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On-chip integrated laser sources of structured light carrying fractional orbital angular momentum (FOAM) are highly desirable for the forefront development of optical communication and quantum information–processing technologies. While integrated vortex beam generators have been previously demonstrated in different optical settings, ultrafast control and sweep of FOAM light with low-power control, suitable for high-speed optical communication and computing, remains challenging. Here we demonstrate fast control of the FOAM from a vortex semiconductor microlaser based on fast transient mixing of integer laser vorticities induced by a control pulse. A continuous FOAM sweep between charge 0 and charge +2 is demonstrated in a 100 ps time window, with the ultimate speed limit being established by the carrier recombination time in the gain medium. Our results provide a new route to generating vortex microlasers carrying FOAM that are switchable at GHz frequencies by an ultrafast control pulse.

 

Light carries both spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM), which can be used as potential degrees of freedom for quantum information processing. Quantum emitters are ideal candidates towards on-chip control and manipulation of the full SAM–OAM state space. Here, we show coupling of a spin-polarized quantum emitter in a monolayer${\mathrm{W}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{e}}_2$with the whispering gallery mode of a${\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_4$ring resonator. The cavity mode carries a transverse SAM of$\mathrm{\sigma <\#comment/>}=\pm <\#comment/>1$in the evanescent regions, with the sign depending on the orbital power flow direction of the light. By tailoring the cavity–emitter interaction, we couple the intrinsic spin state of the quantum emitter to the SAM and propagation direction of the cavity mode, which leads to spin–orbit locking and subsequent chiral single-photon emission. Furthermore, by engineering how light is scattered from the WGM, we create a high-order Bessel beam which opens up the possibility to generate optical vortex carrying OAM states.

 

We demonstrate imaging of individual modes in a femtosecond laser written multimode waveguide by spatial-heterodyne interferometry and decomposition in data post-processing. Despite the spatial and temporal overlap between multiple waveguide modes, we show the extraction of amplitude for each individual mode and their corresponding temporal dynamics. The mode imaging scheme is effective with the presence of intermodal interference and can be prospective for sensing of ultrafast phase and refractive index fluctuations. We also reconstruct the two-dimensional transverse refractive index map of the multimode waveguide leveraging all the imaged modes and substantiate the reconstructed index map by simulation.

 

The nonlinear scaling of complexity with the increased number of components in integrated photonics is a major obstacle impeding large-scale, phase-locked laser arrays. Here, we develop a higher-dimensional supersymmetry formalism for precise mode control and nonlinear power scaling. Our supersymmetric microlaser arrays feature phase-locked coherence and synchronization of all of the evanescently coupled microring lasers—collectively oscillating in the fundamental transverse supermode—which enables high-radiance, small-divergence, and single-frequency laser emission with a two-orders-of-magnitude enhancement in energy density. We also demonstrate the feasibility of structuring high-radiance vortex laser beams, which enhance the laser performance by taking full advantage of spatial degrees of freedom of light. Our approach provides a route for designing large-scale integrated photonic systems in both classical and quantum regimes.

 

Topological photonics in strongly coupled light-matter systems offer the possibility for fabricating tunable optical devices that are robust against disorder and defects. Topological polaritons, i.e., hybrid exciton-photon quasiparticles, have been proposed to demonstrate scatter-free chiral propagation, but their experimental realization to date has been at deep cryogenic temperatures and under strong magnetic fields. We demonstrate helical topological polaritons up to 200 kelvin without external magnetic field in monolayer WS₂excitons coupled to a nontrivial photonic crystal protected by pseudo time-reversal symmetry. The helical nature of the topological polaritons, where polaritons with opposite helicities are transported to opposite directions, is verified. Topological helical polaritons provide a platform for developing robust and tunable polaritonic spintronic devices for classical and quantum information-processing applications.

 

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) intrinsically carried by vortex light beams holds a promise for multidimensional high-capacity data multiplexing, meeting the ever-increasing demands for information. Development of a dynamically tunable OAM light source is a critical step in the realization of OAM modulation and multiplexing. By harnessing the properties of total momentum conservation, spin-orbit interaction, and optical non-Hermitian symmetry breaking, we demonstrate an OAM-tunable vortex microlaser, providing chiral light states of variable topological charges at a single telecommunication wavelength. The scheme of the non–Hermitian-controlled chiral light emission at room temperature can be further scaled up for simultaneous multivortex emissions in a flexible manner. Our work provides a route for the development of the next generation of multidimensional OAM-spin-wavelength division multiplexing technology. 

Applications that use the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light show promise for increasing the bandwidth of optical communication networks. However, direct photocurrent detection of different OAM modes has not yet been demonstrated. Most studies of current responses to electromagnetic fields have focused on optical intensity–related effects, but phase information has been lost. In this study, we designed a photodetector based on tungsten ditelluride (WTe 2 ) with carefully fabricated electrode geometries to facilitate direct characterization of the topological charge of OAM of light. This orbital photogalvanic effect, driven by the helical phase gradient, is distinguished by a current winding around the optical beam axis with a magnitude proportional to its quantized OAM mode number. Our study provides a route to develop on-chip detection of optical OAM modes, which can enable the development of next-generation photonic circuits.