An asymmetric double semiconductor quantum well is proposed to realize two-dimensional parity-time (PT) symmetry and an electromagnetically induced grating. In such a nontrivial grating with PT symmetry, the incident probe photons can be diffracted to selected angles depending on the spatial relationship of the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index. Such results are due to the interference mechanism between the amplitude and phase of the grating and can be manipulated by the probe detuning, modulation amplitudes of the standing wave fields, and interaction length of the medium. Such a system may lead to new approaches of observing PT-symmetry-related phenomena and has potential applications in photoelectric devices requiring asymmetric light transport using semiconductor quantum wells.

For long distance optical interconnects, 1.3-μm surface-emitting lasers are key devices. However, the low output power of several milliwatts limits their application. In this study, by introducing a two-dimensional photonic-crystal and using InAs quantum dots as active materials, a continuous-wave, 13.3-mW output power, 1.3-μm wavelength, room-temperature surface-emitting laser is achieved. In addition, such a device can be operated at high temperatures of up to 90 °C. The enhanced output power results from the flat band structure of the photonic crystal and an extra feedback mechanism. Surface emission is realized by photonic crystal diffraction and thus the distributed Bragg reflector is eliminated. The proposed device provides a means to overcome the limitations of low-power 1.3-μm surface-emitting lasers and increase the number of applications thereof.

A scheme for giant enhancement of the Kerr nonlinearity in linear triple quantum dot molecules is proposed. In such a system, the tunneling-induced transparency window obtained in double quantum dot molecules splits into two windows, due to the coupling with the third quantum dot. And most important, the Kerr nonlinearity can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude, compared with that generated in double quantum dot molecules. With proper detuning of the tunneling, giant Kerr nonlinearity accompanied by vanishing absorption can be realized, which opens the possibility to enhance self-phase modulation in tunneling controllable semiconductor nanostructures under conditions of low light levels. Quantitative analysis shows that the giant Kerr nonlinearity is attributed to the interacting double dark resonances induced by the tunneling between the triple quantum dots, therefore no extra laser fields are required.

Benefitting from narrow beam divergence, photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers are expected to play an essential role in the ever-growing fields of optical communication and light detection and ranging. Lasers operating with 1.55 μm wavelengths have attracted particular attention due to their minimum fiber loss and high eye-safe threshold. However, high interband absorption significantly decreases their performance at this 1.55 μm wavelength. Therefore, stronger optical feedback is needed to reduce their threshold and thus improve the output power. Toward this goal, photonic-crystal resonators with deep holes and high dielectric contrast are often used. Nevertheless, the relevant techniques for high-contrast photonic crystals inevitably complicate fabrication and reduce the final yield. In this paper, we demonstrate the first continuous-wave operation of 1.55 μm photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers by using a ‘triple-lattice photonic-crystal resonator’, which superimposes three lattice point groups to increase the strength of in-plane optical feedback. Using this geometry, the in-plane 180° coupling can be enhanced threefold compared to the normal single-lattice structure. Detailed theoretical and experimental investigations demonstrate the much lower threshold current density of this structure compared to ‘single-lattice’ and ‘double-lattice’ photonic-crystal resonators, verifying our design principles. Our findings provide a new strategy for photonic crystal laser miniaturization, which is crucial for realizing their use in future high-speed applications.

Metal matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles have become the most attractive material in the research and development of new materials for thermal management applications. In this work, 40–60 vol. % TiC_x-TiB₂/Al composites were successfully fabricated by the method of combustion synthesis and hot press consolidation in an Al-Ti-B₄C system. The effect of the TiC_x-TiB₂ content on the microstructure and compression properties of the composites was investigated. Moreover, the abrasive wear behavior and thermo-physics properties of the TiC_x-TiB₂/Al composite were studied and compared with the TiC_x/Al composite. The compression properties, abrasive wear behavior and thermo-physics properties of the TiC_x-TiB₂/Al composite are all better than those of the TiC_x/Al composite, which confirms that the TiC_x-TiB₂/Al composite is more appropriate for application as a heat sink.