Nanoporous metal films have many applications in a great variety of scientific fields, and especially nanoporous gold films have many applica- tions in green nanotechnology. Hence, structural and optical properties of such materials were investigated. Local density functions and local per- colation functions were calculated by using scaning electron micrographs and the optical properties of the films were calculated using the Hilfer equation. The results are presented in the report as graphs and show how the materials optical properties depend on the structure of the gold films.

In this thesis, wave propagation through acoustic materials with subwavelength slits structures is studied. Guided by the findings, acoustic wave focusing is achieved with a specific material design. By using a parameter retrieving method, an effective medium theory for a slab with periodic subwavelength cut-through slits is successfully derived. The theory is based on eigenfunction solutions to the acoustic wave equation. Numerical simulations are implemented by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for the two-dimensional acoustic wave equation. The theory provides the effective impedance and refractive index functions for the equivalent medium, which can reproduce the transmission and reflection spectral responses of the original structure. I analytically and numerically investigate both the validity and limitations of the theory, and the influences of material and geometry on the effective spectral responses are studied. Results show that large contrasts in impedance and density are conditions that validate the effective medium theory, and this approximation displays a better accuracy for a thick slab with narrow slits in it. Based on the effective medium theory developed, a design of a at slab with a snake shaped" subwavelength structure is proposed as a means of achieving acoustic focusing. The property of focusing is demonstrated by FDTD simulations. Good agreement is observed between the proposed structure and the equivalent lens pre- dicted by the theory, which leads to robust broadband focusing by a thin at slab.

No description available.

VO2-based films are thermochromic and exhibit high or low infrared transmittance when the temperature is below or above a critical temperature. The thermochromic switching is passive and reversible, and therefore VO2 based films are promising for energy-efficient window appli­cations. However the practicaluse of VO2 for energy-efficient windows has long been hampered by low luminous transmittance and low solar energy transmittance modulation. The main goal of this dissertation work is to address these issues. The first half of the work proposes the concept of nanothermochromics for simultaneous improvement of luminous transmittance and modulation of solar energy throughput. nanoth­ermochromics considers VO2 nanoparticle composite layers, whose optical properties were modeled by effective medium theories. Calculations on VO2 spheroids have shown that VO2 nanoparticles, especially nanospheres, can offer dramatically improved luminous transmittance and solar transmittance modulation that are not possible for films. Calculations done on coreshell nanoparticles showed comparable improvements and offer an opportunity to reduce the material costs. It was also found that the composite of In2O3:Sn (ITO) and VO2 can yield moderately high luminous transmittance, solar transmittance modulation and low-emittance properties. In the second half of the dissertation work, Mg-doped VO2 films were sputter deposited. Their band gaps and Mg-content were investigated by means of optical absorption measurement and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, respectively. The band gaps of VO2 were found to increase by ∼3.9±0.5 eV per unit of atom ratio Mg/(Mg+V) for 0<Mg/(Mg+V)<0.21. Computations based on effective medium theory were done to estimate the performance of Mg­-doped VO2 films and nanoparticle composite layers. The results suggest that moderately doped VO2 films with 0<Mg/(Mg+V)<0.06 perform better than un-doped films and that the perfor­mance can be further enhanced with one layer of antireflection coating. The best results were achieved by un-doped VO2 nanospheres, closely followed by the VO2 nanospheres with low Mg-content. Furthermore, the an experimental study on sputter deposited VO2 nanorods has identified the geometry of the oxygen gas inlet, the type of substrate, the substrate temperature and the layer thickness as important factors that influence the growth morphology. Taken as a whole, nanothermochromics offered by VO2 nanoparticles was shown to be the best solution for VO2 based thermochromic energy-efficient window coatings.

This dissertation includes the study of effective medium theories (EMTs) and their applications in describing wave propagation in anisotropic metamaterials, which can guide the design of metamaterials. An EMT based on field averaging is proposed to describe a peculiar anisotropic dispersion relation that is linear along the symmetry line but quadratic in the perpendicular direction. This dispersion relation is associated with the topological transition of the iso-frequency contours (IFCs), suggesting interesting wave propagation behaviors from beam shaping to beam splitting. In the framework of coherent potential approximation, an analytical EMT is further developed, with the ability to build a direct connection between the microscopic structure and the macroscopic material properties, which overcomes the requirement of prior knowledge of the field distributions. The derived EMT is valid beyond the long-wavelength limit. Using the EMT, an anisotropic zero-index metamaterial is designed. Moreover, the derived EMT imposes a condition that no scattered wave is generated in the ambient medium, which suggests the input signal cannot detect any object that might exist, making it invisible. Such correspondence between the EMT and the invisibilityinspires us to explore the wave cloaking in the same framework of coherent potential approximation. To further broaden the application realm of EMT, an EMT using the parameter retrieval method is studied in the regimes where the previously-developed EMTs are no longer accurate. Based on this study, in conjunction with the EMT mentioned above, a general scheme to realize coherent perfect absorption (CPA) in anisotropic metamaterials is proposed. As an exciting area in metamaterials, the field of metasurfaces has drawn great attention recently. As an easily attainable device, a grating may be the simplest version of metasurfaces. Here, an analytical EMT for gratings made of cylinders is developed by using the multiple scattering theory (MST) method and the lattice sum. Validation of the theory is verified by the agreement between the EMT predictions and the numerical calculations. It is found the EMT is capable of accurately predicting the wave transport behaviors, even for frequencies where the Mie resonances happen.

No description available.

Carbon nanotube forests are vertically grown tubular formations of graphene. Samples were grown with an injection chemical vapor deposition method on substrates of silicon with various deposited layers and bare fused silica. The morphology of the forest is characterized by the height, density, and presence of defects. Total diffuse reflectance and transmittance measurements were taken in the 2-16 �m spectral range and correlated to the forest’s specific morphology. From these correlations, the conditions necessary to maximize the absorption of the forest were found and exploited to cater sample growth for specific substrates to make ideal absorbers. From the transmittance data, the absorption coefficient is found via Beer-Lambert’s Law and also correlated to sample morphology, giving us an indication of the height of the forest needed for ideal absorption. Two models were used to attempt to reproduce the experimental absorption coefficient: an effective medium theory using a Maxwell Garnett approximation and by treating the carbon nanotube forest as an effective cylindrical waveguide with walls of graphite. Each model leads to a set of fitting parameters providing a better physical understanding of the forests. It was found that the effective medium theory gave results loosely corroborated with electron microscopy, but had trouble fitting the experimental data, and the index of refraction it provides does not behave like a unified medium. The waveguide model fits the data well, but it requires more experimental evidence to be more conclusive. The theoretical models need more work, but fabrication of ideal absorbers has been achieved on various substrates providing framework for their usage in radiometry and spectroscopy.

Os metamateriais acústicos/elásticos são materiais que apresentam características elásticas diferentes dos materiais comuns encontrados na natureza, sendo o índice de refração negativo a principal característica destes novos materiais. A literatura reporta que esta propriedade é atingida para uma faixa muito estreita de frequências, sendo um efeito muito localizado, e, adicionalmente, as estruturas propostas são ideais em extremo, o que dificulta sua aplicação prática em dispositivos acústicos. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi projetar metamateriais acústicos e elásticos tridimensionais com índice de refração negativo numa faixa de frequência mais longa em relação ao reportado na literatura, e utilizando geometrias e materiais que tornem viável sua implementação prática para a fabricação de dispositivos. Com este propósito foi desenvolvido um formalismo da teoria de meio efetivo (TME), no limite de comprimento de onda longa e baixas frações de preenchimento. Com a TME desenvolvida foi estudado o espalhamento de inclusões esféricas simples, revestidas e duplamente revestidas em diferentes matrizes hospedeiras. Os resultados mostraram a existência de bandas ressonantes nos coeficientes da matriz T relacionadas aos modos monopolares, dipolares e quadrupolares. Materiais compósitos constituídos por esferas simples, revestidas ou duplamente revestidas foram analisados utilizando o formalismo TME. Os resultados mostraram que os valores negativos dos parâmetros elásticos nestes materiais estão completamente relacionados aos efeitos ressonantes das inclusões esféricas. Metamateriais elásticos e acústicos foram projetados sobrepondo dois ou mais compósitos diferentes, cada um com diferentes propriedades, de tal forma que o efeito total no metamaterial apresente as características definidas no projeto inicial. O metamaterial elástico foi projetado utilizando a sobreposição de três compósitos de inclusões esféricas diferentes. Este metamaterial apresentou índice de refração negativa na região de 2 kHz, numa faixa de largura igual a 80 Hz. O metamaterial acústico foi projetado sobrepondo dois compósitos de inclusões esféricas diferentes. Este material apresentou índice de refração negativa na região de 7 kHz, numa faixa de 500 Hz. As geometrias e materiais utilizados no projeto destes metamateriais são acessíveis e de fácil manipulação, o que facilitará sua futura fabricação em laboratório. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho sugerem a possibilidade de fabricar estes metamateriais no laboratório e empregá-los no controle de ondas acústicas, elásticas e sísmicas, assim como também no projeto de um manto de invisibilidade acústica/elástica. / The acoustic/elastic metamaterials are materials that show different elastic features from common materials found in nature and their main characteristics are their negative refractive index. The literature reports that this property is reached for a very narrow range of frequencies, as a very localized phenomenon, and additionally, the proposed structures are extremely ideals, which makes its practical application difficult on acoustic devices. The objective of this work was to design acoustic/elastic three-dimensional Metamaterials with negative refractive index in a wider frequency band than that reported in the literature, and using geometries and materials that make it possible their practical implementation for manufacturing acoustic/elastic devices. With this purpose a formalism of the effective medium theory (EMT) was developed, in the limit of wavelength and low fill fractions. With the developed EMT, the scattering of simple spherical inclusions, coated and doubly coated in different host substrates were studied. The results showed the existence of resonant bands in the coefficients of the T matrix related to monopolar, dipolar and quadrupolar modes. Composite materials consisting of simple, coated or double coated spheres were analyzed using the EMT formalism. The results showed that the negative values of elastic parameters in these materials are completely related to resonant effects of the spheres of inclusion. Elastic and acoustic Metamaterials were designed by overlaying two or more different composites, each with different properties, such that the overall effect on the metamaterial shows the desired features defined in the initial project. The elastic metamaterial was designed by overlapping three different composites of different spherical inclusions. This metamaterial shows negative refractive index in the region of 2 kHz, in a band of width of 80 Hz. The acoustic metamaterial was designed by overlapping two composites of different spherical inclusions. This material shows negative refractive index in the region of 7 kHz, in a band of width of 500 Hz. The geometries and materials used in the design of these Metamaterials are affordable and easy to handle, which will facilitate their future fabrication in the laboratory. The results obtained in this study suggest the possibility to manufacture these metamaterials in the laboratory and use them in the control of acoustic, elastic and seismic waves, as well as in the design of invisible cloak.

Os metamateriais acústicos/elásticos são materiais que apresentam características elásticas diferentes dos materiais comuns encontrados na natureza, sendo o índice de refração negativo a principal característica destes novos materiais. A literatura reporta que esta propriedade é atingida para uma faixa muito estreita de frequências, sendo um efeito muito localizado, e, adicionalmente, as estruturas propostas são ideais em extremo, o que dificulta sua aplicação prática em dispositivos acústicos. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi projetar metamateriais acústicos e elásticos tridimensionais com índice de refração negativo numa faixa de frequência mais longa em relação ao reportado na literatura, e utilizando geometrias e materiais que tornem viável sua implementação prática para a fabricação de dispositivos. Com este propósito foi desenvolvido um formalismo da teoria de meio efetivo (TME), no limite de comprimento de onda longa e baixas frações de preenchimento. Com a TME desenvolvida foi estudado o espalhamento de inclusões esféricas simples, revestidas e duplamente revestidas em diferentes matrizes hospedeiras. Os resultados mostraram a existência de bandas ressonantes nos coeficientes da matriz T relacionadas aos modos monopolares, dipolares e quadrupolares. Materiais compósitos constituídos por esferas simples, revestidas ou duplamente revestidas foram analisados utilizando o formalismo TME. Os resultados mostraram que os valores negativos dos parâmetros elásticos nestes materiais estão completamente relacionados aos efeitos ressonantes das inclusões esféricas. Metamateriais elásticos e acústicos foram projetados sobrepondo dois ou mais compósitos diferentes, cada um com diferentes propriedades, de tal forma que o efeito total no metamaterial apresente as características definidas no projeto inicial. O metamaterial elástico foi projetado utilizando a sobreposição de três compósitos de inclusões esféricas diferentes. Este metamaterial apresentou índice de refração negativa na região de 2 kHz, numa faixa de largura igual a 80 Hz. O metamaterial acústico foi projetado sobrepondo dois compósitos de inclusões esféricas diferentes. Este material apresentou índice de refração negativa na região de 7 kHz, numa faixa de 500 Hz. As geometrias e materiais utilizados no projeto destes metamateriais são acessíveis e de fácil manipulação, o que facilitará sua futura fabricação em laboratório. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho sugerem a possibilidade de fabricar estes metamateriais no laboratório e empregá-los no controle de ondas acústicas, elásticas e sísmicas, assim como também no projeto de um manto de invisibilidade acústica/elástica. / The acoustic/elastic metamaterials are materials that show different elastic features from common materials found in nature and their main characteristics are their negative refractive index. The literature reports that this property is reached for a very narrow range of frequencies, as a very localized phenomenon, and additionally, the proposed structures are extremely ideals, which makes its practical application difficult on acoustic devices. The objective of this work was to design acoustic/elastic three-dimensional Metamaterials with negative refractive index in a wider frequency band than that reported in the literature, and using geometries and materials that make it possible their practical implementation for manufacturing acoustic/elastic devices. With this purpose a formalism of the effective medium theory (EMT) was developed, in the limit of wavelength and low fill fractions. With the developed EMT, the scattering of simple spherical inclusions, coated and doubly coated in different host substrates were studied. The results showed the existence of resonant bands in the coefficients of the T matrix related to monopolar, dipolar and quadrupolar modes. Composite materials consisting of simple, coated or double coated spheres were analyzed using the EMT formalism. The results showed that the negative values of elastic parameters in these materials are completely related to resonant effects of the spheres of inclusion. Elastic and acoustic Metamaterials were designed by overlaying two or more different composites, each with different properties, such that the overall effect on the metamaterial shows the desired features defined in the initial project. The elastic metamaterial was designed by overlapping three different composites of different spherical inclusions. This metamaterial shows negative refractive index in the region of 2 kHz, in a band of width of 80 Hz. The acoustic metamaterial was designed by overlapping two composites of different spherical inclusions. This material shows negative refractive index in the region of 7 kHz, in a band of width of 500 Hz. The geometries and materials used in the design of these Metamaterials are affordable and easy to handle, which will facilitate their future fabrication in the laboratory. The results obtained in this study suggest the possibility to manufacture these metamaterials in the laboratory and use them in the control of acoustic, elastic and seismic waves, as well as in the design of invisible cloak.

V této teoretické práci se zabýváme kvantově mechanickými jevy, jež jsou spjaté s vodi- vostními elektrony uzavřenými v kvantových tečkách. Nejprve je odvozen model nanokrys- talu jakožto potenciálové jámy. Při tom se ukazuje, že pouze objem, ne tvar, je významným parametrem modelu pro účely terahertzové spektroskopie. Studované geometrie jsou tak vzájemně zaměnitelné a výběr mezi nimi m·že zjednodušit dané úlohy. Pro zkoumání depo- larizačních efekt·, které jsou zahrnuty v depolarizačním faktoru v Maxwell Garnettově teorii efektivního prostředí, je zvolena sférická symetrie. V rámci poruchy prvního řádu je vyřešena Poissonova rovnice pro elektrony rozmístěné uvnitř koule podle vlnové funkce a je určen depo- larizační faktor. Zatímco v klasické limitě tento nabývá p·vodní hodnoty, pro nanokrystaly se zvyšuje a maxima je dosaženo v ne-degenerovaném režimu, kdy je obsazen pouze základní stav. Navýšení depolarizačního faktoru posouvá plasmonovou rezonanci směrem k vyšším frekvencím. 1