Binbin Zhou

Bio: Binbin Zhou is an academic researcher from Technical University of Denmark. The author has contributed to research in topics: Femtosecond & Supercontinuum. The author has an hindex of 20, co-authored 111 publications receiving 1745 citations. Previous affiliations of Binbin Zhou include Chinese Academy of Sciences & University of Copenhagen.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum covering the 1.4–13.3 μm molecular fingerprint region using ultra-high NA chalcogenide step-index fibre

Abstract: Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation with a record-breaking spectral coverage of 1.4–13.3 µm is demonstrated by launching intense ultra-short pulses into short pieces of ultra-high numerical aperture step-index chalcogenide glass optical fibre consisting of a GaAsSe cladding and an As2Se3 core.

Ultrafast and octave-spanning optical nonlinearities from strongly phase-mismatched quadratic interactions.

Abstract: Cascaded nonlinearities have attracted much interest, but ultrafast applications have been seriously hampered by the simultaneous requirements of being near phase matching and having ultrafast femtosecond response times. Here we show that in strongly phase-mismatched nonlinear frequency conversion crystals the pump pulse can experience a large and extremely broadband self-defocusing cascaded Kerr-like nonlinearity. The large cascaded nonlinearity is ensured through interaction with the largest quadratic tensor element in the crystal, and the strong phase mismatch ensures an ultrafast nonlinear response with an octave-spanning bandwidth. We verify this experimentally by showing few-cycle soliton compression with noncritical cascaded second-harmonic generation: Energetic 47 fs infrared pulses are compressed in a just 1-mm long bulk lithium niobate crystal to 17 fs (under 4 optical cycles) with 80% efficiency, and upon further propagation an octave-spanning supercontinuum is observed. Such ultrafast cascading is expected to occur for a broad range of pump wavelengths spanning the near- and mid-IR using standard nonlinear crystals.

Deep-UV to Mid-IR Supercontinuum Generation driven by Mid-IR Ultrashort Pulses in a Gas-filled Hollow-core Fiber.

Abstract: Supercontinuum (SC) generation based on ultrashort pulse compression constitutes one of the most promising technologies towards ultra-wide bandwidth, high-brightness, and spatially coherent light sources for applications such as spectroscopy and microscopy. Here, multi-octave SC generation in a gas-filled hollow-core antiresonant fiber (HC-ARF) is reported spanning from 200 nm in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) to 4000 nm in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) having an output energy of 5 μJ. This was obtained by pumping at the center wavelength of the first anti-resonant transmission window (2460 nm) with ~100 fs pulses and an injected pulse energy of ~8 μJ. The mechanism behind the extreme spectral broadening relies upon intense soliton-plasma nonlinear dynamics which leads to efficient soliton self-compression and phase-matched dispersive wave (DW) emission in the DUV region. The strongest DW is observed at 275 nm which corresponds to the calculated phase-matching wavelength of the pump. Furthermore, the effect of changing the pump pulse energy and gas pressure on the nonlinear dynamics and their direct impact on SC generation was investigated. This work represents another step towards gas-filled fiber-based coherent sources, which is set to have a major impact on applications spanning from DUV to mid-IR.

Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a silicon-rich nitride waveguide.

Abstract: We experimentally show octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a nonstoichiometric silicon-rich nitride waveguide when pumped by femtosecond pulses from an erbium fiber laser. The pulse energy and bandwidth are comparable to results achieved in stoichiometric silicon nitride waveguides, but our material platform is simpler to manufacture. We also observe wave-breaking supercontinuum generation by using orthogonal pumping in the same waveguide. Additional analysis reveals that the waveguide height is a powerful tuning parameter for generating mid-infrared dispersive waves while keeping the pump in the telecom band.

Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a silicon-rich nitride waveguide

Abstract: We experimentally show octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a non-stoichiometric silicon-rich nitride waveguide when pumped by femtosecond pulses from an erbium fiber laser. The pulse energy and bandwidth are comparable to results achieved in stoichiometric silicon nitride waveguides, but our material platform is simpler to manufacture. We also observe wave-breaking supercontinuum generation by using orthogonal pumping in the same waveguide. Additional analysis reveals that the waveguide height is a powerful tuning parameter for generating mid-infrared dispersive waves while keeping the pump in the telecom band.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

The 2016 terahertz science and technology roadmap

Abstract: Science and technologies based on terahertz frequency electromagnetic radiation (100 GHz–30 THz) have developed rapidly over the last 30 years. For most of the 20th Century, terahertz radiation, then referred to as sub-millimeter wave or far-infrared radiation, was mainly utilized by astronomers and some spectroscopists. Following the development of laser based terahertz time-domain spectroscopy in the 1980s and 1990s the field of THz science and technology expanded rapidly, to the extent that it now touches many areas from fundamental science to 'real world' applications. For example THz radiation is being used to optimize materials for new solar cells, and may also be a key technology for the next generation of airport security scanners. While the field was emerging it was possible to keep track of all new developments, however now the field has grown so much that it is increasingly difficult to follow the diverse range of new discoveries and applications that are appearing. At this point in time, when the field of THz science and technology is moving from an emerging to a more established and interdisciplinary field, it is apt to present a roadmap to help identify the breadth and future directions of the field. The aim of this roadmap is to present a snapshot of the present state of THz science and technology in 2017, and provide an opinion on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds. To be able to achieve this aim, we have invited a group of international experts to write 18 sections that cover most of the key areas of THz science and technology. We hope that The 2017 Roadmap on THz science and technology will prove to be a useful resource by providing a wide ranging introduction to the capabilities of THz radiation for those outside or just entering the field as well as providing perspective and breadth for those who are well established. We also feel that this review should serve as a useful guide for government and funding agencies.

Photonic-chip-based frequency combs

Abstract: Recent developments in chip-based nonlinear photonics offer the tantalizing prospect of realizing many applications that can use optical frequency comb devices that have form factors smaller than 1 cm3 and that require less than 1 W of power. A key feature that enables such technology is the tight confinement of light due to the high refractive index contrast between the core and the cladding. This simultaneously produces high optical nonlinearities and allows for dispersion engineering to realize and phase match parametric nonlinear processes with laser-pointer powers across large spectral bandwidths. In this Review, we summarize the developments, applications and underlying physics of optical frequency comb generation in photonic-chip waveguides via supercontinuum generation and in microresonators via Kerr-comb generation that enable comb technology from the near-ultraviolet to the mid-infrared regime. This Review discusses the developments and applications of on-chip optical frequency comb generation based on two concepts—supercontinuum generation in photonic-chip waveguides and Kerr-comb generation in microresonators.

Applications of nonlinear fiber optics

Abstract: * The only book describing applications of nonlinear fiber optics * Two new chapters on the latest developments: highly nonlinear fibers and quantum applications* Coverage of biomedical applications* Problems provided at the end of each chapterThe development of new highly nonlinear fibers - referred to as microstructured fibers, holey fibers and photonic crystal fibers - is the next generation technology for all-optical signal processing and biomedical applications. This new edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate these key technology developments.The book presents sound coverage of the fundamentals of lightwave technology, along with material on pulse compression techniques and rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers. The extensively revised chapters include information on fiber-optic communication systems and the ultrafast signal processing techniques that make use of nonlinear phenomena in optical fibers.New material focuses on the applications of highly nonlinear fibers in areas ranging from wavelength laser tuning and nonlinear spectroscopy to biomedical imaging and frequency metrology. Technologies such as quantum cryptography, quantum computing, and quantum communications are also covered in a new chapter.This book will be an ideal reference for: RD scientists involved with research on fiber amplifiers and lasers; graduate students and researchers working in the fields of optical communications and quantum information. * The only book on how to develop nonlinear fiber optic applications* Two new chapters on the latest developments; Highly Nonlinear Fibers and Quantum Applications* Coverage of biomedical applications

Supercontinuum generation, photonic crystal fiber

Abstract: A topical review of numerical and experimental studies of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber is presented over the full range of experimentally reported parameters, from the femtosecond to the continuous-wave regime. Results from numerical simulations are used to discuss the temporal and spectral characteristics of the supercontinuum, and to interpret the physics of the underlying spectral broadening processes. Particular attention is given to the case of supercontinuum generation seeded by femtosecond pulses in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime of photonic crystal fiber, where the processes of soliton fission, stimulated Raman scattering, and dispersive wave generation are reviewed in detail. The corresponding intensity and phase stability properties of the supercontinuum spectra generated under different conditions are also discussed.