A Comprehensive Survey on Nanophotonics Neural Networks

: In the last years, materializations of neuromorphic circuits based on nanophotonic arrangements have been proposed, which contain complete optical circuits, laser, photodetectors, photonic crystals, optical fibers, flat waveguides, and other passive optical elements of nanostructured materials, which eliminate the time of simultaneous processing of big groups of data, taking advantage of the quantum perspective and thus highly increasing the potentials of contemporary intelligent computational systems. This article is an effort to record and study the research that has been conducted concerning the methods of development and materialization of neuromorphic circuits of Neural Networks of nanophotonic arrangements. In particular, an investigative study of the methods of developing nanophotonic neuromorphic processors, their originality in neuronic architectural structure, their training methods and their optimization has been realized along with the study of special issues such as optical activation functions and cost functions.

Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging of Laser-Activated Phase-Change Perfluorocarbon Nanodroplets

Laser-activated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets (PFCnDs) are emerging phase-change contrast agents that showed promising potential in ultrasound and photoacoustic (US/PA) imaging. Unlike monophase gaseous microbubbles, PFCnDs shift their state from liquid to gas via optical activation and can provide high US/PA contrast on demand. Depending on the choice of perfluorocarbon core, the vaporization and condensation dynamics of the PFCnDs are controllable. Therefore, these configurable properties of activation and deactivation of PFCnDs are employed to enable various imaging approaches, including contrast-enhanced imaging and super-resolution imaging. In addition, synchronous application of both acoustic and optical pulses showed a promising outcome vaporizing PFCnDs with lower activation thresholds. Furthermore, due to their sub-micrometer size, PFCnDs can be used for molecular imaging of extravascular tissue. PFCnDs can also be an effective therapeutic tool. As PFCnDs can carry therapeutic drugs or other particles, they can be used for drug delivery, as well as photothermal and photodynamic therapies. Blood barrier opening for neurological applications was recently demonstrated with optically-triggered PFCnDs. This paper specifically focuses on the activation and deactivation properties of laser-activated PFCnDs and associated US/PA imaging approaches, and briefly discusses their theranostic potential and future directions.

A biophysical model of the recognition process of skin response patterns to optical activation

This paper presents a biophysical model of the recognition process of glow patterns (response) of the skin in the area of biologically active zones to external optical activation. The model was developed to increase the efficiency of the process of identifying the causes of differences in glow patterns. The structures of glow patterns are described and their differences are described. A rationale for the use of forced radiation of skin cells in current studies is given (recognition of weak signals of spontaneous radiation is technically difficult). Forced radiation of biological objects appears as a result of excitation of the biological environment by an external action and is much higher than spontaneous radiation. Spontaneous optical radiation of skin cells under certain conditions is one of the characteristic features of the skin. This radiation can be caused by a field form of intercellular interaction, which causes biochemiluminescence in the form of spontaneous weak signals ensuring intercellular communication. The model uses a biotechnical system related to the human physical state, its characteristics, type of meridian and external conditions. We have identified subsystems (biological and technical), the main elements of the system, determined the links between them, necessary and sufficient for drawing conclusions, formulated the main requirements for the system, determined the initial data. The results of the preliminary experimental investigations with the use of the developed model are presented in which some dependence of the luminescence patterns on the meridian type is revealed. It is noted that final conclusions on the causes of skin glow patterns differences in certain points of biologically active zones will be made when more extensive statistical data is collected using the developed model.

Neural Basis of the Delayed Gratification

Balancing instant gratification versus delayed, but better gratification is important for optimizing survival and reproductive success. Although psychologists and neuroscientists have long attempted to study delayed gratification through human psychological and brain activity monitoring, and animal research, little is known about its neural basis. We successfully trained mice to perform a waiting-and-water-reward delayed gratification task and used these animals in physiological recording and optical manipulation of neuronal activity during the task to explore its neural basis. Our results showed that the activity of DA neurons in ventral tegmental area (VTA) increases steadily during the waiting period. Optical activation vs. silencing of these neurons, respectively, extends or reduces the duration of waiting. To interpret this data, we developed a reinforcement learning (RL) model that reproduces our experimental observations. In this model, steady increases in DAergic activity signal the value of waiting and support the hypothesis that delayed gratification involves real-time deliberation.TEASERSustained ramping dopaminergic activation helps individuals to resist impulsivity and wait for laerger but later return.

Tuning Green to Red Color in Erbium Niobate Micro- and Nanoparticles

Tetragonal Er0.5Nb0.5O2 and monoclinic ErNbO4 micro- and nanoparticles were prepared by the citrate sol–gel method and heat-treated at temperatures between 700 and 1600 °C. ErNbO4 revealed a spherical-shaped crystallite, whose size increased with heat treatment temperatures. To assess their optical properties at room temperature (RT), a thorough spectroscopic study was conducted. RT photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy revealed that Er3+ optical activation was achieved in all samples. The photoluminescence spectra show the green/yellow 2H11/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2 and red 4F9/2→4I15/2 intraionic transitions as the main visible recombination, with the number of the crystal field splitting Er3+ multiplets reflecting the ion site symmetry in the crystalline phases. PL excitation allows the identification of Er3+ high-energy excited multiplets as the preferential population paths of the emitting levels. Independently of the crystalline structure, the intensity ratio between the green/yellow and red intraionic transitions was found to be strongly sensitive to the excitation energy. After pumping the samples with a resonant excitation into the 4G11/2 excited multiplet, a green/yellow transition stronger than the red one was observed, whereas the reverse occurred for higher excitation photon energies. Thus, a controllable selective excited tunable green to red color was achieved, which endows new opportunities for photonic and optoelectronic applications.