Bright visible light emission from graphene.

Graphene and related two-dimensional materials are promising candidates for atomically thin, flexible and transparent optoelectronics. In particular, the strong light-matter interaction in graphene has allowed for the development of state-of-the-art photodetectors, optical modulators and plasmonic devices. In addition, electrically biased graphene on SiO2 substrates can be used as a low-efficiency emitter in the mid-infrared range. However, emission in the visible range has remained elusive. Here, we report the observation of bright visible light emission from electrically biased suspended graphene devices. In these devices, heat transport is greatly reduced. Hot electrons (∼2,800 K) therefore become spatially localized at the centre of the graphene layer, resulting in a 1,000-fold enhancement in thermal radiation efficiency. Moreover, strong optical interference between the suspended graphene and substrate can be used to tune the emission spectrum. We also demonstrate the scalability of this technique by realizing arrays of chemical-vapour-deposited graphene light emitters. These results pave the way towards the realization of commercially viable large-scale, atomically thin, flexible and transparent light emitters and displays with low operation voltage and graphene-based on-chip ultrafast optical communications.

A small-size transfer blackbody cavity for calibration of infrared ear thermometers.

A small-size transfer blackbody cavity for calibration of infrared ear thermometers (IRETs) was developed and characterized at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science. This blackbody cavity consists of a reflector exposed to the air and a radiator with three-step curves immersed in a water-bath, and has an angularly uniform emissivity of higher than 0.9993. The radiance temperature of the blackbody cavity was measured with an IRET. We also calculated the effective emissivity by using the software STEEP322, considering the influence of the shape and temperature of the probe-tip of the IRET on the effective emissivity of the blackbody cavity. The measured and calculated radiance temperatures of the blackbody cavity were compared to those of the ASTM-type blackbody cavity and are in good agreement. Uncertainties (k = 1) of the blackbody cavity are estimated to be less than 44 mK in the temperature range 35-42 °C.

Simultaneous measurement of emittance, transmittance, and reflectance of semitransparent materials at elevated temperature.

A two-substrate method is developed to simultaneously determine emissivity, transmittance, and reflectance of semitransparent materials with a single measurement under the same environment at elevated temperature. The three quantities can be obtained through the emissivities of substrates and the apparent emissivities resulting from the radiance of the sample heated by substrates. The two-substrate method is compared with the conventional method by measuring sapphire samples with various thicknesses, resulting in good agreements for all the samples. The present method will be useful to measure the temperature dependence of optical properties of porous ceramic materials.

Differential two-signal picosecond-pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering imaging microscopy by using a dual-mode optical parametric oscillator.

We propose and demonstrate a novel differential two-signal technique of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging microscopy using a picosecond (ps) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). By adjusting a Lyot filter inside the cavity, we operated the OPO oscillating in two stable modes separated by a few nanometers. The CARS images generated by the two modes are separated by a spectrograph behind the microscope setup, and their differential image is directly obtained by balanced lock-in detection. The feasibility of the technique is experimentally verified by imaging micrometer-sized polystyrene beads immersed in water.

Nonlinear optical interference of two successive coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering signals for biological imaging applications.

The nonlinear optical interference of two successively generated coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signals from two different samples placed in series is demonstrated for the imaging performance, in which a collinear phase matching geometry is used. The relative phase of two CARS signals is controlled by a phase-shifting unit made of dispersive glass materials of which the thickness can be precisely varied. The clear interference fringes are observed as the thickness of the phase-shifting unit changes. The interference effect is then utilized to achieve a better quality CARS image of a biological tissue taken from a mouse skin. Placing the tissue in the second sample position and performing raster scans of the laser beams on it, we can acquire a CARS image of higher contrast compared to the normal image obtained without interferometric implementation.