The ultrafast relaxation and recombination dynamics of photogenerated electrons and holes in epitaxial graphene are studied using optical-pump Terahertz-probe spectroscopy. The conductivity in graphene at Terahertz frequencies depends on the carrier concentration as well as the carrier distribution in energy. Time-resolved studies of the conductivity can therefore be used to probe the dynamics associated with carrier intraband relaxation and interband recombination. We report the electron-hole recombination times in epitaxial graphene for the first time. Our results show that carrier cooling occurs on sub-picosecond time scales and that interband recombination times are carrier density dependent.

Ultrafast Optical-Pump Terahertz-Probe Spectroscopy of the Carrier Relaxation and Recombination Dynamics in Epitaxial Graphene

2D Layered Materials: Synthesis, Nonlinear Optical Properties, and Device Applications

Low-dimensional (LD) materials demonstrate intriguing optical properties, which lead to applications in diverse fields, such as photonics, biomedicine and energy. Due to modulation of electronic structure by the reduced structural dimensionality, LD versions of metal, semiconductor and topological insulators (TIs) at the same time bear distinct nonlinear optical (NLO) properties as compared with their bulk counterparts. Their interaction with short pulse laser excitation exhibits a strong nonlinear character manifested by NLO absorption, giving rise to optical limiting or saturated absorption associated with excited state absorption and Pauli blocking in different materials. In particular, the saturable absorption of these emerging LD materials including two-dimensional semiconductors as well as colloidal TI nanoparticles has recently been utilized for Q-switching and mode-locking ultra-short pulse generation across the visible, near infrared and middle infrared wavelength regions. Beside the large operation bandwidth, these ultrafast photonics applications are especially benefit from the high recovery rate as well as the facile processibility of these LD materials. The prominent NLO response of these LD materials have also provided new avenues for the development of novel NLO and photonics devices for all-optical control as well as optical circuits beyond ultrafast lasers.

Emerging Low-Dimensional Materials for Nonlinear Optics and Ultrafast Photonics.

The year 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the first report of ultrafast fiber laser mode-locked by graphene. This result has had an important impact on ultrafast laser optics and continues to offer new horizons. Herein, we mainly review the linear and nonlinear photonic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, as well as their nonlinear applications in efficient passive mode-locking devices and ultrafast fiber lasers. Initial works and significant progress in this field, as well as new insights and challenges of 2D materials for ultrafast fiber lasers, are reviewed and analyzed.

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Ultrafast fiber lasers mode-locked by two-dimensional materials: review and prospect

In this paper, we demonstrate 67 fs pulse emitting with tungsten disulfide (WS2) in mode-locked erbium-doped fiber (EDF) lasers. Using the pulsed laser deposition method, WS2 is deposited on the surface of the tapered fiber to form the evanescent field. The fiber-taper WS2 saturable absorber (SA) with the large modulation depth is fabricated to support the ultrashort pulse generation. The influences of the WS2 SA are analyzed through contrastive experiments on fiber lasers with or without the WS2 SA. The pulse duration is measured to be 67 fs, which is the shortest pulse duration obtained in the mode-locked fiber lasers with two dimensional (2D) material SAs. Compared to graphene, topological insulator, and other transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) SAs, results in this paper indicate that the fiber-taper WS2 SA with large modulation depth is a more promising photonic device in mode-locked fiber lasers with the wide spectrum and ultrashort pulse duration.

Tungsten disulfide saturable absorbers for 67 fs mode-locked erbium-doped fiber lasers.

From 1993 to 1995, with a conventional fluorescence spectrophotometer (CFS) (convenient) and working in a synchronous scan model (easy-to-use), Pasternack et al. proposed the resonance light-scattering (RLS) technique, to efficiently characterize self-assemblies or self-aggregations of chromophores with good electronic coupling. Incident wavelengths were specially considered within their absorption envelopes (rather unorthodox), and their amplified signals were observed (good sensitivity and selectivity). Due to these absorbing benefits, RLS technique, as a novel readout method, commenced on its exciting analytical tours soon after Liu et al. and especially Li et al., separately, set out their corresponding pioneering investigations from 1995 to 1997. From then on, it has received an increasing attention by analysts, as a consequence exhibiting more and more fascinating analytical applications. Moreover, various attractive RLS-derived techniques have been developed successively to improve it or to enlarge its possibilities. Later on, Liu et al. and Li et al., Tabak et al., Yguerabide et al., Huang et al., Lakowicz et al. and Fernandez Band et al. have made their outstanding contributions. In this review, we concentrate on major achievements of RLS in analytical chemistry for over a decade, involving the developments and analytical applications of RLS derived techniques treated as an impacting progress of RLS technique in analytical chemistry. Finally, an indication of future directions of RLS technique in analytical chemistry is provided.

Resonance light scattering and derived techniques in analytical chemistry: past, present, and future

Pollution triggered by highly toxic heavy metal ions has become a worldwide issue of concern, and has aroused increasing research interest, but it is still a challenge to carry out its trace detection in the organic phase using inorganic fluorescent colloidal nanocrystals (NCs). Herein, we report fully inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), which were synthesized via a hot-injection method, as a fluorescent probe for the selective detection of copper ions in hexane. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of CsPbBr3 PQDs is significantly quenched within several seconds after the addition of Cu2+ due to effective electron transfer from the PQDs to the added Cu2+, which is experimentally verified via analyzing absorption spectra and PL decay lifetime. The sensor, in turn-off mode, has a detection range from 0 to 100 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.1 nM, indicating great potential for practical applications. This study paves the way for PQD-based fluorescent probes for heavy metal detection in the organic phase.

All-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots as a photoluminescent probe for ultrasensitive Cu2+ detection

Laser linewidth narrowing down to kHz or even Hz is an important topic in areas like clock synchronization technology, laser radars, quantum optics, and high-precision detection. Conventional decoherence measurement methods like delayed self-heterodyne/homodyne interferometry cannot measure such narrow linewidths accurately. This is because a broadening of the Gaussian spectrum, which hides the laser's intrinsic Lorentzian linewidth, cannot be avoided. Here, we introduce a new method using the strong coherent envelope to characterize the laser's intrinsic linewidth through self-coherent detection. This method can eliminate the effect of the broadened Gaussian spectrum induced by the 1/f frequency noise. We analyze, in detail, the relationship between intrinsic laser linewidth, contrast difference with the second peak and the second trough (CDSPST) of the strong coherent envelope, and the length of the delaying fiber. The correct length for the delaying fiber can be chosen by combining the estimated laser linewidth (Δfest) with a specific CDSPST (ΔS) to obtain the accurate laser linewidth (Δf). Our results indicate that this method can be used as an accurate detection tool for measurements of narrow or super-narrow linewidths.

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Precise measurement of ultra-narrow laser linewidths using the strong coherent envelope.

We demonstrate a cost-effective distributed fiber sensing system for the multi-parameter detection of the vibration, the temperature, and the strain by integrating phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (φ-OTDR) and Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry (B-OTDR). Taking advantage of the fast changing property of the vibration and the static properties of the temperature and the strain, both the width and intensity of the laser pulses are modulated and injected into the single-mode sensing fiber proportionally, so that three concerned parameters can be extracted simultaneously by only one photo-detector and one data acquisition channel. A data processing method based on Gaussian window short time Fourier transform (G-STFT) is capable of achieving high spatial resolution in B-OTDR. The experimental results show that up to 4.8kHz vibration sensing with 3m spatial resolution at 10km standard single-mode fiber can be realized, as well as the distributed temperature and stress profiles along the same fiber with 80cm spatial resolution.

Wei Huang

Papers

Resonance light scattering and derived techniques in analytical chemistry: past, present, and future

All-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots as a photoluminescent probe for ultrasensitive Cu2+ detection

Precise measurement of ultra-narrow laser linewidths using the strong coherent envelope.

High spatial resolution distributed fiber system for multi-parameter sensing based on modulated pulses.

The synthesis of water-dispersible zinc doped AgInS 2 quantum dots and their application in Cu 2+ detection