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The dependence of the structure and stability of strongly asymmetric stationary states of a superradiant laser with a slightly asymmetric low-Q Fabry–Perot cavity on its length, reflection factors of mirrors, and pumping level is studied. The states are related to a self-consistent inhomogeneous half-wavelength population inversion grating. The possibility of the existence of two dynamic phase transitions from a stationary (monochromatic) state of this type to a nonstationary one is established: (1) a dissipative superradiant transition to a regime with a quasi-continuous lasing spectrum (in a weakly asymmetric cavity) and (2) a self-modulation transition to a regime with a discrete lasing spectrum. It is shown that the latter can be caused by excitation of both polariton and electromagnetic laser modes due to resonant Rabi oscillations of active centers with a sufficiently long phase relaxation time.

In this paper, we have investigated an analytical solution for the quantized system of the interaction between asymmetric two two-level atoms and intensity-dependent coupling regime, including atom–atom interaction. In addition, we have studied the atomic inversion and the different types of the entanglement through several statistical aspects, such as the linear entropy, the von Neumann entropy, the concurrence and the negativity. By studying the influence of the coupling parameters, the detuning parameter, the binomial parameters, the Lamb–Dicke parameter and the initial state of the system, a number of phenomena have emerged such as damping, followed by entanglement sudden death in the concurrence and the negativity curves. Besides, we have compared between the dynamic nonlinear and linear properties of the system through long-lived quantum coherence in the von Neumann entropy curve and the revivals and collapses in the atomic population inversion curves. Our study opens up a wide range of large number of important applications for linear and nonlinear dynamical models.

We investigate some new aspects of the nonlinear interaction between a three-level Ξ-type atom and bimodal field. The photon-assisted atomic phase damping, detuning parameter, Kerr nonlinearity and the time-dependent coupling have been considered. The general solution has been obtained by using the Schrődinger equation when the atom and the field are initially prepared in the excited state and coherent state, respectively. The atomic population inversion and concurrence are discussed. It is shown that the time-dependent coupling parameter and the detuning parameter can be considered as quantum controller parameters of the atomic population inversion and quantum entanglement in the considered model.

Organic–inorganic lead halide quasi-two-dimensional (2D) perovskites are promising gain media for lasing applications because of their low cost, tunable colour, excellent stability and solution processability 1 – 3 . Optically pumped continuous-wave (CW) lasing is highly desired for practical applications in high-density integrated optoelectronics devices and constitutes a key step towards electrically pumped lasers 4 – 6 . However, CW lasing has not yet been realized at room temperature because of the ‘lasing death’ phenomenon (the abrupt termination of lasing under CW optical pumping), the cause of which remains unknown. Here we study lead halide-based quasi-2D perovskite films with different organic cations and observe that long-lived triplet excitons considerably impede population inversion during amplified spontaneous emission and optically pumped pulsed and CW lasing. Our results indicate that singlet–triplet exciton annihilation is a possible intrinsic mechanism causing lasing death. By using a distributed-feedback cavity with a high quality factor and applying triplet management strategies, we achieve stable green quasi-2D perovskite lasers under CW optical pumping in air at room temperature. We expect that our findings will pave the way to the realization of future current-injection perovskite lasers. Lead halide-based quasi-two-dimensional perovskite films with different organic cations are used to create stable green lasers under continuous-wave optical pumping in air at room temperature.

Optically addressable spins in wide-bandgap semiconductors are a promising platform for exploring quantum phenomena. While colour centres in three-dimensional crystals such as diamond and silicon carbide were studied in detail, they were not observed experimentally in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Here, we report spin-dependent processes in the 2D material hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). We identify fluorescence lines associated with a particular defect, the negatively charged boron vacancy ( V B − ), showing a triplet ( S  = 1) ground state and zero-field splitting of ~3.5 GHz. We establish that this centre exhibits optically detected magnetic resonance at room temperature and demonstrate its spin polarization under optical pumping, which leads to optically induced population inversion of the spin ground state—a prerequisite for coherent spin-manipulation schemes. Our results constitute a step forward in establishing 2D hBN as a prime platform for scalable quantum technologies, with potential for spin-based quantum information and sensing applications. An ensemble of spins associated with an intrinsic defect of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride is shown to be optically addressable, allowing spin polarization of its triplet ground state and providing evidence of spin coherence.

The exclusive presence of β -D-ribofuranose in nucleic acids is still a conundrum in prebiotic chemistry, given that pyranose species are substantially more stable at equilibrium. However, a precise characterisation of the relative furanose/pyranose fraction at temperatures higher than about 50 °C is still lacking. Here, we employ a combination of NMR measurements and statistical mechanics modelling to predict a population inversion between furanose and pyranose at equilibrium at high temperatures. More importantly, we show that a steady temperature gradient may steer an open isomerisation network into a non-equilibrium steady state where furanose is boosted beyond the limits set by equilibrium thermodynamics. Moreover, we demonstrate that nonequilibrium selection of furanose is maximum at optimal dissipation, as gauged by the temperature gradient and energy barriers for isomerisation. The predicted optimum is compatible with temperature drops found in hydrothermal vents associated with extremely fresh lava flows on the seafloor. Furanose species have a key role in the chemistry of life despite their instability over pyranose ones. The authors, through NMR characterization of the anomeric ratios at equilibrium and a non-equilibrium theoretical treatment, show that a steady temperature gradient, at temperatures relevant to the early Earth, favors furanose over pyranose isomers.

Chemically synthesized semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) can potentially enable solution-processable laser diodes with a wide range of operational wavelengths, yet demonstrations of lasing from the QDs are still at the laboratory stage. An important challenge--realization of lasing with electrical injection--remains unresolved, largely due to fast nonradiative Auger recombination of multicarrier states that represent gain-active species in the QDs. Here we present population inversion and optical gain in colloidal nanocrystals realized with direct-current electrical pumping. Using continuously graded QDs, we achieve a considerable suppression of Auger decay such that it can be outpaced by electrical injection. Further, we apply a special current-focusing device architecture, which allows us to produce high current densities (j) up to ∼18 A cm-2 without damaging either the QDs or the injection layers. The quantitative analysis of electroluminescence and current-modulated transmission spectra indicates that with j = 3-4 A cm-2 we achieve the population inversion of the band-edge states.

Organisms exhibit an incredible diversity of life history strategies as adaptive responses to environmental variation. The establishment of novel life history strategies involves multilocus polymorphisms, which will be challenging to establish in the face of gene flow and recombination. Theory predicts that adaptive allelic combinations may be maintained and spread if they occur in genomic regions of reduced recombination, such as chromosomal inversion polymorphisms, yet empirical support for this prediction is lacking. Here, we use genomic data to investigate the evolution of divergent adaptive ecotypes of the yellow monkey flower Mimulus guttatus. We show that a large chromosomal inversion polymorphism is the major region of divergence between geographically widespread annual and perennial ecotypes. In contrast, ∼40,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in collinear regions of the genome show no signal of life history, revealing genomic patterns of diversity have been shaped by localized homogenizing gene flow and large-scale Pleistocene range expansion. Our results provide evidence for an inversion capturing and protecting loci involved in local adaptation, while also explaining how adaptive divergence can occur with gene flow.

Single band-edge states can trap light and function as high-quality optical feedback for microscale lasers and nanolasers. However, access to more than a single band-edge mode for nanolasing has not been possible because of limited cavity designs. Here, we describe how plasmonic superlattices—finite-arrays of nanoparticles (patches) grouped into microscale arrays—can support multiple band-edge modes capable of multi-modal nanolasing at programmed emission wavelengths and with large mode spacings. Different lasing modes show distinct input–output light behaviour and decay dynamics that can be tailored by nanoparticle size. By modelling the superlattice nanolasers with a four-level gain system and a time-domain approach, we reveal that the accumulation of population inversion at plasmonic hot spots can be spatially modulated by the diffractive coupling order of the patches. Moreover, we show that symmetry-broken superlattices can sustain switchable nanolasing between a single mode and multiple modes. Arrays of nanoparticles grouped into microscale arrays support multiple nanolasing modes that can be tailored by changing the geometry of the superlattice.

The optical properties of graphene are made unique by the linear band structure and the vanishing density of states at the Dirac point. It has been proposed that even in the absence of a bandgap, a relaxation bottleneck at the Dirac point may allow for population inversion and lasing at arbitrarily long wavelengths. Furthermore, efficient carrier multiplication by impact ionization has been discussed in the context of light harvesting applications. However, all of these effects are difficult to test quantitatively by measuring the transient optical properties alone, as these only indirectly reflect the energy- and momentum-dependent carrier distributions. Here, we use time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with femtosecond extreme-ultraviolet pulses to directly probe the non-equilibrium response of Dirac electrons near the K-point of the Brillouin zone. In lightly hole-doped epitaxial graphene samples, we explore excitation in the mid- and near-infrared, both below and above the minimum photon energy for direct interband transitions. Whereas excitation in the mid-infrared results only in heating of the equilibrium carrier distribution, interband excitations give rise to population inversion, suggesting that terahertz lasing may be possible. However, in neither excitation regime do we find any indication of carrier multiplication, questioning the applicability of graphene for light harvesting. Previous studies have suggested that even in the absence of a graphene bandgap, a relaxation bottleneck at the Dirac point may allow for population inversion and lasing. Now, using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with femtosecond extreme-ultraviolet pulses, it is shown that interband excitations give rise to population inversion, suggesting that terahertz lasing may be possible.