Abstract: Provided is an atomic vapor cell, for atomic or molecular spectroscopy, optical pumping, and/or spin-based atomic sensing, that includes a host substrate and defined there within a buried or non-buried chamber laser written in the host substrate without the need of a mask or photoresist, with either planar or three-dimensional geometry, and intended to contain an atomic vapor. Also provided are an integrated atomic/photonic device and an apparatus, in both cases including the presently disclosed atomic vapor cell, and a method for fabricating the presently disclosed atomic vapor cell.

Abstract: The application concerns an optical device including: a primary fan-out waveguide; at least one secondary fan-out waveguide; a fan-out optical coupler for coupling a light beam between the primary fan-out waveguide and the secondary fan-out waveguide; and at least one bus waveguide associated with the at least one secondary fan-out waveguide and different from each secondary fan-out waveguide; wherein a reflecting and coupling structure connecting the secondary fan-out waveguide and the bus waveguide.

Abstract: An optical device for controlling light from an external light source including: at least a first and a second waveguide for guiding a light beam emitted from the external light source; and at least a first beam shaping structure with a first light emitting area for emitting a light beam and a second beam shaping structure with a second light emitting area for emitting a light beam, wherein the first waveguide guides the light beam emitted from the external light source to the first beam shaping structure and the second waveguide guides the light beam emitted from the external light source to the second beam shaping structure; wherein the first and the second beam shaping structure-are each configured such that the uniformity of the radiant density profile of a light beam emitted from the respective light emitting area of the respective beam shaping structure is higher than that of the light beam guided to the respective beam shaping structure by the respective waveguide.

Abstract: A method for culturing cells on a substrate capable of inducing pluripotency is provided. The method includes plating cells on a nichoid-type substrate, allowing cultured cells to proliferate for a certain period of time, detaching cells from the nichoid-type substrate, and, once cells have been detached, culturing cells in suspension or under adhesion.

Abstract: An implantable medical device obtained by means of two-photon laser polymerisation of a resin to form a three-dimensional matrix, wherein: said three-dimensional matrix comprises a number of levels distributed in height; and said three-dimensional matrix comprises reference means designed to uniquely identify the height of each level from a pre-set reference, by means of a multi-photon fluorescence-excitation microscope; said implantable medical device being characterised in that said reference means comprise a solid having a cross section that varies with height.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a supermatrix of synthetic niches comprising at least two matrices of niches wherein each matrix comprises n×m niches and wherein the distance (d) between a matrix and the other is greater than zero and wherein in each matrix every synthetic niche has one or more walls in common with the others synthetic niches of the matrix. A support for the culture of cells that includes at least one supermatrix and the use of said supermatrix or support for the in vitro culture of cells, in particular stem cells, or for the in vivo implant in a subject in order to promote tissue or organ regeneration through cell repopulation are also within the scope of the present invention.

Abstract: An implantable medical device obtained by means of two-photon laser polymerisation of a resin to form a three-dimensional matrix, wherein: said three-dimensional matrix comprises a number of levels distributed in height; and said three-dimensional matrix comprises reference means designed to uniquely identify the height of each level from a pre-set reference, by means of a multi-photon fluorescence-excitation microscope; said implantable medical device being characterised in that said reference means comprise a solid having a cross section that varies with height.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a supermatrix of synthetic niches comprising at least two matrices of niches wherein each matrix comprises n×m niches and wherein the distance (d) between a matrix and the other is greater than zero and wherein in each matrix every synthetic niche has one or more walls in common with the others synthetic niches of the matrix. A support for the culture of cells that includes at least one supermatrix and the use of said supermatrix or support for the in vitro culture of cells, in particular stem cells, or for the in vivo implant in a subject in order to promote tissue or organ regeneration through cell repopulation are also within the scope of the present invention.

Abstract: An integrated optofluidic device to illuminate, along an irradiation direction, a fluidic sample containing an object to be analysed, the device comprising: a substrate comprising an entry surface and being made of a material transparent to a light beam incident through the entry surface along the irradiation direction; a microfluidic channel formed in the substrate and having a channel portion intercepting the irradiation direction and extending along a longitudinal axis transverse to the irradiation direction, the microfluidic channel comprising a first flow inlet port for loading a fluidic sample therein, and an elongated lens cavity for an optofluidic cylindrical lens, the cavity being formed in the substrate and being arranged along the beam irradiation direction between the entry surface and the microfluidic channel, wherein the lens cavity is in fluid communication with a lens inlet port for loading a lens fluid.

Abstract: An integrated optofluidic device to illuminate, along an irradiation direction, a fluidic sample containing an object to be analysed, the device comprising: a substrate comprising an entry surface and being made of a material transparent to a light beam incident through the entry surface along the irradiation direction; a microfluidic channel formed in the substrate and having a channel portion intercepting the irradiation direction and extending along a longitudinal axis transverse to the irradiation direction, the microfluidic channel comprising a first flow inlet port for loading a fluidic sample therein, and an elongated lens cavity for an optofluidic cylindrical lens, the cavity being formed in the substrate and being arranged along the beam irradiation direction between the entry surface and the microfluidic channel, wherein the lens cavity is in fluid communication with a lens inlet port for loading a lens fluid.

Abstract: A method for realizing an optical waveguide in a substrate by means of a femtosecond laser system, the waveguide including a birefringence axis tilted by a predetermined angle for at least a segment, is disclosed. The method includes preparing a substrate including a free surface, focusing a femtosecond laser beam into the substrate, in order to induce a refractive index modification of a volume of such substrate around the focal region. The method further includes varying a propagation direction of the femtosecond laser beam to reach a propagation direction describing a predetermined non-vanishing angle with respect to the normal to the free surface of the substrate, and translating the focal region with respect to the substrate, in order to generate the waveguide segment.

Abstract: A method for realizing an optical waveguide in a substrate by means of a femtosecond laser system, the waveguide including a birefringence axis tilted by a predetermined angle for at least a segment, is disclosed. The method includes preparing a substrate including a free surface, focusing a femtosecond laser beam into the substrate, in order to induce a refractive index modification of a volume of such substrate around the focal region. The method further includes varying a propagation direction of the femtosecond laser beam to reach a propagation direction describing a predetermined non-vanishing angle with respect to the normal to the free surface of the substrate, and translating the focal region with respect to the substrate, in order to generate the waveguide segment.

Abstract: A quantum logic gate for qubits, suitable for receiving as inputs at least two polarization-encoded qubits, includes at least one partially polarizing beam splitter (PPBS), the beam splitter comprising a first waveguide and a second waveguide which are constructed in integrated optics, the first and second waveguides having a refractive index contrast of between 0.1% and 6% and a birefringence of between 10?6 and 6*10?5.

Abstract: A reconfigurable optical device for wavelength-division multiplexing networks, comprising two waveguides (A, B) parallel to each other, with two-dimensional confinement, coupled by a bi-directional coupler (C), suitable to selectively drop one and only one of the channels composing the Wavelength-Division multiplexing signal (WDM); the device is reconfigurable as, by appropriately varying the wavelength of the combined pumping beam inside a first waveguide (A), any channel forming the WDM signal can be dropped.

Abstract: A reconfigurable optical device for wavelength-division multiplexing networks, comprising two waveguides (A, B) parallel to each other, with two-dimensional confinement, coupled by a bi-directional coupler (C), suitable to selectively drop one and only one of the channels composing the Wavelength-Division multiplexing signal (WDM); the device is reconfigurable as, by appropriately varying the wavelength of the combined pumping beam inside a first waveguide (A), any channel forming the WDM signal can be dropped.