abstract: Optical metasurfaces, i.e. artificially engineered arrays of subwavelength building blocks supporting abrupt and substantial light confinement, was employed to demonstrate a novel generation of devices for circularly polarized detection, full-Stokes polarimetry and all-optical modulation with ultra-compact footprint and chip-integrability. Optical chirality is essential for generation, manipulation and detection of circularly polarized light (CPL), thus finds many applications in quantum computing, communication, spectroscopy, biomedical diagnosis, imaging and sensing. Compared to natural chiral materials, chiral metamaterials and metasurfaces enable much stronger chirality on subwavelength scale; therefore, they are ideal for device miniaturization and system integration. However, they are usually associated with low performance due to limited fabrication tolerance and high dissipation mainly caused by plasmonic materials. Here, a bio-inspired submicron-thick chiral metamaterial structure was designed and demonstrated experimentally with high contrast (extinction ratio >35) detection of CPL with different handedness and high efficiency (>80%) of the overall device. Furthermore, integration of left- and right-handed CPL detection units with nanograting linear polarization filters enabled full-Stokes polarimetry of arbitrarily input polarization states with high accuracy and very low insertion loss, all on a submillimeter single chip. These unprecedented highly efficient and high extinction ratio devices pave the way for on-chip polarimetric measurements. All-optical modulation is widely used for optical interconnects, communication, information processing, and ultrafast spectroscopy. Yet, there’s deficiency of ultrafast, compact and energy-efficient solutions all in one device. Here, all-optical modulation of light in the near- and mid-infrared regimes were experimentally demonstrated based on a graphene-integrated plasmonic nanoantenna array. The remarkable feature of the device design is its simultaneous near-field enhancement for pump and probe (signal) beams, owing to the localized surface plasmon resonance excitation, while preserving the ultrafast photocarrier relaxation in graphene. Hence, a distinct modulation at 1560nm with record-low pump fluence (<8μJ/cm^2) was reported with ~1ps response time. Besides, relying on broadband interaction of graphene with incident light, a first-time demonstration of graphene-based all-optical modulation in mid-infrared spectral region (6-7μm) was reported based on the above double-enhancement design concept. Relying on the tunability of metasurface design, the proposed device can be used for ultrafast optical modulation from near-infrared to terahertz regime. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2020

Numerické simulace se staly nedílnou součástí procesu navrhování v nanofotonice, což nevyhnutelně vedlo k vývoji softwaru specializovaného pro tento úkol. Ačkoli je zde celá řada komerčně dostupných produktů, mnohé aplikace vyžadují datovou analýzu, která překračuje standardní výbavu těchto nástrojů. Zpracování výsledků simulací je těžištěm této práce, kdy důraz je kladen zejména na vývoj semianalytických modelů ušitých na míru jednotlivým experimentům. Spolu s lepší shodou mezi teorií a měřeními tyto modely poskytují také cenný vhled do studovaných fyzikálních procesů. Hlavní část této práce je věnována plazmonicky zesílené elektronové paramagnetické rezonanci (PE EPR), nové metodě využívající kovové antény pro zesílení interakce mezi zářením a materiály s magnetickými přechody mezi spinovými stavy. Jsou zde objasněny základní principy řídící tento jev a představen model umožňující rychlou optimalizaci polí antén pro PE EPR spektroskopii tenkých vrstev. Zvláštní pozornost je pak věnována roli indukovaného proudu a možnostem, které nabízí při projekcích do dalekého pole nebo počítání elektromagnetické interakce mezi objekty. Toto je dále demonstrováno na několika aplikacích, jmenovitě fázovém zobrazování metapovrchů pomocí koherencí řízeného holografického mikroskopu, designu optického prvku pro generování pole svazků na bázi metapovrchu a multipólové analýze elektromagnetických vln emitovaných objekty nacházejícími se uvnitř multivrstvy.

Vďaka ich vysokej verzatilite a nízkej priestorovej náročnosti sú metapovrchy sľubným nasledovníkom tradičných optických komponentov. Táto práca sa upriamuje na metapovrchy, ktoré môžu nahradiť polvlnné doštičky a difraktívne deliče zväzku. Práca prezentuje dve stratégie výroby nanoštruktúr z oxidu titaničitého s vysokým pomerom strán -- jedna používa reaktívne iónové leptanie vrstvy TiO2 skrz kovovú masku, kým druhá používa štrukturovaný elektrónový rezist ako formu pre depozíciu atomárnych vrstiev TiO2. V závere práce sú charakterizované a analyzované optické vlastnosti vyrobených štruktúr, predovšetkým ich fázový posun a transmisivita.

Color filters enable photosensors to obtain spectral composition of incoming radiation, be it to mimic human vision or to separate analytical signals. Efforts to increase the resolution of these photosensors lead to decrease in size of individual picture elements – pixels, which places increasing demands on the color filter technology. Conventional color filters operating on the principle of absorption of light in organic pigments are frequently used, but they are no longer meeting growing requirements of increasing sensor resolution. Here, metasurfaces comes to an aid, utilizing nanostructures to separate colors and thus creating structural coloration. There are many approaches to separate colors using metasurfaces, but each carries certain disadvantages with their principle of operation. In this thesis, we present a novel approach to separate colors which utilizes manipulation of radiation polarization. The presented color filter is first modeled and optimizes through numerical simulations and then manufactured using nanofabrication methods. Finally, the optical response of nanostructures is verified by several optical spectroscopy methods.

Dans le moyen infrarouge, il n’existe pas à l’heure actuelle de source bon marché, compacte et modulable rapidement en amplitude. L’émission thermique est souvent écartée à cause des propriétés du rayonnement de corps noir : il est large spectralement, isotrope, non polarisé et la fréquence de modulation en intensité est limitée à quelques hertz par l’inertie thermique des émetteurs.Cependant, aucune limite fondamentale n’impose ces inconvénients. L’objectif de cette thèse est de concevoir, fabriquer et caractériser des sources infrarouges incandescentes, de spectre et polarisation contrôlés, modulables au-delà du mégahertz. Les dispositifs que nous présentons reposent sur la modulation rapide de la température d’un émetteur de faible épaisseur, posé sur un substrat qui demeure froid : en effet, la conduction permet de le refroidir en un temps qui dépend quadratiquement de l’épaisseur.Dans un premier temps, nous présentons une source émettant en bande II (3 – 5 microns) fondée sur le principe de l’écran de Salisbury ; sa réponse en fréquence est caractérisée jusqu’à la dizaine de mégahertz.Puis nous modifions cette structure pour utiliser un réseau métallique sub-longueur d’onde et faisons ainsi la démonstration d’une source en bande II modulable et polarisée linéairement.Enfin, nous proposons plusieurs dispositifs pouvant rayonner avec une polarisation circulaire ainsi qu’une source en bande III (8 – 12 microns) constituée d’une métasurface de nano-émetteurs chauds couplés à des nano-antennes froides. / Currently, there is no available source in the mid-infrared range which can be cheap, compact, and whose intensity can be modulated at high frequency. For this purpose, thermal radiation is often considered irrelevant because of the blackbody properties: it is intrinsically broadband, isotropic, unpolarized and the intensity modulation rate is usually limited to a few hertz by thermal inertia.However, there is no fundamental limit that imposes these properties. The goal of this thesis is to design, fabricate and experimentally characterize infrared incandescent sources with a controlled spectrum and polarization and with an intensity that can be modulated faster than 10 megahertz. We present devices which rely on fast temperature modulation of a thin emitter placed on a cold substrate. Indeed, thanks to heat conduction, this emitter can cool down within a characteristic time which varies as the square of its thickness.Firstly, we show a device emitting in MWIR (mid-wave infrared, 3 – 5 microns) based on the Salisbury screen’s principle. We characterize its frequency response up to 10 MHz.Then, we modify this structure and use instead a sub-wavelength metallic grating, thus demonstrating a MWIR source linearly polarized with the same modulation properties.Finally, we propose several devices which can emit circularly polarized infrared radiation and a source operating in LWIR (long-wave infrared, 8 – 12 microns) consisting in a metasurface of hot nano-emitters coupled to cold nano-antennas.

Cette thèse est consacrée à la fabrication et à l’étude d’une nouvelle classe de matériaux à gradient d’indice acoustique (GRIN) pour la manipulation des ondes acoustiques ultrasonores dans l’eau. Comme en optique, les « GRIN acoustiques » sont des matériaux non homogènes, dans lesquels l'indice de réfraction acoustique n =C_(L,eau/air)/C_(L,matériau) varie en fonction de la position à l'intérieur du matériau. Ici, C_(L,eau/air) and 〖 C〗_(L,matériau) sont respectivement les vitesses des ondes acoustiques dans un milieu de référence (l’eau pour l'acoustique sous-marine dont il est question ici) et dans le matériau. Nous décrivons ici la fabrication de matériaux GRIN ultra-minces (c’est-à-dire sub-longueur d’onde) que nous désignons de fait sous le terme de métasurfaces acoustiques « molles » à gradient d’indice, conçues à partir de silicone poreux à indice acoustique élevé. Nous montrons que ces matériaux permettent a priori la génération de tous types de fronts d’onde en milieu sous-marin, et ce sur une très large bande de fréquence des ondes ultrasonores. / This thesis is devoted to the fabrication and the study of a novel class of acoustic gradient index (GRIN) materials for the manipulation of waterborne acoustic waves. As in optics, acoustic GRIN are inhomogeneous materials, in which the acoustic refractive index n =C_(L,water/air)/C_(L,material) varies as a function of the position inside the material. Here, C_(L,water/air) and 〖 C〗_(L,material) are the acoustic wave speeds in a reference medium (water for underwater acoustics) and in the material respectively. We here describe the fabrication of ultrathin (i.e. sub-wavelength) GRIN materials named “Soft acoustic gradient index metasurfaces” engineered from soft graded-porous silicone rubbers with a high acoustic index for broadband ultrasonic three-dimensional wave-front shaping in water.

No description available.

Plasmonic metasurfaces enable functionalities that extend beyond the possibilities of classical optical materials and as a result, have gained significant research interest over the years. This thesis aims towards introducing plasmonic metamaterials and metasurfaces, a two-dimensional subset of metamaterials. The thesis also provides insights into the nonlinear optical responses from subwavelength metallic nanostructures manifesting as extraordinary physical phenomena like the second harmonic generation (SHG). The hydrodynamic Drude model is a theory that characterizes electron conduction in a hydrodynamic way to predict optical responses of metals. The thesis discusses the various contributions to the second-order optical nonlinearities from the terms in the hydrodynamic model: Coulomb, convection, and the Lorentz magnetic force. The significance of these terms, specifically the Lorentz magnetic term, is validated in contrast with existing research. The details of the work carried out to achieve a significant contribution to SHG from the Lorentz magnetic term are provided. A dominant Lorentz magnetic force for SHG was achieved through engineering T-shaped aperture arrays milled into a thin gold film. The dimensions of these structures were tuned for fundamental wavelength resonance. The structures exhibit both magnetic and electric field enhancements at the plasmonic resonance. Furthermore, a revised theoretical model is developed to accurately predict both linear and nonlinear optical responses of metamaterials. The model is based on the hydrodynamic Drude model and nonlinear scattering theory. Results from the finite difference time domain simulations performed on the metasurface are presented. It is observed that the T-shaped structure provides 65% greater nonlinear generation from the Lorentz magnetic term than the sum of the other two hydrodynamic terms. The influence of incident beam polarization on SHG conversion efficiency was also investigated. It was discovered that even though the contributions of hydrodynamic (Coulomb and convection) terms are maximum at 0◦ and 90◦, the metasurface shows maximum SHG intensity at 45◦ which indicates a dominant Lorentz magnetic term. Experimental validation was performed using the fabricated metasurface and a good agreement between the experiment and theoretical calculations was observed. Another aspect of the magnetic Lorentz force contribution, Bethe’s aperture theory was evaluated for a circular aperture at off-normal incident light. It is shown that the Lorentz force dominates the SHG by an order of magnitude at angled incidence where the generation is maximized. The angular dependence was observed to match the magnetic and electric dipole interaction effects as predicted from Bethe’s theory. The revised theory developed in this thesis predicts the linear and nonlinear optical responses of metamaterials including their angular dependency. The analysis and numerical calculations for a circular aperture agree well with past experiments. To conclude, the thesis provides an outlook on future developments in the field of nonlinear plasmonic research with regards to the development of highly efficient nonlinear metasurfaces through optimization of the Lorentz contributions. An insight into the recent developments in nanofabrication capabilities, design methodologies, nano-characterization techniques, modern electromagnetic simulations is discussed as avenues for future research in nanophotonic and nanoplasmonic device design and development. / Graduate

Volumetric optical microscopy has the advantages of quantitative and global measurement of three-dimensional (3D) biological specimens with high spatial resolution and minimum invasion. However, current volumetric imaging technologies based on light transmission, scattering or fluorescence cannot reveal specimen’s chemical distribution that brings insights to study the chemical events in organisms and their metabolism, functionality, and development. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy allowing visualization of chemical contents based on their intrinsic molecular vibrations is an emerging imaging technology to provide rapid label-free volumetric chemical imaging. This dissertation describes three methodologies for developing advanced volumetric SRS imaging technologies to address the challenges of imaging in vivo samples, imaging speed, and axial resolution. In the first methodology, SRS volumetric imaging is enabled by axially scanning the laser foci for sectioning different depth layers. In Chapter 2, we utilize a piezo objective positioner to drive the objective. Combining with the tissue clearance technique, we realize volumetric SRS imaging up to 500 µm depth in brain tissues showing the potential for 3D staining-free histology. The limitations of piezo scanning are slow speed and disturbance to in vivo samples while rapidly scanning the objective. To tackle the limitations, in Chapter 3, we develop a remote-focusing volumetric SRS microscope based on a deformable mirror and adaptive optics optimization, allowing focal scanning without physically moving the objective or sample. We demonstrate in vivo monitoring of chemical penetration in human sweat pores. In the second methodology, instead of axially scanning the laser foci, the SRS volumetric imaging is enabled by projection imaging with extended depth-of-focus (DOF) beams such as Bessel beams and low numerical-aperture beams. The extended DOF beams integrate SRS signals along the propagation direction to form projection images; thus, a single lateral scan obtains the volumetric chemical information, significantly increasing the volumetric imaging speed for measuring chemical content over a large volume. In Chapter 4, we describe a stimulated Raman projection microscope for fast quantitation of chemicals in a 3D volume. However, projection imaging intrinsically loses axial resolution. We addressed the limitation by developing SRS projection tomography. Mimicking computed tomography, the axial information is reconstructed by angle-dependent projection images obtained by sequentially rotating the sample in a capillary glass tube within the SRS focus. Nevertheless, sample rotation is complicated and not compatible with in vivo samples. To address the difficulty, in Chapter 5, we develop tilted-angle-illuminated stimulated Raman projection tomography which utilizes tilted-angle beams with a tilted angle respected to the optical axis of the objective to obtain angle-dependent projections. This scheme is free of sample rotation and enables fast projection scanning for pushing the imaging speed. The calibration approach and vector-field back-projection algorithm are developed for the multi-view tomographic reconstruction. In the third methodology, we improve the spatial resolution in miniature volumetric SRS imaging via the innovation of metasurface photonics. In developing an SRS endoscope for volumetric chemical imaging inside the human body, the axial resolution deteriorates due to chromatic and monochromatic aberrations induced by poorly made miniature objective lenses. In Chapter 6, we develop a silicon metasurface tailored for compensating the phase errors between the pump and Stokes wavelengths of a singlet refractive lens. Integrating the metasurface with the refractive lens, the hybrid achromatic metalens is compact and provides nearly diffraction-limit resolution, demonstrating a way for developing high resolution chemical imaging endoscopy.

No description available.