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Hu X, Ning K, Un IW, Jiang J, Deng J, Dong J, Jiang X, Fan H, Chen Y. Nonlinear metasurface engineering with disordered gold nanorods on ITO: a cost-effective approach to broadband response, polarization-independence, and weak nonlinear index dispersion. OPTICS LETTERS 2024; 49:3400-3403. [PMID: 38875631 DOI: 10.1364/ol.521467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
The strong coupling of epsilon-near-zero materials with nanoantennas has demonstrated enhanced nonlinear optical responses, yet practical challenges persist. Here, we propose an alternative: an ultrathin metasurface featuring broadband response with a weakly dispersive nonlinear index, achieved through a simple implementation. Our metasurface, comprising a disordered gold nanorod array on indium tin oxide, exhibits polarization-independent behavior and a large average nonlinear refractive index of 5 cm2/GW across a broad wavelength range (1000-1300 nm). Enhanced performance is attributed to the weak coupling between gold nanorods and indium tin oxide, offering a cost-effective method for nonlinear optical metasurfaces and a flexible design in nanophotonic applications.
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2
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Alabdan HI, Alsahli FM, Bhandari S, Mallick T. Monolithic Use of Inert Gas for Highly Transparent and Conductive Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:565. [PMID: 38607100 PMCID: PMC11013042 DOI: 10.3390/nano14070565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Due to its excellent electrical conductivity, high transparency in the visible spectrum, and exceptional chemical stability, indium tin oxide (ITO) has become a crucial material in the fields of optoelectronics and nanotechnology. This article provides a thorough analysis of growing ITO thin films with various thicknesses to study the impact of thickness on their electrical, optical, and physical properties for solar-cell applications. ITO was prepared through radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using argon gas with no alteration in temperature or changes in substrate heating, followed with annealing in a tube furnace under inert conditions. An investigation of the influence of thickness on the optical, electrical, and physical properties of the films was conducted. We found that the best thickness for ITO thin films was 100 nm in terms of optical, electrical, and physical properties. To gain full comprehension of the impact on electrical properties, the different samples were characterized using a four-point probe and, interestingly, we found a high conductivity in the range of 1.8-2 × 106 S/m, good resistivity that did not exceed 1-2 × 10-6 Ωm, and a sheet resistance lower than 16 Ω sq-1. The transparency values found using a spectrophotometer reached values beyond 85%, which indicates the high purity of the thin films. Atomic force microscopy indicated a smooth morphology with low roughness values for the films, indicating an adequate transitioning of the charges on the surface. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the actual thicknesses and the morphology, through which we found no cracks or fractures, which implied excellent deposition and annealing. The X-ray diffraction microscopy results showed a high purity of the crystals, as the peaks (222), (400), (440), and (622) of the crystallographic plane reflections were dominant, which confirmed the existence of the faced-center cubic lattice of ITO. This work allowed us to design a method for producing excellent ITO thin films for solar-cell applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hessa I. Alabdan
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; (H.I.A.); (F.M.A.); (S.B.)
- Department of Physics and Renewable Energy, College of Science and Humanities-Jubail, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Jubail 35811, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad M. Alsahli
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; (H.I.A.); (F.M.A.); (S.B.)
- Physics Department, University of Hafr Al Batin, Al Jamiah, Hafar Al Batin 39524, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shubhranshu Bhandari
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; (H.I.A.); (F.M.A.); (S.B.)
| | - Tapas Mallick
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK; (H.I.A.); (F.M.A.); (S.B.)
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Yang G, Allen MS, Allen JW, Harutyunyan H. Unlocking Efficient Ultrafast Bound-Electron Optical Nonlinearities via Mirror Induced Quasi Bound States in the Continuum. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:1679-1686. [PMID: 38262062 PMCID: PMC10853962 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The operation of photonic devices often relies on modulation of their refractive index. While the sub-bandgap index change through bound-electron optical nonlinearity offers a faster response than utilizing free carriers with an overbandgap pump, optical switching often suffers from inefficiency. Here, we use a recently observed metasurface based on mirror-induced optical bound states in the continuum, to enable superior modulation characteristics. We achieve a pulsewidth-limited switching time of 100 fs, reflectance change of 22%, remarkably low energy consumption of 255 μJ/cm2, and an enhancement of modulation contrast by a factor of 440 compared to unpatterned silicon. Additionally, the narrow photonic resonance facilitates the detection of the dispersive nondegenerate two-photon nonlinearity, allowing tunable pump and probe excitation. These findings are explained by a two-band theoretical model for the dispersive nonlinear index. The demonstrated efficient and rapid switching holds immense potential for applications, including quantum photonics, sensing, and metrology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoce Yang
- Department
of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Monica S. Allen
- Air
Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, Florida 32542, United States
| | - Jeffery W. Allen
- Air
Force Research Laboratory, Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, Florida 32542, United States
| | - Hayk Harutyunyan
- Department
of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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Masharin MA, Oskolkova T, Isik F, Volkan Demir H, Samusev AK, Makarov SV. Giant Ultrafast All-Optical Modulation Based on Exceptional Points in Exciton-Polariton Perovskite Metasurfaces. ACS NANO 2024; 18:3447-3455. [PMID: 38252695 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Ultrafast all-optical modulation with optically resonant nanostructures is an essential technology for high-speed signal processing on a compact optical chip. Key challenges that exist in this field are relatively low and slow modulations in the visible range as well as the use of expensive materials. Here we develop an ultrafast all-optical modulator based on MAPbBr3 perovskite metasurface supporting exciton-polariton states with exceptional points. The additional angular and spectral filtering of the modulated light transmitted through the designed metasurface allows us to achieve 2500% optical signal modulation with the shortest modulation time of 440 fs at the pump fluence of ∼40 μJ/cm2. Such a value of the modulation depth is record-high among the existing modulators in the visible range, while the main physical effect behind it is polariton condensation. Scalable and cheap metasurface fabrication via nanoimprint lithography along with the simplicity of perovskite synthesis and deposition make the developed approach promising for real-life applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail A Masharin
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National Nanotechnology Research Center, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- Laboratory of Bionanophotonic, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Tatiana Oskolkova
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National Nanotechnology Research Center, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Furkan Isik
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National Nanotechnology Research Center, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Hilmi Volkan Demir
- UNAM-Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National Nanotechnology Research Center, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- LUMINOUS! Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore
| | - Anton K Samusev
- Experimentelle Physik 2, Technische Universität Dortmund, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Sergey V Makarov
- Qingdao Innovation and Development Center, Harbin Engineering University, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, China
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Chang WJ, Sakotic Z, Ware A, Green AM, Roman BJ, Kim K, Truskett TM, Wasserman D, Milliron DJ. Wavelength Tunable Infrared Perfect Absorption in Plasmonic Nanocrystal Monolayers. ACS NANO 2024; 18:972-982. [PMID: 38117550 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The ability to efficiently absorb light in ultrathin (subwavelength) layers is essential for modern electro-optic devices, including detectors, sensors, and nonlinear modulators. Tailoring these ultrathin films' spectral, spatial, and polarimetric properties is highly desirable for many, if not all, of the above applications. Doing so, however, often requires costly lithographic techniques or exotic materials, limiting scalability. Here we propose, demonstrate, and analyze a mid-infrared absorber architecture leveraging monolayer films of nanoplasmonic colloidal tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals (ITO NCs). We fabricate a series of ITO NC monolayer films using the liquid-air interface method; by synthetically varying the Sn dopant concentration in the NCs, we achieve spectrally selective perfect absorption tunable between wavelengths of two and five micrometers. We achieve monolayer thickness-controlled coupling strength tuning by varying NC size, allowing access to different coupling regimes. Furthermore, we synthesize a bilayer film that enables broadband absorption covering the entire midwave IR region (λ = 3-5 μm). We demonstrate a scalable platform, with perfect absorption in monolayer films only hundredths of a wavelength in thickness, enabling strong light-matter interaction, with potential applications for molecular detection and ultrafast nonlinear optical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Je Chang
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Zarko Sakotic
- Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758, United States
| | - Alexander Ware
- Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758, United States
| | - Allison M Green
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Benjamin J Roman
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Kihoon Kim
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Thomas M Truskett
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Daniel Wasserman
- Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758, United States
| | - Delia J Milliron
- McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Hong J, Ju H. All-optical modulation by continuous wave light using two-color excited-state absorption at visible wavelengths. OPTICS LETTERS 2024; 49:157-160. [PMID: 38134176 DOI: 10.1364/ol.504161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrated all-optical modulation with a nonlinear medium, i.e., indigo carmine, an aromatic conjugated structure with delocalized π-electrons, using non-high power continuous wave light for pump and probe of different visible wavelengths. Pump-induced probe transmission increase occurred through absorption saturation of probe light by pump-induced linear and nonlinear absorption including two-color excited-state absorption (ESA). The two-color ESA occurred only when both pump light and probe light co-propagated through a medium, leading to nearly pump power-independent increase in probe transmission for appropriately chosen wavelengths of pump and probe light, given the optical transition structure of electronic energy levels in the medium.
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Wang M, Jiang H, Ma H, Zhao C, Zhao Y, Wang Z, Xu X, Shao J. A corrugated epsilon-nearzero saturable absorber for a high-performance 1.3 μm solid-state bulk laser. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:17434-17442. [PMID: 37855687 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr04161a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials with vanishing permittivity exhibit unprecedented optical nonlinearity within subwavelength propagation lengths in the ENZ region, making them promising photoelectric materials that have achieved exciting results in ultrafast pulse laser modulations. In this study, we fabricated a novel saturable absorber (SA) based on a corrugated indium tin oxide (CITO) film with a symmetrical geometry using a low-cost self-assembly process. The strong saturable absorption of the CITO film triggered by the ENZ effect at normal incidence was comparable to that of the planar indium tin oxide (ITO) film at an optimal 60° incidence (TM polarization) at 1340 nm. In addition, the strong nonlinear optical properties of the CITO film were not limited by the incident angle and polarization state of the pump laser over a wide range of 0-20°. Benefiting from the excellent saturable absorption of CITO-based SA at normal incidence, a Q-switching operation with CITO-based SA at 1.34 μm was achieved in a Nd:YVO4 solid-state laser system, obtaining pulses of a duration of 85.6 ns, which was one order of magnitude narrower than that of the planar ITO-based SA. This study presents a new strategy for developing high-performance ENZ-based SAs and ultrafast lasers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxia Wang
- Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Hang Jiang
- Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Hao Ma
- Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Chuanrui Zhao
- State Key Lab of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Yuanan Zhao
- Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Zhengping Wang
- State Key Lab of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Xinguang Xu
- State Key Lab of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Jianda Shao
- Laboratory of Thin Film Optics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Materials for High Power Laser, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China.
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Rajput S, Kaushik V, Babu P, Pandey SK, Kumar M. All optical modulation in vertically coupled indium tin oxide ring resonator employing epsilon near zero state. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18379. [PMID: 37884529 PMCID: PMC10603087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44438-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We present an innovative approach to achieve all-optical modulation within an ITO-based vertically coupled ring resonator. This method leverages the material's enhanced nonlinear response in the near-infrared wavelengths, particularly within the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) state. To enhance the interaction between light and the material while minimizing scattering losses, our approach employs an ITO-based vertically connected ring resonator. The vertical arrangement eliminates the need for etching fine gaps to separate the ring and bus waveguide. The novel waveguide design addresses the necessity of high sensitivity, non-linear effects and compact size opening the possibilities for all-optical signal processing. This unique resonator structure effectively facilitates the coupling of a high-intensity pump wavelength into the ITO-based micro-ring resonator. Consequently, this optical pumping induces electron heating within the ITO material, leading to a significant increase in its nonlinear optical properties. This, in turn, results in a noteworthy alteration of ITO's refractive index, specifically in the unity order, thereby modifying the complex effective index of the optical beam propagating at 1550 nm. Our experimental findings demonstrate an impressive extinction ratio of 18 dB for a 30 µm long device, which highlights the efficiency of our approach in achieving all-optical modulation through the optical pumping of an ITO-based vertically coupled ring resonator. The proposed all-optical modulator has outperformed as compared to conventional waveguide-based modulators in terms of extinction ratio and footprint. This novel technique holds immense potential for advancing high-speed data communication systems in the future. As the demand for advanced processing capabilities, such as artificial intelligence, continues to grow, all-optical modulation emerges as a groundbreaking technology poised to revolutionize the next generation of computing and communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Rajput
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur, Jodhpur, India.
| | - Vishal Kaushik
- School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Prem Babu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, Indore, India
| | - Suresh K Pandey
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, Indore, India
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, Indore, India
- Center of Advanced Electronics, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, Indore, India
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