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ABSTRACT: Carpet or ground-plane invisibility cloaks hide an object in reflection and inhibit transmission experiments by construction. This concept has significantly reduced the otherwise demanding material requirements and has hence enabled various experimental demonstrations. In contrast, free-space invisibility cloaks should work in both reflection and transmission. The fabrication of omnidirectional three-dimensional free-space cloaks still poses significant challenges. Recently, the idea of the carpet cloak has been carried over to experiments on unidirectional free-space invisibility cloaks that only work perfectly for one particular viewing direction and, depending on the design, also for one linear polarization of light only. Here, by using photorealistic ray tracing, we visualize the performance of four types of such unidirectional cloaks in three dimensions for different viewing directions and different polarizations of light, revealing virtues and limitations of these approaches in an intuitive manner.
Optics Express 04/2013; 21(8):9457-72. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To fully integrate quantum optical technology, active quantum systems must be combined with resonant microstructures and optical interconnects harvesting and routing photons in three diemsnsions (3D) on one chip. We fabricate such combined structures for the first time by using two-photon laser lithography and a photoresist containing nanodiamonds including nitrogen vacancy-centers. As an example for possible functionality, single-photon generation, collection, and transport is successfully accomplished. The single photons are efficiently collected via resonators and routed in 3D through waveguides, all on one optical chip. Our one-step fabrication scheme is easy to implement, scalable and flexible. Thus, other complex assemblies of 3D quantum optical structures are feasible as well.
Scientific Reports 04/2013; 3:1577.
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ABSTRACT: Three-dimensional microstructures are fabricated employing the direct laser writing process and radical thiol-ene polymerization. The resin system consists of a two-photon photoinitiator and multifunctional thiols and olefins. Woodpile photonic crystals with 22 layers and a rod distance of 2 μm are fabricated. The structures are characterized via scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam milling. The thiol-ene polymerization during fabrication is verified via infrared spectroscopy. The structures are grafted in a subsequent thiol-Michael addition reaction with different functional maleimides. The success of the grafting reaction is evaluated via laser scanning microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The grafting density is calculated to be close to 200 molecules μm(-2) .
Macromolecular Rapid Communications 01/2013; · 4.60 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The design rules of transformation optics generally lead to spatially inhomogeneous and anisotropic impedance-matched magneto-dielectric material distributions for, e.g., free-space invisibility cloaks. Recently, simplified anisotropic non-magnetic free-space cloaks made of a locally uniaxial dielectric material (calcite) have been realized experimentally. In a two-dimensional setting and for in-plane polarized light propagating in this plane, the cloaking performance can still be perfect for light rays. However, for general views in three dimensions, various imperfections are expected. In this paper, we study two different purely dielectric uniaxial cylindrical free-space cloaks. For one, the optic axis is along the radial direction, for the other one it is along the azimuthal direction. The azimuthal uniaxial cloak has not been suggested previously to the best of our knowledge. We visualize the cloaking performance of both by calculating photorealistic images rendered by ray tracing. Following and complementing our previous ray-tracing work, we use an equation of motion directly derived from Fermat's principle. The rendered images generally exhibit significant imperfections. This includes the obvious fact that cloaking does not work at all for horizontal or for ordinary linear polarization of light. Moreover, more subtle effects occur such as viewing-angle-dependent aberrations. However, we still find amazingly good cloaking performance for the purely dielectric azimuthal uniaxial cloak.
Optics Express 12/2012; 20(27):28330-40. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Antennas convert propagating radiation to localized electromagnetic energy and to heat. To unambiguously separate between these two aspects, one needs to quantitatively determine the antenna scattering and absorption cross-section spectra. By using a spatial modulation technique combined with a common-path interferometer and lithographically fabricated individual gold nanoantennas, we experimentally determine the scattering and absorption cross-section spectra of different optical antennas simultaneously and quantitatively for the first time.
Physical Review Letters 12/2012; 109(23):233902. · 7.37 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Metal-helix based metamaterials have been introduced as compact and broadband circular polarizers. However, the end of the metal wire together with the helix center defines an axis in space, which unavoidably breaks the rotational symmetry at the metamaterial surface. This introduces linear birefringence. Symmetry can be recovered by considering an integer number, e.g. N = 4, of intertwined helices arranged to a square array. We show that the operation principles are fundamentally different though. Metamaterial circular polarizers based on N = 4 helices, unlike single helices, inherently require absorption of the constituent metal. Otherwise, the combination of a four-fold rotational axis and time-inversion symmetry strictly forbids circular-polarizer action. Our symmetry analysis is confirmed by extensive numerical calculations comparing results for perfect electric conductors with those for a free-electron Drude metal with finite damping.
Optics Express 11/2012; 20(23):26012-20. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: It has recently been shown theoretically that the time-dependent heat
conduction equation is form-invariant under curvilinear coordinate
transformations. Thus, in analogy to transformation optics, fictitious
transformed space can be mapped onto (meta-)materials with spatially
inhomogeneous and anisotropic heat-conductivity tensors in the laboratory
space. On this basis, we design, fabricate, and characterize a micro-structured
thermal cloak that molds the flow of heat around an object in a metal plate.
This allows for transient protection of the object from heating, while
maintaining the same downstream heat flow as without object and cloak.
10/2012;
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ABSTRACT: Bragg diffraction is often used as a tool to assess the structural quality of two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals. However, direct conclusions from the Laue diagrams to the underlying crystals structure cannot be drawn, as multiple scattering due to the high index contrast takes place. Here we systematically study the scattering of visible light by 3D woodpile photonic crystals with varying internal refractive index contrast Δn, to determine the limits of the single (kinematic) scattering approach. We aim to describe the intensity distribution of diffracting Bragg peaks with analytic expressions similarly to x-ray scattering at electronic crystals. Measured scattering curves of selected Bragg reflections are classified in terms of Δn. We find that the kinematic approach describes the shape and intensity distribution of experimental scattering curves in acceptable accuracy as long as Δn<0.15. The transition between single and multiple scattering is observed for Δn≈0.16-0.25 before multiple scattering dominates for larger Δn. The classification of the scattering regimes is confirmed by simulations in terms of numerical solution of Maxwell's equations.
Applied Optics 10/2012; 51(28):6732-7. · 1.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A fully integrated quantum optical technology requires active quantum systems
incorporated into resonant optical microstructures and inter-connected in three
dimensions via photonic wires. Nitrogen vacancy-centres (NV-centres) in diamond
which are excellent photostable room temperature single-photon emitters are
ideal candidates for that purpose. Extensive research efforts to couple
NV-centres to photonic structures such as optical microresonators,
microcavities, and waveguides have been pursued. Strategies for integration
range from top-down fabrication via etching of diamond membranes to
sophisticated bottom-up assembly of hybrid structures using diamond
nanocrystals where the latter approach allows for deterministic coupling.
Recently, another approach based on the incorporation of nanodiamonds in soft
glass optical fibres via a melting process has been introduced. Here, we
utilize two-photon direct laser writing (DLW) to fabricate fully
three-dimensional (3D) structures from a photoresist mixed with a solution of
nanodiamonds containing NV-centres. For the first time, this approach
facilitates building integrated 3D quantum photonic elements of nearly
arbitrary shapes.
09/2012;
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ABSTRACT: Three-dimensional pentamode metamaterials are artificial solids that
approximately behave like liquids, which have vanishing shear modulus.
Pentamodes have recently become experimental reality. Here, we calculate their
phonon band structures for various parameters. Consistent with static continuum
mechanics, we find that compression and shear waves exhibit phase velocities
that can realistically be different by more than one order of magnitude.
Interestingly, we also find frequency intervals with more than two octaves
bandwidth in which pure single-mode behavior is obtained. Herein, exclusively
compression waves exist due to a complete three-dimensional band gap for shear
waves and, hence, no coupling to shear modes is possible. Such single-mode
behavior might, e.g., be interesting for transformation-elastodynamics
architectures.
07/2012;
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ABSTRACT: Dip-in direct-laser-writing (DLW) optical lithography allows fabricating complex three-dimensional microstructures without the height restrictions of regular DLW. Bow-tie elements assembled into mechanical metamaterials with positive/zero/negative Poisson's ratio and with sufficient overall size for direct mechanical characterization aim at demonstrating the new possibilities with respect to rationally designed effective materials.
Advanced Materials 04/2012; 24(20):2710-4. · 13.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We demonstrate metamaterial metal-based bolometers, which take advantage of
resonant absorption in that a spectral and/or polarization filter can be built
into the bolometer. Our proof-of-principle gold-nanostructure-based devices
operate around 1.5 \mum wavelength and exhibit room-temperature time constants
of about 134 \mus. The ultimate detectivity is limited by Johnson noise,
enabling room-temperature detection of 1 nW light levels within 1 Hz bandwidth.
Graded bolometer arrays might allow for integrated spectrometers with several
octaves bandwidth without the need for gratings or prisms and for integrated
polarization analysis without external polarization optics.
04/2012;
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ABSTRACT: To identify the depletion mechanism in the stimulated-emission-depletion (STED) inspired photoresist composed of a ketocoumarin photoinitiator in pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, we perform lithography with pulsed excitation and tunable delayed depletion. A fast component can unambiguously be assigned to stimulated emission. Our results allow the systematical optimization of the conditions in next-generation STED direct-laser-writing optical lithography.
Advanced Materials 03/2012; 24(10):OP65-9. · 13.88 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Conceptually, all conceivable three-dimensional mechanical materials can be
built from pentamode materials. Pentamodes also enable to implement
three-dimensional transformation acoustics - the analogue of transformation
optics. However, pentamodes have not been realized experimentally to the best
of our knowledge. Here, we investigate inasmuch the pentamode theoretical ideal
suggested by Milton and Cherkaev in 1995 can be approximated by a metamaterial
with current state-of-the-art lithography. Using numerical calculations
calibrated by our fabricated three-dimensional microstructures, we find that
the figure of merit, i.e., the ratio of bulk modulus to shear modulus, can
realistically be made as large as about 1,000.
03/2012;
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ABSTRACT: Following a theoretical proposal [M. Farhat et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 024301 (2009)], we design, fabricate, and characterize a cloaking structure for elastic waves in 1 mm thin structured polymer plates. The cloak consists of 20 concentric rings of 16 different metamaterials, each being a tailored composite of polyvinyl chloride and polydimethylsiloxane. By using stroboscopic imaging with a camera from the direction normal to the plate, we record movies of the elastic waves for monochromatic plane-wave excitation. We observe good cloaking behavior for carrier frequencies in the range from 200 to 400 Hz (one octave), in good agreement with a complete continuum-mechanics numerical treatment. This system is thus ideally suited for demonstration experiments conveying the ideas of transformation optics.
Physical Review Letters 01/2012; 108(1):014301. · 7.37 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: As invisibility cloaking has recently become experimental reality, it is interesting to explore ways to reveal remaining imperfections. In essence, the idea of most invisibility cloaks is to recover the optical path lengths without an object (to be made invisible) by a suitable arrangement around that object. Optical path length is proportional to the time of flight of a light ray or to the optical phase accumulated by a light wave. Thus, time-of-flight images provide a direct and intuitive tool for probing imperfections. Indeed, recent phase-sensitive experiments on the carpet cloak have already made early steps in this direction. In the macroscopic world, time-of-flight images could be measured directly by light detection and ranging (LIDAR). Here, we show calculated time-of-flight images of the conformal Gaussian carpet cloak, the conformal grating cloak, the cylindrical free-space cloak, and of the invisible sphere. All results are obtained by using a ray-velocity equation of motion derived from Fermat's principle.
Optics Express 01/2012; 20(1):63-74. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Transformation optics is a design tool that connects the geometry of space and propagation of light. Invisibility cloaking is a corresponding benchmark example. Recent experiments at optical frequencies have demonstrated cloaking for the light amplitude only. In this Letter, we demonstrate far-field cloaking of the light phase by interferometric microscope-imaging experiments on the previously introduced three-dimensional carpet cloak at 700 nm wavelength and for arbitrary polarization of light.
Physical Review Letters 10/2011; 107(17):173901. · 7.37 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Photonic metamaterials are man-made structures composed of tailored micro- or
nanostructured metallo-dielectric sub-wavelength building blocks that are
densely packed into an effective material. This deceptively simple, yet
powerful, truly revolutionary concept allows for achieving novel, unusual, and
sometimes even unheard-of optical properties, such as magnetism at optical
frequencies, negative refractive indices, large positive refractive indices,
zero reflection via impedance matching, perfect absorption, giant circular
dichroism, or enhanced nonlinear optical properties. Possible applications of
metamaterials comprise ultrahigh-resolution imaging systems, compact
polarization optics, and cloaking devices. This review describes the
experimental progress recently made fabricating three-dimensional metamaterial
structures and discusses some remaining future challenges.
08/2011;
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ABSTRACT: We report on femtosecond pump-probe experiments on two different photoinitiators in solution. These two molecules have recently appeared as attractive candidates for far-field optical lithography based on stimulated-emission-depletion (STED) inspired approaches aiming at beating Abbe's diffraction limit. For the case of 7-diethylamino-3-thenoylcoumarin (DETC), we find that stimulated emission clearly dominates over excited-state absorption, whereas the opposite holds true for the case of isopropylthioxanthone. We argue that it is desirable that stimulated emission dominates over excited-state absorption as depletion mechanism in STED photoresists. Thus, DETC is an attractive corresponding photoinitiator.
Optics Letters 08/2011; 36(16):3188-90. · 3.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Transformation optics is a design tool that connects geometry of space and
propagation of light. Invisibility cloaking is a corresponding benchmark
example. Recent experiments at optical frequencies have demonstrated cloaking
for the light amplitude ("ray cloaking"). In this Letter, we demonstrate
far-field cloaking of the light phase ("wave cloaking") by interferometric
microscope-imaging experiments on the previously introduced three-dimensional
carpet cloak at 700-nm wavelength and for arbitrary polarization of light.
07/2011;
