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| Open AccessPhotonic crystals with rainbow colors by centrifugation-assisted assembly of colloidal lignin nanoparticles
Photonic crystals are often prepared by assembly of particles into periodically arranged structures, but it is challenging to fabricate these materials using lignin nanoparticles. Here, the authors report the use of centrifugation to fabricate photonic crystals with rainbow structural colors.
- Jinrong Liu
- , Mathias Nero
- & Mika H. Sipponen
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Article
| Open AccessPolarization patterning in ferroelectric nematic liquids via flexoelectric coupling
Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystals (FNLCs) have potential in applications due to their unique combination of fluidity, spontaneous polarization, large dielectric permittivity, and second-order non-linear optical properties. Sebastián et al. show the patterning of electric polarization in FNLCs by photoalignment which exploit flexoelectric coupling between polarization and splay director deformations.
- Nerea Sebastián
- , Matija Lovšin
- & Alenka Mertelj
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Article
| Open AccessIntramolecular charge transfer enables highly-efficient X-ray luminescence in cluster scintillators
X-ray luminescence efficiency of copper halide clusters is limited by nonradiative charge transfer. Here, Zhang et al. report highly emissive radioluminescence of Cu4I4 cubes by functionalizing biphosphine ligands with acridine, unlocking the potential use as low-cost and eco-friendly scintillators.
- Nan Zhang
- , Lei Qu
- & Hui Xu
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Article
| Open AccessSelf-wavelength shifting in two-dimensional perovskite for sensitive and fast gamma-ray detection
Efficient light extraction in perovskite X/γ-ray scintillators is hindered by the small Stokes shift of exciton luminescence. Here, Jin et al. exploit the intrinsic strain in 2D perovskite as “self-wavelength shifting” to reduce the self-absorption effect without sacrificing the device response speed.
- Tong Jin
- , Zheng Liu
- & Guangda Niu
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Article
| Open AccessInterfacial interaction and intense interfacial ultraviolet light emission at an incoherent interface
Incoherent interfaces usually have weak interfacial interactions and lack of unique properties. Here, Yan et al. demonstrate unexpected strong interfacial interactions and intense ultraviolet light emission at an incoherent AlN/Al2O3 interface.
- Xuexi Yan
- , Yixiao Jiang
- & Xiu-Liang Ma
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Article
| Open AccessStrong second-harmonic generation by sublattice polarization in non-uniformly strained monolayer graphene
Nanostructured platforms for efficient nonlinear optics are the building block of next generation integrated photonic devices. Here the authors provide a straightforward method to engineer the lattice symmetry of monolayer graphene, boosting the SHG signal at low temperature.
- Kunze Lu
- , Manlin Luo
- & Donguk Nam
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Article
| Open AccessConfining donor conformation distributions for efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence with fast spin-flipping
The distribution of dihedral angles in film state has significant influence on excited state lifetimes of thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters. Here authors report conformation distribution confinement strategy to achieve fast spin-flipping for efficient organic light-emitting diodes.
- Weidong Qiu
- , Denghui Liu
- & Shi-Jian Su
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Article
| Open AccessEpitaxial growth of highly symmetrical branched noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures with efficient plasmon-induced hot-electron transfer
Epitaxial growth of heterostructures composed of materials with large lattice mismatch is challenging. Here, the authors reported the epitaxy of II-VI semiconductor nanorods on plasmonic noble metal, despite a lattice mismatch of more than 40%.
- Li Zhai
- , Sara T. Gebre
- & Xue-Jun Wu
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-shot isotropic differential interference contrast microscopy
The authors present a metasurface-assisted isotropic DIC microscopy technique. It is based on an original pattern of radial shear interferometry, that converts rectilinear shear into rotationally symmetric radial shear, enabling single-shot isotropic imaging capabilities.
- Xinwei Wang
- , Hao Wang
- & Xumin Ding
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Article
| Open AccessAntichiral surface states in time-reversal-invariant photonic semimetals
Here the authors proposed an approach to realize the antichiral surface states in a time-reversal invariant photonic system. They harnessed a synthetic gauge flux and observed a kz-dependent antichiral surface transport in their 3D metacrystal.
- Jian-Wei Liu
- , Fu-Long Shi
- & Jian-Wen Dong
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Article
| Open AccessRealizing efficient blue and deep-blue delayed fluorescence materials with record-beating electroluminescence efficiencies of 43.4%
Thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials are important for the development of OLED materials but the development of robust blue emitting materials remains challenging. Here, the authors report three highly efficient blue and deepblue delayed fluorescence materials demonstrating excellent electroluminescence performance.
- Yan Fu
- , Hao Liu
- & Zujin Zhao
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Article
| Open AccessA direct observation of up-converted room-temperature phosphorescence in an anti-Kasha dopant-matrix system
The emission maximum of phosphorescence is normally larger than that of fluorescence. Here, authors report up-converted room-temperature phosphorescence materials that emit from higher-lying triplet states with 3n-π* characters and large phosphorescence decay rate constants, violating Kasha’s rule.
- Jiuyang Li
- , Xun Li
- & Kaka Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessMacroscopic transition metal dichalcogenides monolayers with uniformly high optical quality
The optical quality of large-area transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers is usually limited by surface defects and inhomogeneities. Here, the authors report a method based on 1-dodecanol encapsulation to improve the optical properties of TMD monolayers over mm-scale, enabling the fabrication of an array of polariton photonic crystal cavities.
- Qiuyang Li
- , Adam Alfrey
- & Hui Deng
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Article
| Open AccessPolarization-directed growth of spiral nanostructures by laser direct writing with vector beams
Chiral nanostructures are in demand for various applications, but facile and scalable fabrication is a technical challenge. Here, the authors report polarization-directed chiral growth of complex spiral patterns by laser direct writing with vector beams.
- Xiaolin Lu
- , Xujie Wang
- & Tao Ding
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Article
| Open AccessHollow-core fibers with reduced surface roughness and ultralow loss in the short-wavelength range
In all fiber optics, loss in the visible and UV is restricted by scattering. By improving the core roughness of hollow-core fibers, record attenuation values at short-wavelengths were achieved, opening exciting prospects in visible and UV-photonics.
- Jonas H. Osório
- , Foued Amrani
- & Fetah Benabid
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Article
| Open AccessOrthogonal luminescence lifetime encoding by intermetallic energy transfer in heterometallic rare-earth MOFs
Lifetime-encoded materials are attractive as optical markers. Here, the authors report a design strategy for true orthogonality in encoding based on heterometallic rare-earth MOFs with independently variable lifetime and composition.
- Jacob I. Deneff
- , Lauren E. S. Rohwer
- & Dorina F. Sava Gallis
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Article
| Open AccessIntelligent metasurface system for automatic tracking of moving targets and wireless communications based on computer vision
The authors present an intelligent metasurface system that uses a target detection algorithm combined with a depth camera, to automatically detect the position of moving targets and achieve real-time wireless communications. The system can operate for multiple targets in limited ambient light, outdoor and other realistic environments.
- Weihan Li
- , Qian Ma
- & Tie Jun Cui
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Article
| Open AccessNanostructure-free crescent-shaped microparticles as full-color reflective pigments
Structural colors arise from nanostructures or special microgeometries. Here, the authors report on crescent-shaped microparticles as full-color reflective pigments that show brilliant colors in directional light and are transparent in ambient light.
- Yi Yang
- , Jong Bin Kim
- & Shin-Hyun Kim
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Article
| Open AccessGiant polarization ripple in transverse pyroelectricity
Pyroelectricity promises viable heat harvesting and sensing. Here, the authors identify transverse polarization ripple in pyroelectrics via heat localization and propagation decoupling and offer competitive power output to solar thermoelectrics.
- Yi Zhou
- , Tianpeng Ding
- & Ghim Wei Ho
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Article
| Open AccessSuppressing phase disproportionation in quasi-2D perovskite light-emitting diodes
Quasi-2D halide perovskites are attracting increasing attention for light-emitting devices. Here, the authors demonstrated efficient and stable quasi-2D perovskite LEDs enabled by suppressed phase disproportionation with newly designed organic ligands.
- Kang Wang
- , Zih-Yu Lin
- & Letian Dou
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Article
| Open AccessCircularly polarized electroluminescence from a single-crystal organic microcavity light-emitting diode based on photonic spin-orbit interactions
Nanoscale circularly polarized light sources are an important building block for future integrated photonics. Here the authors demonstrate circularly polarized light emission from a thin organic single crystal light-emitting diode.
- Jichao Jia
- , Xue Cao
- & Hongbing Fu
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Article
| Open AccessSelf-growing photonic composites with programmable colors and mechanical properties
Structural coloration - i.e. colors arising from light interference in microstructures - is a good resource for several applications but usually involves elaborate fabrication techniques. Here, the authors achieve controllable coloration using silica particles embedded in a rearrangeable polymer network.
- Juan Xue
- , Xuewu Yin
- & Jiaxi Cui
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Article
| Open AccessConstructing high-efficiency orange-red thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters by three-dimension molecular engineering
The design of high-efficiency solution-processable orange-red thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters remains to be a challenge. Here, the authors synthesize a series of emitters consisting of a trinaphtho[3,3,3]propellane core with highly efficient emission in the orange-red region of the spectrum.
- Lei Hua
- , Yuchao Liu
- & Zhongjie Ren
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Article
| Open AccessCircular polarized light-dependent anomalous photovoltaic effect from achiral hybrid perovskites
The manipulation of anomalous photovoltaic current by changing the light helicity has attracted an increasing interest in the field. Here, the authors realize circular polarized light-dependent anomalous bulk photovoltaic effect in achiral hybrid perovskites with a large asymmetry factor of 0.24.
- Tingting Zhu
- , Jie Bie
- & Junhua Luo
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Article
| Open AccessRadiative anti-parity-time plasmonics
The parity-time symmetry has led to exotic phenomena and fruitful applications in optical systems. In this paper, the authors propose a leaky-wave-enabled anti-parity-time design and realize space-wave harnessing.
- Yumeng Yang
- , Xinrong Xie
- & Fei Gao
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Article
| Open AccessInterplay of defect levels and rare earth emission centers in multimode luminescent phosphors
Information encryption technology calls for versatile multi-mode luminescent materials. Here, the authors develop phosphors with five integrated luminescence modes by exploiting the interplay of defect levels and rare-earth emission centers.
- Xinquan Zhou
- , Lixin Ning
- & Zhiguo Xia
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Article
| Open AccessArginine-modified black phosphorus quantum dots with dual excited states for enhanced electrochemiluminescence in bioanalysis
Electrochemiluminescence is emitted via the radiative transition of a singlet or triplet excited state. Here, the authors propose an arginine modification of black phosphorus quantum dots that exhibits enhanced emission based on dual excited states.
- Siqi Yu
- , Yu Du
- & Huangxian Ju
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Article
| Open AccessDynamic complex opto-magnetic holography
Holography recreates both the amplitude and wave front of a three dimensional object, meaning that the observer perceives the image in the nearly same way as they would the true object. Creating such holographic images is challenging computationally, and requires extremely fast display update. Here, the authors combine a fast memoryless computation algorithm with the ultra-rapid writing based on all-optical switching of a ferrimagnetic film.
- M. Makowski
- , J. Bomba
- & A. Stupakiewicz
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Article
| Open AccessElectrically responsive photonic crystals with bistable states for low-power electrophoretic color displays
Conventional electrophoretic color displays require a permanent electric field, increasing power consumption. Here, the authors report an electrically responsive photonic crystal with switchable bistable states by particle rearrangement for low power consumption displays.
- Qianqian Fu
- , Wenyuan Yu
- & Jianping Ge
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Article
| Open AccessHot-carrier tunable abnormal nonlinear absorption conversion in quasi-2D perovskite
Controlling the high-power laser transmittance is built on the diverse manipulation of multiple nonlinear absorption processes in the nonlinear optical materials. Here, the authors demonstrate the crucial role of hot-carrier effect to tune the nonlinear absorption response in quasi-2D perovskite films.
- Gang Wang
- , Tanghao Liu
- & Guichuan Xing
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Article
| Open AccessUltrasensitive probing of plasmonic hot electron occupancies
Experimental evidence is given that upon the optical excitation of surface plasmon polaritons, a nonthermal electron population appears in the topmost domain of the plasmonic film directly coupled to the local fields.
- Judit Budai
- , Zsuzsanna Pápa
- & Péter Dombi
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Article
| Open AccessGate-tunable quantum pathways of high harmonic generation in graphene
Under strong laser fields, materials exhibit extreme non-linear optical response, such as high harmonic generation. These higher harmonics provide insights into electron behaviour in materials in sub-laser cycle timescale. Here, Cha et al study higher harmonic generation resulting from the laser driven motion of massless Dirac fermions in graphene.
- Soonyoung Cha
- , Minjeong Kim
- & Jonghwan Kim
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Article
| Open AccessTowards highly efficient NIR II response up-conversion phosphor enabled by long lifetimes of Er3+
Development of efficient upconversion (UC) phosphors that emit under irradiation in the NIR II region is challenging - most UC materials rely on the presence of sensitizers absorbing at shorter wavelengths. Here, authors synthesize Er3+ doped ternary sulfides phosphors with visible UC efficiency up to 2.6% and long emission lifetimes under 1532 nm irradiation, via an excited state absorption mechanism.
- Xiumei Yin
- , Wen Xu
- & Bin Dong
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Article
| Open AccessSensitivity and spectral control of network lasers
Nanophotonic light sources with programmable emission spectrum are important building blocks for integrated photonics, sensing and optical computing. Here the authors tune the complex laser spectrum of a network laser achieving selective lasing of a single, two or more modes.
- Dhruv Saxena
- , Alexis Arnaudon
- & Riccardo Sapienza
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Article
| Open AccessA warm-white light-emitting diode based on single-component emitter aromatic carbon nitride
Designing single-component materials with white-light electroluminescence is highly demanded for artificial lighting applications. Here, the authors fabricate a single-component white-light electroluminescence device based on an aromatic carbon nitride material with high maximum luminance and external quantum efficiency.
- Yunhu Wang
- , Kunpeng Wang
- & Jun Xing
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Article
| Open AccessElectrically regulating nonlinear optical limiting of metal-organic framework film
Nonlinear optical properties of metal-organic framework can be tuned for potential optical applications. Here the authors demonstrate an enhancement the nonlinear absorption coefficient of MOF film by applying external electric field.
- Zhi-Zhou Ma
- , Qiao-Hong Li
- & Jian Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessPlasmonic high-entropy carbides
Tunable plasmonic materials capable of surviving harsh environments are critical for advanced applications. Here, the authors report that some high-entropy transition-metal carbides can satisfy the requirements.
- Arrigo Calzolari
- , Corey Oses
- & Stefano Curtarolo
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Article
| Open AccessMulticolor ultralong phosphorescence from perovskite-like octahedral α-AlF3
Unravelling the origin of emission in luminescent inorganic materials is challenging. Here, the authors report that AlF6 octahedrons exhibit excitation-dependent color-tunable phosphorescence; structurally related compounds are also luminescent.
- Peisheng Cao
- , Haoyue Zheng
- & Peng Wu
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Article
| Open AccessSoft shape-programmable surfaces by fast electromagnetic actuation of liquid metal networks
Low modulus materials that can change shape in response to external stimuli are promising for a wide range of applications. The authors here introduce a shape-reprogrammable construct, based on liquid metal microfluidic networks and electromagnetic actuation, that supports a unique collection of capabilities.
- Xinchen Ni
- , Haiwen Luan
- & John A. Rogers
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Article
| Open AccessResolving molecular diffusion and aggregation of antibody proteins with megahertz X-ray free-electron laser pulses
The European X-ray FreeElectron Laser Facility generates ultrashort hard X-ray pulses with megahertz repetition rate. Here, the authors probe the dynamics of dense antibody protein (Ig-PEG) solutions using megahertz X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy at the European XFEL.
- Mario Reiser
- , Anita Girelli
- & Christian Gutt
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Article
| Open AccessUnveiling Weyl-related optical responses in semiconducting tellurium by mid-infrared circular photogalvanic effect
Materials with Weyl cones and band gaps coexisting are desired due to their combination of Weyl cones and the tunable and controllable nature of semiconductor. Here, the authors find Weyl-related band structures and semiconducting gap of tellurium.
- Junchao Ma
- , Bin Cheng
- & Dong Sun
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Article
| Open AccessA platform for blue-luminescent carbon-centered radicals
Organic radicals, which have unique doublet spin-configuration, provide an alternative method to overcome the efficiency limitation of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) but extending their fluorescence into a short-wavelength region remains challenging. Here, the authors significantly expand the scope of luminescent radicals by showing a new platform of carbon-centered radicals that produce blue to green emission.
- Xin Li
- , Yi-Lin Wang
- & Ying-Feng Han
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Article
| Open AccessFluorescence-based monitoring of the pressure-induced aggregation microenvironment evolution for an AIEgen under multiple excitation channels
The develop of organic functional materials requires the exploration of the pressure dependent emissive mechanisms of molecular structures, conformations and stacking modes. Here, Tong et al propose a strategy for monitoring the pressure-induced fluorescence under multiple excitation channels.
- Shuang Tong
- , Jianhong Dai
- & Xinggui Gu
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Article
| Open AccessAll-fluorescence white organic light-emitting diodes with record-beating power efficiencies over 130 lm W‒1 and small roll-offs
High power efficiency and low roll-off values are essential to the commercialization of white organic light-emitting diodes. Here, the authors construct all-fluorescence devices with an orange emitting layer sandwiched between two sky-blue emitting layers, achieving figure-of-merit of 130.7 lm/W.
- Hao Liu
- , Yan Fu
- & Zujin Zhao
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Article
| Open AccessCircularly polarized light-sensitive, hot electron transistor with chiral plasmonic nanoparticles
One challenge with using circularly polarized light is an increased device complexity typically required to provide sufficient sensitivity to the polarization. Here, by integrating chiral plasmonic nanoparticles with a InGaZnO hot electron transistor, the authors present a polarization sensitive, optically active transistor.
- Seok Daniel Namgung
- , Ryeong Myeong Kim
- & Ki Tae Nam
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Article
| Open AccessA polymer electrolyte design enables ultralow-work-function electrode for high-performance optoelectronics
Ambient-stable solution-processed conductive materials with a low work function are essential to facilitate electron injection. Here, the authors design and synthesise polymer electrolyte with work function down to 2.2 eV for applications in high-performance light-emitting diodes and solar cells.
- Bo Tong
- , Jinhong Du
- & Wencai Ren
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Article
| Open AccessStrong and Localized Luminescence from Interface Bubbles Between Stacked hBN Multilayers
Optoelectronic properties of van der Waals heterostructures can be tuned via strain. Here, authors demonstrate strong and localized luminescence in the ultraviolet region from interface bubbles between stacked multilayers of hexagonal boron nitride.
- Hae Yeon Lee
- , Soumya Sarkar
- & Silvija Gradečak
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Article
| Open AccessToward a BT.2020 green emitter through a combined multiple resonance effect and multi-lock strategy
The authors combine multiple resonance effect and multi-lock strategy to dope green-emitting thermally activated delayed fluorescent molecules into green-emitting phosphorescence OLEDs by endowing the device with a Broadcast Service Television 2020 color-gamut, 50% improved EQE, and a high luminescence of half a million nits.
- Junyuan Liu
- , Yunhui Zhu
- & Qisheng Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessExcitation energy mediated cross-relaxation for tunable upconversion luminescence from a single lanthanide ion
Here, the authors report tunable luminescence from a single lanthanide ion upon changing excitation conditions through co-doping an energy-modulator ion, thus adjusting the photon transition process of the lanthanide activator ion. Optical encryption has also been demonstrated as an application of this universal strategy.
- Xiao Fu
- , Shuai Fu
- & Qingsong Mei