Bandgap fluctuations and robustness in two-dimensional hyperuniform dielectric materials.

We numerically study the statistical fluctuations of photonic band gaps in ensembles of stealthy hyperuniform disordered patterns. We find that at low stealthiness, where correlations are weak, band gaps of different system realizations appear over a wide frequency range, are narrow, and generally do not overlap. Interestingly, above a critical value of stealthiness χ≳0.35, the bandgaps become large and overlap significantly from realization to realization, while a second gap appears. These observations extend our understanding of photonic bandgaps in disordered systems and provide information on the robustness of gaps in practical applications.

Transport properties of optically thin solid dielectrics from frequency correlations of randomly scattered light: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains a correction to Opt. Lett.47, 1439 (2022)10.1364/OL.449084.

Light scattering from colloidal aggregates on a hierarchy of length scales.

Disordered dielectrics with structural correlations on length scales comparable to visible light wavelengths exhibit interesting optical properties. Such materials exist in nature, leading to beautiful structural non-iridescent color, and they are also increasingly used as building blocks for optical materials and coatings. In this article, we explore the angular resolved single-scattering properties of micron-sized, disordered colloidal assemblies. The aggregates act as structurally colored supraparticles or as building blocks for macroscopic photonic glasses. We obtain first experimental data for the differential scattering and transport cross-section. Based on existing macroscopic models, we develop a theoretical framework to describe the scattering from densely packed colloidal assemblies on a hierarchy of length scales.

Experimental Tuning of Transport Regimes in Hyperuniform Disordered Photonic Materials.

We present wave transport experiments in hyperuniform disordered arrays of cylinders with high dielectric permittivity. Using microwaves, we show that the same material can display transparency, photon diffusion, Anderson localization, or a full band gap, depending on the frequency ν of the electromagnetic wave. Interestingly, we find a second weaker band gap, which appears to be related to the second peak of the structure factor. Our results emphasize the importance of spatial correlations on different length scales for the formation of photonic band gaps.

Topological Effects of a Vorticity Filament on the Coherent Backscattering Cone.

In this Letter, we report on the effects of a vorticity filament on the coherent backscattering cone. Using ultrasonic waves in a strongly reverberating cavity, we experimentally show that the discrete number of loops of acoustic paths around a pointlike vortex located at the center of the cavity drives the cancellation and the potential rebirth of the coherent backscattering enhancement. The vorticity filament behaves, then, as a topological anomaly for wave propagation that provides some new insight between reciprocity and weak localization.

Free-Standing Photonic Glasses Fabricated in a Centrifugal Field.

One efficient method to obtain disordered colloidal packing is to reduce the stability of colloidal particles by adding electrolytes to the colloidal dispersions. But the correct amount of additional electrolytes must be found empirically. Here, the effect of CaCl2 on polystyrene colloidal dispersions is studied, and a link between the amount of CaCl2 and the corresponding glassy colloidal structure is quantitatively built. A threshold concentration of CaCl2 is found by dynamic light scattering. When exceeding this threshold, different nanoparticle oligomers are observed in the dispersions by analytical ultracentrifugation. The second objective is to achieve free-standing samples, which is required for many optical measurements. A universal method is established, using a centrifugal field to produce robust samples by polymerizing coassembled hydrophilic monomers to form a network, which traps the glassy colloidal structures. Photon time of flight measurements shows that the CaCl2 concentration threshold should not be exceeded. Otherwise an optical shortcut may take place. Thus, the work provides a feasible universal route to prepare macroscopic free-standing photonic glasses from electrostatically stabilized nanoparticles, suitable for further optical investigation.

Condensation of helium in aerogel and athermal dynamics of the random-field Ising model.

High resolution measurements reveal that condensation isotherms of (4)He in high porosity silica aerogel become discontinuous below a critical temperature. We show that this behavior does not correspond to an equilibrium phase transition modified by the disorder induced by the aerogel structure, but to the disorder-driven critical point predicted for the athermal out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the random-field Ising model. Our results evidence the key role of nonequilibrium effects in the phase transitions of disordered systems.