The paper proposes an ultra-narrow band graphene refractive index sensor, consisting of a patterned graphene layer on the top, a dielectric layer of SiO2 in the middle, and a bottom Au layer. The absorption sensor achieves the absorption efficiency of 99.41% and 99.22% at 5.664 THz and 8.062 THz, with the absorption bandwidths 0.0171 THz and 0.0152 THz, respectively. Compared with noble metal absorbers, our graphene absorber can achieve tunability by adjusting the Fermi level and relaxation time of the graphene layer with the geometry of the absorber unchanged, which greatly saves the manufacturing cost. The results show that the sensor has the properties of polarization-independence and large-angle insensitivity due to the symmetric structure. In addition, the practical application of testing the content of hemoglobin biomolecules was conducted, the frequency of first resonance mode shows a shift of 0.017 THz, and the second resonance mode has a shift of 0.016 THz, demonstrating the good frequency sensitivity of our sensor. The S (sensitivities) of the sensor were calculated at 875 GHz/RIU and 775 GHz/RIU, and quality factors FOM (Figure of Merit) are 26.51 and 18.90, respectively; and the minimum limit of detection is 0.04. By comparing with previous similar sensors, our sensor has better sensing performance, which can be applied to photon detection in the terahertz band, biochemical sensing, and other fields.

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Design of Ultra-Narrow Band Graphene Refractive Index Sensor

ElecSus: A program to calculate the electric susceptibility of an atomic ensemble

Hybrid quantum systems integrating semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and atomic vapours become important building blocks for scalable quantum networks due to the complementary strengths of individual parts. QDs provide on-demand single-photon emission with near-unity indistinguishability comprising unprecedented brightness—while atomic vapour systems provide ultra-precise frequency standards and promise long coherence times for the storage of qubits. Spectral filtering is one of the key components for the successful link between QD photons and atoms. Here we present a tailored Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter based on the caesium-D1 transition for interfacing it with a resonantly pumped QD. The presented Faraday filter enables a narrow-bandwidth (Δω=2π × 1 GHz) simultaneous filtering of both Mollow triplet sidebands. This result opens the way to use QDs as sources of single as well as cascaded photons in photonic quantum networks aligned to the primary frequency standard of the caesium clock transition. Hybrid quantum systems combine efficient high-quality quantum dot sources with atomic vapours that can serve as precise frequency standards or quantum memories. Here, Portalupi et al. demonstrate an optimized atomic Cs-Faraday filter working with single photons emitted from a semiconductor quantum dot.

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Simultaneous Faraday filtering of the Mollow triplet sidebands with the Cs-D 1 clock transition

We demonstrate an atomic bandpass optical filter with an equivalent noise bandwidth less than 1 GHz using the D1 line in a cesium vapor. We use the ElecSus computer program to find optimal experimental parameters and find that, for important quantities, the cesium D1 line clearly outperforms other alkali metals on either D-lines. The filter simultaneously achieves a peak transmission of 77%, a passband of 310 MHz, and an equivalent noise bandwidth of 0.96 GHz, for a magnetic field of 45.3 G and a temperature of 68.0°C. Experimentally, the prediction from the model is verified. The experiment and theoretical predictions show excellent agreement.

/pdf/atomic-faraday-filter-with-equivalent-noise-bandwidth-less-5610p31z48.pdf

Atomic Faraday filter with equivalent noise bandwidth less than 1 GHz

We demonstrate an atomic bandpass optical filter with an equivalent noise bandwidth less than 1 GHz using the D$_1$ line in a cesium vapor. We use the ElecSus computer program to find optimal experimental parameters, and find that for important quantities the cesium D$_1$ line clearly outperforms other alkali metals on either D-lines. The filter simultaneously achieves a peak transmission of 77%, a passband of 310 MHz and an equivalent noise bandwidth of 0.96 GHz, for a magnetic field of 45.3 gauss and a temperature of 68.0$\,^\circ$C. Experimentally, the prediction from the model is verified. The experiment and theoretical predictions show excellent agreement.

/pdf/atomic-faraday-filter-with-equivalent-noise-bandwidth-less-268vvj6b6o.pdf

In this paper, a dual-parameter sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed, which can be applied in detecting the magnetic field and temperature. In this sensor, two elliptical channels are designed on both sides of the fiber core. The left channel (Ch 1) is coated with gold film and filled with magnetic fluid (MF) to achieve a response to the magnetic field and temperature using SPR. The right channel (Ch 2) is coated with gold film as well as Ta2O5 film to improve the SPR sensing performance. Finally, Ch 2 is filled with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to achieve a response to the temperature. The mode characteristics, structural parameters and sensing performance are investigated by the finite element method. The results show that when the magnetic field is in the range of 50-130 Oe, the magnetic field sensitivities of Ch 1 and Ch 2 are 65 pm Oe-1 and 0 pm Oe-1, respectively. When the temperature is in the range of 17.5-27.5 °C, the temperature sensitivities of Ch 1 and Ch 2 are 520 pm °C-1 and 2360 pm °C-1, respectively. By establishing and demodulating a sensing matrix, the sensor can not only measure the temperature and magnetic field simultaneously but also solve the temperature cross-sensitivity problem. In addition, when the temperature exceeds a certain value, the proposed sensor is expected to achieve dual-parameter sensing without a matrix. The proposed dual-parameter SPR-PCF sensor has a unique structure and excellent sensing performance, which are important for the simultaneous sensing of multiple basic physical parameters.

Two-channel photonic crystal fiber based on surface plasmon resonance for magnetic field and temperature dual-parameter sensing.

We demonstrate a nonlinear optical filter with ultranarrow bandwidth in cesium vapor. The optical filter operates on the 6S1/2→7P3/2 transition at 455 nm. The single peak transmission at the 6S1/2, F=4→7P3/2, F′=5 transition is 9.7% with a bandwidth of 6.2 MHz, whereas at the 6S1/2, F=3→7P3/2, F′=2, 3 (cross-over) transition is 6.1% with a bandwidth of 3.9 MHz. The bandwidth approaching the natural linewidth is improved at least two orders of magnitude compared with conventional Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filters. This technique can also be applied to other alkali atoms.

Nonlinear optical filter with ultranarrow bandwidth approaching the natural linewidth.

We demonstrate a Cs FADOF (Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter) with a single transmission peak resonant with the 6S1/2, F = 4 → 7P3/2, F′ = 3, 4, 5 transition at 455 nm. The filter achieves a single peak transmission of 86%. With the technique of saturated absorption spectra, we obtain the bandwidth of the single peak, which is 1.5 GHz. While most of other FADOFs operate at frequencies far from absorption, the filter we have realized can provide light exactly resonant with atomic transitions with a high transmission. We also find that, at a particular temperature, we can achieve a single transmission peak rather than many peaks far from absorption by changing the strength of magnetic field. This technique can also be applied to other alkali atoms.

Cs Faraday optical filter with a single transmission peak resonant with the atomic transition at 455 nm

We demonstrate experimentally the population inversion between 7S1/2 and 6P3/2 levels of cesium in thermal cesium cell with a 455.5 nm pumping laser. We calculate the relative population probabilities at each level theoretically with the density matrix method. In a steady state, 5.8% atoms are at 7S1/2 level and 2.9% at 6P3/2 level, which builds up the population inversion between the two levels. We obtain the fluorescence spectra produced in thermal cesium cell in our experiment. The measured relative intensity of each available fluorescence spectral line in the experiment agrees very well with the theoretical result. The demonstrated population inversion between 7S1/2 and 6P3/2 levels can be used to construct an active optical clock of four-level system with a wavelength of 1469.9 nm.

Realization of population inversion between 7S 1/2 and 6P 3/2 levels of cesium for four-level active optical clock

A photonic crystal fiber utilizing surface plasmon resonance (PCF-SPR) sensor based on refractive index (RI) control of magnetic fluid (MF) is designed. The air holes of the sensor are arranged in a hexagonal shape, and the optical field transmission channels on both sides of the central air hole can effectively confine the energy of the optical field. We use MF as the sensing medium, and coat the inner wall of the central air hole with gold. It can effectively stimulate the SPR effect to achieve the purpose of magneto-refractive modulation. We study the sensing characteristics of the proposed sensor by finite element analysis. The results show that the highest refractive index sensitivity reaches 19520 nm/RIU in the RI range of 1.42-1.435 and the maximum figure of merit (FOM) is 374.3 RIU-1. In addition, the magnetic field and the temperature response characteristics of the designed sensor are also investigated. In the magnetic field range of 50-130 Oe, the magnetic field sensitivity is 590 pm/Oe. In the temperature range of 24.3-144.3 °C, the temperature sensitivity is only -29.7 pm/℃. The proposed sensor has significant advantages such as stable structure, high sensitivity, easy integration, resistance to electromagnetic interference and can be used for weak magnetic magnitude detection. It has wide application prospects in industrial production, military, and medical equipment.

Dongying Wang

Papers

Two-channel photonic crystal fiber based on surface plasmon resonance for magnetic field and temperature dual-parameter sensing.

Nonlinear optical filter with ultranarrow bandwidth approaching the natural linewidth.

Cs Faraday optical filter with a single transmission peak resonant with the atomic transition at 455 nm

Realization of population inversion between 7S 1/2 and 6P 3/2 levels of cesium for four-level active optical clock

Research on optimization of magnetic field sensing characteristics of PCF sensor based on SPR.