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The ability to control the polarization of short-wavelength radiation generated by high-harmonic generation is useful not only for applications but also for testing conservation laws in physics.
Within the space of a few years, hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells have emerged as one of the most exciting material platforms in the photovoltaic sector. This review describes the rapid progress that has been made in this area.
It has been 20 years since near-infrared spectroscopy was first used to investigate human brain function. The technique has subsequently been extended to offer high-resolution imaging of the cortex and has now become a viable alternative to functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Laser systems designed for fusion research are able to produce a high density of X-ray photons in a metal cavity. Scientists have now proposed that this environment could be used to create matter from light and test a fundamental prediction of quantum electrodynamics.
A high energy conversion efficiency and a low fabrication cost are required to make the widespread implementation of solar cells attractive. Researchers are striving to enhance cell performance by developing heterojunction techniques, introducing photonic-crystal structures and proposing new device designs.
The dot-to-dot variation of the optical transition frequency makes it impractical to use single-photon sources based on semiconducting quantum dots in quantum computing, which requires indistinguishable photons. This can now be overcome by using coherently scattered single photons from a dot and tuning them using a microcavity.
Recent advances in quantum information transfer by photons are reviewed. The theoretical framework for information transfer between nodes of a quantum network is described, and several key experiments for remote atom–atom entanglement mediated by light are illustrated. The prospects for hybrid systems currently in development are also discussed.
Guaranteed entanglement sharing over long distances can be verified by violating a Bell inequality. That's a tricky enough proposition in itself, but what if more than two parties are involved?
The advent of novel fluorophores that harness thermally activated energy transfer processes is resulting in a new breed of highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes.
A new experiment demonstrates the first unequivocally quantum two-particle interference with surface plasmons. Subwavelength optical quantum information processing may be just around the corner.
Hollow-core photonic crystal fibres are attractive because they exhibit pressure-adjustable normal or anomalous dispersion, low-loss guidance, very low nonlinearity and high damage threshold. This Review overviews nonlinear optical phenomena in gas-filled, hollow-core photonic crystal fibres that may lead to a new generation of versatile and efficient pulse-compression devices and gas-based light sources.
A source of entangled photons that emits one — and only one — pair of photons on demand has now been realized in a semiconductor chip. The solid-state source will be a useful resource for experiments in optical quantum information.
