Solving classification tasks by a receptron based on nonlinear optical speckle fields.

Among several approaches to tackle the problem of energy consumption in modern computing systems, two solutions are currently investigated: one consists of artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on photonic technologies, the other is a different paradigm compared to ANNs and it is based on random networks of non-linear nanoscale junctions resulting from the assembling of nanoparticles or nanowires as substrates for neuromorphic computing. These networks show the presence of emergent complexity and collective phenomena in analogy with biological neural networks characterized by self-organization, redundancy, and non-linearity. Starting from this background, we propose and formalize a generalization of the perceptron model to describe a classification device based on a network of interacting units where the input weights are non-linearly dependent. We show that this model, called "receptron", provides substantial advantages compared to the perceptron as, for example, the solution of non-linearly separable Boolean functions with a single device. The receptron model is used as a starting point for the implementation of an all-optical device that exploits the non-linearity of optical speckle fields produced by a solid scatterer. By encoding these speckle fields we generated a large variety of target Boolean functions. We demonstrate that by properly setting the model parameters, different classes of functions with different multiplicity can be solved efficiently. The optical implementation of the receptron scheme opens the way for the fabrication of a completely new class of optical devices for neuromorphic data processing based on a very simple hardware.

FOCUS: fast Monte Carlo approach to coherence of undulator sources.

FOCUS (Fast Monte CarlO approach to Coherence of Undulator Sources) is a new GPU-based simulation code to compute the transverse coherence of undulator radiation from ultra-relativistic electrons. The core structure of the code, which is written in the language C++ accelerated with CUDA, combines an analytical description of the emitted electric fields and massively parallel computations on GPUs. The combination is rigorously justified by a statistical description of synchrotron radiation based on a Fourier optics approach. FOCUS is validated by direct comparison with multi-electron Synchrotron Radiation Workshop (SRW) simulations, evidencing a reduction in computation times by up to five orders of magnitude on a consumer laptop. FOCUS is then applied to systematically study the transverse coherence in typical third- and fourth-generation facilities, highlighting peculiar features of undulator sources close to the diffraction limit. FOCUS is aimed at fast evaluation of the transverse coherence of undulator radiation as a function of the electron beam parameters, to support and help prepare more advanced and detailed numerical simulations with traditional codes like SRW.

The pursuit of stability in halide perovskites: the monovalent cation and the key for surface and bulk self-healing.

We find significant differences between degradation and healing at the surface or in the bulk for each of the different APbBr3 single crystals (A = CH3NH3+, methylammonium (MA); HC(NH2)2+, formamidinium (FA); and cesium, Cs+). Using 1- and 2-photon microscopy and photobleaching we conclude that kinetics dominate the surface and thermodynamics the bulk stability. Fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy, as well as results from several other methods, relate the (damaged) state of the halide perovskite (HaP) after photobleaching to its modified optical and electronic properties. The A cation type strongly influences both the kinetics and the thermodynamics of recovery and degradation: FA heals best the bulk material with faster self-healing; Cs+ protects the surface best, being the least volatile of the A cations and possibly through O-passivation; MA passivates defects via methylamine from photo-dissociation, which binds to Pb2+. DFT simulations provide insight into the passivating role of MA, and also indicate the importance of the Br3- defect as well as predicts its stability. The occurrence and rate of self-healing are suggested to explain the low effective defect density in the HaPs and through this, their excellent performance. These results rationalize the use of mixed A-cation materials for optimizing both solar cell stability and overall performance of HaP-based devices, and provide a basis for designing new HaP variants.

Dense-code free space transmission by local demultiplexing optical states of a composed vortex.

We describe an innovative data transmission scheme exploiting optical vortices to multiplex and demultiplex independent data channels in a standard asynchronous laser link. We report extensive results of the proof of concept of the method, successfully used to transmit two parallel ASCII strings, demultiplexed and decoded in the far field of the radiation beam. A phase locked two arms interferometer is proved to be effective even accessing a small portion of the beam only. Results prove the robustness and reliability of the method to perform dense-code free space transmissions over long distances even in presence of wavefront distortions. Applications and the extension to a larger number of parallel channels are discussed.

Measuring the topological charge of orbital angular momentum radiation in single-shot by means of the wavefront intrinsic curvature.

We show a method to measure the topological charge of orbital angular momentum radiation in single-shot by exploiting the intrinsic local curvature of the helicoidal wavefront. The method is based on oriented Hartmann cells in a suitable detection scheme. We show experimental results and propose a Shack-Hartmann configuration with sectored photodiodes to improve resolution and detection time. The method can be applied for telecommunication applications in the far field of the radiation beam and more in general to measure the topological charge from a small portion of the radiation wavefront.

The local intrinsic curvature of wavefronts allows to detect optical vortices.

We describe a method for effectively distinguishing the radiation endowed with optical angular momentum, also known as optical vortex, from ordinary light. We show that by detecting the inversion of the transverse intrinsic curvature sign (ITICS) an optical vortex can be locally recognized. The method is effective under conditions of huge importance for the exploitation of optical vortices, such as the far field of the source and access to a small fraction of the wavefront only. The validity of the method has been verified with table-top experiments with visible light, and the results show that a measurement performed over a transverse distance smaller than 4% of the beam diameter distinguishes a vortex from a Gaussian beam with a significance of 93.4%. New perspectives are considered for the characterization of vortices, with potential impact on the detection of extra-terrestrial radiation as well as on broadcast communication techniques.

Detecting the shape of anisotropic gold nanoparticles in dispersion with single particle extinction and scattering.

The shape and size of nanoparticles are important parameters affecting their biodistribution, bioactivity, and toxicity. The high-throughput characterisation of the nanoparticle shape in dispersion is a fundamental prerequisite for realistic in vitro and in vivo evaluation, however, with routinely available bench-top optical characterisation techniques, it remains a challenging task. Herein, we demonstrate the efficacy of a single particle extinction and scattering (SPES) technique for the in situ detection of the shape of nanoparticles in dispersion, applied to a small library of anisotropic gold particles, with a potential development for in-line detection. The use of SPES paves the way to the routine quantitative analysis of nanoparticles dispersed in biologically relevant fluids, which is of importance for the nanosafety assessment and any in vitro and in vivo administration of nanomaterials.

Two-dimensional mapping of the asymmetric lateral coherence of thermal light.

We report in this work the first experimental verification of the asymmetric lateral coherence which is a measurement of the spatio-temporal coherence by using a wide-band Young interference experiment with a fixed off-axis slit. We demonstrate the coherence properties through the measurement of the real part of the coherence factor of thermal light. We extend our recent results obtained for betatron and undulator radiations providing a robust experimental method for the two-dimensional mapping of the two-point correlation function of broadband radiation preserving the phase information. The proposed method can be used as a high-sensitivity alternative to traditional interferometry with quasi-monochromatic radiation.

Shape and size constraints on dust optical properties from the Dome C ice core, Antarctica.

Mineral dust aerosol (dust) is widely recognized as a fundamental component of the climate system and is closely coupled with glacial-interglacial climate oscillations of the Quaternary period. However, the direct impact of dust on the energy balance of the Earth system remains poorly quantified, mainly because of uncertainties in dust radiative properties, which vary greatly over space and time. Here we provide the first direct measurements of the aerosol optical thickness of dust particles windblown to central East Antarctica (Dome C) during the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the Holocene. By applying the Single Particle Extinction and Scattering (SPES) technique and imposing preferential orientation to particles, we derive information on shape from samples of a few thousands of particles. These results highlight that clear shape variations occurring within a few years are hidden to routine measurement techniques. With this novel measurement method the optical properties of airborne dust can be directly measured from ice core samples, and can be used as input into climate model simulations. Based on simulations with an Earth System Model we suggest an effect of particle non-sphericity on dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) of about 30% compared to spheres, and differences in the order of ~10% when considering different combinations of particles shapes.

Note: Nanosecond LED-based source for optical modeling of scintillators illuminated by partially coherent X-ray radiation.

We developed a broad-spectrum light source specifically designed to reproduce the temporal behavior of the optical pulses emitted by scintillators for X-ray detection. Nanosecond-to-millisecond pulses are generated through a fast circuit driving Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and are endowed with the peculiar time features of the most employed scintillators by means of a dedicated pulse shaping stage. We implement the light source for the optical modeling of the single-shot X-ray coherence measurements with near-field speckles generated by the scattering from colloidal suspensions (heterodyne near field speckle method). Moreover, we derive a rigorous scaling law that quantitatively relates visible and X-ray signal-to-noise ratios.

Single particle optical extinction and scattering allows real time quantitative characterization of drug payload and degradation of polymeric nanoparticles.

The behavior of nanoparticles in biological systems is determined by their dimensions, size distribution, shape, surface chemistry, density, drug loading and stability; the characterization of these parameters in realistic conditions and the possibility to follow their evolution in vitro and in vivo are, in most of the cases, far from the capabilities of the standard characterization technologies. Optical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) are, in principle, well suited for in line characterization of nanoparticle, however their fail in characterizing the evolution of nanoparticle in solution where change in particle dimension and density is present. Here we present an in-line optical technique based on single particle extinction and scattering (SPES) overcoming the limitations typical of DLS and allowing for the efficient characterization of nanoparticle polydispersity, index of refraction and degradation dynamics in solution. Using SPES, we characterized the evolution of PLGA nanoparticles with different structures and drug payloads in solution and we compared the results with DLS. Our results suggest that SPES could be used as a process analytical technology for pharmaceutical nanoparticle production.

Analogical optical modeling of the asymmetric lateral coherence of betatron radiation.

By exploiting analogical optical modeling of the radiation emitted by ultrarelativistic electrons undergoing betatron oscillations, we demonstrate peculiar properties of the spatial coherence through an interferometric method reminiscent of the classical Young's double slit experiment. The expected effects due to the curved trajectory and the broadband emission are accurately reproduced. We show that by properly scaling the fundamental parameters for the wavelength, analogical optical modeling of betatron emission can be realized in many cases of broad interest. Applications to study the feasibility of future experiments and to the characterization of beam diagnostics tools are described.

Measurement of power spectral density of broad-spectrum visible light with heterodyne near field scattering and its scalability to betatron radiation.

We exploit the speckle field generated by scattering from a colloidal suspension to access both spatial and temporal coherence properties of broadband radiation. By applying the Wiener-Khinchine theorem to the retrieved temporal coherence function, information about the emission spectrum of the source is obtained in good agreement with the results of a grating spectrometer. Experiments have been performed with visible light. We prove more generally that our approach can be considered as a tool for modeling a variety of cases. Here we discuss how to apply such diagnostics to broad-spectrum betatron radiation produced in the laser-driven wakefield accelerator under development at SPARC LAB facility in Frascati.

SODI-COLLOID: a combination of static and dynamic light scattering on board the International Space Station.

Microgravity research in space is a complex activity where the often scarce resources available for the launch, accommodation, and operation of instrumentation call for a careful experiment planning and instrument development. In this paper we describe a module of the Selectable Optical Diagnostic Instrument, that has been designed as a compact optical diagnostic instrument for colloidal physics experiments. The peculiarity of the instrument is the combination of a novel light scattering technique known as near field scattering and standard microscopy with a low-coherence laser light source. We describe its main design features, as well as measurement results on colloidal aggregation taken on the International Space Station.

Confocal zero-angle dynamic depolarized light scattering.

We present a novel Dynamic Depolarized Scattering method based on a tight confocal, zero scattering angle, heterodyne scheme. The method is highly immune from parasitic multiple-scattering contributions, so that it can operate with non-index-matched samples presenting large turbidity. It provides measurements of both rotational and translational diffusion coefficients, the latter via number fluctuation spectroscopy. In addition, the amplitude ratio between the two baselines for the fast rotational mode and the slow translational mode can be used to determine the particles intrinsic birefringence.

How to measure the optical thickness of scattering particles from the phase delay of scattered waves: application to turbid samples.

We present a method based on the optical theorem that yields absolute, calibration free estimates of the optical thickness of scattering particles. The thickness is determined from the phase delay of the zero angle scattered wave. It uses a heterodyne scattering scheme operating in the Raman-Nath approximation. The phase is determined by the position of Talbot-like modulations in the two dimensional power spectrum S(qx, qy) of the transmitted beam intensity distribution. The method is quite insensitive to multiple scattering. It is successfully tested to provide quantitative verification of the optical theorem. Exploratory tests on soft matter samples are reported to suggest its wide applicability to turbid samples.

Scattering from anisotropic particles: a challenge for the optical theorem?

The optical theorem is a very general law of scattering theory that has been discussed almost exclusively for spherically symmetric scatterers. In this work we present the extension to the case of anisotropic scatterers, by treating explicitly the problem within the Rayleigh-Gans approximation. Working formulas for the fluctuating components of the forward-scattering amplitude SVV(0) and SVH(0) are given, and a paradox concerning the applicability of the optical theorem is solved. While the SVH(0) cannot interfere with the incoming vertical polarized beam, we show that SVV(0) fluctuates around a non-zero average so to compensate at any instant for the integrated scattered intensity at both polarizations. The results are relevant for the design and interpretation of experiments of dynamic depolarized light scattering in the forward direction.

Probing the transverse coherence of an undulator x-ray beam using brownian particles.

We present a novel method to map the two-dimensional transverse coherence of an x-ray beam using the dynamical near-field speckles formed by scattering from colloidal particles. Owing to the statistical nature of the method, the coherence properties of synchrotron radiation from an undulator source is obtained with high accuracy. The two-dimensional complex coherence function is determined at the sample position and the imaging optical scheme further allowed us to evaluate the coherence factor at the undulator output despite the aberrations introduced by the focusing optics.

Heterodyne near-field scattering: a technique for complex fluids.

We implemented the heterodyne near-field scattering (HNFS) technique [Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 4109 (2002)]], showing that it is a fairly valid alternative to traditional elastic low-angle light scattering and quite suitable for studying complex fluids such as colloidal systems. With respect to the original work, we adopted a different data reduction scheme, which allowed us to improve significantly the performance of the technique, at levels of sensitivity and accuracy much higher than those achievable with classical low-angle light scattering instrumentation. This method also relaxes the requirements on the optical/mechanical stability of the experimental setup and allows for a real time analysis. The HNFS technique has been tested by using calibrated colloidal particles and its capability of performing accurate particle sizing was ascertained on both monodisperse and bimodal particle distributions. Nonstationary samples, such as aggregating colloidal solutions, were profitably studied, and their kinetics quantitatively characterized.