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稳健性突出了光学系统对介观波传输基础研究的适用性，也指向了实际应用。该奖项支持一个实验小组和一个理论小组之间的合作研究计划，该计划旨在对非周期介质结构中的光的介观传输进行系统的实验和理论研究，目的是从根本上了解结构相关性对介于随机结构和周期结构之间的复杂光子系统的多次散射和局部化的影响。非周期系统中的复杂结构关联有望打破普适最优传输对完全随机系统的限制，从而为通过波前整形控制介观输运提供额外的自由度。利用波传输的非普遍性，将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、控制输出光束方向和选择性传输光能。这个合作的实验-理论项目将培养研究生和本科生在包括凝聚态物理、复杂介质光学、纳米技术和计算物理在内的多个领域的不断发展的边界上进行跨学科研究。尖端研究将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微纳光子结构的制造具有高度的精确度。联合实验和理论工作的目的是揭示既不完全无序也不完全有序的纳米结构的不寻常光学性质。相反，所谓的确定性非周期纳米结构是通过简单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，从随机结构到周期结构。由于其独特的结构和不同寻常的物理性质，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规定传输特性的人造光子纳米材料。由于这些结构是先验已知的，因此可以通过控制入射光来获得可预测和可重现的传输行为。这种控制有望增强光的透射率，引导输出光束，并选择性地将光能输送到目标区域。这项研究的成果可能会有广泛的应用，从生物医学成像和光动力学疗法，到激光捕获和微操作。这个实验-理论项目将培训学生进行跨学科研究，跨越多个领域的不断发展的边界，包括凝聚态物理、纳米技术和计算物理。尖端研究将被纳入这两所大学的课程。

****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.