Spectral Regime Research Articles

Techniques for Constructing Ultra Low Cost Deep Ultraviolet Transmission Microscopes

This article presents the design, construction, and results obtained by our new compact, small and inexpensive deep UV microscope. Several methods are described for recording microscopic images of various types in the deep ultraviolet spectral regime (200 nm – 300 nm). The techniques employed utilize CCD cameras, de-bayered webcam sensors, photographic paper and cyanotype coated paper as detectors. In addition, we describe the techniques employed and results obtained by utilizing a cellphone camera to record deep ultraviolet microscopic images. The instrumentation techniques, presented in this paper are expected to be most useful in areas where compact, handheld systems, are needed for in field applications.

Thermo-mechanical and opto-electrical study of Cr-doped-ZnO-based polyvinyl chloride nanocomposites

Polymer nanocomposites exhibit unique physical properties inaccessible from their individual constituents, which are tunable through the type of the polymer matrix, the type and size of the incorporated nanoparticles, and the doping level, and therefore, can be utilized in a wide range of potential applications. Here, we report the fabrication of pure Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC-based nanocomposites containing different loadings of pure and Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles, using solvent casting method. Scanning electron microscopy images of the obtained nanocomposite films confirmed the successful incorporation of nanoparticles within the PVC matrix, with higher dispersion quality for the Cr-doped ZnO samples. The prepared nanocomposite samples were found to possess higher thermo-mechanical stability, compared to pure PVC, resulting from the strong interaction between the nanoparticles and polymeric chains, as inferred from their thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical analysis (TGA and DMA) profiles. Specifically, the temperatures corresponding to the onset and 50% weight loss as well as the glass transition temperature are increased by ~ 88, ~ 34, and ~ 16 °C, respectively, after loading selected amounts of the nanoparticles. In addition to the thermo-mechanical stability, the nanocomposites revealed potentially relevant dielectric response, where the dielectric permittivity exhibits remarkable enhancement, by 400%, compared to pristine PVC. The optical transmission of the PVC is strongly suppressed over the entire visible spectral regime, upon loading the nanoparticles, and its optical band gap (~ 4.1 eV) is red shifted toward the value of pristine ZnO nanoparticles (~ 3.3 eV), while the distinct Cr3+ and Cr6+ optical transitions are preserved for the nanocomposites. The obtained thermo-mechanical stability, required for working devices, together with the here reported improvements in the dielectric response for the nanocomposite samples may alter the typical applications of PVC polymers from being insulating materials to be utilized in energy storage and capacitors manufacture, while the preserved optical properties of the incorporated nanoparticles render these nanocomposites suitable candidates for optoelectronic devices.

InAs nanowire arrays for room-temperature ultra-broadband infrared photodetection.

Detection of short-wave infrared (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) emissions remains challenging despite their importance in many emerging applications, including night vision, space imaging and remote sensing. III-V compound semiconductor materials such as InAs have an ideal band gap covering a spectral regime from near-infrared (NIR), SWIR to MWIR. However, due to their high dark current, InAs photodetectors normally require a low-temperature operation, which has greatly limited their practical applications. Here, we report the engineering of InAs nanowire arrays to achieve efficient photodetection of light at wavelengths ranging from NIR to MWIR (3500 nm). By using selective area metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy, we optimise the nanowire growth temperature and V/III ratio to achieve wurtzite (WZ)-based InAs nanowire arrays with a high WZ density of ∼67%. Due to the n-type background doping of the InAs nanowires and the p-type InAs substrate used for nanowire growth, a p-n junction is formed, and an ultrawide room-temperature photoresponse ranging from 500 to 3500 nm is obtained under zero bias. It is found that the waveguide modes supported by the InAs nanowires result in a high peak responsivity of 0.44 A W-1 and a detectivity of 1.25 × 1010 cm √Hz W-1 at a wavelength of 1600 nm, a bias voltage of only -0.1 V and a relatively high operating temperature of 150 K. Such a strong light trapping effect in the InAs nanowires also leads to significantly lower reflection compared to that observed in planar photodetectors, and thus strong absorption in the substrate extending the photoresponse up to the InAs bandgap edge of 3500 nm. Our work shows that through careful material optimisation and device design, InAs nanowire arrays are promising for the development of high-performance ultra-broadband infrared photodetectors for wavelengths ranging from NIR, SWIR to MWIR.

Non-resonant lasing in a deep-hole scattering cavity.

Random lasers are promising in the spectral regime, wherein conventional lasers are unavailable, with advantages of low fabrication costs and applicability of diverse gain materials. However, their practical application is hindered by high threshold powers, low power efficiency, and difficulties in light collection. Here, we demonstrate a power-efficient easy-to-fabricate non-resonant laser using a deep hole on a porous gain material. The laser action in this counterintuitive cavity was enabled by non-resonant feedback from strong diffuse reflections on the inner surface. Additionally, significant enhancements in slope efficiency, threshold power, and directionality were obtained from cavities fabricated on a porous Nd:YAG ceramic.

Multiwavelength study of the luminous GRB 210619B observed with Fermi and ASIM

ABSTRACT We report on detailed multiwavelength observations and analysis of the very bright and long GRB 210619B, detected by the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor installed on the International Space Station and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on-board the Fermi mission. Our main goal is to understand the radiation mechanisms and jet composition of GRB 210619B. With a measured redshift of z = 1.937, we find that GRB 210619B falls within the 10 most luminous bursts observed by Fermi so far. The energy-resolved prompt emission light curve of GRB 210619B exhibits an extremely bright hard emission pulse followed by softer/longer emission pulses. The low-energy photon index (αpt) values obtained using the time-resolved spectral analysis of the burst suggest a transition between the thermal (during harder pulse) to non-thermal (during softer pulse) outflow. We examine the correlation between spectral parameters and find that both peak energy and αpt exhibit the flux tracking pattern. The late time broad-band photometric data set can be explained within the framework of the external forward shock model with νm < νc < νx (where νm, νc, and νx are the synchrotron peak, cooling-break, and X-ray frequencies, respectively) spectral regime supporting a rarely observed hard electron energy index (p < 2). We find moderate values of host extinction of E(B − V) = 0.14 ± 0.01 mag for the small magellanic cloud extinction law. In addition, we also report late-time optical observations with the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio de Canarias placing deep upper limits for the host galaxy (z = 1.937), favouring a faint, dwarf host for the burst.

Asymmetric electric field distribution enhanced hierarchical metamaterials for radar-infrared compatible camouflage

Metamaterials are widely used in electromagnetic radiation and camouflage for their flexible wavefront manipulation and polarization over a broad spectrum ranging from microwaves to optics. However, multispectral compatible camouflage faces significant challenges due to tremendous scale differences of unit cells and desired radiative properties in various spectral regimes. This study assembles a micron-scale infrared emitter, a millimeter-scale microwave absorber, and a metal reflector to propose a hierarchical metamaterial that reduces microwave scattering and reflects low-infrared waves. As a proof of concept, laser etching micro-manufactures an upper infrared shielding layer with a periodic metal pattern. At the same time, bottom square frustum metastructure composites are fabricated and optimized based on genetic algorithms. Under the normal incidence transverse electromagnetic wave with a 90° azimuth angle, the hierarchical strategy and infrared unit create an asymmetric electric field distribution of local near-field coupling, which is conducive to generating additional resonance for broadening the absorption bandwidth. Experiments verify the multispectral camouflage, which shows a high absorption efficiency of more than 90%, ranging from 3.6 to 6.2 and from 8.4 to 18 GHz with a total thickness of 4.05 mm (0.049λmax). Due to the non-reflection of surrounding thermal signals in the infrared 2-22 μm region, low-infrared emissivity (0.29) metamaterials can adapt to various thermal backgrounds. This methodology can provide a novel route for fabricating multispectral camouflage devices.

Photobiological Efficiency of Radiation of LED Radiators for Cenoses of Different Age Plants in Relation to Conditions of Closed Ecosystems

The paper presents experimental data on the photo-biological efficiency of the emission of white light LED irradiators and phyto-spectrum with an intensity of 460 μmol/(m2s) and 800 μmol/(m2s) at the intermediate (18 days) and final (27 days) stages of the growing season of growing Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa), chard (Beta vulgaris), and radish (Raphanus sativus) in relation to the conditions of closed ecosystems (CES). The presence of different specifics of the reaction of plants to the spectral composition of radiation, both at the intermediate and final stages of vegetation, has been established. It has been suggested that in some plant species (Chinese cabbage) it may be physiologically justified at the intermediate stage of vegetation to change the spectral regime of irradiation from the phytospectrum to white light in order to achieve higher productivity values. Using the example of chard, it has been established that the phyto-spectrum can be more effective than white light when growing leaf biomass, regardless of the growing season. Using the example of radishes, it was shown that the phytospectrum stimulates the accumulation of high values of above-ground biomass in comparison with white light, however, for the accumulation of root biomass in relation to the conditions of the CES, it is more expedient to use white light, since with a biomass of root crops comparable to the phytospectrum, plants with an increased coefficient of economic efficiency are formed in white light, which reduces the share of waste in the CES (inedible leafy biomass). On the basis of the data obtained, possible tasks of scientific research on evaluating the spectral efficiency of radiation at certain stages of plant vegetation, as well as the prospects for creating LED irradiators with a physiologically based program for regulating the spectral composition and radiation intensity, are discussed.

Germanium Monosulfide as a Natural Platform for Highly Anisotropic THz Polaritons.

Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation is key to access collective excitations such as magnons (spins), plasmons (electrons), or phonons (atomic vibrations), thus bridging topics between optics and solid-state physics. Confinement of THz light to the nanometer length scale is desirable for local probing of such excitations in low-dimensional systems, thereby circumventing the large footprint and inherently low spectral power density of far-field THz radiation. For that purpose, phonon polaritons (PhPs) in anisotropic van der Waals (vdW) materials have recently emerged as a promising platform for THz nanooptics. Hence, there is a demand for the exploration of materials that feature not only THz PhPs at different spectral regimes but also host anisotropic (directional) electrical, thermoelectric, and vibronic properties. To that end, we introduce here the semiconducting vdW-material alpha-germanium(II) sulfide (GeS) as an intriguing candidate. By employing THz nanospectroscopy supported by theoretical analysis, we provide a thorough characterization of the different in-plane hyperbolic and elliptical PhP modes in GeS. We find not only PhPs with long lifetimes (τ > 2 ps) and excellent THz light confinement (λ0/λ > 45) but also an intrinsic, phonon-induced anomalous dispersion as well as signatures of naturally occurring, substrate-mediated PhP canalization within a single GeS slab.

Thermally switchable, bifunctional, scalable, mid-infrared metasurfaces with VO2 grids capable of versatile polarization manipulation and asymmetric transmission

We conceptualized three-array scalable bifunctional metasurfaces comprising only three thin strip grids and numerically determined their characteristics in the mid-infrared spectral regime for switchable operation scenarios involving polarization manipulation and related diodelike asymmetric transmission (AT) as one of two functionalities. A few or all of the grids were taken to be made of VO2, a bifunctionality-enabling phase-change material; there are no layers and/or meta-atoms comprising simultaneously both metal and VO2. For each proposed metasurface, two effective structures and, therefore, two different functionalities exist, corresponding to the metallic and insulating phases of VO2. The achieved scenarios of functionality switching significantly depend on the way in which VO2 is incorporated into the metasurface. Switchable bands of polarization manipulation are up to 40 THz wide. The AT band can be modulated when Fabry–Perot (anti-) resonances come into play. Besides, transmission regimes with the cross-polarized component insensitive to VO2 phase change are possible, as well as the ones with all co- and cross-polarized components having the same magnitude for both linear polarizations of the incident wave.

Cryogenic mirror position actuator for spectroscopic applications.

We demonstrate a mirror position actuator that operates in a wide temperature range from room temperature to a deep cryogenic regime (10K). We use a Michelson interferometer to measure the actuator tuning range (and piezoelectric efficiency) in the full temperature range. We demonstrate an unprecedented range of tunability of the mirror position in the cryogenic regime (over 22 μm at 10K). The capability of controlling the mirror position in the range from few to few tens of microns is crucial for cavity-enhanced molecular spectroscopy techniques, especially in the important mid-infrared spectral regime where the length of an optical cavity has to be tunable in a range larger than the laser wavelength. The piezoelectric actuator offering this range of tunability in the cryogenic conditions, on the one hand, will enable development of optical cavities operating at low temperatures that are crucial for spectroscopy of large molecules whose dense spectra are difficult to resolve at room temperature. On the other hand, this will enable us to increase the accuracy of the measurement of simple molecules aimed at fundamental studies.

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) Analysis of Ultrafine Au Nanoparticles Supported over Reactively Sputtered TiO2 Films.

The impact of a titania (TiO2) support film surface on the catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (Au NP) was investigated. Using the reactive dc-magnetron sputtering technique, TiO2 films with an amorphous, anatase, and nitrogen-doped anatase crystal structure were produced for a subsequent role as a support material for Au NP. Raman spectra of these TiO2 films revealed that both vacuum and NH3 annealing treatments promoted amorphous to anatase phase transformation through the presence of a peak in the 513–519 cm−1 spectral regime. Furthermore, annealing under NH3 flux had an associated blue shift and broadening of the Raman active mode at 1430 cm−1, characteristic of an increase in the oxygen vacancies (VO). For a 3 to 15 s sputter deposition time, the Au NP over TiO2 support films were in the 6.7–17.1 nm size range. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) analysis, the absence of any shift in the Au 4f core level peak implied that there was no change in the electronic properties of Au NP. On the other hand, spontaneous hydroxyl (–OH) group adsorption to anatase TiO2 support was instantly detected, the magnitude of which was found to be enhanced upon increasing the Au NP loading. Nitrogen-doped anatase TiO2 supporting Au NP with ~21.8 nm exhibited a greater extent of molecular oxygen adsorption. The adsorption of both –OH and O2 species is believed to take place at the perimeter sites of the Au NP interfacing with the TiO2 film. XPS analyses and discussions about the tentative roles of O2 and –OH adsorbent species toward Au/TiO2 systems corroborate very well with interpretations of density functional theory simulations.

A potential absorber for PHz electronics using Sn/h-BN Van der Waals structure: A hybrid DFT and macroscopic investigations

The rapid rollout of the next-generation network has sparked discussion about an entirely new set of optical techniques. To prepare the path for future wireless network growth, we must investigate the PHz band’s potential for supporting infrastructures. Engineered materials might play a perceptible role in designing such critical PHz band components. This work demonstrates an efficient Stanene/hexagonal- Boron Nitride heterostructure-based metasurface absorber for the PHz regime. An ab-initio computational approach has been employed to estimate the optical and electronic behavior of Sn/h-BN heterostructure . A high absorption coefficient and excellent optical characteristics are obtained by the proposed metasurface absorber based on Sn/h-BN Van der Waals (vdW) structure. The absorption of PHz waves by a metasurface comprising a bi-periodic array of meta-atoms on top of a dielectric substrate backed by gold is simulated using CST Microwave Studio™. By utilizing the Finite Integral Techniques (FIT), a high absorptance (around 0.98) is achieved over a 0.45 PHz wide spectral regime for normal incidence, regardless of the polarization states. • A Sn/h-BN Van der Waals structure has been investigated for device application. • A hybrid DFT and macroscopic approach is used to design an optical absorber. • High absorption coefficient and anisotropic properties are exhibited by the investigated materials. • A high absorptance (around 98%), were achieved over a 0.45 PHz wide spectral regime for normal incidence.

Polarization-universal bandgaps realized with chiral sculptured thin films

Two thin-film structures comprising chiral sculptured thin films (CSTFs) were fabricated to exploit the circular Bragg phenomenon (CBP) exhibited by CSTFs for realizing polarization-universal bandgaps. In a matched ambidextrous bilayer (MAB), a CSTF overlays its enantiomer, both identical except in structural handedness. A tightly interlaced MAB (TIMAB) comprises multiple bilayers, each bilayer containing a one-period-thick CSTF and its enantiomer of the same thickness. Optical transmission measurements for obliquely incident light in the visible spectrum showed that both MABs and TIMABs can exhibit polarization-universal bandgaps with maximum transmittance of less than 20%. The center wavelengths of these bandgaps are in the proximity of the center wavelength of the CBP exhibited by the constituent CSTFs, but the bandgaps are considerably narrower than the CBP spectral regime. The bandwidth variation of the polarization-universal bandgap of the TIMAB is considerably less than that of the MAB. These bandgaps can be tuned by adjusting the angle of incidence.

Numerical investigation of plasmonic bowtie nanorings with embedded nanoantennas for achieving high SEIRA enhancement factors

This paper presents the numerical investigation of several complex plasmonic nanostructures — bowtie nanoring and crossed-bowtie nanoring nanoantennas with embedded bowtie nanoantennas and crossed-bowtie nanoantennas — for surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy-based substrates. The proposed nanostructures exhibit substantially large SEIRA enhancement factor (∼8.1 × 105) compared to previously reported enhancement factor values for bowtie nanoantennas or nanoring antennas. The plasmonic properties of the proposed nanostructures have been studied by the numerical evaluation of the near-field electromagnetic enhancement at resonant plasmon mode excitation wavelengths in the mid-IR spectral regime. The highest SEIRA enhancement of ∼8.1 × 105 occurs at a wavelength of ∼6800 nm (6.8 μm). A substantial electric field enhancement as large as ∼375, corresponding to SEIRA EF of ∼1.4 × 105 is noted even when the minimum gaps between the plasmonic nanostructures is as large as 10 nm, which can easily be fabricated using the conventional nanolithography techniques. The occurrence of several electric field hotspots due to the presence of plasmonic nanoantennas embedded inside the nanorings was observed, as the electric fields are enhanced in the vicinity of the plasmonic nanostructures being proposed. The multiple electric field hotspots in the proposed nanostructures can lead to larger average electric field enhancement as well as the average SEIRA enhancement for these substrates. Moreover, by embedding plasmonic nanoantenna structures inside the bowtie nanorings and crossed-bowtie nanorings, large spectral tunability of plasmon resonance wavelengths is achieved in the spectral regime from 4 μm to 8 μm. This is done by varying a larger number of spectral parameters that are present in these complex nanostructures. This paper also reports a novel configuration of crossed-bowtie nanoring plasmonic structure exhibiting less polarization dependence of the SEIRA enhancement factor. This structure also exhibits tunability of hotspot positions when the direction of the polarization of the incident light is rotated. The proposed structures in this paper can be fabricated by the state-of-the-art nanofabrication technologies. The proposed structures could find potential applications in chemical and biological sensing and biochemical detection of analyte molecules.

Electron Microscopy Probing Electron-Photon Interactions in SiC Nanowires with Ultrawide Energy and Momentum Match.

Light-matter interactions are commonly probed by optical spectroscopy, which, however, has some fundamental limitations such as diffraction-limited spatial resolution, tiny momentum transfer, and noncontinuous excitation/detection. In this work, through the use of scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) with ultrawide energy and momentum match and subnanometer spatial resolution, the longitudinal Fabry-Perot (FP) resonating modes and the transverse whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) in individual SiC nanowires are simultaneously excited and detected, which span from near-infrared (∼1.2 μm) to ultraviolet (∼0.2 μm) spectral regime, and the momentum transfer can range up to 108 cm-1. The size effects on the resonant spectra of nanowires are also revealed. This work provides an alternative technique to optical resonating spectroscopy and light-matter interactions in dielectric nanostructures, which is promising for modulating free electrons via photonic structures.

Cylindrical Metalens for Generation and Focusing of Free-Electron Radiation.

Metasurfaces constitute a powerful approach to generate and control light by engineering optical material properties at the subwavelength scale. Recently, this concept was applied to manipulate free-electron radiation phenomena, rendering versatile light sources with unique functionalities. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate spectral and angular control over coherent light emission by metasurfaces that interact with free-electrons under grazing incidence. Specifically, we study metalenses based on chirped metagratings that simultaneously emit and shape Smith–Purcell radiation in the visible and near-infrared spectral regime. In good agreement with theory, we observe the far-field signatures of strongly convergent and divergent cylindrical radiation wavefronts using in situ hyperspectral angle-resolved light detection in a scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, we theoretically explore simultaneous control over the polarization and wavefront of Smith–Purcell radiation via a split-ring-resonator metasurface, enabling tunable operation by spatially selective mode excitation at nanometer resolution. Our work highlights the potential of merging metasurfaces with free-electron excitations for versatile and highly tunable radiation sources in wide-ranging spectral regimes.

Compact multispectral photodetectors based on nanodisk arrays atop optical cavity substrates.

It is challenging for the multi-spectral photodetector to have a compact structure, high spectral resolution, and high detection efficiency. This paper reports on a new approach for compact multi-spectral visible light detecting based on the hexagonal lattice silver nanodisk arrays atop optical cavity substrates. Through numerical calculations and optimizations of experiments, we verified that the narrow band responsivity of the photodetector was caused by coupling the surface plasmonic resonances and cavity mode. The multi-spectral photodetector exhibited that the minimum FWHM and the maximum responsivity of was achieved to be 80 nm and 91.5 mA·W-1, respectively. Besides, we also analyzed the influence of the proposed structure on the energy wastage by numerical comparison. The proposed way for multi-spectral photodetector is promising to be an excellent design for the narrow band spectral detection. The design can also be easily integrated with CMOS devices and applied to other spectral regimes for different applications.

Technologically feasible quasi-edge states and topological Bloch oscillation in the synthetic space.

The dimensionality of a physical system is one of the major parameters defining its physical properties. The recently introduced concept of synthetic dimension has made it possible to arbitrarily manipulate the system of interest and harness light propagation in different ways. It also facilitates the transformative architecture of system-on-a-chip devices enabling far reaching applications such as optical isolation. In this report, a novel architecture based on dynamically-modulated waveguide arrays with the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger configuration in the spatial dimension is proposed and investigated with an eye on a practical implementation. The propagation of light through the one-dimensional waveguide arrays mimics time evolution of the field in a synthetic two-dimensional lattice. The addition of the effective gauge potential leads to an exotic topologically protected one-way transmission along adjacent boundary. A cosine-shape isolated band, which supports the topological Bloch oscillation in the frequency dimension under the effective constant force, appears and is localized at the spatial boundary being robust against small perturbations. This work paves the way to improved light transmission capabilities under topological protections in both spatial and spectral regimes and provides a novel platform based on a technologically feasible lithium niobate platform for optical computing and communication.

Single Sideband Suppressed Carrier Modulation With Spatiotemporal Metasurfaces at Near-Infrared Spectral Regime

Single sideband suppressed carrier (SSB-SC) modulation enables high efficiency and dispersion-tolerant shifting of light that is of great interest for many optical systems and applications. Herein, the design procedure of a spatiotemporal reflective metasurface is proposed to realize SSB-SC modulation in near-infrared spectral regime. The metasurface consists of a periodic array of plasmonic nanostrips integrated with indium-tin-oxide (ITO) in metal-insulator-metal configuration, wherein two sets of time-varying biasing signals are independently applied to the metasurface for modulating the permittivity of ITO in space and time. The spatiotemporal metasurface features a sawtooth phase profile with linear span over <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\pi$</tex-math></inline-formula> and a constant amplitude in time domain, that can be obtained by judicious adjustment of the biasing waveforms. It is established that such spatiotemporal metasurface allows for spurious-free frequency conversion by transforming the incident signal into the first-order up-modulated sideband and suppressing all the undesired mixing products. The normalized conversion efficiency of more than 99% is achieved for the metasurface, while the peak levels of the largest undesired mixing product and the fundamental frequency are reduced down to <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-39$</tex-math></inline-formula> dB and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-44$</tex-math></inline-formula> dB, respectively. The proposed spatiotemporal metasurface is exploited for multi-channel and multi-beam scanning via pixelated control over the modulation phase delays assigned to the constituent elements of the spatially-interleaved sub-arrays, rendering a shared-aperture metasurface in space-time. In this case, the crosstalk between the channels with identical operating frequencies is substantially reduced. In addition, spatiotemporal redirection of light based on frequency gradient metasurface is demonstrated, which enables ultrafast, all-angle, and continuous beam-scanning as progressing in time.

Optimizing the spontaneous-emission of far-UVC phosphors

Far-UVC light can enable virus-deactivation while remaining harmless to human tissues. This triggered great efforts to create far-UVC light sources with sufficient emission power and efficiency. However, current sources, such as mercury lamps, KrCl excimer lamps, and LEDs, are made from hazardous chemicals or are limited by low efficiency. Consequently, an alternative approach for reaching the far-UVC is now receiving renewed interest: using phosphors for converting higher frequencies to the desired range of far-UVC. However, this concept is limited by the phosphor's conversion efficiency. In this paper, we propose to utilize principles of nanophotonics to create far-UVC sources. Specifically, we design a phosphor-dielectric multilayer that increases the efficiency of far-UVC light conversion and controls the intrinsic emission properties, including the angular spectrum and emission rate, by shaping the local density of photonic states. To exemplify our approach, we design an aperiodic multilayer nanostructure made of the phosphor material YPO4:Pr3+, showing an increase in light extraction by a factor of 3 compared to naïve bulk structures. Our approach can be applied to any phosphor material and any emitter geometry, opening avenues for engineering nanophotonic light sources in the far-UVC and other spectral regimes.