Ultrafast fiber lasers have significant applications in ultra-precision manufacturing, medical diagnostics, medical treatment, precision measurement and astronomical detection, owing to their ultra-short pulse width and ultra-high peak-power. Since graphene was first explored as an optical saturable absorber for passively mode-locked lasers in 2009, many other 2D materials beyond graphene, including phosphorene, antimonene, bismuthene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), topological insulators (TIs), metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and MXenes, have been successively explored, resulting in rapid development of novel 2D materials-based saturable absorbers. Herein, we review the latest progress of the emerging 2D materials beyond graphene for passively mode-locked fiber laser application. These 2D materials are classified into mono-elemental, dual-elemental and multi-elemental 2D materials. The atomic structure, band structure, nonlinear optical properties, and preparation methods of 2D materials are summarized. Diverse integration strategies for applying 2D materials into fiber laser systems are introduced, and the mode-locking performance of the 2D materials-based fiber lasers working at 1–3 μm are discussed. Finally, the perspectives and challenges facing 2D materials-based mode-locked fiber lasers are highlighted.

Emerging 2D materials beyond graphene for ultrashort pulse generation in fiber lasers.

Time-delayed optoelectronic oscillators are at the center of a large body of scientific literature. The complex behavior of these nonlinear oscillators has been thoroughly explored both theoretically and experimentally, leading to a better understanding of their dynamical properties. Beyond fundamental research, these systems have also inspired a wide and diverse set of applications, such as optical chaos communications, pseudorandom number generation, optoelectronic machine learning based on reservoir computing, ultrapure microwave generation, optical pulse-train synthesis, and sensing. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive survey of this field, to outline the latest achievements, and discuss the main challenges ahead.

Optoelectronic oscillators with time-delayed feedback

A novel parallel structured fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based on Vernier-effect is theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated for ultrasensitive strain measurement. This proposed sensor consists of open-cavity and closed-cavity fiber-optic FPI, both of which are connected in parallel via a 3 dB coupler. The open-cavity is implemented for sensing, while the closed-cavity for reference. Experimental results show that the proposed parallel structured fiber-optic FPI can provide an ultra-high strain sensitivity of −43.2 pm/μe, which is 4.6 times higher than that of a single open-cavity FPI. Furthermore, the sensor is simple in fabrication, robust in structure, and stable in measurement. Finally, the parallel structured fiber-optic FPI scheme proposed in this paper can also be applied to other sensing field, and provide a new perspective idea for high sensitivity sensing.

Ultrasensitive strain sensor based on Vernier- effect improved parallel structured fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer

In this paper, a tunable broadband metamaterial absorber (MA) based on graphene is investigated theoretically and numerically at mid-infrared regions. Compared with the previously reported multiband graphene-based MAs, a broad bandwidth of 11.7 THz with the absorption over 90% is obtained in the proposed MA, which is composed of a Jerusalem cross (JC) metal encrusting into the slot graphene layer in the top layer. The results show that the origin of broadband absorption is caused by coupling effect between metal and graphene, and this effect is explained by the two-mode waveguide coupling theory. The tunability of MA is achieved via changing the external gate voltage to modify the Fermi energy of graphene. Further results show that the proposed MA can be used as the permittivity sensor with a high absorption. This work indicates that the proposed MA has the potential applications with respect to sensors and infrared absorbers.

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Design of broadband graphene-metamaterial absorbers for permittivity sensing at mid-infrared regions.

In 2016, a novel interrogation technique for phase-sensitive (Φ)OTDR was mathematically formalized and experimentally demonstrated, based on the use of a chirped-pulse as a probe, in an otherwise direct-detection-based standard setup: chirped-pulse (CP-)ΦOTDR. Despite its short lifetime, this methodology has now become a reference for distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) due to its valuable advantages with respect to conventional (i.e., coherent-detection or frequency sweeping-based) interrogation strategies. Presenting intrinsic immunity to fading points and using direct detection, CP-ΦOTDR presents reliable high sensitivity measurements while keeping the cost and complexity of the setup bounded. Numerous technique analyses and contributions to study/improve its performance have been recently published, leading to a solid, highly competitive and extraordinarily simple method for distributed fibre sensing. The interesting sensing features achieved in these last years CP-ΦOTDR have motivated the use of this technology in diverse applications, such as seismology or civil engineering (monitoring of pipelines, train rails, etc.). Besides, new areas of application of this distributed sensor have been explored, based on distributed chemical (refractive index) and temperature-based transducer sensors. In this review, the principle of operation of CP-ΦOTDR is revisited, highlighting the particular performance characteristics of the technique and offering a comparison with alternative distributed sensing methods (with focus on coherent-detection-based ΦOTDR). The sensor is also characterized for operation in up to 100 km with a low cost-setup, showing performances close to the attainable limits for a given set of signal parameters [≈tens-hundreds of pe/sqrt(Hz)]. The areas of application of this sensing technology employed so far are briefly outlined in order to frame the technology.

Distributed Acoustic Sensing Using Chirped-Pulse Phase-Sensitive OTDR Technology

An ultrafast high-sensitivity refractive index (RI) and temperature-sensing system based on an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. A Fabry–Perot fiber Bragg grating (FP-FBG), which combines a gap with two FBGs in a silica V-shaped slot and characterizes a narrow notch in the reflection spectrum, is incorporated in the OEO to implement a microwave photonic filter and perform oscillating frequency selection. A microwave signal is generated by the OEO, whose oscillating frequency is determined by the center frequency of the FP-FBG notch, which varies with the surrounding environments. The RI or the temperature change can be accordingly measured by monitoring the frequency shift of the microwave signal using an electrical spectrum analyzer or a digital signal processor. An experiment is performed to verify the proposal. An RI sensitivity of 413.8 MHz/0.001RIU and a temperature sensitivity of 2516 MHz/°C are successively demonstrated.

Refractive Index and Temperature Sensing Based on an Optoelectronic Oscillator Incorporating a Fabry–Perot Fiber Bragg Grating

Graphene based silicon–air grating structure to realize electromagnetically-induced-transparency and slow light effect

We propose a novel polarization-maintaining supermode fiber containing quasi-elliptically arranged high-index cores. Numerical simulation indicates that such a fiber could support up to 20 distinct modes with different polarization states and spatial orientations. At 1550 nm, all the 20 modes are separated from their adjacent modes with effective refractive differences beyond 10-
 4
. We also investigate the influence of parameters on mode number and effective area of the proposed fiber. Wavelength-dependent performance is analyzed subsequently ranging from 1500 to 1630 nm. The proposed fiber could guide 20 modes with low dispersion over the entire C-band. This letter illustrates that the proposed fiber might be a promising candidate for mode division multiplexing to enhance optical transmission capacity.

Polarization-Maintaining Supermode Fiber Supporting 20 Modes

Multiple modes plasmon-induced-transparency and slow light effect in a compact graphene coated nanowire waveguide system

A directional energy focusing system based on parallel-monolayer graphene sheets is proposed and is analytically and numerically investigated in this paper. By properly designing the chemical potential distributions, we obtain a $$\sim$$
 0.8-nm-size focusing point at desired positions with energy enhancement factor of over 2410. The flexible tunability of the transmission properties enables us to shut one parallel pair propagation down and guide the waves to the other branch. The light signal at the focal point is efficiently slowed down to over 10,000 times the speed in vacuum as well. The proposed structure may find potential applications in integrated circuits, on-chip systems or energy storage.

Buzheng Wei

Papers

Refractive Index and Temperature Sensing Based on an Optoelectronic Oscillator Incorporating a Fabry–Perot Fiber Bragg Grating

Graphene based silicon–air grating structure to realize electromagnetically-induced-transparency and slow light effect

Polarization-Maintaining Supermode Fiber Supporting 20 Modes

Multiple modes plasmon-induced-transparency and slow light effect in a compact graphene coated nanowire waveguide system

Directional energy focusing on monolayer graphene coupling system