hybridization.

Considerable thermal energy is emitted into the environment from human activities and equipment operation in the course of daily production. Accordingly, the use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can attract wide interest, and it shows high potential in reducing energy waste and increasing energy recovery rates. Notably, TEGs have aroused rising attention and been significantly boosted over the past few years, as the energy crisis has worsened. The reason for their progress is that thermoelectric generators can be easily attached to the surface of a heat source, converting heat energy directly into electricity in a stable and continuous manner. In this review, applications in wearable devices, and everyday life are reviewed according to the type of structure of TEGs. Meanwhile, the latest progress of TEGs' hybridization with triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG), and photovoltaic effect is introduced. Moreover, prospects and suggestions for subsequent research work are proposed. This review suggests that hybridization of energy harvesting, and flexible high-temperature thermoelectric generators are the future trends.

Larger-Than-Unity External Optical Field Confinement Enabled by Metamaterial-Assisted Comb Waveguide for Ultrasensitive Long-Wave Infrared Gas Spectroscopy.

Nanophotonic waveguides that implement long optical pathlengths on chips are promising to enable chip-scale gas sensors. Nevertheless, current absorption-based waveguide sensors suffer from weak interactions with analytes, limiting their adoptions in most demanding applications such as exhaled breath analysis and trace-gas monitoring. Here, we propose an all-dielectric metamaterial-assisted comb (ADMAC) waveguide to greatly boost the sensing capability. By leveraging large longitudinal electric field discontinuity at periodic high-index-contrast interfaces in the subwavelength grating metamaterial and its unique features in refractive index engineering, the ADMAC waveguide features strong field delocalization into the air, pushing the external optical field confinement factor up to 113% with low propagation loss. Our sensor operates in the important but underdeveloped long-wave infrared spectral region, where absorption fingerprints of plentiful chemical bonds are located. Acetone absorption spectroscopy is demonstrated using our sensor around 7.33 µm, showing a detection limit of 2.5 ppm with a waveguide length of only 10 mm.

Controlling of spatial modes in multi-mode photonic crystal nanobeam cavity.

We numerically and experimentally present the characteristics of disturbed spatial modes (air mode and dielectric mode) in multi-mode photonic crystal nanobeam cavity (PCNC) in the mid-infrared wavelength range. The results show that the resonance wavelength of the spatial modes can be controlled by modifying the size, period and position of the central periodical mirrors in PCNC, achieving better utilization of the spectrum resource. Additionally, side coupling characteristics of PCNC supporting both air and dielectric modes are investigated for the first time. This work serves as a proof of design method that the spatial modes can be controlled flexibly in PCNC, paving the way to achieve integrated multi-function devices in a limited spectrum range.

Mid-infrared silicon photonic phase shifter based on microelectromechanical system.

Mid-infrared (MIR) photonic integrated circuits have generated considerable interest, owing to their potential applications, such as thermal imaging and biochemical sensing. A challenging area in the field is the development of reconfigurable approaches for the enhancement of on-chip functions, where a phase shifter plays an important role. Here, we demonstrate a MIR microelectromechanical system (MEMS) phase shifter by utilizing an asymmetric slot waveguide with subwavelength grating (SWG) claddings. The MEMS-enabled device can be easily integrated into a fully suspended waveguide with SWG cladding, built on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. Through engineering of the SWG design, the device achieves a maximum phase shift of 6π, with an insertion loss of 4 dB and a half-wave-voltage-length product (VπLπ) of 2.6 V·cm. Moreover, the time response of the device is measured as 13 µs (rise time) and 5 µs (fall time).

Cascaded, self-calibrated, single-pixel mid-infrared Hadamard transform spectrometer.

In this paper, a single-pixel mid-infrared (mid-IR) Hadamard transform spectrometer is developed. The spectrometer's design, fabrication and experimental results are discussed. The single-pixel mid-IR Hadamard transform spectrometer has dual cascaded encoding regions, 2875 nm to 3500 nm and 3500 nm to 4077 nm, to reduce the travel range required by the moving mask. The encoded wavelength band is determined by the bandpass filter used. A collection optics consisting of a reverse spectrometer is used to collect the encoded signal onto a single-pixel detector with a small sensing area. A 635 nm laser is used as a reference within the spectrometer to calibrate the recovered spectrum with accurate positioning. Our experiments demonstrate that mid-IR spectrums can be accurately recovered in the designed wavelength range. The proposed spectrometer, with dimensions of 200 mm × 200 mm × 84 mm and a weight of 1.8 kg, can be made portable and at low cost, suitable for IR spectroscopy in the field.

Demonstration of mid-infrared slow light one-dimensional photonic crystal ring resonator with high-order photonic bandgap.

Integrated mid-infrared sensing offers opportunities for the compact, selective, label-free and non-invasive detection of the absorption fingerprints of many chemical compounds, which is of great scientific and technological importance. To achieve high sensitivity, the key is to boost the interaction between light and analytes. So far, approaches like leveraging the slow light effect, increasing optical path length and enhancing the electric field confinement (f) in the analyte are envisaged. Here, we experimentally investigate a slow light one-dimensional photonic crystal ring resonator operating at high-order photonic bandgap (PBG) in mid-infrared range, which features both strong field confinement in analyte and slow light effect. And the optical path length can also be improved by the resoantor compared with waveguide structure. The characteristics of the first- and second-order bandgap edges are studied by changing the number of patterned periodical holes while keeping other parameters unchanged to confine the bands in the measurement range of our setup between 3.64 and 4.0 µm. Temperature sensitivity of different modes is also experimentally studied, which helps to understand the field confinement. Compared to the fundamental PBG edge modes, the second PBG edge modes show a higher field confinement in the analyte and a comparable group index, leading to larger light-matter interaction. Our work could be used for the design of ultra-sensitive integrated mid-infrared sensors, which have widespread applications including environment monitoring, biosensing and chemical analysis.

Integration of MEMS IR detectors with MIR waveguides for sensing applications.

Waveguides have been utilized for label-free and miniaturized mid-infrared gas sensors that operate on the evanescent field absorption principle. For integrated systems, photodetectors based on the photocarrier generation principle are previously integrated with waveguides. However, due to the thermal excitation of carriers at room temperature, they suffer from large dark currents and noise in the long-wavelength region. In this paper, we introduce the integration of a MEMS-based broadband infrared thermopile sensor with mid-infrared waveguides via flip-chip bonding technology and demonstrate a proof-of-concept gas (N2O) sensor working at 3.9 µm. A photonic device with input and output grating couplers designed at 3.72 µm was fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform and integrated with a bare thermopile chip on its output side via flip-chip bonding in order to realize an integrated photonic platform for a myriad range of sensing applications. A responsivity of 69 mV/W was measured at 3.72 µm for an 11 mm waveguide. A second device designed at 3.9 µm has a 1800 ppm resolution for N2O sensing.

Vernier effect-based tunable mid-infrared sensor using silicon-on-insulator cascaded rings.

Vernier effect has been captivated as a promising approach to achieve high-performance photonic sensors. However, experimental demonstration of such sensors in mid-infrared (MIR) range, which covers abundant absorption fingerprints of molecules, is still lacking. Here, we report Vernier effect-based thermally tunable photonic sensors using cascaded ring resonators fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The radii and the coupling gaps in two rings are investigated as key design parameters. By applying organic liquids on our device, we observe an envelope shift of 48 nm with a sensitivity of 3000 nm/RIU and an intensity drop of 6.7 dB. Besides, our device can be thermally tuned with a sensitivity of 0.091 nm/mW. Leveraging the characteristic molecular absorption in the MIR, our work offers new possibilities for complex index sensing, which has wide applications in on-chip photonic sensors.

Multifunctional mid-infrared photonic switch using a MEMS-based tunable waveguide coupler.

We demonstrate a multifunctional photonic switch on silicon-on-insulator platform operating at the mid-infrared wavelength range (3.85-4.05 µm) using suspended waveguides with sub-wavelength cladding and a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) tunable waveguide coupler. Leveraging the flip-chip bonding technology, a top wafer acting as the electrode is assembled above the silicon-on-insular wafer to enable the electrostatic actuation. Experimental characterizations for the functions of the proposed device include (1) an optical attenuator with 25 dB depth using DC voltage actuation, (2) a 1×2 optical switch with response time of 8.9 µs and -3dB bandwidth up to 127 kHz using AC voltage actuation, and (3) an on-chip integrated light chopper with the comparable performance of a commercial rotating disc light chopper.

Ultra-small photonic crystal (PhC)-based test tool for gas permeability of polymers.

We present an ultra-small photonic crystal-based test tool for gas permeability of polymers. It features a fully-etched photonic crystal (PhC) structure occupying an area of 20 µm × 800 µm on silicon-on-insulator wafer. The light-matter interaction in the PhC cavity with deformed Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) under pressure difference was investigated with finite element method and finite-difference time-domain method numerically. Next, three PDMS membranes of different mixing ratios were utilized for the characterization of gas permeation flux. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed working mechanism are verified through clearly distinguishing the gas permeability of these three testing samples. Compared with conventional test tools, this proposed test tool has fast response while it consumes less testing gas volume in a testing system with reduced footprint. Potentially, it can be integrated into lab-on-a-chip devices to measure gas permeation in nano scale.

Coexistence of air and dielectric modes in single nanocavity.

A deterministic design method and experimental demonstration of single photonic crystal nanocavity supporting both air and dielectric modes in the mid-infrared wavelength region are reported here. The coexistence of both modes is realized by a proper design of photonic dispersion to confine air and dielectric bands simultaneously. By adding central mirrors to make the resonance modes be confined at the bandgap edges, high experimental Q-factors of 2.32 × 104 and 1.59 × 104 are achieved at the resonance wavelength of about 3.875µm and 3.728µm for fundamental dielectric and air modes, respectively. Moreover, multiple sets of air and dielectric modes can be realized by introducing central aperiodic mirrors with multiple bandgaps. The realization of coexistence of air and dielectric modes in single nanocavity will offer opportunities for multifunctional devices, paving the way to integrated multi-parameter sensors, filters, nonlinear devices, and compact light sources.

Thermal annealing study of the mid-infrared aluminum nitride on insulator (AlNOI) photonics platform.

Aluminum nitride on insulator (AlNOI) photonics platform has great potential for mid-infrared applications thanks to the large transparency window, piezoelectric property, and second-order nonlinearity of AlN. However, the deployment of AlNOI platform might be hindered by the high propagation loss. We perform thermal annealing study and demonstrate significant loss improvement in the mid-infrared AlNOI photonics platform. After thermal annealing at 400°C for 2 hours in ambient gas environment, the propagation loss is reduced by half. Bend loss and taper coupling loss are also investigated. The performance of multimode interferometer, directional coupler, and add/drop filter are improved in terms of insertion loss, quality factor, and extinction ratio. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy suggest the loss improvement is mainly attributed to the reduction of extinction coefficient in the silicon dioxide cladding. Apart from loss improvement, appropriate thermal annealing also helps in reducing thin film stress.

Anomalous plasmon hybridization in nanoantennas near interfaces.

We report on an anomalous plasmon hybridization in side-by-side coupled metallic nanoantennas on top of a silicon waveguide. Contrary to the conventional perception based on Coulomb coupling, the hybridized anti-symmetric mode in our structure possesses a higher resonance frequency than the symmetric mode. This unusual phenomenon reveals a new mechanism of plasmon hybridization, namely, coupling-induced charge redistribution. Our work includes numerical simulation, experimental validation, and theoretical analysis, emphasizing the importance of dielectric interfaces in coupled plasmonic structures, and offers new possibilities for non-Hermitian systems and integrated devices.

Aluminum nitride on insulator (AlNOI) platform for mid-infrared photonics.

We report an aluminum nitride on insulator platform for mid-infrared (MIR) photonics applications beyond 3 µm. Propagation loss and bending loss are studied, while functional devices such as directional couplers, multimode interferometers, and add/drop filters are demonstrated with high performance. The complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible aluminum nitride offers advantages ranging from a large transparency window, high thermal and chemical resistance, to piezoelectric tunability and three-dimensional integration capability. This platform can have synergy with other photonics platforms to enable novel applications for sensing and thermal imaging in MIR.

Efficient and broadband subwavelength grating coupler for 3.7 µm mid-infrared silicon photonics integration.

A grating coupler is an essential building block for compact and flexible photonics integration. In order to meet the increasing demand of mid-infrared (MIR) integrated photonics for sensitive chemical/gas sensing, we report a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based MIR subwavelength grating coupler (SWGC) operating in the 3.7 µm wavelength range. We provide the design guidelines of a uniform and apodized SWGC, followed by numerical simulations for design verification. We experimentally demonstrate both types of SWGC. The apodized SWGC enables high coupling efficiency of -6.477 dB/facet with 3 dB bandwidth of 199 nm, whereas the uniform SWGC shows larger 3dB bandwidth of 263.5 nm but slightly lower coupling efficiency of -7.371 dB/facet.