archives@tulane.edu / In the past decades, the terahertz science and technology have been extensively studied due to their potential applications in fundamental physics, material characterization, communication, sensing and imaging. Although a lot terahertz optical devices have been proposed recently, but efficient, high-performance terahertz optical devices are still in great demand. With the development of plasmonic research and nano-/micro- fabrication techniques, plasmon and metasurface based terahertz optical devices demonstrate their capacity to fit these needs. It is crucial to learn the plasmon and metasurface mediated terahertz optical phenomena for designing such terahertz optical devices. This thesis will explore several plasmon and metasurface mediated terahertz optical phenomena and propose possible solutions for the design of terahertz optical devices. The plasmonic resonant responses of sub-wavelength metallic and dielectric gratings on Indium Antimonide (InSb) are first studied. The designed sub-wavelength metasurface structures are able to couple normal incident terahertz wave with the surface standing plasmon modes whose propagation constant is controlled by the period of the structure. The excited resonant mode on the metallic grating structure is sensitive to its ambient environment which could be potentially applied in molecular sensing. The high-refractive index dielectric grating on InSb wafer enables us to intentionally tune the plasmonic response of the structure which offers more flexibility for terahertz devices. The non-reciprocal reflection and reciprocal transmission of InSb wafer under weak external magnetic field is reported then. The surface plasmon theory of this non-reciprocal reflection and reciprocal transmission is reviewed and confirmed by the experiments. A high-performance THz optical isolator is then proposed based on this non-reciprocal reflection. A novel experiments setup to measure the quadratic terahertz nonlinearities using second-harmonic lock-in detection is proposed. The experimental method is demonstrated by measuring the THz Kerr effect on (110) Gallium Phosphide (GaP) crystal. The experimental design is extended to measure the second-harmonic generation of non-centrosymmetric media. We also design a split-ring-resonator (SRR) metasurface to enhance the second-harmonic generation from non-centrosymmetric media. / 1 / SHUAI LIN

Metasurfaces which emerged as two-dimensional counterparts of metamaterials, facilitate the realization of arbitrary phase distributions using large arrays with subwavelength and ultra-thin features. Even if metasurfaces are ultra-thin, they still effectively manipulate the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light in transmission or reflection mode. In contrast, conventional optical components are bulky, and they lose their functionality at sub-wavelength scales, which requires conceptually new types of nanoscale optical devices. On the other hand, as the optical systems shrink in size day by day, conventional bulky optical components will have tighter alignment and fabrication tolerances. Since metasurfaces can be fabricated lithographically, alignment can be done during lithographic fabrication, thus eliminating the need for post-fabrication alignments. In this work, various types of metasurface applications are thoroughly investigated for robust wavefront engineering with enhanced characteristics in terms of broad bandwidth, high efficiency and active tunability, while beneficial for application. Plasmonic metasurfaces are not compatible with the CMOS process flow, and, additionally their high absorption and ohmic loss is problematic in transmission based applications. Dielectric metasurfaces, however, offer a strong magnetic response at optical frequencies, and thus they can offer great opportunities for interacting not only with the electric component of a light field, but also with its magnetic component. They show great potential to enable practical device functionalities at optical frequencies, which motivates us to explore them one step further on wavefront engineering and imaging sensor platforms. Therefore, we proposed an efficient ultra-thin flat metalens at near-infrared regime constituted by silicon nanodisks which can support both electric and magnetic dipolar Mie-type resonances. These two dipole resonances can be overlapped at the same frequency by varying the geometric parameters of silicon nanodisks. Having two resonance mechanisms at the same frequency allows us to achieve full (0-2π) phase shift on the transmitted beam. To enable the miniaturization of pixel size for achieving high-resolution, planar, compact-size focal plane arrays (FPAs), we also present and explore the metasurface lens array-based FPAs. The investigated dielectric metasurface lens arrays achieved high focusing efficiency with superior optical crosstalk performance. We see a magnificent application prospect for metasurfaces in enhancing the fill factor and reducing the pixel size of FPAs and CCD, CMOS imaging sensors as well. Moreover, it is of paramount importance to design metasurfaces possessing tunable properties. Thus, we also propose a tunable beam steering device by combining phase manipulating metasurfaces concept and liquid crystals. Tunability feature is implemented by nematic liquid crystals infiltrated into nano holes in SiO2. Using electrically tunable nematic liquid crystals, dynamic beam steering is achieved

A central topic in the research of nanophotonics is the geometrical optimization of the nanostructures since the geometries are deeply related to the Mie resonances and the localized surface plasmon resonances in dielectric and metallic nanomaterials. When many nanostructures are assembled to form a metamaterial, the tuning of the geometrical parameters can bring even more profound effects, such as bound states in the continuum (BIC) with infinite quality factors (Q factors). Moreover, with the development of nanofabrication technologies, there is a trend of integrating nanostructures in the vertical direction, which provides more degrees of freedom for controlling the device performance and functionality. The main topic of this dissertation is to explore some of the abovementioned tuning possibilities to enhance the performance of nanophotonic devices. The dissertation contains two major parts: In chapters 2 and 3, the vertical integration of metalenses is studied. We discover a phenomenon similar to the Moiré effect in the bilayer Pancharatnam-Berry phase metalenses and reveal the role of geometrical imperfections on the focusing performance of reflective metalenses. Novel multifocal and reflective metalenses, with smaller footprints and enhanced performance compared to their bulky conventional counterparts, are designed based on the theoretical findings. The study of geometrical imperfections also provides guidelines for analyzing and compensating the fabrication errors, which is vital for large scale production and commercialization of metalenses. In chapters 4 and 5, we use machine learning to harness the full tuning power of the complicated geometries, which is challenging with conventional design methods. Plasmonic metasurfaces with on-demand optical responses are designed by manipulating the coupling of multiple nanodisks using neural networks. An accuracy of ± 8 nm is achieved, which is higher than previous reports and close to the fabrication limits of nanofabrication technologies. We also demonstrate, for the first time, the control of multiple BIC states using freeform geometries with predefined symmetry. It is a new method to exploit the untapped potential of freeform photonics structures. The discoveries we have made in both dielectric and plasmonic nanophotonic devices could benefit applications such as imaging, sensing, and light-emitting devices.

A metasurface or 2D metamaterial composed of a membrane array can support an interesting acoustic wave field. These waves are evanescent in the direction normal to the array and can propagate in the immersion fluid immediately above the metasurface. These waves are a result of the resonant membranes coupling to the fluid medium and propagate with a group and phase speed lower than that of the bulk waves in the surrounding fluid. This work examines and utilizes these evanescent surface waves using Capacitively Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUT) as a specific example. CMUT arrays can generate and detect membrane displacement capacitively, and are shown to support the surface waves capable of subwavelength focusing and imaging. A model is developed that can solve for the modes of the membrane array in addition to transiently modeling the behavior of the array. It is found that the dispersive nature of the waves is dependent on the behavior of the modes of the membrane array. Two-dimensional dispersion analysis of the metasurface shows evidence of four distinct frequency bands of surface wave propagation: isotropic, anisotropic, directional band gap, and complete band gap around the first resonant frequency of the membrane. Some of the frequencies in the partial band gap show concave equifrequency contours capable of negative refraction. The dispersion and modal properties are also examined as to how they are affected by basic array parameters. Potential applications of this wave field are examined in the context of subwavelength focusing and imaging. Several methods of acoustic focusing are used on an array consisting of dense grid of membranes and several membranes spatially removed from the structure. Subwavelength acoustic focusing to a resolution of λ/5 is shown in simulations and verified with experiments. An imaging test is also performed in which a subwavelength defect is localized. This fundamental work in characterizing the waves above the membrane metasurfaces is expected to have impact and implications for transducer design, resonant sensors, 2D acoustic lenses, and subwavelength focusing and imaging.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate surface waves supported on a variety of metallic metasurfaces at microwave frequencies. The goal is to characterise the propagation of these surface waves in the plane of the structure and in some cases study how their presence gives rise to features in the scattering parameters of radiation incident on the metasurface.

The family of III-V semiconductors is of high significance in photonics for two main reasons. First, not only they are the most practical material platforms for active photonic devices but also they are suitable for monolithic integration of passive and active photonic devices. Second, some III-V compounds exhibit high values of second and third-order nonlinear coefficients – the property useful in all-optical signal processing and wavelength conversion. This Ph.D. thesis explores the above perspectives with two candidates from the group III-V family, namely AlGaAs and InGaAsP. The dissertation consists of two main parts. The first part is dedicated to the theoretical modelling of nonlinear bianisotropic AlGaAs metasurfaces, while the second part focuses on the experimental studies of the nonlinear optical performance of InGaAsP waveguides. Concerning the first part, due to the high confinement of light supported by the Mie resonances, AlGaAs nanoantennas and metasurfaces with both high refractive index and high nonlinear susceptibility have found a unique place in planar nonlinear optics, where not only the presence of high intensity of light is of significant matter, but also the optically thin thickness of the entities releases the device from phase matching. We first describe the linear optical properties of AlGaAs meta-atoms and metasurfaces such as relatively high scattering cross-sections and the bianisotropic effect. Also, we derive and explain all required analytic formulas for this purpose. Bianisotropic metasurfaces with magnetoelectric coupling and asymmetric optical properties have sparked considerable interest in linear meta-optics. However, further in this thesis, we explore the nonlinear features of bianisotropic AlGaAs metasurfaces. In particular, we explore a second-harmonic generation in a bianisotropic AlGaAs metasurface based on the multipolar interference inside the meta-atoms and the nonlinear polarization current. We theoretically demonstrate that it is possible to obtain several orders of magnitude secondharmonic power differences for the forward and backward illuminations by adjusting the geometrical parameters of the meta-atoms in such a way that quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BICs) are achievable. This research paves the way for the generation of directional higher-order waves. Concerning the second part, the research is focused on exploring nonlinear material platforms for monolithic integration of active and passive devices on the same chip. In this regard, we explore InGaAsP/InP waveguides of different geometries. First, we provide the theoretical background such as the nonlinear Schrodinger equation and four-wave mixing (FWM) equations in a nonlinear waveguide, then we solve the set of FWM equations using MATLAB to observe the qualitative behavior of the signal, idler, and the pump inside a nonlinear waveguide. Furthermore, we design and employ two waveguide geometries i.e. half-core and nanowire waveguides. We first design these waveguides so that achieving zero group velocity dispersion is possible through a suitable material composition and certain geometrical dimensions. However, for the rest of the work, we continued with the waveguides of different dimensions compared to the designed ones (due to some limitations in fabrication). We demonstrate self-phase modulation (SPM) and FWM for the half-core waveguides. For the case of the nanowire waveguides, we also demonstrate the FWM effect. We measured and extracted the effective value of the nonlinear refractive index of InGaAsP/InP waveguides to be n2 = 1.9 × 10−13 cm2/W through the relation between the idler and the pump power when the phase mismatch is negligible. Finally, we experimentally observe the two-photon absorption effect in our waveguides through the nonlinear characteristics of input and output powers of the waveguides from which the two-photon absorption coefficient of 19 cm/GW is calculated.

THz light has important applications in medical imaging, chemical sensing, industrial quality control, and future wireless communications. However, the widespread adoption of these applications is currently limited by the lack of practical sources of THz radiation that can operate at or near room temperature. Graphene is a promising materials system for basic studies and device applications in THz optoelectronics, with several key functionalities, including photodetection and optical modulation, already demonstrated in recent years. This thesis work is focused on the use of graphene for the THz light emission. In particular, I have demonstrated for the first time the generation of gate-tunable THz radiation from graphene nanoribbons under current injection. The underlying radiation mechanism involves the excitation of graphene plasmonic oscillations by the injected hot carriers and their subsequent radiative decay at the nanoribbon resonance frequency. Combined with suitably designed optical elements, this approach is promising for the development of compact THz sources for imaging and sensing applications. In addition, I have also investigated alternative radiation mechanisms that can provide higher efficiencies but require more complex ultra-high-mobility graphene samples. These mechanisms include Smith-Purcell emission by the graphene electron gas in the vicinity of a periodic grating and interminiband transitions in graphene superlattices produced with a periodic external potential. Finally, I have designed and investigated numerically a graphene-nanoribbon metasurface platform that can provide arbitrary wavefront shaping functionalities for incident THz light, such as beam steering and focusing. Importantly, this device can be actively reconfigured by varying the nanoribbon gate voltages, which makes it particularly attractive for applications in wireless communications beyond 5G.

Diatom algae, abundantly found in the ocean, has hierarchical micro- and nanopores which inspired lots of metamaterial designs including dielectric metasurfaces. The conventional approach taken in the metamaterial design process is to generate the corresponding optical spectrum by utilizing physics-based simulation software. Although this approach provides high accuracy, the downside is that it is time-consuming and there are also constraints. By setting design parameters and the structure of the material, the optical response could be easily achieved. However, this approach is not able to deal with the inverse problem as simple as in the forward problem. In this study, a deep learning model that is capable of solving both the forward and the inverse problem of a diatom-inspired metamaterial design was developed and it was further verified experimentally. This method serves as an alternative way for the traditional metamaterial design process which greatly saves time and also presents functionality that simulation does not provide. To investigate the feasibility of this method, different input training datasets were examined, and several strategies were taken to improve the model performance. Though with the success in some cases, effort is still needed to employ the technique in a broader aspect. / 2024-01-15T00:00:00Z

Yes / This paper proposes a new solution to improve the performance parameters of on-chip antenna designs on standard CMOS silicon (Si.) technology. The proposed method is based on applying the metasurface technique and exciting the radiating elements through coupled feed mechanism. The on-chip antenna is constructed from three layers comprising Si.-GND-Si. layers, so that the ground (GND) plane is sandwiched between two Si. layers. The silicon and ground-plane layers have thicknesses of 20μm and 5μm, respectively. The 3×3 array consisting of the asterisk-shaped radiating elements has implemented on the top silicon layer by applying the metasurface approach. Three slot lines in the ground-plane are modelled and located directly under the radiating elements. The radiating elements are excited through the slot-lines using an open-circuited microstrip-line constructed on the bottom silicon layer. The proposed method to excite the structure is based on the coupled feeding mechanism. In addition, by the proposed feeding method the on-chip antenna configuration suppresses the substrate losses and surface-waves. The antenna exhibits a large impedance bandwidth of 60GHz from 0.5THz to 0.56THz with an average radiation gain and efficiency of 4.58dBi and 25.37%, respectively. The proposed structure has compact dimensions of 200×200×45μm3. The results shows that, the proposed technique is therefore suitable for on-chip antennas for applications in system-on-chip for terahertz (THz) integrated circuits. / Innovation programme under grant agreement H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016 SECRET-722424; UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant EP/E0/22936/1.

<p dir="ltr">We propose a hardware driven solution to high dynamic range (HDR) imaging in the form of a single metasurface lens. Our design consists of a metasurface capable of forming nine low dynamic range (LDR) sub-images of varying intensities scaling by a factor of 2 onto an imaging sensor. After synthetically verifying the functionality of our design, the metasurface is fabricated and a prototype system is constructed for real world experiments. Utilizing the experimental system, the compatibility of our extracted LDR sub- images with pre-existing exposure bracketing solutions for multi-image HDR fusion is demonstrated. The resulting HDR images are highly robust to scene motion due to the instantaneous capture of multi-exposure LDR sub-images allowing for HDR video capabilities.</p>