Liquid Phase Metamaterials
Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
Final Report Abstract
The goal of this project was to develop the basic understanding of the physics of optical metamaterials in a liquid phase and to realize first experimental demonstrations of such metaliquids. These metaliquids should consist of a large number of complexly shaped nanosized metaatoms, which are arranged with positional and orientational disorder in a liquid host matrix, to form a homogenizable and isotropic effective optical volume medium. To reach this goal we had to develop new methods for the theoretical description, technological realization, and experimental optical characterization of metaliquids, which all together allowed us to achieve considerable progress in this field. The newly developed theoretical methods take into account the complexity of the geometry of the metaatoms, which constitute the volume metaliquid, as well as their disordered arrangement. To this end, we established a method, which can handle a large number of metaatoms, the optical response of each being described by its scattering T matrix containing also the properties of higher order scattering moments. The entries of these T matrices are derived from rigorous solutions of Maxwell's equations for an individual metaatom. These methods allow to predict precisely and reliably the macroscopic optical properties of large volume metaliquids. The newly developed technological methods rely on the electron-beam-lithography-based fabrication of large numbers of metaatoms on a carrier substrate, which are subsequently released from the substrate and transformed into a suspension forming the final metaliquid. This process is based on our very efficient electron beam lithography tool, involving prepatterned cell-projection of large ensembles of metaatoms with unprecedented homogeneity. All processing steps of the transfer from the wafer into the final liquid have been developed successfully within the project and are now available for further studies. The newly developed experimental methods focused on the characterization of the optical properties of metaatoms at all critical steps of the technological realization of the metaliquids to study the physical processes of their interaction and the effective parameters of the resulting volume composite materials. This took into account farfield characterization methods to measure the spatial and angular dependence of the effective scattering properties on the carrier substrate as well as in the liquid phase. This allowed to uniquely determining the effects of positional and orientational disorder in the liquid phase. Furthermore new approaches for nearfield characterization of the metaatom's interaction in the liquid phase could be developed. By applying these new theoretical, technological, and experimental characterization methods, we could realize a first metaliquid and hence we could demonstrate the feasibility and perspective of our proposal. Along the work towards this demonstration, we have obtained deeper insight into the physics of disordered composite media, which we are currently employing in collaboration with industry partners in the framework of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under a Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant.
Publications
- „Extreme Coupling: a route towards local magnetic metamaterials“ Physical Review B Vol. 89 155125, (2014)
C. Menzel, E. Hebestreit, R. Alaee, M. Albooyeh, S. Mühlig, S. Burger, C. Rockstuhl, C. Simovski, S. Tretyakov, F. Lederer, and T. Pertsch
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.155125) - “A generalized Kerker condition for highly directive nanoantennas” Optics Letters Vol. 40 2645, (2015)
R. Alaee, R. Filter, D. Lehr, F. Lederer, and C. Rockstuhl
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.40.002645) - “Dual and chiral objects for optical activity in general scattering directions” ACS Photonics Vol. 2 376, (2015)
I. Fernandez-Corbaton, M. Fruhnert, and C. Rockstuhl
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/ph500419a) - “Scattering Dark States in Multiresonant Concentric Plasmonic Nanorings” ACS Photonics Vol. 2 1085, (2015)
R. Alaee, D. Lehr, R. Filter, F. Lederer, E.-B. Kley, C. Rockstuhl, and A. Tünnermann
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.5b00133) - „Revisiting substrate-induced bianisotropy in metasurfaces“ Physical Review B Vol. 91 195304, (2015)
M. Albooyeh, R. Alaee, C. Rockstuhl, and C. Simovski
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.195304) - "Controlling the excitation of radially polarized conical plasmons in plasmonic tips in liquids" RSC Adv. Vol. 6, 53273, (2016)
B. N. Tugchin, N. Janunts, M. Steinert, K. Dietrich, D. Sivun, S. Ramachandran, K. V. Nerkararyan, A. Tünnermann, and T. Pertsch
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1039/c6ra09341h) - “Objects of maximum electromagnetic chirality” Physical Review X Vol. 6 031013, (2016)
I. Fernandez-Corbaton, M. Fruhnert, and C. Rockstuhl
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.6.031013) - “Phase-change material-based nanoantennas with tunable radiation patterns” Optics Letters Vol. 41 4099, (2016)
R. Alaee, M. Albooyeh, S. Tretyakov, and C. Rockstuhl
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.41.004099) - "Quasi-linearly polarized hybrid modes in tapered and metal-coated tips with circular apertures: understanding the functionality of aperture tips" New J. Phys. Vol. 19, 063024, (2017)
B. N. Tugchin, N. Janunts, M. Steinert, K. Dietrich, E.-B. Kley, A. Tünnermann, and T. Pertsch
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aa6feb) - “Computing the T-matrix of a scattering object with multiple plane wave illuminations” Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology Vol. 8 614, (2017)
M. Fruhnert, I. Fernandez-Corbaton, V. Yannopapas, and C. Rockstuhl
(See online at https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.8.66)
