Commercial paints have issues with toxicity, environmental instability, and low resolution. Researchers have proposed nanostructured materials as eco-friendly coloration alternatives. However, existing demonstrations face challenges such as sensitivity to angles, polarizations, limited saturation, and impractical industrial integration. We present a self-standing structural coloration approach that exploits plasmonic resonances to produce a comprehensive color range, providing a vivid and rich palette, with angle and polarization independence. Our ultralight paint, weighing only 0.4 g/m2, is fabricated through large-scale techniques, bridging the gap to real-world industrial applications for non-toxic, fade-resistant, and environmentally friendly structural color.
Ammonia, a major water pollutant, enters aquatic environments from various sources, impacting aquatic life with toxic effects and promoting algae growth. Detecting dissolved ammonia is crucial due to health risks and harm to ecosystems. A nanoplasmonic colorimetric sensor was developed, utilizing metallic nanostructures to change color based on ammonia concentrations, providing a simple and affordable real-time analysis method. The sensor uses aluminum and aluminum oxide, avoiding toxic chemicals. A smartphone application was also developed as a robust protocol for quantifying ammonia in aqueous solutions, eliminating the need for optical instruments and facilitating on-site monitoring.
The talk will outline novel bioinspired approaches based on structural color in the visible to infrared spectral ranges. With low-cost and eco-friendly techniques, the ultra-low weight smart coating will maintain temperature of painted surfaces reducing energy wastages. Applications range from buildings, automobiles, cloths, cosmetics, plastics, printer ink, to adaptive camouflages to name a few.
Virtual Reality (VR) devices present challenges in terms of vergence-accommodation conflict that lead to visual fatigue for the user over time. Fast switchable liquid crystal (LC) lenses which access multiple focal planes can help to overcome this challenge. The response time for Nematic liquid crystals (NLC) is in the millisecond range, while that of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLC) in the microsecond order. In this paper we look at recent advances in fast switchable liquid crystal lenses using NLC, FLC or both, compare their design and properties with competing technologies. A discussion on the limitations of each design and technology have also been included.
Several nanoengineered materials have been proposed as potential alternatives to chemical colorants. Although they are non-toxic and stable, they suffer from severe angle and polarization sensitivity, lack of saturation, limited color-palette, and are impractical to integrate with industrial standards. Here, we present an approach to structural coloration that avoids these limitations by exploiting the strong hybridization of localized and cavity modes of a layer of self-assembled plasmonic nanoparticles in the proximity of a mirror. Our approach offers a versatile platform for environmental-friendly, large-scale, and low-cost paint solution that bridges the gap from proof-of-concept science to real-world industrial applications.
Plasmonic nanostructures provide an excellent platform for label-free detection and manipulation of molecules based on their physical and spectral properties. Our recently discovered superchiral light on achiral plasmonic substrates was used to demonstrate enantioselective chiral molecule detection that are relevant to the pharmaceutical industry. The talk will focus on the detection of chiral drugs and biomolecules using a degenerate cavity-coupled plasmonic substrate. We also discuss advances made regarding the enantioselective separation of chiral molecules using plasmonic tweezers and prospective technical challenges that we aim to address in the future.
Recently, several nanostructures have been proposed as a route for structural coloration. However, these demonstrations suffer from severe angle and polarization sensitivity and are impractical to integrate with industrial standards. Here, we present an approach to structural coloration that exploits the strong hybridization of localized and cavity modes of a layer of self-assembled plasmonic nanoparticles in near-field proximity to a mirror. Our approach offers a large-scale and low-cost process, that can be applied to different types of substrates offering a highly versatile colorization solution that can be exploited for biosensing, displays, or as-is for producing structural color paint.
Due to the high cost and requirement for cryogenic cooling of Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) detectors, there is a growing demand for cheap Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) detectors at room temperature. Graphene has shown great potential yet suffers from a low absorption (<3%) in the LWIR ranges. In this presentation, we demonstrate the asymmetric plasmon-assisted hot carrier generation and Seebeck photodetection in nano-patterned Graphene with an enhanced absorption (>60%). This novel Graphene photodetector exhibits a remarkable responsivity of 2900 VW-1, detectivity of 1.1 x 109 Jones with a fast response of 100ns in 8-12 μm band at room temperature.
The fast carrier relaxation time, high carrier mobility and electrostatic tunability make graphene a prospective ideal material for electronics and optoelectronics. However, its low optical absorption is a big obstacle. Moreover, for using graphene in the large area optoelectronic devices, any scheme for enhancing the light-matter interaction in graphene should be polarization and incident angle-independent.
Here, we demonstrate a novel design of an optical cavity-coupled hexagonal nanohole and nanodisk array to excite Dirac plasmon. We compare the Dirac plasmon lifetimes of the graphene nanohole and nanodisk arrays and their role in the enhanced light-matter interaction. Coupling the patterned graphene to an optical cavity creates a temporal and spatial overlap between the graphene plasmon and cavity modes. This complex geometry gives rise to an unprecedented polarization independent light absorption of 60% on nanohole and 90% on nanodisk arrays in low carrier mobility CVD-grown monolayer graphene in the 8-12 um atmospheric transparent infrared imaging band. Electrostatically doping of the patterned graphene tune the surface plasmon resonance wavelength up to 2.5 um by applying a small gate voltage (4V). We show theoretically, and also for the first time the experimental results of the enhanced light absorption for the non-normal incidence. While the light absorption up to 40° (incident angle) is almost constant, the trend of the angular optical response for s- and p-polarized light are different which is validated by our analytical coupled-dipole approximation modeling. This electronically tunable wide angle extraordinary light absorption paves the path towards new generation of graphene-based optoelectronics devices.
Performance of adaptive infrared camouflage is usually parameterized in terms of cycle-ability, response time, actuation mechanism, stability etc., however, one of the key components that has not been addressed so far is the spatial density of infrared information that can be encoded and actively manipulated for camouflaging.
We report an adaptive infrared camouflage system that can be engineered to operate at any desired wavelength in the technologically relevant, infrared transparent 3 – 5 µm and 8 – 12 µm bands. We exploit the metal-insulator phase transition in VO2 to design an optical cavity coupled infrared absorber where the cavity length can be altered by controlling the VO2 phase. Cavity tuning is done by strategically placing the VO2 layer inside the optical cavity composed of a tri-layer architecture. In its insulating state VO2 is transparent to infrared such that incident light couples to the entire cavity length, however in the metallic state, VO2 behaves like a mirror and shortens the cavity length by reflecting ~80% of incident light. The Maxwell Garnett EMT describes the phase transition dependent optical response of the absorber better than the Bruggeman EMT when compared to the experimental results. We tailor the device parameters to demonstrate adaptive thermal camouflage of multispectral encoded infrared information on a pixelated designer surface with a pixel resolution (~20 µm) and density comparable to the industry standard for infrared sensors. We envision this work will pave the way for novel tunable optical devices for technological advancements in infrared tagging, camouflaging and anti-counterfeiting efforts.
Present infrared (IR) detection techniques are limited due to the absence of spectroscopic or “color” detection/imaging abilities. At present all cooled and uncooled MWIR and LWIR detectors are being “bucket” detectors generate integrated spectral images in the binary color format (choices of any two pseudo colors). To date very little research work has been performed on frequency selective detection. On the other hand if we see natural world we find many animals that can see over multiple spectral bands in the visible as well as in the infrared domain. Mantis shrimp eye is an example of a complex eye which is comprised of an elegant 12 channel spectrum sampler that spans the range 300-750 nm, with spectral bandwidth of around 40 nm. These are among the sharpest spectral sensitivities in the animal kingdom. The key aspect of their eye is “biological light funnel” apparatus which collect light over a wide angle with near perfect efficiency. Another biological masterpiece is pit vipers that have heat-sensitive membranes that can detect the difference in temperature between a moving prey—such as a running mouse—and its surroundings on the scale of milli Kelvins. Their infrared eye (“the pit”) has unique abilities to scatter visible light away and transmit only a band of infrared light which reduces background noise substantially. The grand challenge: Can we create an artificial eye/imaging system which has spectral resolving power like Mantis shrimp but viper like detection ability in the infrared domain? The talk will focus on the multi-spectral sensing/imaging that will provide unique intelligence in terms of spectrally resolved IR signature and/or “color” IR images. The novel printing/imprinting techniques enable development of large area, low cost IR detectors which can be mounted on various platforms efficiently with low SWaP requirements.
Present infrared (IR) detection techniques are limited due to the absence of spectroscopic or “color” detection/imaging abilities. At present all cooled and uncooled MWIR and LWIR detectors are being “bucket” detectors generate integrated spectral images in the binary color format (choices of any two pseudo colors). To date very little research work has been performed on frequency selective detection. On the other hand if we see natural world we find many animals that can see over multiple spectral bands in the visible as well as in the infrared domain. Mantis shrimp eye is an example of a complex eye which is comprised of an elegant 12 channel spectrum sampler that spans the range 300-750 nm, with spectral bandwidth of around 40 nm. These are among the sharpest spectral sensitivities in the animal kingdom. The key aspect of their eye is “biological light funnel” apparatus which collect light over a wide angle with near perfect efficiency. Another biological masterpiece is pit vipers that have heat-sensitive membranes that can detect the difference in temperature between a moving prey—such as a running mouse—and its surroundings on the scale of milli Kelvins. Their infrared eye (“the pit”) has unique abilities to scatter visible light away and transmit only a band of infrared light which reduces background noise substantially. The grand challenge: Can we create an artificial eye/imaging system which has spectral resolving power like Mantis shrimp but viper like detection ability in the infrared domain?
In this work, we demonstrate superchiral light generation based on achiral plasmonic surfaces. At resonance, the symmetric cavity-coupled plasmonic system generates single-sign chiral near-field whose helicity is determined solely by the handedness of the incident light. We elucidate the mechanism for such unique superchiral near field generation and find its origin in coherent and synergetic interactions between plasmonic and photonic cavity modes. The cavity-coupling enhances otherwise weak plasmonic chiral near-field by many folds. Furthermore, the system in a unique way suppresses the far field chirality due to its totally symmetric geometry providing a route for surface-enhanced chiroptic spectroscopy on a single surface.
Conventional optical elements such as lenses, waveplates and polarizers function by adding phase delays to the propagating light. The thicknesses of these dielectric optical components are much larger than wavelength to accumulate 0-π phase shift. Moreover, spherical aberration and diffraction limit restrict their usage in integrated photonics circuits. Metasurface based lenses change the phase of transmitted and reflected electromagnetic waves significantly at resonance by exciting surface plasmons on the metallic arrays with thickness much lower than the wavelength of the incident light. However, previous demonstrations of plasmonic lens suffer from low transmission efficiency (< 20%) due to the high plasmonic losses. We overcame this shortcoming to some extend by engineering plasmonic coupling and demonstrated a relatively high 75% transmission in the mid infrared spectral domain. In this proposed work, coupled one dimensional array of gold disks with variable diameters have been employed to add varying phases to the transmitted light in order to create the phase front curvature in mid-IR wavelength range needed for the focusing of the incident radiation. The designed nanostructured surface achieves a resolution beyond the diffraction limit in thin-film planar geometry. The focal point, resolution and transmission efficiency can be tuned by various parameters such as period, diameters, and the size of the disks. The confocal measurement method has been performed to measure the far field focal volume of the fabricated lens, which is in good agreement with the theoretical results. Thin-film planar layout and subwavelength resolution mitigate the limitations of conventional optical elements.
Plasmonic color originating from metallic nanostructures has many advantages over traditional pigmentation based color and have demonstrated sub wavelength resolution, tolerance to high intensity light, and scalability of the structure's optical response with dimensions and surrounding media. The later of these attributes, post-fabrication tunability, is a unique advantage of plasmonic structures that may enable it to reach niche applications. However, previous attempts of plasmonic tuning have yet to span an entire color space with a single nanostructure dimension. Here, we demonstrate a full red-green-blue (RGB) color changing surface enabled by a high birefringent liquid crystal (LC) and with a single nanostructure. This is achieved through the onset of a surface roughness induced polarization dependence and a combination of bulk and surface LC effects which manifest at different voltages. To further show the feasibility of such a system for display applications, we integrate the LC-plasmonic device with an actively addressed thin film transistor array (TFT) to display arbitrary images and video. Such a color changing surface may also find applications in wearables and active camouflage.
Plasmonic structural color has recently garnered significant interest as an alternative to the organic dyes standard in print media and liquid crystal displays. These nanostructured metallic systems can produce diffraction limited images, be made polarization dependent, and exhibit resistance to color bleaching. Perhaps even more advantageous, their optical characteristics can also be tuned, post-fabrication, by altering the surrounding media's refractive index parallel to the local plasmonic fields. A common material with which to achieve this is liquid crystal. By reorienting the liquid crystal molecules through external electric fields, the optical resonances of the plasmonic filters can be dynamically controlled. Demonstrations of this phenomenon, however, have been limited to modest shifts in plasmon resonance. Here, we report a liquid crystal-plasmonic system with an enhanced tuning range through the use of a shallow array of nano-wells and high birefringent liquid crystal. The continuous metallic nanostructure maximizes the overlap between plasmonic fields and liquid crystal while also allowing full reorientation of the liquid crystal upon an applied electric field. Sweeping over structural dimensions and voltages results in a color palette for these dynamic reflective pixels that can further be exploited to create color tunable images. These advances make plasmonic-liquid crystal systems more attractive candidates for filter, display, and other tunable optical technologies.
Recently, two-dimensional and three-dimensional periodic dielectric structures have been directly fabricated by laser holographic lithography to create novel geometric structures with high-precision tolerances. Multiple beam interference via beam splitting mirrors or diffractive optical elements produce iso-intensity contours that can be accurately recorded in photoresist and subsequently used as a template for creating photonic crystals with a complete or partial bandgap. We demonstrate single laser exposure method of forming three-dimensional photonic crystal templates in photoresist with multi-layer two-dimensional diffractive optical elements. Several photonic stopbands are identified in the near-infrared spectrum along multiple crystallographic directions.
A comprehensive model of holographic lithography is used to predict the final structure of a phasemask-formed photonic crystal in SU-8 photoresist. It includes optical imperfections in the phase mask, beam attenuation in the resist, and resist reaction kinetics such as acid diffusion, resist shrinkage and developer diffusion. By comparing simulations with the laser-formed PC templates in our lab, we can identify the origin of various crystal lattice distortions, and more accurately predict the template geometry and crystal motif.
Recently, two-dimensional and three-dimensional periodic dielectric structures have been directly fabricated by laser holographic lithography (HL) to create novel geometric structures with high-precision tolerances. Multiple beam interference via beam splitting mirrors or diffractive optical elements produce isointensity contours that can be accurately recorded in photoresist and subsequently used as a template for creating photonic crystals with a complete or partial bandgap. The periodic structures typically formed by HL comprise of highly convoluted contours that do not conform to typically known geometrical shapes and therefore preclude the use of analytic approaches such as the plane wave expansion (PWE) method to accurately generate the band-dispersion curves. In this paper, we present a numerical technique that decomposes the HL-formed structure into fine mesh grids and expands this material mesh into the PWE method to generate band-dispersion curves. Band diagrams obtained in this way are shown to accurately match the well known solutions for opal, inverted opal, and woodpile structures which have a regular motif. We extend the numerical technique to predict the band structure of HL templates which have an irregular motif and present band diagrams for structures formed by Ar-ion laser phasemask interference.
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