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Abstract The vectorial optical field (VOF) assumes a pivotal role in light-matter interactions. Beyond its inherent polarization topology, the VOF also encompasses an intrinsic degree of freedom associated with parity (even or odd), corresponding to a pair of degenerate orthogonal modes. However, previous research has not delved into the simultaneous manipulation of both even and odd parities. In this study, we introduce and validate the previously unexplored parity Hall effect for vectorial modes using a metasurface design. Our focus lies on a cylindrical vector beam (CVB) as a representative case. Through the tailored metasurface, we effectively separate two degenerate CVBs with distinct parities in divergent directions, akin to the observed spin states split in the spin Hall effect. Additionally, we provide experimental evidence showcasing the capabilities of this effect in multi-order CVB demultiplexing and parity-demultiplexed CVB-encoded holography. This effect unveils promising opportunities for various applications, including optical communication and imaging.

Abstract Traditionally, manipulation of spatiotemporal coupling (STC) of the ultrafast light fields can be actualized in the space-spectrum domain with some 4-f pulse shapers, which suffers usually from some limitations, such as spectral/pixel resolution and information crosstalk associated with the 4-f pulse shapers. This work introduces a novel mechanism for direct space-time manipulation of ultrafast light fields to overcome the limitations. This mechanism combines a space-dependent time delay with some spatial geometrical transformations, which has been experimentally proved by generating a high-quality STC light field, called light spring (LS). The LS, owing a broad topological charge bandwidth of 11.5 and a tunable central topological charge from 2 to −11, can propagate with a stable spatiotemporal intensity structure from near to far fields. This achievement implies the mechanism provides an efficient way to generate complex STC light fields, such as LS with potential applications in information encryption, optical communication, and laser-plasma acceleration.

Abstract Spin angular momenta play important roles in light–matter interactions, leading to the emergence of the spin Hall effect and topological quasiparticles in modern optics. The typical approach is to decompose the spins of plane electromagnetic waves into longitudinal and transverse components, yet this description is not easily transferable to more structured electromagnetic environments. Here, we developed a field theory to reveal the physical origin and topological properties of longitudinal and transverse spins for arbitrary electromagnetic waves (including water waves and acoustic waves) in both near-field and free space. For electromagnetic waves carrying intrinsic helicity, we observed the emergence of helicity-dependent transverse spin possessing helicity-dependent spin-momentum locking. To verify that the number of spin-momentum locking states coincides with the spin Chern number, we experimentally measured the three-dimensional spin angular momentum densities of Bloch-type optical skyrmions. Our findings yield valuable insight for constructing spin-based field theory and exploiting optical topological quasiparticle-based applications.

Abstract The burgeoning growth of structured light has opened up new possibilities for harnessing the spatiotemporal coupling effects in light. Optical spatiotemporal vortices, as a subset of spatiotemporal light, have emerged as a focal point of recent research, owing to their distinctive characteristics and vast range for application. This unique structured light will endow photons with a new degree of freedom, promising to revolutionize researchers’ understanding of photonics. Conducting thorough research on optical spatiotemporal vortices will establish a solid foundation for the development of innovative physical mechanisms and advanced applications in photonics.

Abstract Metasurfaces can perform high-performance multi-functional integration by manipulating the abundant physical dimensions of light, demonstrating great potential in high-capacity information technologies. The orbital angular momentum (OAM) and spin angular momentum (SAM) dimensions have been respectively explored as the independent carrier for information multiplexing. However, fully managing these two intrinsic properties in information multiplexing remains elusive. Here, we propose the concept of angular momentum (AM) holography which can fully synergize these two fundamental dimensions to act as the information carrier, via a single-layer, non-interleaved metasurface. The underlying mechanism relies on independently controlling the two spin eigenstates and arbitrary overlaying them in each operation channel, thereby spatially modulating the resulting waveform at will. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate an AM meta-hologram allowing the reconstruction of two sets of holographic images, i.e., the spin-orbital locked and the spin-superimposed ones. Remarkably, leveraging the designed dual-functional AM meta-hologram, we demonstrate a novel optical nested encryption scheme, which is able to achieve parallel information transmission with ultra-high capacity and security. Our work opens a new avenue for optionally manipulating the AM, holding promising applications in the fields of optical communication, information security and quantum science.

Femtosecond laser ablation has found wide-ranging applications in the surface structuring of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics devices. Traditionally, the inspection of the fabricated three-dimensional (3D) morphology was performed using a scanning electron microscope or atomic force microscopy in an ex situ manner after processing was complete. To quickly monitor and efficiently optimize the quality of surface fabrication, we developed an in situ method to accurately reconstruct the 3D morphology of surface micro-structures. This method is based on a triangulation optical system that utilizes structured illumination. The approach offers a super-resolution capacity, making it a powerful and non-invasive tool for quick in situ monitoring of surface ablation structures.

Magnetic Skyrmions are topologically protected spin structures with sophisticated swirls of electron spins. In recent times, photonic counterparts of the magnetic Skyrmions have been discovered with new deep-subwavelength characteristics promising for future applications in optical information storage and transfer. While the photonic Skyrmions in real space have been observed in diverse photonic systems, studies on the photonic Skyrmions in momentum space have rarely been done. Here we show different forms of pseudospin Skyrmion around the Dirac point in momentum space of photonic crystals with the Kagome and honeycomb lattice. The pseudospin Skyrmions in momentum space are directly related to the topologically nontrivial states and manipulated by the inter-cell and intra-cell interactions between cylinders of the photonic crystal. The observation of the pseudospin Skyrmion in momentum space is expected to be valuable for manipulation of the flows and polarizations of light in topologically robust ways.

On-chip manipulation of the spatiotemporal characteristics of optical signals is important in the transmission and processing of information. However, the simultaneous modulation of on-chip optical pulses, both spatially at the nano-scale and temporally over ultra-fast intervals, is challenging. Here, we propose a spatiotemporal Fourier transform method for on-chip control of the propagation of femtosecond optical pulses and verify this method employing surface plasmon polariton (SPP) pulses on metal surface. An analytical model is built for the method and proved by numerical simulations. By varying space- and frequency-dependent parameters, we demonstrate that the traditional SPP focal spot may be bent into a ring shape, and that the direction of propagation of a curved SPP-Airy beam may be reversed at certain moments to create an S-shaped path. Compared with conventional spatial modulation of SPPs, this method offers potentially a variety of extraordinary effects in SPP modulation especially associated with the temporal domain, thereby providing a new platform for on-chip spatiotemporal manipulation of optical pulses with applications including ultrafast on-chip photonic information processing, ultrafast pulse/beam shaping, and optical computing.

Abstract Topological spin structures of light, including the Skyrmion, Meron, and bi-Meron, are intriguing optical phenomena that arise from spin–orbit coupling. They have promising potential applications in nano-metrology, data storage, super-resolved imaging and chiral detection. Aside from the electric part of optical spin, of equal importance is the magnetic part, particularly the H-type electromagnetic modes for which the spin topological properties of the field are dominated by the magnetic field. However, their observation and measurement remains absent and faces difficult challenges. Here, we design a unique type of anapole probe to measure specifically the photonic spin structures dominated by magnetic fields. The probe is composed of an Ag-core and Si-shell nanosphere, which manifests as a pure magnetic dipole with no electric response. The effectiveness of the method was validated by characterizing the magnetic field distributions of various focused vector beams. It was subsequently employed to measure the magnetic topological spin structures, including individual Skyrmions and Meron/Skyrmion lattices for the first time. The proposed method may be a powerful tool to characterize the magnetic properties of optical spin and valuable in advancing spin photonics.

Pathology interpretations of tissue rely on the gold standard of histology imaging, potentially hampering timely access to critical information for diagnosis and management of neoplasms because of tedious sample preparations. Slide-free capture of cell nuclei in unprocessed specimens without staining is preferable; however, inevitable irregular surfaces in fresh tissues results in limitations. An ultraviolet metasurface with the ability to generate an ultraviolet optical focus maintaining

In addition to offering morphological visualizations via capture of the spatial distributions of optical absorption, photoacoustic imaging technology can reveal abundant physical information about biological particles, including their orientation, density, and viscoelasticity, through analysis of the pressure transients in the spectral domain. However, the low-amplitude wideband photoacoustic signals of intrinsic microscopic optically-absorbing objects under the action of confined photoacoustic excitation power continue to hinder simultaneous photoacoustic structural imaging and spectroscopic analysis of the nonfluorescent chromophores in living biological tissues because of the inadequate responses to photoacoustic impulses observed in most photoacoustic imaging setups that include piezoelectric transducers. Building upon a recently-developed optical evanescent wave sensor that can respond to ultrasound with high sensitivity over a broad frequency range, we propose in vivo spatial-spectral photoacoustic microscopy for recovery of structural imaging in three dimensions and characterization of anatomical features in the acoustic frequency domain. Label-free photoacoustic images of a living zebrafish are acquired in which spectroscopically-resolved differentiation of the microarchitecture is accessed, along with isometric micrometer-scale volumetric visualizations. The proposed imaging technology could potentially provide more comprehensive evaluations of the physiopathological status of living small animals.

Flat panel displays are electronic displays that are thin and lightweight, making them ideal for use in a wide range of applications, from televisions and computer monitors to mobile devices and digital signage. The Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) layer is responsible for controlling the amount of light that passes through each pixel and is located behind the liquid crystal layer, enabling precise image control and high-quality display. As one of the important parameters to evaluate the display performance, the faster response time provides more frames in a second, which benefits many high-end applications, such as applications for playing games and watching movies. To further improve the response time, the single-pixel charging efficiency is investigated in this paper by optimizing the TFT dimensions in gate driver circuits in active-matrix liquid crystal displays. The accurate circuit simulation model is developed to minimize the signal’s fall time (Tf) by optimizing the TFT width-to-length ratio. Our results show that using a driving TFT width of 6790 μm and a reset TFT width of 640 μm resulted in a minimum Tf of 2.6572 μs, corresponding to a maximum pixel charging ratio of 90.61275%. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of our optimization strategy in enhancing pixel charging efficiency and improving display performance.

The vortex field of surface plasmon polariton with orbital angular momentum (OAM), called plasmonic vortex, has played an important role in various research fields. However, the spatiotemporal properties of plasmonic vortex pulses excited by ultrafast laser, especially the dynamics of spin‒orbit coupling in the ultrafast plasmonic vortex field, have yet to be investigated deeply. Here, we study the spatiotemporal modulation of ultrafast plasmonic vortices with spin‒orbit coupling, using both analytical and simulation methods. The ultrafast plasmonic vortices are excited by a ring-shaped plasmonic lens, with an incident light composed of two time-delayed femtosecond sub-pulses carrying the same OAM but orthogonal circular polarizations. The dynamics of time-varying electric field, energy flow and angular momentum distributions of the plasmonic vortices are demonstrated, revealing details of the spin‒orbit coupling in spatiotemporal domain, such as the merging of multiple phase singularities with energy flow loops, and the variation of spin/orbital angular momentum per photon over time. This work could deepen the understanding of spin‒orbit coupling in plasmonic field and provide new ideas for ultrafast on-chip optical information processing.

The cylindrical vector beam (CVB) has been widely studied and applied in recent years. However, many CVB generation methods suffer from complex systems, and large-size devices are required. Here, we propose a monolayer chiral metasurface composed of spin-sensitive unit cells which can generate different holograms for left- and right-circular polarization based on the combined modulation of geometric phase and detour phase. With a linearly polarized incident beam, the metasurface can generate CVBs with controllable polarization angles and orders, and even more complex vector beams. This work provides a new idea for the design of miniaturized optical devices for generating arbitrary vector beams.

Abstract Photonic spin skyrmions with deep‐subwavelength features have aroused considerable interest in recent years. However, the manipulation of spin structure in the skyrmions in a desired manner is still a challenge, while this is crucial for developing the skyrmion‐based applications. Here, an approach of optical spin manipulation by utilizing the spin‐momentum equation is proposed to investigate the spin texture in a photonic skyrmion‐pair. With the benefit of the proposed approach, a unique spin texture with spin angular momentum varying linearly along the line connecting the two skyrmion centers is theoretically designed and experimentally verified. The optimized spin texture is then applied in a displacement‐sensing system, which is capable of attaining pico‐metric sensitivity. Compared with the conventional polarization and phase schemes, the spin‐based manipulation mechanism provides a new pathway for optical modulation, which is of great value in nanophotonics from both fundamental and application.

Ultrafast and sensitive response of surface plasmon polaritons to the ultrasonically-modulated changes in refractive index of the water allows photoacoustic impulses to be measured using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors. However, the sensing modalities always suffer from either low sensitivity or instable signal output, possibly precluding imaging recovery. By exploiting that pressure transients can substantially produce phase shift in p-polarized optical reflection but have no impact on s-polarized component in SPR sensing, we develop a common-path interferometric SPR sensor for photoacoustic measurement, in which time-varying light interference between photoacoustically-perturbed p-polarized beam and its orthogonal s-polarized component of a single interrogation laser is monitored. Such configuration retains optimum photoacoustic measurement with concurrent very stable signal output, high sensitivity (noise-equivalent-pressure sensitivity of ∼95.6 Pa), and broad bandwidth (∼173 MHz). Volumetric microvascular imaging from mouse ear in vivo is obtained, suggesting that the novel sensing approach potentially advances biomedical photoacoustic applications.

Recent years have witnessed substantial potential in allying meta-optics with diverse waveguide platforms to enable exotic manipulation of guided light signals. This review cataloged recent advances on meta-waveguides for photonic integration.

Abstract The emergence of cylindrical vector beam (CVB) multiplexing has opened new avenues for high-capacity optical communication. Although several configurations have been developed to couple/separate CVBs, the CVB multiplexer/demultiplexer remains elusive due to lack of effective off-axis polarization control technologies. Here we report a straightforward approach to realize off-axis polarization control for CVB multiplexing/demultiplexing based on a metal–dielectric–metal metasurface. We show that the left- and right-handed circularly polarized (LHCP/RHCP) components of CVBs are independently modulated via spin-to-orbit interactions by the properly designed metasurface, and then simultaneously multiplexed and demultiplexed due to the reversibility of light path and the conservation of vector mode. We also show that the proposed multiplexers/demultiplexers are broadband (from 1310 to 1625 nm) and compatible with wavelength-division-multiplexing. As a proof of concept, we successfully demonstrate a four-channel CVB multiplexing communication, combining wavelength-division-multiplexing and polarization-division-multiplexing with a transmission rate of 1.56 Tbit/s and a bit-error-rate of 10−6 at the receive power of −21.6 dBm. This study paves the way for CVB multiplexing/demultiplexing and may benefit high-capacity CVB communication.

Optical manipulation: plasmonic tweezers Plasmonic tweezers exploit sub-wavelength confinement of light to allow trapping and manipulation of small particles with far greater precision than usual. Yuquan Zhang and coworkers from Shenzhen University in China and Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands have now reviewed the principles of operation, benefits and potential applications of such tweezers. They document the popular designs of plasmonic nanostructures that have been used to create tweezers to date and the theories behind the generation of surface plasmon polaritons and the forces that they induce. They also discuss the opportunities for improving performance of the tweezers in the future and their applications in the areas of manipulation, sorting, characterization and sensing of objects, especially biological entities such as viruses, DNA, biomolecules and cells.

A deep diffractive neural network (D2NN) is a fast optical computing structure that has been widely used in image classification, logical operations, and other fields. Computed tomography (CT) imaging is a reliable method for detecting and analyzing pulmonary nodules. In this paper, we propose using an all-optical D2NN for pulmonary nodule detection and classification based on CT imaging for lung cancer. The network was trained based on the LIDC-IDRI dataset, and the performance was evaluated on a test set. For pulmonary nodule detection, the existence of nodules scanned from CT images were estimated with two-class classification based on the network, achieving a recall rate of 91.08% from the test set. For pulmonary nodule classification, benign and malignant nodules were also classified with two-class classification with an accuracy of 76.77% and an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.8292. Our numerical simulations show the possibility of using optical neural networks for fast medical image processing and aided diagnosis.

Chiral metasurfaces have recently undergone a dramatic development, due to their important applications in optics, chemistry and biology. However, the tunability and reconfigurability of the chiral metasurfaces remain challenges. Then, we proposed an S-shaped metamirror consisting of a MIM (Au-LiNbO3-Au) structure with a dual-band chiral absorption in the near-infrared range. The proposed structure has two resonant wavelengths with a giant chiro-optical effect. The giant chiro-optical effect originates from the different plasmonic resonances induced by the incident circularly polarized light (CPL) with opposite spin states. By tuning the voltage and thus tuning the refractive index of the lithium niobate (LiNbO3), chiral resonant wavelengths can be dynamically adjusted in a large range as desired. Furthermore, by tuning the refractive index of LiNbO3, we can move the short-wavelength resonance peak to the position of another long-wavelength resonance peak. Therefore, the chiral metamirror can be dynamically reconfigured at the position of the long-wavelength resonance peak. The work offers a further step in developing tunable and reconfigurable chirality for possible applications including reconfigurable chiral hologram, chiral-selective absorber and other chiral components in near-infrared region.

Like free-space vortex beams, surface plasmon polaritons can carry orbital angular momentum to form plasmonic vortices (PVs). Recently, research interest in PV fundamentals and applications has increased. However, generating and manipulating the topological charges of PVs over wide ranges using on-chip devices remains challenging. Here, we propose an on-chip plasmonic metalens structure to generate tunable PV sequence with controllable topological charges at discrete wavelengths. When compared with conventional spiral-slit structures, the designed metalens has additional structural parameters that bring more degrees of freedom to control the range and interval of the topological charge distribution of the PV sequence. Analytical and simulation methods are used to verify the metalens’ functionality. It is proved that the topological charges of the generated PV sequence are symmetrically distributed about the fundamental mode ( l = 0), which cannot be realized by a traditional Archimedean helix. In addition, the normalized powers of the PV sequence are all above 0.8, showing that the designed metalens structure has potential for use as an on-chip optical vortex comb device. This work has potential applications in on-chip optical information processing, integrated optical communications, and optical tweezers.

High-speed optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM), integrating the merits of high spatial resolution and fast imaging acquisition, can observe dynamic processes of the optical absorption-based molecular specificities. However, it remains challenging for the evaluation to morphological and physiological parameters that are closely associated with photoacoustic spectrum due to the inadequate ultrasonic frequency response of the routinely-employed piezoelectric transducer. By utilizing the galvanometer for fast optical scanning and our previously-developed surface plasmon resonance sensor as an unfocused broadband ultrasonic detector, high-speed spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging was accessed in the OR-PAM system, achieving an acoustic bandwidth of ∼125 MHz and B-scan rate at ∼200 Hz over a scanning range of ∼0.5 mm. Our system demonstrated the dynamic imaging of the moving phantoms’ structures and the simultaneous characterization of their photoacoustic spectra over time. Further, fast volumetric imaging and spectroscopic analysis of microanatomic features of a zebrafish eye ex vivo was obtained label-freely.

Twisted light, with spatially varying phase or polarization, has given rise to various applications, such as micro-particle manipulation, optical communication, and quantum information processing. In recent decades, to bring these applications into reality, various configurations such as conventional spiral phase plates, computer-generated holograms, metasurface-based setups, and on-chip devices have been explored for twisted light generation. In this Perspective, we focus on recent progress in generation twisted light from typical on-chip devices such as waveguides, plasmonic nanoslits, whispering gallery mode configurations, and meta-gratings. We aim at highlighting the key research advances and technical challenges in on-chip twisted light generation. Finally, we outlook the likely future trend of this emerging research field.

Anisotropic borophene surface plasmons with extraordinary features have triggered considerable research interest since its discovery. However, due to the atomically thin thickness of monolayer borophene, it is difficult to achieve borophene surface plasmons with high absorption, especially for high-order plasmonic resonant modes. In this paper, we theoretically proposed a hybrid plasmonic system consisting of a borophene monolayer and a periodic metallic grating separated by a dielectric spacer, where multi-order anisotropic borophene surface plasmons and magnetic polaritons can be simultaneously excited. Benefitting from the high electric field enhancement and localization of the magnetic polaritons, the intrinsic absorption of the multi-order borophene surface plasmons can be improved by at least 3 times when the resonant wavelengths of borophene plasmons and magnetic polaritons are tailored to match each other, either by passively tuning the height of grating slits or by actively adjusting the borophene electron density. By further designing compound grating with multiple slits in one period, the overall absorption of the system can be significantly improved within a wide infrared region. Such hybrid system with may find applications in the design of boron-based optoelectronics devices in the infrared region.

In many previous works, a single-pixel imaging (SPI) system has been constructed as an optical image encryption system. Unauthorized users are not able to reconstruct the plaintext image from the ciphertext intensity sequence without knowing the illumination pattern key. However, the cryptanalysis of encrypted SPI has been seldom investigated in the past. In this work, we propose a known-plaintext attack scheme and a ciphertext-only attack scheme for an encrypted SPI system for the first time. The known-plaintext attack is implemented by interchanging the roles of illumination patterns and object images in the SPI model. The ciphertext-only attack is implemented based on the statistical features of single-pixel intensity values under certain circumstances. The two schemes can crack encrypted SPI systems and successfully recover the key containing correct illumination patterns.

Abstract Background The plasmonic breathing modes of a metallic nanodisc are dark plasmonic modes and thus also have the advantage of much smaller radiation loss. These modes emerged previously in electron energy loss spectroscopy experiments and were then pursued with optical excitation methods. Results In this paper, through the finite element method type numerical simulations, we show evidence of the pure excitation of these modes under the illumination of two counter-propagating, radially-polarized optical beams. The obtained near-field spectrum of a single Au or Ag nanodisc shows the plasmonic resonant peaks at which the electric field distributions, as well as the plasmonic dispersion relationship both clearly exhibit the characteristics of the plasmonic breathing modes. Conclusion We expect that the method that we have proposed, due to operating conveniently in the manner of far field excitation, will open many possibilities in practical applications based on the interaction between a single metal nanodisc with the radially polarized optical beam or between a metal nanodisc array with the beam array.

We propose and demonstrate an optical router by selecting data encoded in massive orthogonal orbital angular momentum (OAM) states carried by collinear optical vortex (OV) beams. By switching the OV grating on a digital micromirror device, we achieve information exchange and multicasting in 49 OAM channels with 1.37 Tbit/s aggregated data capacity. The time-domain characterization of the OAM router shows a fast-switching time of 6.9 μs. Both the analytical derivations and experimental demonstrations show that the router has signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) better than 10.1 dB for all tens of OAM channels. The OAM-based optical interconnect technique is a promising solution for networking multiple users with ultrahigh data capacity density in datacenters.

Polarization converters that convert incident linearly polarized beams into arbitrary order cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) are derived with the Jones matrix theory. We reveal the existence of an inherent transform mechanism, which links the different order CVB converters. Based on this mechanism, CVB of any desired order can be achieved by the combination of the low-order CVB converters and half waveplates. The order of CVBs can be adjusted flexibly by changing the number of the first- and second-order vortex-waveplates, which are manufactured with the liquid crystal polarization modulation technique. This work facilitates the generation of arbitrary order CVBs, which may find valuable applications in optical trapping, optical communication, etc., as well.

The cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) compose two circularly polarized vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) states with the opposite topological charge. We derived the probabilities for OAM of high-order CVB propagation through turbulent atmosphere. The calculated probabilities of OAM are based on the polarization insensitive element detection and phase perturbation coherence function assumption. The numerical calculation results show that the probabilities of OAM state spreading to neighbor states of CVBs through turbulent atmosphere increase with the propagation distance increase. Under the same conditions, the spreading of OAM for CVBs are weaker than Laguerre-Gaussian beam propagation through turbulent atmosphere. The results show that the OAM state of CVBs could improve the performance of optical communications systems in atmospheric turbulence.

We propose a kind of perfect optical vortex beam (POV) generated via Fourier transformation of Bessel-Gauss (BG) beams through encoding of the amplitude of the optical field with binary amplitude digital micromirrors device. We call them concentric POVs which consist of several POVs and where every POV has the same center and independent characters, and we confirm the correct phase patterns of the concentric POVs with the method of Mach-Zehnder interference and self-interference. This special property could be considered as a potential of implement to increase the orbital angular momentum communication capacity vastly.

Abstract Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have raised considerable scientific interest due to their high cost‐efficiency potential for photovoltaic solar energy conversion. As PSCs already are meeting the efficiency requirements for renewable power generation, more attention is given to further technological barriers as environmental stability and reliability. However, the most major obstacle limiting commercialization of PSCs is the lack of a reliable and scalable process for thin film production. Here, a generic crystallization strategy that allows the controlled growth of highly qualitative perovskite films via a one‐step blade coating is reported. Through rational ink formulation in combination with a facile vacuum‐assisted precrystallization strategy, it is possible to produce dense and uniform perovskite films with high crystallinity on large areas. The universal application of the method is demonstrated at the hand of three typical perovskite compositions with different band gaps. P‐i‐n perovskite solar cells show fill factors up to 80%, underpinning the statement of the importance of controlling crystallization dynamics. The methodology provides important progress toward the realization of cost‐effective large‐area perovskite solar cells for practical applications.

Magnetic skyrmions are topological quasiparticles in magnetization. Recently, as one of their photonic counterparts, Néel-type photonic skyrmions were discovered in evanescent electromagnetic waves. The deep-subwavelength features of the photonic skyrmions suggest their potential in optical imaging quantum technologies and data storage. Here, by exploiting the photonic quantum spin Hall effect of a plasmonic vortex in a trilayered structure, we predict the existence of photonic twisted-Néel- and Bloch-type skyrmions in chiral materials. Their chirality-dependent features can be considered as additional degrees of freedom for future chiral sensing, information processing, and storage technologies. In particular, our findings enrich the formations of photonic skyrmions and reveal a remarkable resemblance of the feature of chiral materials in two seemingly distant fields: photonic skyrmions and magnetic skyrmions.

The main purpose of the paper Li et al (2020 New J. Phys. 22 113019) is to determine the common properties of electronic waves and electromagnetic waves. The electronic Maxwell’s equations are identical to the Dirac equation, describing both electrons and positrons.

The spatial confinement of the tip-induced plasmon is a critical factor to determine the resolution of the tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) system. Despite the compressed optical field, only 1 nm is obtained by the self-interaction effect of molecule; however, the deeper physical laws underlying are still under discussion. In addition, due to the gap between the tip and the substrate is only a few nanometers (or less), the quantum effects should be taken into account. For simplicity, we treat the system of the plasmonic dimer with a molecule in the gap as a TERS-like system. In the framework of the newly developed quantum hydrodynamic model, we propose a model to study the light field enhancement and compression affected by the quantum effects in TERS-like system. The results show that the “hot spot” size depends on both the shape and the boundary location of the molecule in the dimer gap. The mechanism of such light field distribution will make us distinguish the boundary of the molecule more clearly. Therefore, our theoretical model offers a new insight into the confinement of the electromagnetic field in the TERS-like system, hence, the physical mechanism of the subnanometer spatial resolution in TERS system.

A tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) system based on an atomic force microscope (AFM) and radially polarized laser beam was developed. A TERS probe with plasmon resonance wavelength matching the excitation wavelength was prepared with the help of dark-field micrographs. The intrinsic photoluminescence (PL) from the silver (Ag)-coated TERS probe induced by localized surface plasmon resonance contains information about the near-field enhanced electromagnetic field intensity of the probe. Therefore, we used the intensity change of Ag PL to evaluate the stability of the Ag-coated probe during TERS experiments. Tracking the Ag PL of the TERS probe was helpful to detect probe damage and hotspot alignment. Our setup was successfully used for the TERS imaging of single-walled carbon nanotubes, which demonstrated that the Ag PL of the TERS probe is a good criterion to assist in the hotspot alignment procedure required for TERS experiments. This method lowers the risk of contamination and damage of the precious TERS probe, making it worthwhile for wide adoption in TERS experiments.

To date, the wave nature of electron has been widely researched, together with its similarity to optics. To unify electronic waves and electromagnetic waves, we establish four equations analogous to Maxwell’s equations by expressing the Dirac equation in terms of the quaternions. We develop some fundamental theories from the electronic version of Maxwell’s equations. In practice, solving electron wave problem is convenient without appearance of quantum operators such as Pauli matrices. The benefit is its potential in the analysis and applications of diverse electron beams, for example, phase-shift control. Moreover, physical quantities represented by electronic vector fields are notably similar to those in optics, making it possible to apply some ideas developed in optics in the research of electron.

We explore a radially polarized vortex beam with broken axial symmetry under tight focusing conditions. The beam’s three mutually orthogonal polarization components (radial, azimuthal, and longitudinal) are all rotated by an angle of π/2 with respect to the input field in the focal plane. We validate this effect experimentally. Finally, we prove that this effect can be used to transport nanoparticles.

Recently polymer encapsulated surface-enhanced-Raman-scattering (SERS) probes with internal noble metal core−shell structure has found growing applications in biomedical applications. Here we studied the SERS spectra of Au@Ag−4MBA@PVP (4MBA: 4-mercaptobenzoic acid; PVP: polyvinylpyrrolidone) plasmonic nanoparticles produced from a chemical reduction method. By linking the atomic force microscope (AFM) with the homebuilt confocal Raman spectrometer thus to use AFM images as guidance, we realized the measurement of the SERS spectra from separated nanoparticles. We investigated the cases for single nanoparticles and for dimer structures and report several observed results including SERS spectra linearly scaled with laser power, abrupt boosting and abnormal shape changing of SERS spectra for dimer structures. Based on the finite element method simulation, we explained the observed ratio of SERS signals between the dimer structure and the single nanoparticle, and attributed the observed abnormal spectra to the photothermal effect of these plasmonic nanoparticles. Our study provides valuable guidance for choosing appropriate laser power when applying similar SERS probes to image biological cells.

Photoacoustic Doppler (PAD) power spectra showing an evident Doppler shift represent the major characteristics of the continuous wave-excited or burst wave-excited versions of PAD flow measurements. In this paper, the flow angle dependences of the PAD power spectra are investigated using an experiment setup that was established based on intensity-modulated continuous wave laser excitation. The setup has an overall configuration that is similar to a previously reported configuration, but is more sophisticated in that it accurately aligns the laser illumination with the ultrasound detection process, and in that it picks up the correct sample position. In the analysis of the power spectra data, we find that the background power spectra can be extracted by combining the output signals from the two channels of the lock-in amplifier, which is very useful for identification of the PAD power spectra. The power spectra are presented and analyzed in opposite flow directions, at different flow speeds, and at different flow angles. The power spectra at a 90° flow angle show the unique properties of symmetrical shapes due to PAD broadening. For the other flow angles, the smoothed power spectra clearly show a flow angle cosine relationship.