Article
Optics
Li-Lan Tian, Fan Chu, Wei Duan, Rui Li, Xiao-Qing Gu, Lei Li, Qiong-Hua Wang
Summary: The proposed micro-optical device utilizes PMA and BPLC for beam steering, demonstrating polarization-independent property and suitability for micro beam deflection, with deflection angle calculated using Snell's law. The deflection angle of the micro beam changes from 0 degrees to 1.65 degrees with increasing applied voltage.
OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Yingjie Liu, You Wu, Jiefeng Xu, Shumin Xiao, Qinghai Song, Ke Xu
Summary: This study proposes a free-form functional microheater with topology design to manipulate the refractive index distribution, enabling flexible optical wavefront shaping. Wide range of dynamic focusing and beam steering are demonstrated with a tunable meta-lens on a silicon photonic platform. The proposed tunable meta-lenses have fast thermal-optic response time and low on-chip loss, offering versatility for various on-chip meta-systems.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haoran Wang, Anton Enders, John-Alexander Preuss, Janina Bahnemann, Alexander Heisterkamp, Maria Leilani Torres-Mapa
Summary: 3D printing microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices allows for rapid prototyping of complex structures, with features such as optimized fiber channel design and optical trapping visualization. The device demonstrates efficient manipulation of microscopic particles and cells for various experiments.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Haiyang Zhang, Nir Shlezinger, Francesco Guidi, Davide Dardari, Yonina C. Eldar
Summary: Future 6G wireless communications will require large-scale antenna arrays to support higher data rates, improved energy efficiency, and more diverse users. This may involve operations in both the radiating near-field and far-field regions. This article discusses the opportunities and challenges of radiating near-field communications, including the need for new wireless channel models and the advantages of leveraging spherical wavefronts for beam focusing in 6G systems. It also highlights potential applications such as interference mitigation, accurate localization, focused sensing, and wireless power transfer.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS MAGAZINE
(2023)
Article
Optics
Zhi-Xiang Li, Ya-Ping Ruan, Peng Chen, Jie Tang, Wei Hu, Ke-Yu Xia, Yan-Qing Lu
Summary: Vector vortex beams (VVBs) have gained significant attention in both classical and quantum optics. Liquid crystal (LC) has emerged as a versatile tool for manipulating VVBs, with functions and applications of typical LC devices for controlling space-variant polarized vortex light discussed in recent studies. Additionally, LC-based novel optical applications in the field of quantum information are also reviewed.
CHINESE OPTICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Guanxiong Zhang, Steve J. Elston, Andy Schreier, Grahame Faulkner, Atchutananda Surampudi, Dominic O'Brien, Stephen M. Morris
Summary: In this paper, the authors demonstrate the dynamic optical beam-steering of a chiral nematic liquid crystal (LC) laser without changing the helical structure. The beam-steering is achieved by utilizing the circular polarization of the LC laser along with tunable LC phase shifters and fixed polarization gratings. Experimental results show the ability to steer the laser emission to four different spatial positions, and simulations based on Jones calculus explain the appearance and intensities of minor spots around the primary beam.
OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Optics
Yang Cheng, Jie Cao, Qun Hao
Summary: The non-mechanical optical beam steering method using liquid-based devices has gained attention for its unique advantages such as polarization independence, wide broadband, low power consumption, and long lifetime. This review provides insights into the working principles, performance comparisons, representative applications, challenges, and future prospects of optical beam steering using liquid-based devices, aiming to attract more attention to this research field.
OPTICS AND LASERS IN ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Kaiji Chen, Xueqian Zhang, Xieyu Chen, Tong Wu, Qingwei Wang, Ziying Zhang, Quan Xu, Jiaguang Han, Weili Zhang
Summary: This research proposes a novel metasurface design for terahertz regime that allows efficient wavefront control through mechanically switchable beam steering and wave focusing responses by changing small gap distances. The method presents a new approach towards efficient and active terahertz wavefront control with a maximum efficiency of around 89%.
IEEE PHOTONICS JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Vuong V. Mai, Hoon Kim
Summary: Free-space optical communications (FSOCs) are becoming increasingly popular as a promising solution to the capacity crunch in aerial and satellite backhaul networks for next-generation mobile communication systems. One major technical challenge associated with FSOC systems in motion is pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT), which can be facilitated by the use of variable focus lenses for beam steering and adaptive beam control. This study demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of implementing beam steering and adaptive beam control techniques using variable focus lenses in a 10-Gb/s FSOC system, showing significant performance improvement in the presence of pointing errors.
JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Jun-Yu Guo, Che-Jung Cheng, Chien-Fu Chen, Yi-Ju Chou
Summary: We conducted experiments and simulations to study the formation and evolution of drops in a flow focusing microfluidic system with partially miscible two-phase fluids. The numerical model was calibrated to match experimental data and provide realistic drop dynamics. Our investigation revealed the mechanism of drop formation and a criterion for tube pattern occurrence. We also found that mass transfer at the drop interface depends on the distribution of dissolved concentration, and enhancing lateral movement in curved channels improves mass transfer.
Article
Optics
Yin Liu, Qiming Liao, Yongtian Wang, Xiaowei LI, Lingling Huang
Summary: Conventional optical fibers have been widely used in long-distance fiber-optic communication and sensing, but the dispersive spot size limits their applications. Metalenses with artificial micro-nanostructures are introducing new possibilities for fiber innovations.
Article
Optics
Zhong Min, Li Jiu-sheng
Summary: This study proposes a notched concave metasurface that can generate multifunctional vortex beams and adapt to different polarizations. The designed metasurface has potential applications in flexible manipulation of orbital angular momentum and polarization detection of terahertz waves in future terahertz wireless communications.
OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Rowan Morris, Cliff Jones, Mamatha Nagaraj
Summary: Liquid crystals are valuable materials for applications in beam steering devices, specifically in the field of adaptive optics. This paper provides an overview of the properties of liquid crystals that make them useful in this field, as well as a detailed discussion of specific liquid crystal devices that act as switchable optical components. The relative advantages and disadvantages of different devices and techniques are summarised.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Hyungcheol Kim, Sangwook Nam
Summary: This article presents a liquid crystal-based beam-steering leaky-wave holographic antenna with decoupling structure. The distance between elements in holographic antennas is inevitably small,
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Ju Wang, Zhaomiao Liu, Yan Pang, Mengqi Li, Qiang Zhou
Summary: The study investigates the influence of the inner droplet on the necking of compound jets in a horizontally placed capillary flow-focusing device based on microfluidics, exploring three types of interface coupling modes. The results show that motion and deformation of the droplet have a significant impact on the neck breakup in the inertial regime but only a slight effect in the viscous regime. Moreover, the inner droplet can prevent the jet from breaking up due to interface coupling.
