Topologically Enabled Ultrahigh-Q Chiroptical Resonances by Merging Bound States in the Continuum.

Ultrahigh-Q chiroptical resonance metasurfaces based on merging bound states in the continuum (BICs) are investigated and numerically demonstrated. The destruction of C2 symmetry results in the leakage of BICs into quasi-BICs, and a chiral quasi-BIC is obtained by oblique incidence or continuous destruction of the mirror symmetry of the structure. Due to the significant topological properties of merging BICs, the Q factor (over 2 × 105) of the chiral resonance peak obtained is much higher than that of the previous work. Moreover, the proposed structure is easy to fabricate because no additional out-of-plane asymmetry is introduced. The proposed scheme is of importance in chiral biosensing applications.

Far-field probing of leaky topological states in all-dielectric metasurfaces.

Topological phase transitions in condensed matter systems give rise to exotic states of matter such as topological insulators, superconductors, and superfluids. Photonic topological systems open a whole new realm of research and technological opportunities, exhibiting a number of important distinctions from their condensed matter counterparts. Photonic modes can leak into free space, which makes it possible to probe topological photonic phases by spectroscopic means via Fano resonances. Based on this idea, we develop a technique to retrieve the topological properties of all-dielectric metasurfaces from the measured far-field scattering characteristics. Collected angle-resolved spectra provide the momentum-dependent frequencies and lifetimes of the photonic modes that enable the retrieval of the effective Hamiltonian and extraction of the topological invariant. Our results demonstrate how the topological states of open non-Hermitian systems can be explored via far-field measurements, thus paving a way to the design of metasurfaces with unique scattering characteristics controlled via topological effects.

Volumetric wireless coil based on periodically coupled split-loop resonators for clinical wrist imaging.

PURPOSE: Design and characterization of a new inductively driven wireless coil (WLC) for wrist imaging at 1.5 T with high homogeneity operating due to focusing the B1 field of a birdcage body coil. METHODS: The WLC design has been proposed based on a volumetric self-resonant periodic structure of inductively coupled split-loop resonators with structural capacitance. The WLC was optimized and studied regarding radiofrequency fields and interaction to the birdcage coil (BC) by electromagnetic simulations. The manufactured WLC was characterized by on-bench measurements and in vivo and phantom study in comparison to a standard cable-connected receive-only coil. RESULTS: The WLC placed into BC gave the measured B1+ increase of the latter by 8.6 times for the same accepted power. The phantom and in vivo wrist imaging showed that the BC in receiving with the WLC inside reached equal or higher signal-to-noise ratio than the conventional clinical setup comprising the transmit-only BC and a commercial receive-only flex-coil and created no artifacts. Simulations and on-bench measurements proved safety in terms of specific absorption rate and reflected transmit power. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the proposed WLC could be an alternative to standard cable-connected receive coils in clinical magnetic resonance imaging. As an example, with no cable connection, the WLC allowed wrist imaging on a 1.5 T clinical machine using a full-body BC for transmitting and receive with the desired signal-to-noise ratio, image quality, and safety.

Experimental investigation of a metasurface resonator for in vivo imaging at 1.5 T.

In this work, we experimentally demonstrate an increase in the local transmit efficiency of a 1.5 T MRI scanner by using a metasurface formed by an array of brass wires embedded in a high permittivity low loss medium. Placement of such a structure inside the scanner results in strong coupling of the radiofrequency field produced by the body coil with the lowest frequency electromagnetic eigenmode of the metasurface. This leads to spatial redistribution of the near fields with enhancement of the local magnetic field and an increase in the transmit efficiency per square root maximum specific absorption rate in the region-of-interest. We have investigated this structure in vivo and achieved a factor of 3.3 enhancement in the local radiofrequency transmit efficiency.

Resonant Nonplasmonic Nanoparticles for Efficient Temperature-Feedback Optical Heating.

We propose a novel photothermal approach based on resonant dielectric nanoparticles, which possess imaginary part of permittivity significantly smaller as compared to metal ones. We show both experimentally and theoretically that a spherical silicon nanoparticle with a magnetic quadrupolar Mie resonance converts light to heat up to 4 times more effectively than similar spherical gold nanoparticle at the same heating conditions. We observe photoinduced temperature raise up to 900 K with the silicon nanoparticle on a glass substrate at moderate intensities (<2 mW/µm2) and typical laser wavelength (633 nm). The advantage of using crystalline silicon is the simplicity of local temperature control by means of Raman spectroscopy working in a broad range of temperatures, that is, up to the melting point of silicon (1690 K) with submicrometer spatial resolution. Our CMOS-compatible heater-thermometer nanoplatform paves the way to novel nonplasmonic photothermal applications, extending the temperature range and simplifying the thermoimaging procedure.

van der Waals Metal-Organic Framework as an Excitonic Material for Advanced Photonics.

Synergistic combination of organic and inorganic nature in van der Waals metal-organic frameworks supports different types of robust excitons that can be effectively and independently manipulated by light at room temperature, and opens new concepts for all-optical data processing and storage.

Controlling electromagnetic scattering with wire metamaterial resonators.

Manipulation of radiation is required for enabling a span of electromagnetic applications. Since properties of antennas and scatterers are very sensitive to the surrounding environment, macroscopic artificially created materials are good candidates for shaping their characteristics. In particular, metamaterials enable controlling both dispersion and density of electromagnetic states, available for scattering from an object. As a result, properly designed electromagnetic environments could govern wave phenomena and tailor various characteristics. Here electromagnetic properties of scattering dipoles, situated inside a wire medium (metamaterial), are analyzed both numerically and experimentally. The effect of the metamaterial geometry, dipole arrangement inside the medium, and frequency of the incident radiation on the scattering phenomena is studied in detail. It is shown that the resonance of the dipole hybridizes with Fabry-Perot modes of the metamaterial, giving rise to a complete reshaping of electromagnetic properties. Regimes of controlled scattering suppression and super-scattering are experimentally observed. Numerical analysis is in agreement with the experiment, performed at the GHz spectral range. The reported approach to scattering control with metamaterials could be directly mapped into optical and infrared spectral ranges by employing scalability properties of Maxwell's equations.

Resonant Raman scattering from silicon nanoparticles enhanced by magnetic response.

Enhancement of optical response with high-index dielectric nanoparticles is attributed to the excitation of their Mie-type magnetic and electric resonances. Here we study Raman scattering from crystalline silicon nanoparticles and reveal that magnetic dipole modes have a much stronger effect on the scattering than electric modes of the same order. We demonstrate experimentally a 140-fold enhancement of the Raman signal from individual silicon spherical nanoparticles at the magnetic dipole resonance. Our results confirm the importance of the optically-induced magnetic response of subwavelength dielectric nanoparticles for enhancing light-matter interactions.

Fabrication of Hybrid Nanostructures via Nanoscale Laser-Induced Reshaping for Advanced Light Manipulation.

Ordered hybrid nanostructures for nanophotonics applications are fabricated by a novel approach via femtosecond laser melting of asymmetric metal-dielectric (Au/Si) nanoparticles created by lithographical methods. The approach allows selective reshaping of the metal components of the hybrid nanoparticles without affecting the dielectric ones and is applied for tuning of the scattering properties of the hybrid nanostructures in the visible range.

Enhancement of Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Metasurfaces.

It is revealed that the unique properties of ultrathin metasurface resonators can improve magnetic resonance imaging dramatically. A metasurface formed when an array of metallic wires is placed inside a scanner under the studied object and a substantial enhancement of the radio-frequency magnetic field is achieved by means of subwavelength manipulation with the metasurface, also allowing improved image resolution.

Phase diagram for the transition from photonic crystals to dielectric metamaterials.

Photonic crystals and dielectric metamaterials represent two different classes of artificial media but are often composed of similar structural elements. The question is how to distinguish these two types of periodic structures when their parameters, such as permittivity and lattice constant, vary continuously. Here we discuss transition between photonic crystals and dielectric metamaterials and introduce the concept of a phase diagram, based on the physics of Mie and Bragg resonances. We show that a periodic photonic structure transforms into a metamaterial when the Mie gap opens up below the lowest Bragg bandgap where the homogenization approach can be justified and the effective permeability becomes negative. Our theoretical approach is confirmed by microwave experiments for a metacrystal composed of tubes filled with heated water. This analysis yields deep insight into the properties of periodic structures, and provides a useful tool for designing different classes of electromagnetic materials with variable parameters.

Hyperbolic metamaterial antenna for second-harmonic generation tomography.

The detection and processing of information carried by evanescent field components are key elements for subwavelength optical microscopy as well as single molecule sensing applications. Here, we numerically demonstrate the potential of a hyperbolic medium in the design of an efficient metamaterial antenna enabling detection and tracking of a nonlinear object, with an otherwise hidden second-harmonic signature. The presence of the antenna provides 103-fold intensity enhancement of the second harmonic generation (SHG) from a nanoparticle through a metamaterial-assisted access to evanescent second-harmonic fields. Alternatively, the observation of SHG from the metamaterial itself can be used to detect and track a nanoparticle without a nonlinear response. The antenna allows an optical resolution of several nanometers in tracking the nanoparticle's location via observations of the far-field second-harmonic radiation pattern.

An antenna model for the Purcell effect.

The Purcell effect is defined as a modification of the spontaneous emission rate of a quantum emitter at the presence of a resonant cavity. However, a change of the emission rate of an emitter caused by an environment has a classical counterpart. Any small antenna tuned to a resonance can be described as an oscillator with radiative losses, and the effect of the environment on its radiation can be modeled and measured in terms of the antenna radiation resistance, similar to a quantum emitter. We exploit this analogue behavior to develop a general approach for calculating the Purcell factors of different systems and various frequency ranges including both electric and magnetic Purcell factors. Our approach is illustrated by a general equivalent scheme, and it allows resenting the Purcell factor through the continuous radiation of a small antenna at the presence of an electromagnetic environment.

Compton-like polariton scattering in hyperbolic metamaterials.

We study the scattering of polaritons by free electrons in hyperbolic photonic media and demonstrate that the unconventional dispersion and high local density of states of electromagnetic modes in composite media with hyperbolic dispersion can lead to a giant Compton-like shift and dramatic enhancement of the scattering cross section. We develop a universal approach to study multiphoton processes in nanostructured media and derive the intensity spectrum of the scattered radiation for realistic metamaterial structures.

Subwavelength topological edge States in optically resonant dielectric structures.

We suggest a novel type of photonic topological edge states in zigzag arrays of dielectric nanoparticles based on optically induced magnetic Mie resonances. We verify our general concept by the proof-of-principle microwave experiments with dielectric spherical particles, and demonstrate, experimentally, the ability to control the subwavelength topologically protected electromagnetic edge modes by changing the polarization of the incident wave.

Switching from visibility to invisibility via Fano resonances: theory and experiment.

Subwavelength structures demonstrate many unusual optical properties which can be employed for engineering of a new generation of functional metadevices, as well as controlled scattering of light and invisibility cloaking. Here we demonstrate that the suppression of light scattering for any direction of observation can be achieved for a uniform dielectric object with high refractive index, in a sharp contrast to the cloaking with multilayered plasmonic structures suggested previously. Our finding is based on the novel physics of cascades of Fano resonances observed in the Mie scattering from a homogeneous dielectric rod. We observe this effect experimentally at microwaves by employing high temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity of a glass cylinder with heated water. Our results open a new avenue in analyzing the optical response of high-index dielectric nanoparticles and the physics of cloaking.

Demonstration of unusual nanoantenna array modes through direct reconstruction of the near-field signal.

We perform complex investigation of the distribution of electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of an array of silver nanoantennas, which can operate as an efficient light trapping structure in the visible spectral range. In theory, this array should support unusual collective modes that possess an advantageous distribution of local electric fields, ensuring both strong field localization beneath nanoantennas and a low level of optical losses inside the metal. Using an aperture-type near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM), we obtain near-field patterns that show excellent agreement with the NSOM signal, directly reconstructed from rigorous numerical simulations using an approach based on the electromagnetic reciprocity theorem. The agreement between theory and experiment allows us to claim the first-time experimental verification of the existence of collective modes with such properties in an array of silver nanoantennas. The confirmation of this physical phenomenon opens the door to a new class of light-trapping structures for photovoltaics.

Impact of filling ratio on subwavelength optical imaging using metallic nanolens of different geometries.

A nanolens based on a metallic nanorod has been considered as a prospective candidate for transporting subwavelength information. Such a lens is tuned to a particular frequency by tailoring the length of the nanorod. In this paper, we have investigated the impact of filling ratio on the subwavelength imaging capabilities of such a lens. Through full-wave electromagnetic simulation, we have demonstrated that the imaging performance of a silver (Ag) nanorod array depends not only on the length and periodicity but also on the filling ratio or the radius of the nanorod. We have studied this impact for nanorods having different cross-sectional shapes such as cylindrical and triangular and examined their performances for various filling ratios.

Superdirective dielectric nanoantennas.

We introduce the novel concept of superdirective nanoantennas based on the excitation of higher-order magnetic multipole moments in subwavelength dielectric nanoparticles. Our superdirective nanoantenna is a small Si nanosphere containing a notch, and is excited by a dipole located within the notch. In addition to extraordinary directivity, this nanoantenna demonstrates efficient radiation steering at the nanoscale, resulting from the subwavelength sensitivity of the beam radiation direction to variation of the source position inside the notch. We compare our dielectric nanoantenna with a plasmonic nanoantenna of similar geometry, and reveal that the nanoantenna's high directivity in the regime of transmission is not associated with strong localization of near fields in the regime of reception. Likewise, the absence of hot spots inside the nanoantenna leads to low dissipation in the radiation regime, so that our dielectric nanoantenna has significantly smaller losses and high radiation efficiency of up to 70%.

Photonic spin Hall effect in hyperbolic metamaterials for polarization-controlled routing of subwavelength modes.

The routing of light in a deep subwavelength regime enables a variety of important applications in photonics, quantum information technologies, imaging and biosensing. Here we describe and experimentally demonstrate the selective excitation of spatially confined, subwavelength electromagnetic modes in anisotropic metamaterials with hyperbolic dispersion. A localized, circularly polarized emitter placed at the boundary of a hyperbolic metamaterial is shown to excite extraordinary waves propagating in a prescribed direction controlled by the polarization handedness. Thus, a metamaterial slab acts as an extremely broadband, nearly ideal polarization beam splitter for circularly polarized light. We perform a proof of concept experiment with a uniaxial hyperbolic metamaterial at radio-frequencies revealing the directional routing effect and strong subwavelength λ/300 confinement. The proposed concept of metamaterial-based subwavelength interconnection and polarization-controlled signal routing is based on the photonic spin Hall effect and may serve as an ultimate platform for either conventional or quantum electromagnetic signal processing.