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Benz, Alexander

Publications and source records attributed to Benz, Alexander.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Characterization of an active metasurface using terahertz ellipsometry

Switchable metasurfaces fabricated on a doped epi-layer have become an important platform for developing techniques to control terahertz (THz) radiation, as a DC bias can modulate the transmission characteristics of the metasurface. To model and understand this performance in new device configurations accurately, a quantitative understanding of the bias-dependent surface characteristics is required. In this work, we perform THz variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry on a switchable metasurface as a function of DC bias. By comparing these data with numerical simulations, we extract a model for the response of the metasurface at any bias value. Using this model, we predict a giant bias-induced phase modulation in a guided wave configuration. Lastly, these predictions are in qualitative agreement with our measurements, offering a route to efficient modulation of THz signals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tuneable photonic device including an array of metamaterial resonators

A photonic apparatus includes a metamaterial resonator array overlying and electromagnetically coupled to a vertically stacked plurality of quantum wells defined in a semiconductor body. An arrangement of electrical contact layers is provided for facilitating the application of a bias voltage across the quantum well stack. Those portions of the semiconductor body that lie between the electrical contact layers are conformed to provide an electrically conductive path between the contact layers and through the quantum well stack.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Epsilon-near-zero modes for tailored light-matter interaction

Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) modes arising from condensed-matter excitations such as phonons and plasmons are a new path for tailoring light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Complex spectral shaping can be achieved by creating such modes in nanoscale semiconductor layers and controlling their interaction with multiple, distinct, dipole resonant systems. Examples of this behavior are presented at midinfrared frequencies for ENZ modes that are strongly coupled to metamaterial resonators and simultaneously strongly coupled to semiconductor phonons or quantum-well intersubband transitions (ISTs), resulting in double- and triple-polariton branches in transmission spectra. For the double-polariton branch case, we find that the best strategy to maximize the Rabi splitting is to use a combination of a doped layer supporting an ENZ feature and a layer supporting ISTs, with overlapping ENZ and IST frequencies. As a result, this design flexibility renders this platform attractive for low-voltage tunable filters, light-emitting diodes, and efficient nonlinear composite materials.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Phased-array sources based on nonlinear metamaterial nanocavities

Coherent superposition of light from subwavelength sources is an attractive prospect for the manipulation of the direction, shape and polarization of optical beams. This phenomenon constitutes the basis of phased arrays, commonly used at microwave and radio frequencies. Here we propose a new concept for phased-array sources at infrared frequencies based on metamaterial nanocavities coupled to a highly nonlinear semiconductor heterostructure. Optical pumping of the nanocavity induces a localized, phase-locked, nonlinear resonant polarization that acts as a source feed for a higher-order resonance of the nanocavity. Varying the nanocavity design enables the production of beams with arbitrary shape and polarization. As an example, we demonstrate two second harmonic phased-array sources that perform two optical functions at the second harmonic wavelength (~5 μm): a beam splitter and a polarizing beam splitter. As a result, proper design of the nanocavity and nonlinear heterostructure will enable such phased arrays to span most of the infrared spectrum.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Control of strong light-matter coupling using the capacitance of metamaterial nanocavities

Metallic nanocavities with deep subwavelength mode volumes can lead to dramatic changes in the behavior of emitters placed in their vicinity. The resulting collocation and interaction often leads to strong coupling. We present for the first time experimental evidence that the Rabi splitting is directly proportional to the electrostatic capacitance associated with the metallic nanocavity. As a result, the system analyzed consists of different metamaterial geometries with the same resonance wavelength coupled to intersubband transitions in quantum wells.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optical Strong Coupling between near-Infrared Metamaterials and Intersubband Transitions in III-Nitride Heterostructures

We present the design, realization, and characterization of optical strong light–matter coupling between intersubband transitions within a semiconductor heterostructures and planar metamaterials in the near-infrared spectral range. The strong light–matter coupling entity consists of a III-nitride intersubband superlattice heterostructure, providing a two-level system with a transition energy of ~0.8 eV (λ ~1.55 μm) and a planar “dogbone” metamaterial structure. Furthermore, as the bare metamaterial resonance frequency is varied across the intersubband resonance, a clear anticrossing behavior is observed in the frequency domain. We found that this strongly coupled entity could enable the realization of electrically tunable optical filters, a new class of efficient nonlinear optical materials, or intersubband-based light-emitting diodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗