Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Photoelectric Effect

Photoelectric Effect

When light of a particular wavelength strikes a metal surface, electrons are emitted. This is called the photoelectric effect. The minimum frequency of light that can cause such emission of electrons is called the threshold frequency, which is specific to the metal. Light with a frequency lower than the threshold frequency, even if it is of high intensity, cannot initiate the emission of electrons. However, when the frequency is higher than the threshold value, the number of electrons ejected...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Cation concentration-dependent reaction kinetics in single-atom catalysts for electrochemical CO<sub>2</sub> reduction.

Chemical science·2026

Same author

Differential effects of primary and latent syphilis co-infection on immune reconstitution and virological failure in HIV-positive adults on ART.

BMC public health·2026

Same author

Size-dependent reliability of empirical potentials for global optimization of Pt-Cu bimetallic clusters.

Nanoscale·2026

Same author

All-optical polarization control in time-varying low-index films via plasma symmetry breaking.

Nature photonics·2026

Same author

Are there overlooked precursors? Unveiling the formation of dichloroacetonitrile from ammonia and nitrogen-free organic matter during UV/chlorine treatment.

Environmental research·2026

Same author

Automated Quantification of Affect Synchrony: Links to Autism Risk and Social Communication in Infancy.

Journal of autism and developmental disorders·2026

Same journal

Bridging nanotechnology and mechanobiology.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same journal

Coherent 2D/3D van der Waals epitaxy enables single-crystal perovskite heterostructures.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same journal

Coherent 2D-3D van der Waals perovskite epitaxial heterostructures.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same journal

Ultrafast, reconfigurable all-optical beam steering and spatial light modulation.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same journal

A high-energy hydrogen radical initiates efficient electrosynthesis of urea from CO<sub>2</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same journal

Machine-intelligent multimodal algebot for intracavitary chemotherapy.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

All-optical modulation with single photons using an electron avalanche.

Demid V Sychev^1,2,3, Peigang Chen^4,5,6, Yuheng Chen^4,5,6

¹Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. sychev@purdue.edu.

Nature Nanotechnology

|November 17, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers achieved all-optical modulation of refractive index using single photons and silicon

More Related Videos

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Published on: May 30, 2014

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference

Published on: September 5, 2019

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Quantum Information Technologies
Materials Science

Background:

Light's properties (speed, low loss, low crosstalk, low power) are ideal for communications and quantum technologies.
Weak optical nonlinearity in conventional materials limits light control at low intensities.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate all-optical modulation of refractive index using single-photon light intensities.
To overcome the limitations of weak optical nonlinearity in conventional materials.

Main Methods:

Utilized the electron avalanche process in silicon.
Employed a control beam with single-photon light intensities for modulation.

Main Results:

Achieved all-optical modulation of the refractive index.
Observed an extremely high nonlinear refractive index (n2 ≈ 1.3 × 10⁻² m²/W).
The observed nonlinearity is orders of magnitude higher than existing nonlinear optical materials.

Conclusions:

Single-photon light modulation enables gigahertz-frequency optical switching.
This breakthrough is crucial for developing advanced on-chip photonic and quantum devices operating at room temperature.