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Pico- and nanophotonics of reconfigurable metamaterials

Pico- and nanophotonics of reconfigurable metamaterials
Pico- and nanophotonics of reconfigurable metamaterials
Picophotonics is the emerging science of light-matter interactions at the subnanometre scale. In nanomechanical metamaterials (NMs), picometric movements driven by thermal forces can be amplified by optical forces, opening up a novel way to explore their physics and applications. In this work I have: • Designed and constructed a unique apparatus for investigation of thermal fluctuations and directional asymmetry of optical properties in NMs. This experimental setup is part-fiberized for stability, operating at telecommunications C-band wavelengths. • For the first time, observed thermal fluctuations in the optical properties of metamaterials. High-frequency time-domain fluctuations of the optical properties of NMs are directly linked to picometre thermal motion of their components and can give information on fundamental mechanical frequencies and damping of mechanical modes. At room temperature the magnitude of metamaterial transmission and reflection fluctuations is of order 0.1% but may exceed 1% at optical resonances. • Demonstrated, for the first time, that the natural frequencies and thermal fluctuation amplitudes of NMs can be optically controlled at µW/µm2 intensities. The few - MHz natural frequencies of beams shift up to 3.6% and few tens of pm displacement amplitudes of thermal fluctuations vary up to 4.3% with light intensity of 0.8µW/µm2 , providing active control of frequency response and may serve as a basis for bolometric, mass and stress sensing. • For the first time, reported asymmetric transmission in a nanomechanical metamaterial driven by optical forces. I have experimentally demonstrated in NMs that resonant excitation of optical and mechanical sub-systems can lead to profound light-induced transmission asymmetry reaching 16% at µW power levels, making it suitable for a range of laser technology and fibre telecom applications. • Shown, for the first time, that a free-standing, homogenous dielectric thin film can exhibit an optical magnetic response, i.e. without metamaterial nanostructuring. Indeed, such a response is an essential feature of homogeneous dielectric films at Fabry–Perot resonances, which are formed by the interference of electromagnetic multipoles, including the magnetic dipole.
University of Southampton
Li, Jinxiang
736c69a2-23ca-474f-a908-960235118fa8
Li, Jinxiang
736c69a2-23ca-474f-a908-960235118fa8
MacDonald, Kevin
76c84116-aad1-4973-b917-7ca63935dba5

Li, Jinxiang (2021) Pico- and nanophotonics of reconfigurable metamaterials. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 126pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

Picophotonics is the emerging science of light-matter interactions at the subnanometre scale. In nanomechanical metamaterials (NMs), picometric movements driven by thermal forces can be amplified by optical forces, opening up a novel way to explore their physics and applications. In this work I have: • Designed and constructed a unique apparatus for investigation of thermal fluctuations and directional asymmetry of optical properties in NMs. This experimental setup is part-fiberized for stability, operating at telecommunications C-band wavelengths. • For the first time, observed thermal fluctuations in the optical properties of metamaterials. High-frequency time-domain fluctuations of the optical properties of NMs are directly linked to picometre thermal motion of their components and can give information on fundamental mechanical frequencies and damping of mechanical modes. At room temperature the magnitude of metamaterial transmission and reflection fluctuations is of order 0.1% but may exceed 1% at optical resonances. • Demonstrated, for the first time, that the natural frequencies and thermal fluctuation amplitudes of NMs can be optically controlled at µW/µm2 intensities. The few - MHz natural frequencies of beams shift up to 3.6% and few tens of pm displacement amplitudes of thermal fluctuations vary up to 4.3% with light intensity of 0.8µW/µm2 , providing active control of frequency response and may serve as a basis for bolometric, mass and stress sensing. • For the first time, reported asymmetric transmission in a nanomechanical metamaterial driven by optical forces. I have experimentally demonstrated in NMs that resonant excitation of optical and mechanical sub-systems can lead to profound light-induced transmission asymmetry reaching 16% at µW power levels, making it suitable for a range of laser technology and fibre telecom applications. • Shown, for the first time, that a free-standing, homogenous dielectric thin film can exhibit an optical magnetic response, i.e. without metamaterial nanostructuring. Indeed, such a response is an essential feature of homogeneous dielectric films at Fabry–Perot resonances, which are formed by the interference of electromagnetic multipoles, including the magnetic dipole.

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Li J, PhD Thesis - Version of Record
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Permission to deposit thesis form-Jinxiang LI - signed - Version of Record
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More information

Submitted date: December 2021

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 467579
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/467579
PURE UUID: 31484d19-bf71-44c3-89f3-5f28e0912c40
ORCID for Jinxiang Li: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2792-7773
ORCID for Kevin MacDonald: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3877-2976

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 14 Jul 2022 17:05
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 07:23

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Contributors

Author: Jinxiang Li ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Kevin MacDonald ORCID iD

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