Contents
2023
Volume: 4 Issue 2
3 Article(s)

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Optoelectronics
Review on metal halide perovskite-based optoelectronic synapses
Xitong Hong, Xingqiang Liu, Lei Liao, and Xuming Zou
With the progress of both photonics and electronics, optoelectronic synapses are considered potential candidates to challenge the von Neumann bottleneck and the field of visual bionics in the era of big data. They are also regarded as the basis for integrated artificial neural networks (ANNs) owing to their flexible optoelectronic tunable properties such as high bandwidth, low power consumption, and high-density integration. Over the recent years, following the emergence of metal halide perovskite (MHP) materials possessing fascinating optoelectronic properties, novel MHP-based optoelectronic synaptic devices have been exploited for numerous applications ranging from artificial vision systems (AVSs) to neuromorphic computing. Herein, we briefly review the application prospects and current status of MHP-based optoelectronic synapses, discuss the basic synaptic behaviors capable of being implemented, and assess their feasibility to mimic biological synapses. Then, we focus on the two-terminal optoelectronic synaptic memristors and three-terminal transistor synaptic phototransistors (SPTs), the two essential apparatus structures for optoelectronic synapses, expounding their basic features and operating mechanisms. Finally, we summarize the recent applications of optoelectronic synapses in neuromorphic systems, including neuromorphic computing, high-order learning behaviors, and neuromorphic vision systems, outlining their potential opportunities and future development directions as neuromorphic devices in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Review of Optics: a virtual journal
  • Publication Date: Apr. 28, 2023
  • Vol. 11 Issue 5 787 (2023)
Reviews
Metasurface-enabled augmented reality display: a review
Zeyang Liu, Danyan Wang, Hao Gao, Moxin Li, Huixian Zhou, and Cheng Zhang
Augmented reality (AR) display, which superimposes virtual images on ambient scene, can visually blend the physical world and the digital world and thus opens a new vista for human–machine interaction. AR display is considered as one of the next-generation display technologies and has been drawing huge attention from both academia and industry. Current AR display systems operate based on a combination of various refractive, reflective, and diffractive optical elements, such as lenses, prisms, mirrors, and gratings. Constrained by the underlying physical mechanisms, these conventional elements only provide limited light-field modulation capability and suffer from issues such as bulky volume and considerable dispersion, resulting in large size, severe chromatic aberration, and narrow field of view of the composed AR display system. Recent years have witnessed the emerging of a new type of optical elements—metasurfaces, which are planar arrays of subwavelength electromagnetic structures that feature an ultracompact footprint and flexible light-field modulation capability, and are widely believed to be an enabling tool for overcoming the limitations faced by current AR displays. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive review on the recent development of metasurface-enabled AR display technology. We first familiarize readers with the fundamentals of AR display, covering its basic working principle, existing conventional-optics-based solutions, as well as the associated pros and cons. We then introduce the concept of optical metasurfaces, emphasizing typical operating mechanisms, and representative phase modulation methods. We elaborate on three kinds of metasurface devices, namely, metalenses, metacouplers, and metaholograms, which have empowered different forms of AR displays. Their physical principles, device designs, and the performance improvement of the associated AR displays are explained in details. In the end, we discuss the existing challenges of metasurface optics for AR display applications and provide our perspective on future research endeavors.
Review of Optics: a virtual journal
  • Publication Date: May. 15, 2023
  • Vol. 5 Issue 3 034001 (2023)
Advances in lithium niobate thin-film lasers and amplifiers: a review
Qiang Luo, Fang Bo, Yongfa Kong, Guoquan Zhang, and Jingjun Xu
Lithium niobate (LN) thin film has received much attention as an integrated photonic platform, due to its rich and great photoelectric characteristics, based on which various functional photonic devices, such as electro-optic modulators and nonlinear wavelength converters, have been demonstrated with impressive performance. As an important part of the integrated photonic system, the long-awaited laser and amplifier on the LN thin-film platform have made a series of breakthroughs and important progress recently. In this review paper, the research progress of lasers and amplifiers realized on lithium niobate thin film platforms is reviewed comprehensively. Specifically, the research progress on optically pumped lasers and amplifiers based on rare-earth ions doping of LN thin films is introduced. Some important parameters and existing limitations of the current development are discussed. In addition, the implementation scheme and research progress of electrically pumped lasers and amplifiers on LN thin-film platforms are summarized. The advantages and disadvantages of optically and electrically pumped LN thin film light sources are analyzed. Finally, the applications of LN thin film lasers and amplifiers and other on-chip functional devices are envisaged.
Review of Optics: a virtual journal
  • Publication Date: May. 30, 2023
  • Vol. 5 Issue 3 034002 (2023)