OP: Quantum Hyperbolic Metamaterials: New Sciences and Applications

非技术描述：光子超材料是一种人造结构，其光学特性可以通过改变其几何结构和化学成分来设计。在这个项目中，研究小组探索了当超材料的结构特征只有几纳米大小时出现的新现象。在如此小的范围内，传统的光学特性，如颜色和光泽，不再是可辨别的。相反，现在可以通过仔细改变材料的纳米级结构来精确调整材料的特性。该项目的总体目标是对这种精密结构的超材料进行基础科学和工程研究，并阐明其潜在的应用前景。本研究特别针对纳米级超材料的电子和光学特性的基本方面。此外，本科生和研究生接受纳米科学和纳米技术、材料合成、表征和器件设计等领域的实践培训。实现对人造光学材料及其制造的基本理解预计将对评估其在新型光学器件中的潜力产生广泛的影响。技术描述：该项目致力于在量子水平上实现对一类新的双曲超材料的基本理解，以及设计和制造这种结构的能力。特别是，研究团队对通过结合材料优化，详细光学研究和理论建模的方法开发量子工程方法感兴趣。该项目促进了系统的研究，从薄膜的从头算模型开始，接着是多层系统的研究，然后是图案纳米光子结构和器件的详细研究。通过结合薄膜合成，器件制造和表征，超快光学和纳米光子学的技能，获得了一个全面的数据集。考虑到纳米光子学、器件小型化和光电子集成的当前趋势，设计新型光子材料的能力有望大大扩展现有器件的当前应用，使量子光子超材料的实现成为可能。

Nontechnical description: Photonic metamaterials are artificial constructs whose optical characteristics may be engineered by altering their geometrical structure, as well as their chemical composition. In this project, the research team explores new phenomena that arise when structural features of the metamaterials are of only several nanometers in size. On such a small scale, traditional optical properties such as color and sheen are no longer discernible. Instead, the properties of the materials may now be precisely tuned by carefully varying their nanoscale structure. The overarching goal of this project is to conduct basic science and engineering research on such precision-structured metamaterials, and elucidate their potential applications. This study particularly addresses fundamental aspects of electronic and optical characteristics of nanoscale metamaterials. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students receive hands-on training in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, materials synthesis, characterization, and device design. Achieving a fundamental understanding of artificial optical materials and their fabrication is anticipated to have broad ranging impact on assessing their potential in new optical devices. Technical description: This project addresses the prospects for achieving fundamental understanding of a new class of hyperbolic metamaterials at the quantum level, and the ability to engineer and fabricate such structures. In particular, the research team is interested in developing quantum engineering methodologies through an approach which combines materials optimization, detailed optical studies and theoretical modeling. The project fosters a systematic investigation, starting from ab-initio modeling of thin films, followed by studies of multilayered systems, and subsequently a detailed study of patterned nano-photonic structures and devices. By combining skills in thin film synthesis, device fabrication and characterization, ultrafast optics and nano-photonics a comprehensive data set is obtained. Given the current trends for nanophotonics, device miniaturization and photonic-electronic integration, the ability to engineer new photonic materials is expected to significantly extend current applications of existing devices, enabling yet unforeseen implementations of quantum photonic metamaterials.