Polarization manipulation and multiplexing via metasurfaces

Polarization is one of the most important properties of light, which is also a typical dimension for light field manipulation. With specially designed meta-atoms and tailorable phase distribution, metasurfaces have been employed to achieve arbitrary polarization state in linear regime. Moreover, metasurface is also a platform for various nonlinear light generation, which can be used to realize an integrated polarized light source combined with its powerful capability of polarization manipulation. Here, we demonstrate a nonlinear plasmonic metasurface that is able to simultaneously realize nonlinear light generation and polarization manipulation. Split-ring resonators (SRRs) and complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) rotated by 90 degrees are selected to generate orthogonal polarizations of second harmonic (SH) components under the same linear polarized fundamental wave (FW), respectively. Phase difference and amplitude ratio between SH components can be tailored by adjusting the arm length of SRRs and CSRRs. By introducing spatial offset between adjacent basic supercells, we can achieve phase difference between two orthogonal components and thus realize polarization control of output SH emission and beam splitting at the same time. Two separated SH beams with orthogonal circular polarizations are achieved from a linearly polarized FW, and illuminated by circularly polarized FW, the same nonlinear plasmonic metasurface can generate linearly polarized SH, which can be viewed as a SH quarter-wave plate. Furthermore, arbitrary elliptical polarized SH can also be obtained from properly designed nonlinear metasurfaces. Our design provides a new approach for miniaturized light source for special polarization requirement, which may have potential applications in integrated optics.

Subwavelength Gratings In article number 2200130, Yonghui Tian and colleagues experimentally demonstrate compact subwavelength grating (SWG) waveguides on a LNOI platform for on-chip mode and polarization manipulation. To overcome the limitation of direct etching waveguide fabrication, a silicon nitride thin film was deposited onto the surface of LNOI chip, where the SWGs were formed using CMOS-compatible etching processes developed by microelectronics industry.

Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) has emerged as a promising platform for photonic integrated circuits, with a fast‐growing toolbox of components. This paper proposes, designs, and experimentally demonstrates compact subwavelength grating (SWG) waveguides on an LNOI platform for on‐chip mode and polarization manipulation. To overcome the limitation of waveguide fabrication, the SWGs are designed and formed on a silicon nitride thin film deposited onto the surface of LNOI chip. As proof‐of‐concept devices, the SWG‐based spatial mode filters (including a TE1‐mode‐pass filter and a TE2‐mode‐pass filter) and a TM‐pass polarizer are fabricated successfully on the same chip, with the device lengths of only ≈50 μm. The measured insertion losses for the devices are lower than 3.1 dB, with high extinction ratio larger than 30 dB, at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The proposed and demonstrated SWGs can serve as important building blocks in a series of mode and polarization handling devices for LNOI integrated photonics.

Generations of cross-polarized focusing and vortex beam for terahertz wave based on graphene metasurfaces

Background: CD163 positive tumor associated macrophages (TAM), have been associated with poor response to immunochemotherapy in DLBCL. Targeting these TAMs to reverse immunosuppression is one approach for improving treatment response rates. MicroRNAs have the potential to modify hundreds of genes by interacting with multiple mRNA targets, thereby altering the global transcriptional profile of cells. Manipulation of microRNAs may prove an effective means of switching the transcriptomic profiles of TAMs to more activated, anti-tumor states resulting in the reversal of immune resistance and enhancement of treatment efficacy. Methods: MicroRNAs differentially expressed in DLBCL and associated with poor response were identified using whole gene correlated network analysis of DLBCL datasets. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from normal blood donors and differentiated into macrophages following cell culture with MCSF. Macrophages were polarized using immunosuppressive (IL4 + IL13) or immunostimulating (LPS + IFNγ) cytokines and microRNA expression measured using RT-qPCR. To assess antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), macrophages were generated and polarized as above and transfected with microRNA inhibitors (Thermofisher) prior to co-incubation with target cells. Human Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) cells were labelled with CSFE and used as target cells with Rituximab as the ADCP-inducing monoclonal antibody (mAb) and Herceptin as an isotype control. The percentage of Fc gamma receptor IIIA (FcγRIIIA)-expressing macrophages taking up target cells was determined using flow cytometry and analyzed using Flowjo software. Diagnostic biopsies from patients were then analyzed for microRNA 142-5p and CD206 expression using miRNAScope assays and immunohistochemistry. Results: There was significant upregulation of microRNA 142-5p in macrophages polarized with IL4 plus IL13 compared to macrophages polarized with LPS plus IFNγ and non-polarized macrophages. Inhibition of microRNA 142-5p in IL4 plus IL13 polarized macrophages led to a significant increase in FcγRIIIA, CD40 and CD47 expression resulting in enhanced phagocytosis of CLL cells opsonized with Rituximab plus anti-CD47 mAb when compared with controls. High microRNA 142-5p expression in combination with high CD206 expression predicted poor response to immunochemotherapy in 38 treatment naïve human DLBCL samples (median PFS 12 months v NR p=0.0096). Discussion: Transfection of a microRNA 142-5p inhibitor can repolarize immunosuppressive macrophages to a more anti-tumor phenotype leading to enhanced ADCP. CD206 positive TAM infiltration in combination with high microRNA 142-5p expression predicted poor outcome following treatment with immunochemotherapy in DLBCL. It may be possible to use microRNA directed therapies targeting the tumor microenvironment to enhance treatment efficacy. Citation Format: Jemma Longley, Russell Foxall, Steven Thirdborough, Steve Beers, Mark Cragg. MicroRNA manipulation of macrophage polarization in DLBCL to augment antibody immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2693.

Manipulation of polarization has attracted more attentions in recent decades due to the inherent polarization sensitivity in optical regime. Many researchers showed that the interaction of light and surface plasmon may provide better opportunities to manipulate the polarization of light in optical regime by tackling with plasmonic material structures and their orientations. Here, we report a dielectric resonator attached to a spherical active coated nano particle antenna that rotates the polarization in active coated nano particle antenna in the direction parallel to the original plane wave propagation, i.e., polarization rotates by 90°. In addition to this, the direction of scattered radiation also rotates by 90°, i.e., scattered radiation propagates perpendicularly to the incident plane wave direction. The simulation results showed that the polarization rotation is observed only when the dielectric resonator and active coated nanoparticle antenna both resonates at similar frequency; here in this paper both dielectric and coated nano particle resonate near f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">o</sub> = 600 THz frequency. The comparison of electric field of single active coated nano particle and that of dielectric attached to active coated nano particle showed the enhancement of electric field from 3107 V/m to 4069 V/m. The far field pattern confirms the rotation of scattering radiations. The simulation results showed that the dielectric resonator has the capability to manipulate not only the polarization direction in spherical active coated nano particle antenna but can also rotate the plane wave direction at optical wavelength. These optical polarization and propagation rotation may provide promising opportunities in developing polarization manipulators, sensors and detectors at nanoscale.

We report a vectorial fiber laser with controlled transverse mode conversion by intra-cavity polarization manipulation. By combining a q-plate and two quarter-wave plates (QWPs), we can generate a switchable polarization state output represented by the higher-order Poincaré sphere (l = +1, l = −1), and distinguish the fourfold degenerate LP11 mode. The four transverse vector modes can be obtained and switched in a flexible way, and the slope efficiency of the fiber laser can reach up to 39.4%. This compactness, high efficiency, and switchable operation potential will benefit a range of applications, such as materials processing, particle manipulation, etc.

This paper reports a polarization selective one-way microwave absorber based on composite metamaterial slabs. The polarization selective one-way absorber allows a linearly polarized electromagnetic wave to be absorbed along one particular incident direction and to penetrate through it along the opposite direction. For the cross-polarized wave, the direction dependent propagation properties are reversed. A designed proto-type is adequately verified through both full-wave simulation and experimental measurement, which achieves more than 80% absorption or transmission efficiency while the thickness of sample is only about one-sixth of the operating wavelength. This one-way absorber can be applied in obtaining asymmetric transmission of linearly polarized microwave and polarization manipulation.

Enhancing electrochemical CO 2 reduction of Cu 2 SnS 3 via surface polarization manipulation proves effective for designing efficient CO 2 -to-formate electrocatalysts.

In this paper, a high-efficiency and broadband reflective linear polarization rotator based on anisotropic metamaterial is proposed, which is verified by simulation and experiment. Simulated results indicate that our design can achieve 90° polarization rotation from 5.7 to 10.3 GHz with the relative bandwidth of 57.5 %, which is agreement well with experiment. The further simulated results indicate that our design can achieve linear polarization conversion or rotation by 90° under oblique incident angles with large range for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic waves. Finally, the amplitude and phase of reflective coefficients with different polarization, and surface current distribution of the unit cell structure are simulated to explain the physics mechanism of the high-efficiency and broadband polarization rotation. Our design will provide an important reference for the practical applications of the metamaterial in polarization manipulation.

The advanced manipulation of topological photonic states with expanded degrees of freedom offers innovative ways of achieving robust light modulation and control. Here, by harnessing the orbital degree of freedom, strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and associated photonic spin-locking of Type-II higher-order topological states (HOTSs) are theoretically and experimentally demonstrated via momentum-biased orbital hybridization at the apex of a Kagome triangle lattice. The momentum bias, induced by the tilted incident light, not only produces symmetry breaking of the Kagome triangle lattice, but also introduces orbital momentum to Type-II HOTS. By attaining strong spin-locked SOC through momentum-biased topological orbital hybridization of Type-II HOTSs, the way is paved for the spin-based interplay and control between near-field and far-field in higher-order topological photonic crystals, with potential applications in polarization manipulation, spatial light modulation, quantum emitter control, and beyond.

Inverse-vulcanized polymeric sulfur has received considerable attention for application in waste-based infrared (IR) polarizers with high polarization sensitivities, owing to its high transmittance in the IR region and thermal processability. However, there have been few reports on highly sensitive polymeric sulfur-based polarizers by replication of pre-simulated dimensions to achieve a high transmission of the transverse magnetic field (TTM ) and extinction ratio (ER). Herein, a 400-nanometer-pitch mid-wavelength infrared bilayer linear polarizer with self-aligned metal gratings is introduced on polymeric sulfur gratings integrated with a spacer layer (SM-polarizer). The dimensions of the SM-polarizer can be closely replicated using pre-simulated dimensions via a systematic investigation of thermal nanoimprinting conditions. Spacer thickness is tailored from 40 to 5100nm by adjusting the concentration of polymeric sulfur solution during spin-coating. A tailored spacer thickness can maximize TTM in the broadband MWIR region by satisfying Fabry-Pérot resonance. The SM-polarizer yields TTM of 0.65, 0.59, and 0.43 and ER of 3.12 × 103 , 5.19 × 103 , and 5.81 × 103 at 4µm for spacer thicknesses of 90, 338, and 572nm, respectively. This demonstration of a highly sensitive and cost-effective SM-polarizer opens up exciting avenues for infrared polarimetric imaging and for applications in polarization manipulation.

Electromagnetic (EM) polarization control is a key issue in various studies on communication and imaging systems. Two-dimensional metasurfaces have been employed to realize polarization conversion based on chiral, anisotropic structures. Herein, we employ Huygens' metasurfaces that utilize both electric and magnetic resonances when interacting with EM waves to realize polarization manipulation. Polarization conversion is achieved by introducing direct coupling between the equivalent electric and magnetic sources. A polarization conversion splitter as well as reflective and transmissive polarization convertors are designed and verified by simulations and experiments. The proposed polarization manipulation devices possess compact dimensions in the deep sub-wavelength regime and maintain good angular performance for oblique incidences up to 60°.

Omnidirectional wave polarization manipulation in isotropic polar solids

By using a polarization manipulation and projection system, we numerically decomposed the group-velocity-locked-vector-dissipative solitons (GVLVDSs) from a normal dispersion fiber laser and studied the combination of the projections of the phase-modulated components of the GVLVDS through a polarization beam splitter. Pulses with a structure similar to a high-order vector soliton could be obtained, which could be considered as a pseudo-high-order GVLVDS. It is found that, although GVLVDSs are intrinsically different from group-velocity-locked-vector solitons generated in fiber lasers operated in the anomalous dispersion regime, similar characteristics for the generation of pseudo-high-order GVLVDS are obtained. However, pulse chirp plays a significant role on the generation of pseudo-high-order GVLVDS.