0000000000192818
AUTHOR
Andrea Tognazzi
Harmonic generation in all-dielectric metasurfaces
Nonlinear light generation is a key phenomenon in many optical systems. Recently, the field of nonlinear optics has moved to the miniaturization of conventional bulky components. Among all the new platforms that have been proposed, dielectric nanoscale resonators represent excellent candidates for light generation and manipulation. When arranged in periodic arrays, such high refractive index scattering components become an artificial material called metasurface. Several approaches for designing platforms with enhanced optical nonlinearities at moderate pump intensities have been proposed. In this chapter, we review the most recent results on second- and third-order nonlinear processes in hi…
Z-Scan theory for thin film measurements: Validation of a model beyond the standard approach using ITO and HfO2
The Z-Scan technique is an easy and widespread approach to evaluate the nonlinear optical coefficient of materials. However, the evaluation of the same coefficients for thin films requires complex experimental setups that allow to remove the contributions of the substrate. Here, we propose a simple, yet effective, theoretical approach that allows to include the substrate contribution to the focusing effect when scanning along the propagation axis. The proposed method therefore removes the need of complex experimental setups and paves the way for a simpler retrieval of optical properties of complex nanostructures.
Refractive index sensing by a silicon metasurface
The availability of smart materials represents a key enabling milestone for the realization of smart sensors. In this research field, optical sensing has gained a lot of attention in various applications ranging from basic physics to chemistry and biology. Here, we exploit the non-invasive nature of light to achieve an innovative sensor based on all-optical dielectric nano-resonators arranged in a periodic fashion. The proposed sensor can measure refractive index changes up to 10(-6).
Tailoring Third-Harmonic Diffraction Efficiency by Hybrid Modes in High-Q Metasurfaces
Metasurfaces are versatile tools for manipulating light; however, they have received little attention as devices for the efficient control of nonlinearly diffracted light. Here, we demonstrate nonlinear wavefront control through third-harmonic generation (THG) beaming into diffraction orders with efficiency tuned by excitation of hybrid Mie-quasi-bound states in the continuum (BIC) modes in a silicon metasurface. Simultaneous excitation of the high-Q collective Mie-type modes and quasi-BIC modes leads to their hybridization and results in a local electric field redistribution. We probe the hybrid mode by measuring far-field patterns of THG and observe the strong switching between (0,-1) and…
Second Harmonic Emission From Dielectric Nanoresonators in the Absorption Regime
We study second harmonic generation in dielectric nanocylinders as a function of the wavelength of the incident field and geometrical dimensions. Uncommonly, we consider a spectral range in which the emitted nonlinear signal is partially absorbed by the dielectric. Surprisingly, we reveal that the second harmonic efficiency does not decrease as the imaginary part of the complex dielectric refractive index increases. Indeed, the presence of higher order multipoles supported by the resonators at the fundamental wavelength can significantly boost the generated second harmonic signal even in the dielectric absorption spectral region achieving nonlinear efficiency of the same order of magnitude …
Tunable Optical Antennas Using Vanadium Dioxide Metal-Insulator Phase Transitions
Here, we investigate the possibility of exploiting the insulator-to-metal transition in vanadium dioxide (VO2) to tune and optically control the resonances of dipole nanoantennas in the visible near-infrared region. We compare the results obtained in the case of antennas completely made by VO2 with those of previous works and highlight the key role of the substrate to perform dynamical tuning. We also present a highly efficient configuration composed of dipole gold antenna loaded with VO2 and give some general guidelines to optimally exploit phase transitions to tune nanodevices.
Manipulating Light with Tunable Nanoantennas and Metasurfaces
The extensive progress in nanofabrication techniques enabled innovative methods for molding light at the nanoscale. Subwavelength structured optical elements and, in general, metasurfaces and metamaterials achieved promising results in several research areas, such as holography, microscopy, sensing and nonlinear optics. Still, a demanding challenge is represented by the development of innovative devices with reconfigurable optical properties. Here, we review recent achievements in the field of tunable metasurface. After a brief general introduction about metasurfaces, we will discuss two different mechanisms to implement tunable properties of optical elements at the nanoscale. In particular…
Tuning the Ultrafast Response of Fano Resonances in Halide Perovskite Nanoparticles
International audience; The full control of the fundamental photophysics of nanosystems at frequencies as high as few THz is key for tunable and ultrafast nanophotonic devices and metamaterials. Here we combine geometrical and ultrafast control of the optical properties of halide perovskite nanoparticles, which constitute a prominent platform for nanophotonics. The pulsed photoinjection of free carriers across the semiconducting gap leads to a subpicosecond modification of the far-field electromagnetic properties that is fully controlled by the geometry of the system. When the nanoparticle size is tuned so as to achieve the overlap between the narrowband excitons and the geometry-controlled…
Transient guided-mode resonance metasurfaces with phase-transition materials
We investigate transient, photo-thermally induced metasurface effects in a planar thin-film multilayer based on a phase-transition material. Illumination of a properly designed multilayer with two obliquely incident and phase-coherent pulsed pumps induces a transient and reversible temperature pattern in the phase-transition layer. The deep periodic modulation of the refractive index, caused by the interfering pumps, produces a transient Fano-like spectral feature associated with a guided-mode resonance. A coupled opto-thermal model is employed to analyze the temporal dynamics of the transient metasurface and to evaluate its speed and modulation capabilities. Using near-infrared pump pulses…
Finite-Size and Illumination Conditions Effects in All-Dielectric Metasurfaces
Dielectric metasurfaces have emerged as a promising alternative to their plasmonic counterparts due to lower ohmic losses, which hinder sensing applications and nonlinear frequency conversion, and their larger flexibility to shape the emission pattern in the visible regime. To date, the computational cost of full-wave numerical simulations has forced the exploitation of the Floquet theorem, which implies infinitely periodic structures, in designing such devices. In this work, we show the potential pitfalls of this approach when considering finite-size metasurfaces and beam-like illumination conditions, in contrast to the typical infinite plane-wave illumination compatible with the Floquet t…
Optical tuning of dielectric nanoantennas for thermo-optically reconfigurable nonlinear metasurfaces
We demonstrate optically tunable control of second-harmonic generation in all-dielectric nanoantennas: by using a control beam that is absorbed by the nanoresonator, we thermo-optically change the refractive index of the radiating element to modulate the amplitude of the second-harmonic signal. For a moderate temperature increase of roughly 40 K, modulation of the efficiency up to 60% is demonstrated; this large tunability of the single meta-atom response paves the way to exciting avenues for reconfigurable homogeneous and heterogeneous metasurfaces.
Third-harmonic light polarization control in magnetically resonant silicon metasurfaces
Nonlinear metasurfaces have become prominent tools for controlling and engineering light at the nanoscale. Usually, the polarization of the total generated third harmonic is studied. However, diffraction orders may present different polarizations. Here, we design an high quality factor silicon metasurface for third harmonic generation and perform back focal plane imaging of the diffraction orders, which present a rich variety of polarization states. Our results demonstrate the possibility of tailoring the polarization of the generated nonlinear diffraction orders paving the way to a higher degree of wavefront control.
Second order nonlinear optics in AlGaAs metasurfaces
Recently, nonlinear optics at the nanoscale level has emerged as a promising branch of nanophotonics. In this work, we focus our attention on Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs) nanoantennas and metasurfaces for efficient and controlled second harmonic photon emission. After a brief introduction concerning the main studies in this field, we present the latest results achieved in AlGaAs platforms both in the lossless and absorption regimes.
Opto-thermally controlled beam steering in nonlinear all-dielectric metastructures
Reconfigurable metasurfaces have recently gained a lot of attention in applications such as adaptive meta-lenses, hyperspectral imaging and optical modulation. This kind of metastructure can be obtained by an external control signal, enabling us to dynamically manipulate the electromagnetic radiation. Here, we theoretically propose an AlGaAs device to control the second harmonic generation (SHG) emission at nanoscale upon optimized optical heating. The asymmetric shape of the used meta-atom is selected to guarantee a predominant second harmonic (SH) emission towards the normal direction. The proposed structure is concurrently excited by a pump beam at a fundamental wavelength of 1540 nm and…
Reconfigurable nonlinear response of dielectric and semiconductor metasurfaces
Abstract Optically resonant dielectric and semiconductor metasurfaces are an emerging and promising area of nanophotonics and light–matter interaction at the nanoscale. Recently, active tuning of the linear response and nonlinear effects of these components has received an increasing amount of interest. However, so far these research directions have remained separated with only few sporadic works that study their combination beginning to appear in the literature. The evolution of nonlinear metasurfaces based on dielectric and semiconductor materials toward reconfigurable and dynamic components could potentially answer the demand of integrated on-chip components that realize essential functi…
High Quality Factor Silicon Membrane Metasurface for Intensity-Based Refractive Index Sensing
We propose a new sensing device based on all-optical nano-objects placed in a suspended periodic array. We demonstrate that the intensity-based sensing mechanism can measure environment refractive index change of the order of 1.8×10−6, which is close to record efficiencies in plasmonic devices.
Fundamental limits for transmission modulation in VO2 metasurfaces
The interest in dynamic modulation of light by ultra-thin materials exhibiting insulator–metal phase transition, such as VO 2 , has rapidly grown due to the myriad industrial applications, including smart windows and optical limiters. However, for applications in the telecommunication spectral band, the light modulation through a thin VO 2 film is low due to the presence of strong material loss. Here, we demonstrate tailored nanostructuring of VO 2 to dramatically enhance its transmission modulation, reaching a value as high as 0.73, which is 2 times larger than the previous modulation achieved. The resulting designs, including free-topology optimization, demonstrate the fundamental limit i…
Optical limiters relying on VO2 phase transition in thin multilayer films
We propose a self-activating optical limiter device based on phase transition of vanadium dioxide in thin multilayer films. The optimal geometry reduces the transmitted power by ~ 70% and shows a recovery time of 10 ns.
Opto-thermal dynamics of thin-film optical limiters based on the VO2 phase transition
Protection of human eyes or sensitive detectors from high-intensity laser radiation is an important challenge in modern light technologies. Metasurfaces have proved to be valuable tools for such light control, but the actual possibility of merging multiple materials in the nanofabrication process hinders their application. Here we propose and numerically investigate the opto-thermal properties of plane multilayered structures with phase-change materials for optical limiters. Our structure relies on thin-film VO2 phase change material on top of a gold film and a sapphire substrate. We show how such a multi-layer structure can act as a self-activating device that exploits light-to-heat conver…
Near-unity third-harmonic circular dichroism driven by a quasibound state in the continuum in asymmetric silicon metasurfaces
We use numerical simulations to demonstrate third-harmonic generation with near-unity nonlinear circular dichroism (CD) and high conversion efficiency $({10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\text{W}}^{\ensuremath{-}2})$ in asymmetric Si-on-$\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ metasurfaces. The working principle relies on the spin-selective excitation of a quasibound state in the continuum, characterized by a very high $(g{10}^{5})$ quality factor. By tuning multimode interference with the variation of the metasurface geometrical parameters, we show the possibility to control both linear CD and nonlinear CD. Our results pave the way for the development of all-dielectric metasurfaces for …