About this Research Topic
Recently, there has been a great interest in the development of new methods, techniques, and mechanisms for sensing physical properties using photonic structures; we can call them photonic sensors. Their advantages include, for instance, electromagnetic interference immunity, information processing in the optical domain, tiny size,
light weight, etc. Photonic structures are versatile: small changes in them can cause significant changes in their properties. Furthermore, their capability to confine light in small effective areas makes them ideal to promote non-linear effects, which are characterized by the generation of new frequencies. Unlike linear optics, where no
generation of frequencies takes place, in non-linear optics, a richness of phenomena can take place due to an interplay of dispersion and intrinsic non-linearity of the photonic structure. Hence, we can refer to non-linear photonic sensors as those photonic sensors that make use of optical non-linear effects to sense a particular physical quantity. In general, they have the advantage of working within a wide frequency range; in particular, depending on the given photonic configuration or working mechanism, they might have, for instance, higher sensitivities than their linear counterparts due to long interaction lengths between light and media, which in
turn increases the efficiency of non-linear effects. Non-linear photonic sensors have potential applications in areas such as telecommunications, biomedicine, biochemistry, healthcare, spectroscopy, agriculture, energy, environment, etc.
The present Research Topic calls for manuscripts that report non-linear photonic sensors as well as either experimental, theoretical, or numerical research on schemes, methods, or mechanisms for sensing different physical properties of media and detection based on non-linear effects taking place on metamaterials, photonic crystals,
photonic crystal fibers, integrated devices, plasmonic structures, and planar waveguides. Among the optical non-linear effects that can be used for sensing are second harmonic generation, Kerr effect, two-photon absorption, self-phase modulation, modulation instability, four-wave mixing, Raman scattering, soliton formation, supercontinuum generation, electro-optic and photo-refractive effects, fluorescence, etc. The physical quantities to be sensed can be, for instance, strain, pressure, temperature, refractive index, salinity, magnetic field, fluidic flow rate, etc.
The goal of this Research Topic is to account for the plethora of non-linear photonic sensors, sensing schemes, or detection methods that can be proposed or be experimentally achievable using optical non-linear effects. Based on that, it might be possible to classify or analyze the different nonlinear photonic sensors according to the non-linear techniques or mechanisms, kind of photonic structures, sensitivities, and particular applications.
This, in turn, would lead us to foresee perspectives of further development.
Manuscripts in the form of reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, as well as original research articles are all welcome. The scope of the Research Topic comprises but is not limited to the following topics:
- Experimental or theoretical design of non-linear photonic sensors.
- Fabrication and characterization of photonic sensors.
- Optical nonlinear mechanisms or techniques for sensing and detection.
- Numerical studies of nonlinear photonic sensors and detection methods.
- Photonic crystal fiber sensing devices.
- Photonic crystal schemes for sensing.
- Sensing devices based on metamaterials.
- Plasmonic sensing devices.
- Chemical and biophotonics sensors.
- Non-linear imaging techniques.
- Photonic integrated sensing devices.
- Terahertz sensing devices.
- Planar waveguide sensors.
light weight, etc. Photonic structures are versatile: small changes in them can cause significant changes in their properties. Furthermore, their capability to confine light in small effective areas makes them ideal to promote non-linear effects, which are characterized by the generation of new frequencies. Unlike linear optics, where no
generation of frequencies takes place, in non-linear optics, a richness of phenomena can take place due to an interplay of dispersion and intrinsic non-linearity of the photonic structure. Hence, we can refer to non-linear photonic sensors as those photonic sensors that make use of optical non-linear effects to sense a particular physical quantity. In general, they have the advantage of working within a wide frequency range; in particular, depending on the given photonic configuration or working mechanism, they might have, for instance, higher sensitivities than their linear counterparts due to long interaction lengths between light and media, which in
turn increases the efficiency of non-linear effects. Non-linear photonic sensors have potential applications in areas such as telecommunications, biomedicine, biochemistry, healthcare, spectroscopy, agriculture, energy, environment, etc.
The present Research Topic calls for manuscripts that report non-linear photonic sensors as well as either experimental, theoretical, or numerical research on schemes, methods, or mechanisms for sensing different physical properties of media and detection based on non-linear effects taking place on metamaterials, photonic crystals,
photonic crystal fibers, integrated devices, plasmonic structures, and planar waveguides. Among the optical non-linear effects that can be used for sensing are second harmonic generation, Kerr effect, two-photon absorption, self-phase modulation, modulation instability, four-wave mixing, Raman scattering, soliton formation, supercontinuum generation, electro-optic and photo-refractive effects, fluorescence, etc. The physical quantities to be sensed can be, for instance, strain, pressure, temperature, refractive index, salinity, magnetic field, fluidic flow rate, etc.
The goal of this Research Topic is to account for the plethora of non-linear photonic sensors, sensing schemes, or detection methods that can be proposed or be experimentally achievable using optical non-linear effects. Based on that, it might be possible to classify or analyze the different nonlinear photonic sensors according to the non-linear techniques or mechanisms, kind of photonic structures, sensitivities, and particular applications.
This, in turn, would lead us to foresee perspectives of further development.
Manuscripts in the form of reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, as well as original research articles are all welcome. The scope of the Research Topic comprises but is not limited to the following topics:
- Experimental or theoretical design of non-linear photonic sensors.
- Fabrication and characterization of photonic sensors.
- Optical nonlinear mechanisms or techniques for sensing and detection.
- Numerical studies of nonlinear photonic sensors and detection methods.
- Photonic crystal fiber sensing devices.
- Photonic crystal schemes for sensing.
- Sensing devices based on metamaterials.
- Plasmonic sensing devices.
- Chemical and biophotonics sensors.
- Non-linear imaging techniques.
- Photonic integrated sensing devices.
- Terahertz sensing devices.
- Planar waveguide sensors.
Keywords: Nonlinear effects, photonic crystal fibers, photonic crystals, metamaterials, integrated photonics, plasmonics, photonic and biophotonic sensors
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
