Tailored thermal emission in bulk calcite through optic axis reorientation

Abstract

The polar nature of calcite results in lattice vibrations that can be stimulated through gratings and nanostructures to design spatially and spectrally coherent thermal radiation patterns. In order to obtain optimal design control over such patterned materials, it is first necessary to understand the fundamental emissivity properties of the lattice vibrations themselves. Because calcite is a uniaxial material, when the optic axis (OA) is tilted with respect to the crystal surface, the surface wave solutions to Maxwell’s equations and vibrational modes that are permitted will change due to the crystal’s structural anisotropy. This implies that the OA orientation can play a critical role in dictating which modes can be harnessed when designing a narrowband or angular thermal emitter. Here we explore the angle and polarization dependence of the bulk far-field emissivity of unpatterned calcite with tilted OA. We show that by manipulating the OA orientation via crystallographic off-cut, polarization, and sample rotation, the emissivity at a given frequency can vary by as much as 0.8. These results suggest that, in addition to serving as a basis for modifying the behavior of the relevant phonon polaritons, OA orientation can be used to alter the thermal emission pattern without the need for complex lithographic patterning.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
May 12, 2023
Source ID
10.1515/nanoph-2023-0005

Entities

People

  • Guanyu Lu
  • Joseph Matson
  • Joshua D Caldwell
  • Katja Diaz‐Granados
  • Peining Li
  • Weiliang Ma

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Huazhong University of Science and Technology
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • National Science Foundation
  • Office of Naval Research
  • Vanderbilt University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems