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Room-temperature highly sensitive microbolometers are becoming very attractive in infrared (IR) sensing with the increase in demand for the internet of things (IOT), night vision, and medical imaging. Different techniques, such as building extremely small-scale devices (nanotubes, etc.) or using 2D materials, showed promising results in terms of high sensitivity with the cost of challenges in fabrication and low-noise readout circuit. Here, we propose a new and simple technique on the application of joule heating on a clamped&ndash, clamped beam without adding any complexity. It provides much better uniformity in temperature distribution in comparison to conventional joule heating, and this results in higher thermal stresses on fixed ends. This consequently brings around 60.5&times, improvement in the overall temperature sensitivity according to both theory and COMSOL (multiphysics solver). The sensitivity increased with the increase in the stiffness constant, and it was calculated as 134 N/m for a device with a 60.5&times, improvement. A considerable amount of decrease in the operation temperature (36&times, below 383 K and 47&times, below 428 K) was achieved via a new technique. That&rsquo, s why the proposed solution can be used either to build highly reliable long-term devices or to increase the thermal sensitivity.

Goktas, Hasan/0000-0002-2195-9531 WOS: 000454463000028 A silicon-based light source presents an unreached goal in the field of photonics due to silicon's indirect electronic band structure preventing direct carrier recombination and subsequent photon emission. Here, we utilize inelastically tunneling electrons to demonstrate an electrically driven light emitting silicon-based tunnel junction operating at room temperature. We show that such a junction is a source for plasmons driven by the electrical tunnel current. We find that the emission spectrum is not given by the quantum condition where the emission frequency would be proportional to the applied voltage, but the spectrum is determined by the spectral overlap between the energy-dependent tunnel current and the modal dispersion of the plasmon. By coupling an internal electric field enhancement with an external k-vector matching grating, we were able to demonstrate a 10-fold increase in the internal efficiency and a 40-fold increase in overall quantum efficiency. Such an electron tunneling-based mechanism could lead to a new class of solid-state light sources with unique features such as down-scalability and temporal responses that are significantly shorter than that of light-emitting diodes. Air Force Office of Scientific ResearchUnited States Department of DefenseAir Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) [FA9550-17-1-0377] V.S. is supported by Air Force Office of Scientific Research under the Award FA9550-17-1-0377. We thank Josh Conway for helpful discussions and Ergun Simsek for numerical analysis support.

International audience; We demonstrate the effectiveness of silicon phase masks to implement spatially resolved, multispectral imaging capabilities in the range of terahertz frequencies, using a standard setup of basic interest for time-domain spectrometry with a single-cell source and a single-cell detector. Our principle primarily aims at the development of robust and inexpensive systems. It consists of appropriate space-to-time encoding, in order to ensure single-scan triggering and then take advantage of rapid and self-consistent measurements in the two-dimensional space. The process enables very efficient discrimination giving access to a relevant spatial resolution in the analysis of small size, planar assemblies made of inhomogeneous materials. Benchmark results are provided to validate the concept, thanks to prototyping phase masks with 2×2 pixels, prior evidencing actual performance limitations in the case of 3×3 pixels. Due to the frequency bandwidth of 0.1–1.5THz in our setup and to the available operating conditions, currently acceptable pixel resolutions lie in the range of 3–4mm. Numerical modeling by means of finite elements helps to discuss these numbers and to investigate the relevant theoretical issues, figuring the main propagation issues in connection with a sub-picosecond seed pulse throughout various masks. This involves diffraction and trailing edge effects when crossing the mask together with residual, parasitic reflections. Finally, we give a consistent prospective for improved performance, via realistic updates regarding the architecture of the setup and complementary post-processing. Further values for the attainable spatial resolution then range from 5×5 to 6×6 pixels.

The spectral and temporal evolution of distributed sensing based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in optical fibers for several-nanosecond Stokes pulses is demonstrated by using the method of lines (MOL) solution of the transient SBS equations. A superbee flux limiter is utilized to avoid numerical damping and dispersion that would otherwise be brought on by the approximation of spatial derivatives associated with the partial differential equations (PDEs). In order to increase computational efficiency, an approach is adopted where by the sparse PDE jacobian matrix integrator option of the ODE solver(s) is employed. Simulation examples of SBS-based sensing for fibers containing sections with different Brillouin frequencies are presented. To the best of our knowledge, this MOL solution is proposed for the first time for modeling of the transient SBS equations for nanosecond Stokes pulses with different waveforms in a SBS based fiber optic sensor.

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to demonstrate a fast numerical solution for Raman fiber amplifier equations using proposed guess functions and MATLAB intrinsic properties. MATLAB BVP solvers are addressed for the solution.Design/methodology/approachThe guess functions proposed for the solution of RFA equations using MATLAB BVP solvers are derived from Taylor expansion of pump and signal wave near the boundary to specifically obtain convergence for the initial mesh point. The guess functions increase simulation speed significantly. In order to improve the simulation speed further, vectorization and analytical Jacobians are introduced. Comparisons among bvp4c and bvp5c have been made with respect to total pump power, number of signals, vectorization with/without analytical Jacobians, fiber length, relative tolerance and continuation method. The simulations are performed to determine the effect of the run time on the choice of the number of equally spaced mesh points (N) in the initial guess, and thus optimal N values are found.FindingsMATLAB BVP solvers have been proven to be effective for the numerical solution of RFAs with the proposed guess functions. In particular, with vectorizing, run time reduction is between 2.1 and 5.4 times for bvp4c and between 1.6 and 2.1 times for bvp5c and in addition to vectorizing, with the introduction of the analytical Jacobians, the reduction is between 2.4 and 6.2 times for bvp4c and 1.7 and 2.2 times for bvp5c, respectively, depending on the total pump power between 1,000 mW and 2,000 mW and the number of signals. Also, simulation results show that the efficiency of the solution with proposed guess functions is improved more than six times compared with those of previously reported continuation methods. Results show that the proposed guess functions with the vectorization and analytical Jacobians can be used for the performance evaluation of RFAs for the high power systems/long gain fiber span.Practical implicationsThe robust improvement of the solution proposed in this paper lies in the fact that the derived guess functions for the RFAs are highly effective in the sense that they assist the solver to converge to the solution for any total pump power value in a wide range from 1 to 3,000 mW and for any fiber lengths ranging 1 to 200 km which are used in practical applications. Hence, it is practicable for the performance evaluation of the existing RFA networks.Originality/valueThe novelty of this method is that, starting with the co‐propagating single pump and signal RFA schema, the authors derived the guess function specifically for the initial mesh points rather than using its analytical approximations. Moreover, the solution is generalized for co‐/counter propagating pumps/signals with the curve fitted coefficient(s).

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an effective and robust numerical solution for Raman fiber amplifier (RFA) equations which have no explicit solution. MATLAB BVP solvers are addressed for the solution.Design/methodology/approachThe continuation method proposed for the solution of RFA equations using MATLAB BVP solvers is explained. Scripts for improving the power values at the boundaries with continuation, extending fiber length with continuation and calculation of the analytical partial derivatives using the MATLAB Symbolic toolbox are introduced. Comparisons among the different MATLAB BVP solvers have been made. Using the continuation method, signal evolutions for different kinds of RFA amplifier configurations are plotted.FindingsThe paper finds that MATLAB BVP solver with the continuation method can be used in the design of various kinds of RFAs for high powers/long gain fiber spans.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper will assist the fiber optic research community who suffer from two or more point boundary‐value problems. Moreover, the stiffness of the signal evolution which is faced with high pump powers and/or long fiber lengths can be solved with continuation. This superiority of the solver can be used to overcome any stiff changes of the signals for future studies.Practical implicationsThe increased research interests and practical demands for RFAs have been calling for reasonable and efficient means for the performance evaluation of RFAs before the real amplifiers are fabricated. The solution method presented in this paper will be an efficient means for the solution of this issue.Originality/valueMATLAB BVP solvers have been proven to be effective for the numerical solution of RFAs with multiple pumps and signal waves. Using the continuation method, in a distributed RFA with ten pump sources, 2,400 mW total input pump power is achieved. The improvement of the total power is about 1.4 times compared with those of the previously reported methods. Using the MATLAB BVP solvers, total power/fiber span can be improved further using the continuation process with the cost of computational time. This is a notable and promising improvement from a RFA designer's point of view.

Highly accurate closed-form analytical formula, based on the undepleted pump approximation (UPA), is derived for pump, Stokes and the gain of a Brillouin fiber amplifier (BFA) operating in the moderately depleted pump regime. The material loss of the medium, which is a strong effect in optical fibers, is taken into account. To define validity ranges of the solution, the threshold power of BFA is accurately determined. The obtained results are numerically and experimentally validated. The presented analysis can be used to accurately predict the performance of moderate-gain BFAs.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate an effective and faster numerical solution for nonlinear‐coupled differential equations describing fiber amplifiers which have no explicit solution. MATLAB boundary value problem (BVP) solver of bvp6c function is addressed for the solution.Design/methodology/approachCoding method with the bvp6c is introduced, signal evolution, threshold calculation method is introduced, gain and noise figure are plotted and superiority of the bvp6c solver is compared with the Newton‐Raphson method.Findingsbvp6c function appears to be an effective tool for the solution fiber amplifier equations and can be used for different pump configurations of BFAs and RFAs. The excellent agreement between the proposed and reported results shows the reliability of the proposed threshold power calculation method.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper eases the work of the fiber optic research community, who suffer from two point BVPs. Moreover, the stiffness of the signal evolution which is faced with high pump powers and/or long fiber lengths can be solved with continuation. This superiority of the solver can be used to overcome any stiff changes of the signals for the future studies.Practical implicationsThe main outcome of this paper is the numerically calculation of the threshold values of fiber amplifiers without the necessity of the experiment. The robustness improvement of the solution is that the solver is able to solve the equations even with the poor guess values and the solution can be obtained without the necessity of analytical Jacobian matrix.Originality/valueMATLAB bvp6c solver has proven to be effective for the numerical solution of nonlinear‐coupled intensity differential equations describing fiber amplifiers with two‐point boundary values. Beside the signal evolution, thresholds of Brillouin and Raman fiber amplifiers can also be calculated by using the proposed solver. This is a notable and promising improvement of the paper, at least from a fiber optic amplifier designer point of view.