Infrared-reflective ultrathin-metal-film-based transparent electrode with ultralow optical loss for high efficiency in solar cells.

In this work we study in-depth the antireflection and filtering properties of ultrathin-metal-film-based transparent electrodes (MTEs) integrated in thin-film solar cells. Based on numerical optimization of the MTE design and the experimental characterization of thin-film perovskite solar cell (PSC) samples, we show that reflection in the visible spectrum can be strongly suppressed, in contrast to common belief (due to the compact metal layer). The optical loss of the optimized electrode (~ 2.

Giant enhancement of nonreciprocity in gyrotropic heterostructures.

Nonreciprocity is a highly desirable feature in photonic media since it allows for control over the traveling electromagnetic waves, in a way that goes far beyond ordinary filtering. One of the most conventional ways to achieve nonreciprocity is via employing gyrotropic materials; however, their time-reversal-symmetry-breaking effects are very weak and, hence, large, bulky setups combined with very strong magnetic biases are required for technologically useful devices. In this work, artificial heterostructures are introduced to enhance the effective nonreciprocal behavior by reducing the contribution of the diagonal susceptibilities in the collective response; in this way, the off-diagonal ones, that are responsible for nonreciprocity, seem bigger.

Meta-Atoms with Toroidal Topology for Strongly Resonant Responses.

A conductive meta-atom of toroidal topology is studied both theoretically and experimentally, demonstrating a sharp and highly controllable resonant response. Simulations are performed both for a free-space periodic metasurface and a pair of meta-atoms inserted within a rectangular metallic waveguide. A quasi-dark state with controllable radiative coupling is supported, allowing to tune the linewidth (quality factor) and lineshape of the supported resonance via the appropriate geometric parameters.

2D-patterned graphene metasurfaces for efficient third harmonic generation at THz frequencies.

Graphene is an attractive two-dimensional material for nonlinear applications in the THz regime, since it possesses high third order nonlinearity and the ability to support tightly confined surface plasmons. Here, we study 2D-patterned graphene-patch metasurfaces for efficient third harmonic generation. The efficiency of the nonlinear process is enhanced by spectrally aligning the fundamental and third harmonic frequencies with resonances of the metasurface, leading to spatiotemporal energy confinement in both steps of excitation at ω and radiation at 3ω.

Combined nano and micro structuring for enhanced radiative cooling and efficiency of photovoltaic cells.

Outdoor devices comprising materials with mid-IR emissions at the atmospheric window (8-13 μm) achieve passive heat dissipation to outer space (~ - 270 °C), besides the atmosphere, being suitable for cooling applications. Recent studies have shown that the micro-scale photonic patterning of such materials further enhances their spectral emissivity. This approach is crucial, especially for daytime operation, where solar radiation often increases the device heat load.

Split-cube-resonator-based metamaterials for polarization-selective asymmetric perfect absorption.

A split-cube-resonator-based metamaterial structure that can act as a polarization- and direction-selective perfect absorber for the infrared region is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated. The structure, fabricated by direct laser writing and electroless silver plating, is comprised of four layers of conductively-coupled split-cube magnetic resonators, appropriately rotated to each other to bestow the desired electromagnetic properties. We show narrowband polarization-selective perfect absorption when the structure is illuminated from one side; the situation is reversed when illuminating from the other side, with the orthogonal linear polarization being absorbed.

Flexible 3D Printed Conductive Metamaterial Units for Electromagnetic Applications in Microwaves.

In this work we present a method for fabricating three dimensional, ultralight and flexible millimeter metamaterial units using a commercial household 3D printer. The method is low-cost, fast, eco-friendly and accessible. In particular, we use the Fused Deposition Modeling 3D printing technique and we fabricate flexible conductive Spilt Ring Resonators (SRRs) in a free-standing form.

Passive radiative cooling and other photonic approaches for the temperature control of photovoltaics: a comparative study for crystalline silicon-based architectures.

The radiative cooling of objects during daytime under direct sunlight has recently been shown to be significantly enhanced by utilizing nanophotonic coatings. Multilayer thin film stacks, 2D photonic crystals, etc. as coating structures improved the thermal emission rate of a device in the infrared atmospheric transparency window reducing considerably devices' temperature.

Efficient and environmental-friendly perovskite solar cells via embedding plasmonic nanoparticles: an optical simulation study on realistic device architectures.

Solution-processed, lead halide-based perovskite solar cells have recently overcome important challenges, offering low-cost and high solar power conversion efficiencies. However, they still undergo unoptimized light collection due mainly to the thin (∼350 nm) polycrystalline absorber layers. Moreover, their high toxicity (due to the presence of lead in perovskite crystalline structures) makes it necessary that the thickness of the absorber layers to be further reduced.

Chiral Metamaterials with PT Symmetry and Beyond.

Optical systems with gain and loss that respect parity-time (PT) symmetry can have real eigenvalues despite their non-Hermitian character. Chiral systems impose circularly polarized waves which do not preserve their handedness under the combined space- and time-reversal operations and, as a result, seem to be incompatible with systems possessing PT symmetry. Nevertheless, in this work we show that in certain configurations, PT symmetric permittivity, permeability, and chirality is possible; in addition, real eigenvalues are maintained even if the chirality goes well beyond PT symmetry.

Experimental Demonstration of Ultrafast THz Modulation in a Graphene-Based Thin Film Absorber through Negative Photoinduced Conductivity.

We present an experimental demonstration and interpretation of an ultrafast optically tunable, graphene-based thin film absorption modulator for operation in the THz regime. The graphene-based component consists of a uniform CVD-grown graphene sheet stacked on an SU-8 dielectric substrate that is grounded by a metallic ground plate. The structure shows enhanced absorption originating from constructive interference of the impinging and reflected waves at the absorbing graphene sheet.

Perfect optical absorption with nanostructured metal films: design and experimental demonstration.

Structuring metal surfaces on the nanoscale has been shown to alter their fundamental processes like reflection or absorption by supporting surface plasmon resonances. Here, we propose metal films with subwavelength rectangular nanostructuring that perfectly absorb the incident radiation in the optical regime. The structures are fabricated with low-cost nanoimprint lithography and thus constitute an appealing alternative to elaborate absorber designs with complex meta-atoms or multilayer structuring.

Pairing Toroidal and Magnetic Dipole Resonances in Elliptic Dielectric Rod Metasurfaces for Reconfigurable Wavefront Manipulation in Reflection.

A novel approach for reconfigurable wavefront manipulation with gradient metasurfaces based on permittivity-modulated elliptic dielectric rods is proposed. It is shown that the required 2π phase span in the local electromagnetic response of the metasurface can be achieved by pairing the lowest magnetic dipole Mie resonance with a toroidal dipole Mie resonance, instead of using the lowest two Mie resonances corresponding to fundamental electric and magnetic dipole resonances as customarily exercised. This approach allows for the precise matching of both the resonance frequencies and quality factors.

Near-Infrared and Optical Beam Steering and Frequency Splitting in Air-Holes-in-Silicon Inverse Photonic Crystals.

We present the design of a dielectric inverse photonic crystal structure that couples line-defect waveguide propagating modes into highly directional beams of controllable directionality. The structure utilizes a triangular lattice made of air holes drilled in an infinitely thick Si slab, and it is designed for operation in the near-infrared and optical regime. The structure operation is based on the excitation and manipulation of dark dielectric surface states, in particular on the tailoring of the dark states' coupling to outgoing radiation.

Graded-index optical dimer formed by optical force.

We propose an optical dimer formed from two spherical lenses bound by the pressure that light exerts on matter. With the help of the method of force tracing, we find the required graded-index profiles of the lenses for the existence of the dimer. We study the dynamics of the opto-mechanical interaction of lenses under the illumination of collimated light beams and quantitatively validate the performance of proposed dimer.

Frequency splitter based on the directional emission from surface modes in dielectric photonic crystal structures.

We demonstrate the numerical design and the experimental validation of frequency dependent directional emission from a dielectric photonic crystal structure. The wave propagates through a photonic crystal line-defect waveguide, while a surface layer at the termination of the photonic crystal enables the excitation of surface modes and a subsequent grating layer transforms the surface energy into outgoing propagating waves of the form of a directional beam. The angle of the beam is controlled by the frequency and the structure operates as a frequency splitter in the intermediate and far field region.

Experimentally excellent beaming in a two-layer dielectric structure.

We demonstrate both experimentally and theoretically that a two-layer dielectric structure can provide collimation and enhanced transmission of a Gaussian beam passing through it. This is due to formation of surface localized states along the layered structure and the coupling of these states to outgoing propagating waves. A system of multiple cascading two-layers can sustain the beaming for large propagation distances.

Optically controllable THz chiral metamaterials.

Switchable and tunable chiral metamaterial response is numerically demonstrated here in different uniaxial chiral metamaterial structures operating in the THz regime. The structures are based on the bi-layer conductor design and the tunable/switchable response is achieved by replacing parts of the metallic components of the structures by photoconducting Si, which can be transformed from an insulating to an almost conducting state through photoexcitation, achievable under external optical pumping. All the structures proposed and discussed here exhibit frequency regions with giant tunable circular dichroism, as well as regions with giant tunable optical activity, showing unique potential in the achievement of active THz polarization components, like tunable polarizers and polarization filters.

Eutectic epsilon-near-zero metamaterial terahertz waveguides.

We present and analyze the unique phenomena of enhanced THz transmission through a subwavelength LiF dielectric rod lattice embedded in an epsilon-near-zero KCl host. Our experimental results in combination with theoretical calculations show that subwavelength waveguiding of terahertz radiation is achieved within an alkali-halide eutectic metamaterial as result of the coupling of Mie-resonance modes arising in the dielectric lattice.

Self-organization approach for THz polaritonic metamaterials.

In this paper we discuss the fabrication and the electromagnetic (EM) characterization of anisotropic eutectic metamaterials, consisting of cylindrical polaritonic LiF rods embedded in either KCl or NaCl polaritonic host. The fabrication was performed using the eutectics directional solidification self-organization approach. For the EM characterization the specular reflectance at far infrared, between 3 THz and 11 THz, was measured and also calculated by numerically solving Maxwell equations, obtaining good agreement between experimental and calculated spectra.

Backward wave radiation from negative permittivity waveguides and its use for THz subwavelength imaging.

In this paper we demonstrate the possibility of backward radiation from a negative permittivity planar (slab) waveguide. Furthermore, we show that backward radiation can be used to achieve sub-wavelength imaging of a point source placed close to such a slab or to a periodic layered system of slabs. Finally, we demonstrate backward-radiation-based imaging in the case of realistic materials operating in the THz regime, such as polaritonic alkali-halide systems.

Interacting plasmon and phonon polaritons in aligned nano- and microwires.

The availability of macroscopic, nearly periodic structures known as eutectics opens a new path for controlling light at wavelength scales determined by the geometrical parameters of these materials and the intrinsic properties of their component phases. Here, we analyze the optical waveguiding properties of eutectic mixtures of alkali halides, formed by close-packed arrangements of aligned cylindrical inclusions. The wavelengths of phonon polaritons in these constituents are conveniently situated in the infrared and are slightly larger than the diameter and separation of the inclusions, typically consisting on single-crystal wires down to submicrometer diameter.

Composite chiral metamaterials with negative refractive index and high values of the figure of merit.

A composite chiral metamaterial (CCMM) is designed and studied both numerically and experimentally. The CCMM is constructed by the combination of a continuous metallic wires structure and a purely chiral metamaterial (CMM) that consists of conjugated Rosettes. For the CMM, only very small, useful bands of negative index can be obtained for circularly polarized waves.

Three-dimensional metallic photonic crystals with optical bandgaps.

The fabrication of fully three-dimensional photonic crystals with a bandgap at optical wavelengths is demonstrated by way of direct femtosecond laser writing of an organic-inorganic hybrid material with metal-binding moieties, and selective silver coating using electroless plating. The crystals have 600-nm intralayer periodicity and sub-100 nm features, and they exhibit well-defined diffraction patterns.