光的传播通常是互易的，传统的互易性光学器件面临光学衍射极限等问题，限制了其性能的进一步提升。非互易性光学器件能够实现光的单向可控传输，非互易拓扑光子态具有抗背向散射、免疫障碍物和缺陷等多种优异的物理性质，因而在光集成电路、非线性光学等多个领域具有潜在的应用价值。本文聚焦并回顾了非互易拓扑光子学的应用价值和研究进展，分别介绍了通过旋磁材料光子晶体、基于磁表面等离子激元、利用光学非线性效应和基于时间调制等不同的途径和手段实现非互易光子拓扑态的理论依据和研究进展，比较各自特点，并对其未来发展趋势和面临的关键问题进行了分析和展望。

分焦平面偏振图像传感器的偏振主轴方向对后续使用斯托克斯矢量进行偏振参数解算的结果准确性有重要影响。为了标定该类型传感器，提出一种基于测量分焦平面偏振图像传感器中各偏振主轴方向像素输出平均值所拟合曲线相位差的方法，并对该方法进行了仿真与实际测试。控制照射到传感器表面的线偏振光，按照设定步长旋转若干周期，传感器同时拍摄图片。选定图片的感兴趣区域，并对该区域内同偏振主轴方向的像素值求平均，获得各偏振主轴方向像素平均值随旋转角度变化的序列。使用傅里叶级数拟合法对各序列进行拟合，获得像素输出值随旋转角度变化的表达式。选定一个偏振主轴方向为基准方向，其他偏振主轴方向为该方向表达式与基准方向表达式的相位差。实际测试结果表明：标定值与名义值相差不超过0.1°。该方法的标定精度高、可操作性好，能够较好地完成分焦平面偏振图像传感器偏振主轴方向的标定任务。

Initiated by graphene, two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have attracted much attention owing to their novel layer-number-dependent physical and chemical properties. To fully utilize those properties, a fast and accurate determination of their layer number is the priority. Compared with conventional structural characterization tools, including atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, the optical characterization methods such as optical contrast, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, multiphoton imaging, and hyperspectral imaging have the distinctive advantages of a high-throughput and nondestructive examination. Here, taking the most studied 2D materials like graphene, MoS2, and black phosphorus as examples, we summarize the principles and applications of those optical characterization methods. The comparison of those methods may help us to select proper ones in a cost-effective way.

The star tracker, an optical attitude sensor with high accuracy, is widely used in satellites for attitude determination and control. However, it is susceptible to the sunlight and the earthlight for application on satellites in the sun-synchronous orbit. Therefore, the suppression of the sunlight and the earthlight is important for the star tracker. In this Letter, a vector model is proposed to describe the relationship among the Sun, the Earth, and the satellite body, and, based on the equations of the boundary curves, the vector areas free from the sunlight and the earthlight in the body coordinate system of the satellite are derived. Meanwhile, the installation orientation of the star tracker and the corresponding exclusion angle of the earthlight are optimized. The simulation results indicate that the optimization method for the installation orientation and the exclusion angle of the star tracker is accurate and effective.

Wavelength-dependent birefringence and dielectric anisotropy, two major optical properties of the nematic liquid crystal materials used in phase-only liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) devices, are measured as a function of operating temperatures. The dynamic phase modulation depth and threshold voltage of these phase-only LCOS devices are also measured in the corresponding temperature range and compared with theoretical predictions. The results show that the dynamic response time can be reduced significantly by an appropriate increase of device operative temperature, while the necessary device elements, such as phase modulation depth and threshold voltage, can be maintained at the same time.