TRANS-DIMENSIONAL PHOTONICS: FROM EVOLUTION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES TO EXPLORING EXTREME REGIMES OF LIGHT-MATTER INTERACTIONS
Abstract
The development of engineered materials with exotic optical responses and natural materials with tailorable properties can enable unique light-matter interactions in previously unavailable regimes and length scales. Building upon the team’s pioneering works in plasmonic materials and metasurfaces, the objective of the proposed fundamental research is to study both theoretically and experimentally the largely unexplored evolution of the optical properties in the transitional – transdimensional – regime between bulk and two-dimensional (2D) materials. By investigating ultrathin (few atomic layers) plasmonic materials, the program aims to demonstrate unprecedented nanophotonic phenomena such as strong indirect and forbidden transitions in solids and atoms, and realize novel tunable ultra-thin optics. The program will also explore extreme light-matter interactions and quantum phenomena in trans-dimensional materials (TDMs). The program’s technical approach is to: (i) study both theoretically and experimentally the optical properties of plasmonic TDMs including transition metal nitrides and carbides (TMN/Cs), MXenes (2D TMN/Cs), and transparent conducting oxides (TCOs); (ii) gain fundamental insight into quantum confinement and nonlocal effects in TDMs; (iii) probe the confinement limits of light and surface plasmons in TDMs and explore the possibility of observing the forbidden atomic and semiconductor transitions; (iv) explore dynamic control of the TDM response and demonstrate electrically and optically controlled TDM metasurfaces; (v) develop theoretical and experiment - fitted models to describe the optical response of TDMs. Potential outcomes include fundamental insights into the unusual optical behavior and unique functionalities with TDMs, including the breakdown of the selection rules, dynamic switching, and controlled emission from quantum emitters that could impact DoD-relevant optical technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2021
- Source ID
- FA95502010124
Entities
People
- Alexandra Boltasseva
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Purdue University
- United States Air Force