Nanoscale Optics and PhotonicsXiaodong Yang, October 25, 2011

The iridescence of Morpho butterfly

• Photonic crystals

• Surface plasmons

• Metamaterials

Reference pictures resources: internet

The scale of things

The electromagnetic spectrum

Vacuum tube

Transistor

Electronic integrated circuits

Early electronics

Geometrical optics

Optical MEMS

Nanophotonicintegrated circuits

Nanofabrication and nanomanufacturing

techniques

Fast, low-cost, scalable and functional integrated devices

Electronics and photonics roadmaps

Photonic crystals in nature

λ/2

Morpho butterfly Peacock feather Sea Mouse hair

Natural opals

Photonic crystal: periodically structured electromagnetic media, generally possessing photonic band gaps. Lattice constants are comparable to the wavelength of light in the material.

Photonic crystals and defects

Point defect: cavity

Line defect: waveguide

λ/2

Photonic crystals with different dimensions

Surface Plasmons

Gothic stained glass rose window of Notre-Dame de Paris

Water surface wave

λSP<<λ0

εd

εm|Ez|

Evanescent field

• Strong light localization near the metal-dielectric interface

• Surface Plasmons with large k

• SP wave interference

Surface Plasmons at metal-dielectric interface

10 µm

Atomic lattice constant a ~ 5.65 Å

Optical wavelength λ ~1μm

Homogeneous medium

Crystal structure of sodium chloride (NaCl)

Natural materials“atoms”

λaa l

Metamaterials

a

Artificially fabricated structures

Unit cell a << wavelength λ

Effective-media theory can be applied

Material properties not existing in natural

materials

“meta-atoms”

Metamaterials: beyond natural materials

ε < 0, µ < 0 = n < 0

( )i kz toE E e

kc

n

Hc

Ek

Ec

Hk

Negative Index of Refraction

Negative Index of Refraction

Snell’s Law

Photonic integrated circuits

• Photonic crystals

• Surface plasmons

• Metamaterials

Renewable energy • Solar energy harvesting• Thin-film photovoltaics• LED lighting

Optical communications• Photonic crystal fibers• Photodetectors• Optical switches

Industrial applications• Photolithography• Laser manufacturing• High-power fiber lasers

Consumer electronics• Semiconductor lasers• CCD imaging• LCD and LED displays

Biomedical• Biosensors• Fluorescence imaging• Cancer therapy

Nanoscale Optics and Photonics

Applications of nanoscale optics and photonics