CAREER:Electrically Tunable van der Waals Optical Nanoantennas Photodetectors and Metasurfaces

非技术描述：通过排列由纳米级的特殊光学材料制成的微小结构，称为超表面，可以制造出具有难以置信能力的紧凑型光学设备。这些超表面设备在光子学的广泛领域中得到了应用。虽然已经有了令人兴奋的进展，但变形表面通常是静态的，它们的光学行为是由所使用的材料和它们的初始设计预先决定的。挑战在于开发技术，使超表面具有可调节的光学响应，这是各种应用的关键特征。该研究团队正在应对这一挑战，引入了一种新的方法，使用范德瓦尔斯材料来制造紧凑的光子器件和超表面，可以通过电偏置进行调节。通过计算模拟和真实世界实验的结合，该团队的目标是展示在可见光谱范围内动态切换和调整这些范德华器件和超表面的光学特性的能力。该项目为可编程波前处理、光学调制和传感在自由空间和芯片上的应用开辟了新的可能性。除了研究之外，该团队还致力于教育和推广。他们的综合计划包括从7年级到12年级到研究生阶段的学生参与。通过参与这个项目，学生们可以接触到快速发展的领域，如材料科学、光学和纳米技术，为他们的教育旅程做出贡献，并培养人们对尖端技术的兴趣。技术描述：光学亚表面由超薄光子器件组成，具有亚波长纳米天线的二维阵列，由等离子体材料或介质材料制成。这项技术赋予了前所未有的对光的控制，开启了一系列不同的光学应用。尽管对于各种应用来说，主动调整变形曲面的响应是非常理想的，但它仍然是一项具有挑战性的任务。该项目致力于利用范德华材料制造电可调谐的光子器件和超表面。该研究小组的目标是通过在可见光谱范围内调整范德华天线和变表面，展示光散射、反射和手性光学吸收的可逆、非易失性、多态/连续开关和光谱调谐。此外，该技术还利用手性范德瓦尔斯纳米结构创建了一种宽带、电可调的圆偏振光探测器。首席调查员计划利用他们在教育学生方面的现有努力和成功经验，特别是那些来自代表人数不足的群体的学生，跨越不同的水平。这将通过新的课程开发和外展计划来实现。该项目的成果引入了一类新的基于范德华材料的可调准表面和光子器件，提供了广泛的应用，包括光学调制、光检测、可调滤色和显示，以及可编程和主动的波前操纵。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical Description:Compact optical devices with incredible capabilities can be created by arranging tiny structures, known as metasurfaces, made from special optical materials at the nanoscale. These metasurface devices find applications across a broad spectrum of photonics. While there have been exciting advancements, metasurfaces are typically static, and their optical behavior is predetermined by the materials used and their initial design. The challenge lies in developing techniques that allow metasurfaces to have an adjustable optical response, a crucial feature for various applications. The research team is taking on this challenge by introducing a novel approach using van der Waals materials to create compact photonic devices and metasurfaces that can be tuned with electrical bias. Through a combination of computational simulations and real-world experiments, the team aims to showcase the ability to dynamically switch and tune the optical properties of these van der Waals devices and metasurfaces in the visible spectral range. This project opens up new possibilities for programmable wavefront manipulation, optical modulation, and sensing for applications both in free space and on-chip. Beyond the research, the team is committed to education and outreach. Their integrated plan involves engaging students from grades 7-12 up to the graduate level. By participating in this project, students get exposure to rapidly evolving fields such as materials science, optics, and nanotechnology, contributing to their educational journey and fostering interest in cutting-edge technologies.Technical Description:Optical metasurfaces consist of ultrathin photonic devices that feature two-dimensional arrays of sub-wavelength nanoantennas, crafted from either plasmonic materials or dielectric materials. This technology has granted unprecedented control over light, unlocking a diverse range of optical applications. Although actively tuning the response of metasurfaces is highly desirable for various applications, it remains a challenging task. This project delves into the utilization of van der Waals materials to create electrically tunable photonic devices and metasurfaces. The research team aims to showcase reversible, non-volatile, multi-state/continuous switching, and spectral tuning of light scattering, reflection, and chiral-optical absorption by adjusting the van der Waals antenna and metasurfaces in the visible spectral range. Additionally, the technology is implemented with chiral van der Waals nanostructures to create a broadband, electrically tunable circularly polarized light photodetector. The principal investigator plans to leverage their existing efforts and successful experience in educating students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, across different levels. This will be achieved through new course development and outreach programs. The outcomes of this project introduce a new class of tunable metasurfaces and photonic devices based on van der Waals materials, offering a wide range of applications, including optical modulation, photodetection, tunable color filtering and displays, and programmable and active wavefront manipulation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.