In this talk, we discuss recent progress in the field of Mie-resonance-based optical nanostructures, enabling unprecedented control over the amplitude, phase, and polarization of optical fields for the generation of multidimensional light beams with spin and orbital angular momentum in linear and nonlinear media.
We report an experimental validation of a machine learning-based design method that significantly accelerates the development of all-dielectric complex-shaped meta-atoms supporting specified Mie-type resonances at the desired wavelength, circumventing the conventional time-consuming approaches. We used machine learning to design isolated meta-atoms with specific electric and magnetic responses, verified them within the quasi-normal mode expansion framework, and explored the effects of the substrate and periodic arrangements of such meta-atoms. Since the implemented method allowed for the swift transition from design to fabrication, the optimized meta-atoms were fabricated, and their corresponding scattering spectra were measured using white light spectroscopy, demonstrating an excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Bound states in the continuum can be defined as non-radiating resonant modes within open environments. These modes share a defining characteristic of being dark, displaying an exceptional degree of field localization. However, their practical accessibility lies in their quasi-bound form, which needs the introduction of perturbations in the system's geometry or material properties. Despite a finite, albeit high, quality factor, the quasi-bound modes manage to retain their characteristic strong field localization. In this presentation, our focus will be directed towards the exploration of symmetry-protected bound states in the continuum, delving into a comprehensive analysis of the impact that the introduction of various types of asymmetries can have on the formation and behavior of their quasi-bound counterparts. In particular, we will focus our attention on metasurfaces made of BaTiO3, whose constituent elements are periodically arranged nanowires. By investigating the topological features that contribute to certain mode selection rules, our analysis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing the formation and behavior of these modes. Our findings provide a strategic roadmap for optimizing the implementation of quasi-bound modes and provide a clear path to exploit them in specific applications such as sensing and nonlinear optical processes.
Optical metasurfaces are engineered 2D electromagnetic structures enabling flat optical elements with properties not readily found in nature. Their unit cells, meta-atoms, usually are represented by a set of electric and magnetic multipoles. All-dielectric-based metasurfaces have recently attracted significant attention owing to their virtually lossless transmission properties at optical frequencies. A majority of reported dielectric metamaterials are composed of relatively simple meta-atoms such as spheres, cubes, and cylinders, whose electromagnetic response is dominated by the electric dipole. However, magnetic dipoles and higher-order multipoles may enable new optical properties and functionalities, including directional scattering, beam steering, and new frequency generation. Despite impressive progress in the field of optical metamaterials and nanofabrication technologies, engineering meta-atoms that support such higher-order resonances is still challenging. Here, we demonstrate that designed titanium dioxide meta-atoms can enable dominant magnetic dipole response. We apply a machine-learning model to predict a meta-atom shape with a strong magnetic dipole resonant mode at the operating wavelength of 750 nm. Using finite-element-based numerical simulations implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics, we found that the optimized meta-atom is robust against experimental variations and conditions such as a non-perfectly collimated incident beam, nanofabrication inaccuracies, and an added substrate. The meta-atoms have been fabricated using two approaches, focused ion beam lithography and an electron beam lithography followed by reactive ion etching, and characterized using white light spectroscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental realization of a machine-learning-based optimization of a magnetic dipole mode at optical frequencies.
Supersymmetric (SUSY) transformations that originated in quantum physics and were recently adapted to photonics, offer a robust, physics-based approach to designing photonic structures such as optical filters, gratings, and lasers. On the other hand, second-order supersymmetry (2-SUSY) facilitates the engineering of quantum wells in order to optimize second-order nonlinear interactions. In this talk, we discuss a number of linear and nonlinear photonic structures designed using the 2-SUSY. In particular, we demonstrate the design of strongly enhanced second-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities in quantum wells that are being fabricated using digitally graded alloys.
Structured light with an asymmetric phase distribution emerges as an enabling tool to control the light-matter interactions in optical nanostructures. In this work, we first investigate structured light interactions with the all-dielectric meta-atoms of different geometries and aspect ratios and demonstrate that the phase asymmetry of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams of various orders facilitates the excitation of higher-order radiative modes that are not accessible via conventional Gaussian beam or plane wave. In particular, we show that using an LG beam can excite the quadrupole moments within the designed nano-resonators and can alter the induced moments' strength. It is also demonstrated that the geometry and orientation of the meta particles, as well as the illumination angle of the LG beam, can strongly affect the magnitude and spectral location of the induced radiative modes within the subwavelength meta-atom.
Next, we demonstrate the design of a meta-atom that supports new non-radiative states, called anapoles, formed due to the destructive interference between waves generated by certain multipoles. While most existing studies focused on the electric anapoles, here we design and demonstrate an all-dielectric cuboid meta-atom that supports magnetic and hybrid anapoles formed due to the overlap of electric and magnetic multipoles with their toroidal counterparts. In addition, we demonstrate that with a careful design, such meta-atom can support non-radiative states up to quadrupole moments. We also show that changing the illumination angle can excite and manipulate various anapole orders. Furthermore, by changing the topology of the cuboid meta-atom to a pyramid particle, we demonstrate the satisfaction of different Kerker conditions, such as unidirectional scattering and the establishment of a superscattering regime.
Machine learning methods have been widely used in subwavelength photonic structure designs since they are capable of solving the non-intuitive and nonlinear relationship between subwavelength structures and their optical responses and are significantly faster than the traditional numerical simulation methods. However, in the inverse design problems, machine learning models usually serve as black boxes which take the desired spectrum as an input to predict the shape of meta-atoms without elucidating the physics behind it. This makes the machine learning method difficult to apply when designing structures aimed at performing complicated functions. At the same time, the multipole expansion of the scattering cross sections, i.e. multipolar resonances, has been instrumental in analyzing and designing meta-atoms. In this work, we developed forward prediction models to discover hidden relationships between scattering behavior and the shapes of meta-atoms, and an inverse design model to reconstruct the meta-atoms having desired properties under the guidance of multipole expansion theory.
The rapid development of optical technologies, such as optical manipulation and trapping, data processing, optical sensing and metrology, enhanced imaging and microscopy, as well as classical and quantum communications necessitates fundamental studies of the new degrees of freedom for sculpting optical beams in space and time beyond conventionally used amplitude, phase, and polarization. Topological structured optical fields have emerged as one of the most promising candidates for such degrees of freedom. We will discuss our theoretical and experimental studies of “structured light and darkness” generation, detection, and linear and nonlinear light-matter interactions of optical links and knots in complex media such as optical metasurfaces and highly scattering media.
In contrast to the conventional Gaussian beams or plane waves, the interaction of structured lights with matter and meta-matter can pave the way toward novel optical effects such as exciting higher order multipolar moments or enabling nonradiating anapole states. In this work, Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams with various orbital angular momentum are used to excite and control the spectral location of the magnetic quadrupole modes within the all-dielectric meta-atoms. To experimentally validate this phenomenon, silicon-based meta-atoms are fabricated and illuminated by various LG beams. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.
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