Efficient light redirection via stretched field resonance in dielectric meta-resonator.

Light redirection plays an important role in photonic integrated circuit system, which attracts much attention on account of thriving application prospects from microwave to visible frequency. By treating a two-dimensional photonic crystal array as a dielectric resonator with low effective index neff << 1, a new strategy of one-direction semi-enclosed meta-resonator is proposed for light redirection and splitting with a high efficiency beyond 90%. Instead of zero-index material, the phenomenon of significant collimating radiations with zero phase delay can also be achieved through a meta-resonator of low effective index to stretch the internal resonant field with a wavelength much longer than that in air. The geometrical dimensions and structural parameters of the meta-resonator offer a great design flexibility for modulating the operating frequency. The numerical simulation and experimental results perfectly coincide with the theoretical predictions. This strategy can also be extended to other artificial metamaterials and three-dimensional cases, which may offer fantastic possibilities to the development of integrated photonics.

Efficient dielectric metasurface hologram for visual-cryptographic image hiding.

Dielectric metasurfaces provide the new freedom to implement information encoding and image hiding with monolayer of artificial atoms instead of bulky optical components to enable wavelength, phase and polarization modulations. We proposed an optical encryption scheme by integrating the Visual Cyptography (VC) with the phase-encoding technique for metasurface. In the encryption process, the secret image is hidden into a group of unrecognizable and mutually-unrelated phase-only meta-holograms with high security of concealment. In the decryption process, the secret image is extracted conveniently by superimposing the reconstructed holographic patterns via directly illuminating the generated meta-holograms instead of complicated holographic exposure facilities and additional cryptographic computations. Different from the general polarization or wavelength encryption of meta-hologram, we use VC to share the secret image into a set of encrypted meta-holograms for the first time, which greatly improves the security of image hiding. In view of the merits of high security, simple decryption and flexible adjustability, we believe it will have significant potential applications in the future optical information security.

Singular value decomposition ghost imaging.

The singular value decomposition ghost imaging (SVDGI) is proposed to enhance the fidelity of computational ghost imaging (GI) by constructing a measurement matrix using singular value decomposition (SVD) transform. After SVD transform on a random matrix, the non-zero elements of singular value matrix are all made equal to 1.0, then the measurement matrix is acquired by inverse SVD transform. Eventually, the original objects can be reconstructed by multiplying the transposition of the matrix by a series of collected intensity. SVDGI enables the reconstruction of an N-pixel image using much less than N measurements, and perfectly reconstructs original object with N measurements. Both the simulated and the optical experimental results show that SVDGI always costs less time to accomplish better works. Firstly, it is at least ten times faster than GI and differential ghost imaging (DGI), and several orders of magnitude faster than pseudo-inverse ghost imaging (PGI). Secondly, in comparison with GI, the clarity of SVDGI can get sharply improved, and it is more robust than the other three methods so that it yields a clearer image in the noisy environment.

Precise displacement measurement in single-beam interferometry employing photonic metamaterial with effective zero-index.

As interferometry is the highest precision distance measuring technique, we proposed a mechanism of single-beam interferometry employing all-dielectric photonic metamaterial with effective zero-index as a means of precise displacement measurement. This mechanism offers a straightforward method for performing optical range-finding over multi-wavelength and sub-wavelength displacements in a compact uniaxial reflection configuration. The higher sensitivity and resolution can be achieved in this mechanism with the intrinsic accuracy of λ/4. The predesignated measuring device based on the proposed strategy could be directly scaled in dimensions to work at different frequency regions without the need for reconfiguration. Both numerical simulations and experiment have demonstrated its feasibilities and reliability. We believe it will have significant potential applications in the future optical measurement.

Multiple-image authentication with a cascaded multilevel architecture based on amplitude field random sampling and phase information multiplexing.

A multiple-image authentication method with a cascaded multilevel architecture in the Fresnel domain is proposed, in which a synthetic encoded complex amplitude is first fabricated, and its real amplitude component is generated by iterative amplitude encoding, random sampling, and space multiplexing for the low-level certification images, while the phase component of the synthetic encoded complex amplitude is constructed by iterative phase information encoding and multiplexing for the high-level certification images. Then the synthetic encoded complex amplitude is iteratively encoded into two phase-type ciphertexts located in two different transform planes. During high-level authentication, when the two phase-type ciphertexts and the high-level decryption key are presented to the system and then the Fresnel transform is carried out, a meaningful image with good quality and a high correlation coefficient with the original certification image can be recovered in the output plane. Similar to the procedure of high-level authentication, in the case of low-level authentication with the aid of a low-level decryption key, no significant or meaningful information is retrieved, but it can result in a remarkable peak output in the nonlinear correlation coefficient of the output image and the corresponding original certification image. Therefore, the method realizes different levels of accessibility to the original certification image for different authority levels with the same cascaded multilevel architecture.

Triple-image encryption based on phase-truncated Fresnel transform and basic vector operation.

A triple-image encryption method is proposed that is based on phase-truncated Fresnel transform (PTFT), basic vector composition, and XOR operation. In the encryption process, two random phase masks, with one each placed at the input plane and the transform plane, are generated by basic vector resolution operations over the first and the second plaintext images, and then a ciphered image in the input plane is fabricated by XOR encoding for the third plaintext image. When the cryptosystem is illuminated by an on-axis plane, assisted by PTFT, the ciphered image is finally encrypted into an amplitude-only noise-like image in the output plane. During decryption, possessing the correct private key, decryption keys, and the assistant geometrical parameter keys, and placing them at the corresponding correct positions, the original three plaintext images can be successfully decrypted by inverse PTFT, basic vector composition, and XOR decoding. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations both verify the feasibility of the proposed method.

Optical identity authentication scheme based on elliptic curve digital signature algorithm and phase retrieval algorithm.

An optical identity authentication scheme based on the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) and phase retrieval algorithm (PRA) is proposed. In this scheme, a user's certification image and the quick response code of the user identity's keyed-hash message authentication code (HMAC) with added noise, serving as the amplitude and phase restriction, respectively, are digitally encoded into two phase keys using a PRA in the Fresnel domain. During the authentication process, when the two phase keys are presented to the system and illuminated by a plane wave of correct wavelength, an output image is generated in the output plane. By identifying whether there is a match between the amplitude of the output image and all the certification images pre-stored in the database, the system can thus accomplish a first-level verification. After the confirmation of first-level verification, the ECDSA signature is decoded from the phase part of the output image and verified to allege whether the user's identity is legal or not. Moreover, the introduction of HMAC makes it almost impossible to forge the signature and hence the phase keys thanks to the HMAC's irreversible property. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations both validate the feasibility of our proposed scheme.

An extremely broad band metamaterial absorber based on destructive interference.

We propose a design of an extremely broad frequency band absorber based on destructive interference mechanism. Metamaterial of multilayered SRRs structure is used to realize a desirable refractive index dispersion spectrum, which can induce a successive anti-reflection in a wide frequency range. The corresponding high absorptance originates from the destructive interference of two reflection waves from the two surfaces of the metamaterial. A strongly absorptive bandwidth of almost 60 GHz is demonstrated in the range of 0 to 70 GHz numerically. This design provides an effective and feasible way to construct broad band absorber in stealth technology, as well as the enhanced transmittance devices.

In Situ Inkjet Printing Patterned Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dot Color Conversion Films by Using Cheap and Eco-Friendly Aqueous Inks.

Inkjet-printed perovskite quantum dot (PQD) color conversion films (CCFs) have great potentials for mini/micro-LED displays because of their ultrahigh color purity, tunable emissions, high efficiency, and high-resolution. However, current PQD inks mainly use expensive, toxic, and flammable organic substances as solvents. In this work, water is proposed to be used as the solvent for inkjet printing PQD/polymer CCFs. The green-emitting patterned MAPbBr3 /polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films are in situ prepared by using halides and the PVA-based aqueous ink. The as-printed CCFs exhibit a high-resolution dot matrix of 90 µm with a bright green emission (λem  = 526 nm), a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 85%, and a narrow full width at half maximum of 22 nm. They have both air- and photo-stabilities under ambient conditions, and each pixel of CCFs is relatively uniform in morphology and fluorescence when the substrate temperature is 80 °C. The patterned blue-emitting MAPbClx Br3-x /PVA and red-emitting Cs0.3 MA0.7 PbBrx I3-x /PVA can also be printed by aqueous inks. These results indicate that the designed aqueous inks are promising for in situ inkjet printing high resolution and reliability PQD CCFs for mini/micro-LED displays.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Vacuum-activated TiO2 Induced by Oxygen Vacancies.

TiO2 (Degussa P25) photocatalysts harboring abundant oxygen vacancies (Vacuum P25) were manufactured using a simple and economic Vacuum deoxidation process. Control experiments showed that temperature and time of vacuum deoxidation had a significant effect on Vacuum P25 photocatalytic activity. After 240 min of visible light illumination, the optimal Vacuum P25 photocatalysts (vacuum deoxidation treated at 330 °C for 3 h) reach as high as 94% and 88% of photodegradation efficiency for rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline, respectively, which are around 4.5 and 4.9 times as that of pristine P25. The XPS, PL and EPR analyses indicated that the oxygen vacancies were produced in the Vacuum P25 during the vacuum deoxidation process. The oxygen vacancy states can produce vacancy energy level located below the conduction band minimum, which resulting in the bandgap narrowing, thus extending the photoresponse wavelength range of Vacuum P25. The positron annihilation analysis indicated that the concentrations ratio of bulk and surface oxygen vacancies could be adjusted by changing the vacuum deoxidation temperature and time. Decreasing the ratio of bulk and surface oxygen vacancies was shown to improve photogenerated electron-hole pair separation efficiency, which leads to an obvious enhancement of the visible photocatalytic activities of Vacuum P25.

Outstanding Photoluminescence in Pr3+-Doped Perovskite Ceramics.

Ba (Zr0.2Ti0.8) O3-50% (Ba0.7Ca0.3) TiO3 (BZT-0.5BCT) ceramics with different doping contents of Pr3+ were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction. The phase structure and crystallinity of the fabricated ceramics were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra were measured to analyze the PL characteristics. The strong intensities of a green band at 489 nm and a red band at 610 nm were observed. The maximum emission intensity of the PL spectrum was achieved in the BZT-0.5BCT ceramic with 0.2% mol of Pr3+ ions. Furthermore, the PL spectra of BZT-0.5BCT ceramics were found to be sensitive to polarization of the ferroelectric ceramics. Compared with the unpoled ceramics, the green emission increased about 42% and a new emission peak at 430 nm appeared for the poled ceramics. With excellent intrinsic ferroelectricity and an enhanced PL property, such material has potential to realize multifunctionality in a wide application range.

Precise identification of Dirac-like point through a finite photonic crystal square matrix.

The phenomena of the minimum transmittance spectrum or the maximum reflection spectrum located around the Dirac frequency have been observed to demonstrate the 1/L scaling law near the Dirac-like point through the finite ribbon structure. However, so far there is no effective way to identify the Dirac-like point accurately. In this work we provide an effective measurement method to identify the Dirac-like point accurately through a finite photonic crystal square matrix. Based on the Dirac-like dispersion achieved by the accidental degeneracy at the centre of the Brillouin zone of dielectric photonic crystal, both the simulated and experimental results demonstrate that the transmittance spectra through a finite photonic crystal square matrix not only provide the clear evidence for the existence of Dirac-like point but also can be used to identify the precise location of Dirac-like point by the characteristics of sharp cusps embedded in the extremum spectra surrounding the conical singularity.

Magnetically tunable broadband transmission through a single small aperture.

Extraordinary transmission through a small aperture is of great interest. However, it faces a limitation that most of approaches can not realize the tunable transmission property, which is not benefit for the miniaturization of the microwave system. Here, we demonstrate a magnetically tunable broadband transmission through a small aperture. By placing two ferrite rods symmetrically on both sides of a single small aperture, the strongly localized electromagnetic fields are effectively coupled to the two ferrite rods. Both the simulated and experimental results indicate that such structure not only realizes a nearly total transmission through a small aperture, but also obtains a magnetically tunable property. This work offers new opportunities for the miniaturization of the microwave system.

Negative and near zero refraction metamaterials based on permanent magnetic ferrites.

Ferrite metamaterials based on the negative permeability of ferromagnetic resonance in ferrites are of great interest. However, such metamaterials face a limitation that the ferromagnetic resonance can only take place while an external magnetic field applied. Here, we demonstrate a metamaterial based on permanent magnetic ferrite which exhibits not only negative refraction but also near zero refraction without applied magnetic field. The wedge-shaped and slab-shaped structures of permanent magnetic ferrite-based metamaterials were prepared and the refraction properties were measured in a near-field scanning system. The negative and near zero refractive behaviors are confirmed by the measured spatial electric field maps. This work offers new opportunities for the development of ferrite-based metamaterials.

Digital color image watermarking based on phase-shifting interferometry and neighboring pixel value subtraction algorithm in the discrete-cosine-transform domain.

A novel single-channel color-image watermarking with digital-optics means based on phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) and a neighboring pixel value subtraction algorithm in the discrete-cosine-transform (DCT) domain is proposed. The converted two-dimensional indexed image matrix from an original color image is encrypted to four interferograms by a PSI and double random-phase encoding technique. Then the interferograms are embedded in one chosen channel of an enlarged color host image in the DCT domain. The hidden color image can be retrieved by DCT, the improved neighboring pixel value subtraction algorithm, an inverse encryption process, and color image format conversion. The feasibility of this method and its robustness against some types of distortion and attacks from the superposed image with different weighting factors are verified and analyzed by computer simulations. This approach can avoid the cross-talk noise due to direct information superposition, enhance the imperceptibility of hidden data, and improve the efficiency of data transmission.

Information security system by iterative multiple-phase retrieval and pixel random permutation.

A novel information security system based on multiple-phase retrieval by an iterative Fresnel-transform algorithm and pixel random permutation (PRP) technique is proposed. In this method a series of phase masks cascaded in free space are employed and the phase distributions of all the masks are adjusted simultaneously in each iteration. It can achieve faster convergence and better quality of the recovered image compared with double-phase encoding and a similar approach in the spatial-frequency domain with the same number of phase masks and can provide a higher degree of freedom in key space with more geometric parameters as supplementary keys. Furthermore, the security level of this method is greatly improved by the introduction of the PRP technique. The feasibility of this method and its robustness against occlusion and additional noise attacks are verified by computer simulations. The performance of this technique for different numbers of phase masks and quantized phase levels is investigated systematically with the correlation coefficient and mean square error as convergence criterions.