CAREER: Non-Hermitian Organic Photonics

非技术描述：以自然界中不存在的方式定制材料的光学属性的能力导致了对光线流动的前所未有的控制和一系列非凡的技术机会。这项研究的目标是在实验上开发一种新型的合成光学材料，在这种材料中，光的弯曲、吸收和放大的方法在纳米尺度上相互独立地变化。特别是，这项工作集中在这三种特性的周期性空间排列上，导致了光传播的不寻常的单向效应，最终可能在未来的激光和光学电路技术中得到应用。这项研究的主题与计划中的教育工作密切相关，涉及研究生和本科生的课程开发。此外，外展活动旨在增加K-12学生接触光学科学、技术和他们所拥有的职业机会的机会。技术描述：这项研究确定有机小分子和聚合物作为一个平台，通过实验实现宇称时间(PT)对称的光学材料，并探索由此产生的潜在物理和应用可能性。有机材料具有很强的线性和非线性光学响应，具有巨大的合成自由度，可以任意比例混合和自由组合，形成高光学质量的薄膜和微结构，因此具有独特的优势。这项研究将引领周期性PT材料的发展和实际应用，主要集中在具有平衡增益和损耗的PT材料、包含低功率非线性的PT材料、二维PT晶格和强耦合区域的PT系统，其中相关的激发是被称为极化激子的轻物质混合体。这项工作的主要成果包括显示单向不可见性的光学光栅，具有不同正向和反向光传输的薄膜涂层，以及非对称极化状态，这可能为从非磁性材料实现超快、低功率非互易光学功能的长期目标提供一条新的途径。

Nontechnical description: The ability to tailor the optical properties of a material in ways that do not occur in nature has led to unprecedented control over the flow of light and an extraordinary range of technological opportunities. The goal of this research is to experimentally develop a new class of synthetic optical materials in which the means by which light is bent, absorbed, and amplified are varied independently of one another at the nanoscale. In particular, this work focuses on periodic spatial arrangements of these three properties, leading to unusual one-way effects for light propagation that may ultimately find application in future laser and optical circuit technologies. The themes of this research tie in closely with planned educational efforts involving course development for graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, outreach activities aim at increasing the exposure of k-12 students to optical science, technology, and the career opportunities they hold.Technical description: This research identifies organic small molecules and polymers as a platform to experimentally realize parity-time (PT)-symmetric optical materials, and to explore the underlying physics and application possibilities that emerge from them. Organic materials are uniquely positioned for this purpose because they feature strong linear and nonlinear optical responses, they possess enormous synthetic freedom, and they can be mixed in arbitrary proportions and freely combined to form high optical quality films and microstructures. This research will lead in the development of periodic PT materials and practical applications by focusing on PT materials with balanced gain and loss, PT materials incorporating low power nonlinearity, two-dimensional PT lattices, and PT systems in the strong coupling regime, where the relevant excitations are light-matter hybrids known as polaritons. Key results of this work include optical gratings that display unidirectional invisibility, thin film coatings with different forward and backward light transmission, and asymmetric polariton states that could provide a new path toward the long-standing goal of ultrafast, low power non-reciprocal optical functionality from non-magnetic materials.