Enhancing optical nonlinearity: Intense pulses of light interacting with a dielectric material can induce optical nonlinear behavior, whereby the frequency of the output light can be doubled or tripled or excited to even higher harmonics of the input light. Usually this interaction is weak and occurs over many thousands of wavelengths, typically requiring the combination of bulk volumes of material with a confining cavity. Using a mechanism of light confinement called bound states in the continuum, Koshelev et al. show that enhanced second-harmonic generation can be obtained in nanoscale subwavelength cylinders of a dielectric material. The results on these optical nanoantennas offer a platform for developing integrated nonlinear nanophotonic devices. Science , this issue p. 288

Wavelength-scale lasers provide promising applications through low power consumption requiring for optical cavities with increased quality factors. Cavity radiative losses can be suppressed strongly in the regime of optical bound states in the continuum; however, a finite size of the resonator limits the performance of bound states in the continuum as cavity modes for active nanophotonic devices. Here, we employ the concept of a supercavity mode created by merging symmetry-protected and accidental bound states in the continuum in the momentum space, and realize an efficient laser based on a finite-size cavity with a small footprint. We trace the evolution of lasing properties before and after the merging point by varying the lattice spacing, and we reveal this laser demonstrates the significantly reduced threshold, substantially increased quality factor, and shrunken far-field images. Our results provide a route for nanolasers with reduced out-of-plane losses in finite-size active nanodevices and improved lasing characteristics.

Topological photonics provides a fundamental framework for robust manipulation of light, including directional transport and localization with built-in immunity to disorder. Combined with an optical gain, active topological cavities hold special promise for a design of light-emitting devices. Most studies to date have focused on lasing at topological edges of finite systems or domain walls. Recently discovered higher-order topological phases enable strong high-quality confinement of light at the corners. Here, we demonstrate lasing action of corner states in nanophotonic topological structures. We identify several multipole corner modes with distinct emission profiles via hyperspectral imaging and discern signatures of non-Hermitian radiative coupling of leaky topological states. In addition, depending on the pump position in a large-size cavity, we generate selectively lasing from either edge or corner states within the topological bandgap. Our studies provide the direct observation of multipolar lasing and engineered collective resonances in active topological nanostructures.

Silicon nanowires (NWs) could enable low-cost and efficient photovoltaics, though their performance has been limited by nonideal electrical characteristics and an inability to tune absorption properties. We overcome these limitations through controlled synthesis of a series of polymorphic core/multishell NWs with highly crystalline, hexagonally-faceted shells, and well-defined coaxial ( p / n ) and p / intrinsic / n ( p / i / n ) diode junctions. Designed 200–300 nm diameter p / i / n NW diodes exhibit ultralow leakage currents of approximately 1 fA, and open-circuit voltages and fill-factors up to 0.5 V and 73%, respectively, under one-sun illumination. Single-NW wavelength-dependent photocurrent measurements reveal size-tunable optical resonances, external quantum efficiencies greater than unity, and current densities double those for silicon films of comparable thickness. In addition, finite-difference-time-domain simulations for the measured NW structures agree quantitatively with the photocurrent measurements, and demonstrate that the optical resonances are due to Fabry-Perot and whispering-gallery cavity modes supported in the high-quality faceted nanostructures. Synthetically optimized NW devices achieve current densities of 17 mA/cm ² and power-conversion efficiencies of 6%. Horizontal integration of multiple NWs demonstrates linear scaling of the absolute photocurrent with number of NWs, as well as retention of the high open-circuit voltages and short-circuit current densities measured for single NW devices. Notably, assembly of 2 NW elements into vertical stacks yields short-circuit current densities of 25 mA/cm ² with a backside reflector, and simulations further show that such stacking represents an attractive approach for further enhancing performance with projected efficiencies of > 15% for 1.2 μm thick 5 NW stacks.

Eye can see neural activity: Organisms take up a tremendous amount of information through the visual system, which is then processed by the neural circuitry. Hong et al. developed a mesh electronics implant that is delivered by injection into mice retinas. With these devices, it is possible to obtain recordings from retinal ganglion cells over long time periods in awake, active mice. Both orientation- and direction-selective retinal ganglion cells can be monitored, as can the circadian modulation of retinal ganglion cell activity. Science , this issue p. 1447