Collaborative Research: Anomalous Transport and Wavefront Shaping in Complex Photonic Media

* 技术摘要 * 与电子系统相比，室温下光子相干效应的鲁棒性突出了光学系统对介观波传输基础研究的适用性，也指出了实际应用。该奖项支持实验组和理论组之间的合作研究计划，对非周期性介电结构中光的介观传输进行系统的实验和理论研究，目的是获得对结构相关性的影响的基本理解。非周期系统中复杂的结构相关性有望打破全随机系统中普遍最优传输的限制，从而为通过波前整形控制介观输运提供额外的自由度。波传输的非普遍性将被利用来通过波前整形实现对光传播的前所未有的控制，包括增强光传输、控制输出光束和选择性地传递光能。合作实验理论课程将培养研究生和本科生跨多个领域的不断发展的边界进行跨学科研究，包括凝聚态物理学，复杂介质的光学，纳米技术和计算物理学。前沿研究将被纳入两个参与机构的课程。*非技术摘要 * 纳米技术的快速发展使得能够以高精度制造微米和纳米光子结构。实验和理论的共同努力旨在揭示纳米结构的不寻常的光学特性，这些纳米结构既不是完全无序的，也不是完全有序的。相反，所谓的确定性非周期性纳米结构是通过简单的数学规则的迭代来定义的。这些人造光子材料以复杂的层次结构跨越整个光谱，从随机结构到周期性结构。由于其结构的独特性和不寻常的物理性质，非周期系统被称为固体物质的第三种形式。该项目旨在设计和制造具有指定传输特性的人工光子纳米材料。由于结构是先验已知的，因此可以通过控制入射光来获得可预测和可再现的输运行为。这种控制预期导致光传输的增强、输出光束的转向以及光能到目标区域的选择性递送。这项研究的结果可能有广泛的应用，从生物医学成像和光动力治疗，激光捕获和微操作。实验理论课程将培养学生跨多个领域的跨学科研究，包括凝聚态物理学，纳米技术和计算物理学。尖端研究将被纳入这两个机构的课程。

****Technical Abstract****Compared to electronic systems, the robustness of coherence effects for photons at room temperature highlights the suitability of optical systems for fundamental studies of mesoscopic wave transport and also points to practical applications. This award supports a collaborative research program between an experimental group and a theoretical group to conduct systematic experimental and theoretical investigations on mesoscopic transport of light in aperiodic dielectric structures, with the goal of acquiring fundamental understanding of the effects of structural correlations on multiple scattering and localization in complex photonic systems that lie in-between random and periodic structures. Complex structural correlations in the aperiodic systems are expected to break the limitations imposed by the universal optimal transmission on fully random systems, thus providing additional degrees of freedom for control of mesoscopic transport via wave front shaping. The non-universality of wave transport will be exploited to achieve unprecedented control of light propagation via wave front shaping, including enhancement of light transmission, steering of output beams, and selective delivery of optical energy. The collaborative experimental-theoretical program will train graduate and undergraduate students to conduct interdisciplinary research across the evolving boundaries of multiple fields, including condensed matter physics, optics of complex media, nanotechnology, and computational physics. The cutting-edge research will be incorporated in the curriculum at both participating institutions.****Non-Technical Abstract****Rapid advances in nanotechnology have enabled the fabrication of micro- and nano-photonic structures with high degree of precision. Joined experimental and theoretical effort aims to uncover unusual optical properties of nano-structures that are neither completely disordered nor perfectly ordered. Instead, the so-called deterministic aperiodic nano-structures are defined by the iteration of simple mathematical rules. These artificial photonic materials span the entire spectrum in a hierarchy of complexity all the way from random to periodic structures. Because of their structural distinction and unusual physical properties, the aperiodic systems have been called the third form of solid matter. The project aims to design and fabricate artificial photonic nano-materials with prescribed transport properties. Because the structures are known a priori, it will be possible to obtain predictable and reproducible transport behaviors by controlling the incident light. This control is expected to lead to enhancement of light transmission, steering of output beams, and selective delivery of optical energy to targeted area. The outcome of this research may have a wide range of applications from biomedical imaging and photodynamic therapy, to laser trapping and micro-manipulation. The experimental-theoretical program will train students in interdisciplinary research across the evolving boundaries of multiple fields, including condensed matter physics, nanotechnology, and computational physics. The cutting-edge research will be incorporated in the curriculum at both institutions.