Melanin diagnostics with nonlinear optics: a mini-review

Optical methods are widely used to perform fundamental studies of living systems and solve problems of biomedical diagnostics. Along with the classical spectroscopy, methods of nonlinear optics (e.g., multiphoton microscopy) are also applied in biophotonics. The potential of nonlinear optical methods for visualisation and analysis of the properties of endogenous chromophore molecules are considered in this minireview. Melanin - a pigment with specific spectral features of photophysical properties in the visible and near-IR ranges - is taken as an example. It is discussed what information about its localisation in tissues and structural organisation can be obtained by nonlinear optical methods: multiphoton fluorescence microscopy (including fluorescence lifetime imaging), third harmonic generation, pump - probe spectroscopy, and coherent anti- Stokes Raman spectroscopy.

PR_22_0642603_Chipscale_NLO

Multi-microresonator photonic circuits can improve the conversion efficiency of nonlinear optics, realize higher-order, implement programmable filters, and other advances in optical signal processing. However, such structures are challenging to realize in practice. Through a deeper understanding of disorder effects in photonics, we have greatly advanced the state-of-the-art in CROW structures and their applications in linear, nonlinear and quantum optics.

Accomplishments in Integrated Nonlinear Optics using Silicon Microring CROWs (Project Report 0642603-Y5)

This NSF-funded project is a five-year (60 months) CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development Program) unified research and education development program. The project’s focus is the science, engineering and applications of low-power (milliwatt class) nonlinear optics using CROWs. Coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) are linear sequences of micro-resonators fabricated on a chip that guide light from one end of the chain to the other by nearest-neighbor coupling.

Integrated Nonlinear Photonics Using CROWs (Project Report 0642603-Y1)

This NSF-funded project [0642603] is a five-year (60 months) CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development Program) unified research and education development program. The full title of this project is “CAREER: Chip-scale low-power nonlinear optics using coupled resonators and CROWs”. The focus of this project is a study of the waveguiding principles and applications of a novel type of integrated photonics waveguide, the Coupled Resonator Optical Waveguide (CROW), in nonlinear optics at the milliwatt-scale power level, which is relevant for optical communications and signal processing.

PR_23_EA_ICOP Nonlinear Optics Using Coupled Resonators in Silicon Photonics (ICOP-15)

Extended abstract of an invited presentation at the ICOP Workshop on Silicon Photonics, 19 February 2015 at Kolkata India. This workshop was part of the Golden Jubilee Conference of the Optical Society of India.