Wavelength-dependent Reflectivity Research Articles

Optimized dielectric mirror coating designs for quasi-harmonic cavity resonance

High-finesse optical cavities have a wide range of applications, some of which are bichromatic. The successful operation of high-finesse bichromatic cavities can demand careful control on the temperature dependence of the wavelength-dependent reflection phase from the dielectric mirror coatings that constitute the optical cavity. We present dielectric coating designs that are optimized for minimal differential change in the reflection phase between a quasi-second-harmonic field and its fundamental field under temperature changes. These designs guarantee cavity resonance at a wavelength of interest via the control of its quasi-harmonic field. The proposed coating designs are additionally examined for their sensitivity to manufacturing errors in the coating layer thickness with promising results.

Multipoint Gas Detection Based on Photothermal Effect and Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) Interferometer

In this article, we propose a novel multipoint gas detection scheme based on the photothermal (PT) effect and interferometer working at different wavelengths. Several fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) with different central wavelengths were incorporated in the linear Sagnac-like interferometer, which served as the wavelength-dependent reflection mirrors, to extract the gas concentration information from different gas cells. This structure allows for a more straightforward and efficient installation and layout, as it eliminates the need for sophisticated servo control and lock-in amplifiers. The experiment used a novel frequency-domain signal processing method to collect weak gas signals, and the results showed that an 18-cm-long gas cell can detect gas concentrations as low as 47 ppb with current technology. This method can significantly reduce noise, and crosstalk can be lowered to less than 30 dB. A three-point acetylene detection system is validated through experiments. The proposed method has potential application in the multipoint, multigas monitor in the monitoring field.

Reflectance in AFM-IR: Implications for Interpretation and Remote Analysis of the Buried Interface

AFM-IR combines the chemical sensitivity of infrared spectroscopy with the lateral resolution of scanning probe microscopy, allowing nanoscale chemical analysis of almost any organic material under ambient conditions. As a result, this versatile technique is rapidly gaining popularity among materials scientists. Here, we report a previously overlooked source of data and artifacts in AFM-IR analysis; reflection from the buried interface. Periodic arrays of gold on glass are used to show that the overall signal in AFM-IR is affected by the wavelength-dependent reflectivity and thermal response of the underlying substrate. Excitingly, this demonstrates that remote analysis of heterogeneities at the buried interface is possible alongside that of an overlying organic film. On the other hand, AFM-IR users should carefully consider the composition and topography of underlying substrates when interpreting nanoscale infrared data. The common practice of generating ratio images, or indeed the normalization of AFM-IR spectra, should be approached with caution in the presence of substrate heterogeneity or variable sample thickness.

Near-infrared absorption enhancement for perovskite solar cells via the rear grating design

Optical management and design is one of the most effective methods to unlock the full potential of photocurrent density and power conversion efficiency for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the common-used optical designs are still limited by the near-infrared response. Here, we proposed an effective optical structure in PSCs by texturing the rear-side perovskite layer with a rectangular grating to promote the optical response in the near-infrared region. Through the comprehensive numerical simulations, the new design under the optimized structural configuration shows an improved photocurrent density, i.e., from 22.75 (flat structure) to 23.72 mA/cm2. We confirm that the optical absorption enhancement occurs at the near-infrared region by the wavelength-dependent absorption and reflection spectra. Besides, the light-trapping mechanism was clarified by the comprehensive analysis of the electric field distributions. Moreover, PSCs having the rear-grating design demonstrate the superior optical performance compared to that of flat design in the varied incident angles. Our simulation results displayed in this study provide an easy scheme to promote the optical absorption in near-infrared region.

Multiphoton Excitation and Defect-Enhanced Fast Carrier Relaxation in Few-Layered MoS2 Crystals

Femtosecond transient reflection spectroscopy was employed to study the carrier dynamics in few-layered MoS2 crystals prepared by either a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique or a mechanical exfoliation method. Three decay processes were observed in samples prepared by both methods. The faster processes were approximately 300–500 fs and could be attributed to defect-assisted scattering. The slower processes varied from 1 to 250 ps and were related to carrier–carrier and carrier–phonon scattering. Comparative studies between the CVD and exfoliated samples with different thicknesses demonstrated that faster decay processes occurred in thinner samples, in which the interface and defects had stronger effects. Wavelength-dependent transient reflection spectra demonstrated that a change in the sign of the signal occurred around the exciton absorption peaks, which could be attributed to competition of the stimulated emission and excited-state absorption processes around the exciton absorption peaks. Our re...

Maximum length sequence dielectric multilayer reflector

This paper explores the wavelength-dependent reflectivity of alternating high and low refractive index multilayers with a thickness profile defined by a pseudo-random, maximum length sequence (MLS). An MLS contains all possible combinations of a binary sequence save one; thus, a multilayer with an MLS profile contains a superposition of a broad range of periods. The range of periodicities in an MLS multilayer should make these systems more effective broad wavelength reflectors as compared to purely periodic counterparts. We compute the reflection characteristics of MLS and periodic dielectric sequences at visible wavelengths over a range of incident angles using the transfer matrix method (TMM), a recursive multilayer calculation method. The materials SiO2 and TiO2 are chosen as the low and high refractive index materials, respectively, because these materials are commonly used in optical multilayers and because their wavelength-dependent refractive index is well known. Our results show that it is possible to create an MLS structure with high average reflectivity across the entire visible spectrum (400 nm – 700 nm) at all incident angles and polarizations. Finally, we compare the reflection characteristics of dielectric multilayers with metallic reflectors whose refractive index is based on a Brendel-Bormann (BB) model. The comparison shows that a seventh order MLS aperiodic multilayer exhibits slightly higher average reflectivity over the visible spectum than silver or aluminum metallic reflectors.

Silicon nanocone formation via low-energy helium ion sputtering

In this study, the effect of low-energy (100 eV) He+ ion irradiation on Si surface morphology is explored. Si (100) and (111) samples were irradiated with 100 eV He+ ions at an elevated sample temperature of 600 °C and to fluences in the range 5.0 × 1019–2.0 × 1020 ions cm–2. Through a combination of high ion flux and high sample temperature, it was found that continued He+ ion irradiation facilitates the formation of homogeneously populated, high aspect ratio silicon nanocones (NCs) (∼50–100 nm base and ∼200–400 nm height). The resulting surface morphology is shown to have excellent antireflective properties, suggesting potential application toward enhanced light absorption in photovoltaic and other optical applications. Furthermore, similar irradiations at reduced sample temperature show comparable structuring mechanisms but with smaller cone diameter. These results indicate that NC size and number density (and related wavelength-dependent reflectivity properties) may be tailored by carefully tuning ion irradiation conditions. Utilizing very low-energy He+ ions as the irradiating species, these studies also demonstrate an added benefit to limiting metallic surface contamination through reduced probability of sputtering in-vacuum components.

Disorder engineering: From structural coloration to acoustic filters

We study Anderson localization of waves in a one dimensional disordered meta-material of bilayers comprising of thin fixed length scatterers placed randomly along a homogenous medium. As an interplay between order and disorder, we identify a new regime of strong disorder where the localization length becomes independent of the amount of disorder but depends on the frequency of the wave excitation and on the properties of the fixed length scatterer. As an example of a naturally occurring nearly one dimensional disordered bilayer, we calculate the wavelength dependent reflection spectrum for Koi fish using the experimentally measured parameters, and find that the main mechanisms for the emergence of their silver structural coloration can be explained through the phenomenon of Anderson localization of light in the regime of strong disorder discussed above. Finally, we show that by tuning the thickness of the fixed length scatterer, the above design principles could be used to engineer disordered meta-materials which selectively allows harmonics of a fundamental frequency to be transmitted in an effect which is similar to the insertion of a half wave cavity in a quarter wavelength stack. However, in contrast to the Lorentzian resonant peak of a half-wave cavity, we find that our disordered layer has a Gaussian lineshape whose width becomes narrower as the number of disordered layers is increased.

Conformal spray-deposited fluorine-doped tin oxide for mid- and long-wave infrared plasmonics

Nanocrystalline spray-deposited fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) was investigated for mid- and long-wave infrared plasmonics. Silicon lamellar gratings were conformally coated with FTO, and the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) was investigated via their angle and wavelength-dependent reflectivity. Photon-to-SPP coupling efficiency as a function of grating parameters, and in comparsion to gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) gratings, was quantitatively analyzed based on a figure of merit related to the sharpness and depth of the coupling resonance. Conformal spray-deposited FTO would be useful in mid- and long-wave infrared plasmonic channel wave guides.

Octave-spanning coherent perfect absorption in a thin silicon film.

Although optical absorption is an intrinsic materials property, it can be manipulated through structural modification. Coherent perfect absorption increases absorption to 100% interferometrically but is typically realized only over narrow bandwidths using two laser beams with fixed phase relationship. We show that engineering a thin film's photonic environment severs the link between the effective absorption of the film and its intrinsic absorption while eliminating, in principle, bandwidth restrictions. Employing thin aperiodic dielectric mirrors, we demonstrate coherent perfect absorption in a 2 μm thick film of polycrystalline silicon using a single incoherent beam of light at all the resonances across a spectrally flat, octave-spanning near-infrared spectrum, ≈800-1600 nm. Critically, these mirrors have wavelength-dependent reflectivity devised to counterbalance the decline in silicon's intrinsic absorption at long wavelengths.

Digital holographic metrology based on multi-angle interferometry.

We propose a multi-angle interferometry method for digital holographic metrology. In an application of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, the hologram corresponding to a different illumination angle is recorded as the illumination angle with a single wavelength tilted at regular intervals by an electronically controlled rotating stage. A Fourier-transform-based axial depth scanning algorithm formed by the reconstructed phase is used to obtain the height point by point over the whole field of view. Hence, the 3D reconstruction can be obtained effectively; even the object has large depth discontinuities resulting from the difficulty of the phase unwrapping. Due to a monochrome source only being used, the method is available for objects with wavelength-dependent reflectivity and those that are free of chromatic aberration caused by the different wavelengths.

Plasma diagnosis as a tool for the determination of the parameters of electron beam evaporation and sources of ionization

The atomic vapor generated by electron beam heating is partially ionized due to atom–atom collisions (Saha ionization) and electron impact ionization, which depend upon the source temperature and area of evaporation as compared to the area of electron beam bombardment on the target. When electron beam evaporation is carried out by inserting the target inside an insulating liner to reduce conductive heat loss, it is expected that the area of evaporation becomes significantly more than the area of electron beam bombardment on the target, resulting in reduced electron impact ionization. To assess this effect and to quantify the parameters of evaporation, such as temperature and area of evaporation, we have carried out experiments using zirconium, tin and aluminum as a target. By measuring the ion content using a Langmuir probe, in addition to measuring the atomic vapor flux at a specific height, and by combining the experimental data with theoretical expressions, we have established a method for simultaneously inferring the source temperature, evaporation area and ion fraction. This assumes significance because the temperature cannot be reliably measured by an optical pyrometer due to the wavelength dependent source emissivity and reflectivity of thin film mirrors. In addition, it also cannot be inferred from only the atomic flux data at a certain height as the area of evaporation is unknown (it can be much more than the area of electron bombardment, especially when the target is placed in a liner). Finally, the reason for the lower observed electron temperatures of the plasma for all the three cases is found to be the energy loss due to electron impact excitation of the atomic vapor during its expansion from the source.

Preparation and characterization of two-dimensional metallic nanoparticle and void films derived from a colloidal template layer.

A novel and simple bottom-up fabrication method for the realization of metallic nanovoid and metallic film on nanoparticle (dome) array is presented and their optical performance assessed based on experimental and theoretical investigations. The structures are created by a simple, annealing induced replica formation of a template monolayer, which is composed of submicron particles deposited on top of a thin polymer film. Angle and wavelength dependent reflection measurements indicate the possibility to excite Bragg plasmons at the prepared structures. We found an excellent agreement between the measured and simulated reflection curves, but only when the simulated reflection was averaged over several possible azimuthal lattice orientations of the hexagonal unit cell with respect to the plane of incidence.

Channel Modeling and Characterization for Visible Light Communications

In this paper, we present a comprehensive channel modeling and characterization study for visible light communications. Our study is based on ray tracing, which allows for an accurate description of the interaction of rays emitted from the lighting source within a specified confined space. Contrary to existing works, which are mainly limited to ideal Lambertian sources and purely diffuse reflections, our approach is capable of obtaining channel impulse responses (CIRs) for any nonideal sources, as well as specular and mixed specular–diffuse reflections. Furthermore, we can precisely reflect the presence of objects (e.g., furniture) and wavelength-dependent reflection characteristics of surface materials (e.g., ceilings, floor, walls, and furniture) in a channel study. As case studies, we consider a number of indoor environments with various dimensions and different surface materials, i.e., plaster, gloss paint, wood, aluminum metal, and glass. We further consider various scenarios with different transmitter specifications (i.e., single versus multiple transmitters and array type) and receiver specifications (i.e., location and rotation). For each environment, we obtain CIRs and present a channel characterization study where channel parameters, such as channel DC gain, root mean square (RMS) delay spread, coherence bandwidth, and mean excess delay, are obtained. We also make one-to-one comparisons between infrared and visible-light CIRs for the same environments to emphasize the differences between two optical bands.

Light source design for spectral tuning in biomedical imaging.

We propose an architecture with a remote phosphor-based modular and compact light-emitting diode (LED) light source in a noncontact dermoscope prototype for skin cancer screening. The spectrum and color temperature of the output light can easily and significantly be changed depending on spectral absorption characteristics of the tissues being imaged. The new system has several advantages compared to state-of-the-art phosphor converted ultrabright white LEDs, used in a wide range of medical imaging devices, which have a fixed spectrum and color temperature at a given operating point. In particular, the system can more easily be adapted to the requirements originating from different tissues in the human body, which have wavelength-dependent absorption and reflectivity. This leads to improved contrast for different kinds of imaged tissue components. The concept of such a lighting architecture can be vastly utilized in many other medical imaging devices including endoscopic systems.

Probing carrier dynamics of individual layers in a heterostructure using transient reflectivity

We report the wavelength dependent transient reflectivity measurements in AlGaAs-GaAs heterostructures having two-dimensional electron (or hole) gas near the interface. Using a multilayer model for transient reflectivity, we show that the magnitude and sign of contributions from the carriers in two-dimensional electron (or hole) gas and GaAs to the total signal depends on the wavelength. Further, it has been shown that it is possible to study the carrier dynamics in a given layer of a heterostructure by performing transient reflectivity at specific wavelengths.

Multicolor generation using silicon nanodisk absorber

A multicolored matrix that spans the visible range was demonstrated by using silicon nanodisk arrays. A nanostructured silicon substrate, which featured periodic silicon nanodisk arrays of various diameters, inter-nanodisk distances, and heights, was fabricated using electron-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. These silicon nanodisks were able to support HE1m leaky modes, which depended on the diameter of the nanodisks, resulting in wavelength-dependent reflection spectra. The resonant wavelength redshifted linearly with the increasing nanodisk diameter. The output color lay in the visible range and was observed to be tunable when varying the diameter, interdistance, and height. The results of finite-difference time-domain simulations exhibited close agreement with the observed optical properties of the periodic silicon nanodisk arrays.

Platinum germanides for mid- and long-wave infrared plasmonics.

Platinum germanides (PtGe) were investigated for infrared plasmonic applications. Layers of Pt and Ge were deposited and annealed. X-ray diffraction identified PtGe(2) and Pt(2)Ge(3) phases, and x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy determined vertical atomic composition profiles for the films. Complex permittivity spectra were measured by ellipsometry over the 2 to 15 μm wavelength range. Surface plasmon polariton (SPP) characteristics such as propagation length and field penetration depth were calculated. Photon-to-SPP couplers in the form of 1D lamellar gratings were fabricated and characterized in the range 9 - 10.5 μm via wavelength-dependent specular reflection spectra for multiple angles of incidence. The observed resonances compare well with calculated spectra for SPP excitation on PtGe(2). Platinum germanides are CMOS compatible and may serve as SPP hosts for on-chip mid-IR plasmonic components with tighter field confinement than noble-metal hosts.

Total Reflection and Transparent Window in One-Dimensional Duplicated Superconducting Photonic Crystal

The reflectance and transmittance properties of one-dimensional duplicated superconducting photonic crystal (DSPC) are investigated. It is shown that the wavelength-dependent total reflection peaks are established in the spectrum of this crystal. The width of the peaks decreases for small values of incident angles and superconductor’s thickness. The selected total reflected wavelength can be controlled by the temperature of the DSPC. By increasing the incident angle, two reflected peaks establish a Brewster-type dip. The width of the transparent window depends on the number of periods in DSPC.

The Effect of Host Star Spectral Energy Distribution and Ice-Albedo Feedback on the Climate of Extrasolar Planets

Planetary climate can be affected by the interaction of the host star spectral energy distribution with the wavelength-dependent reflectivity of ice and snow. In this study, we explored this effect with a one-dimensional (1-D), line-by-line, radiative transfer model to calculate broadband planetary albedos as input to a seasonally varying, 1-D energy balance climate model. A three-dimensional (3-D) general circulation model was also used to explore the atmosphere's response to changes in incoming stellar radiation, or instellation, and surface albedo. Using this hierarchy of models, we simulated planets covered by ocean, land, and water-ice of varying grain size, with incident radiation from stars of different spectral types. Terrestrial planets orbiting stars with higher near-UV radiation exhibited a stronger ice-albedo feedback. We found that ice extent was much greater on a planet orbiting an F-dwarf star than on a planet orbiting a G-dwarf star at an equivalent flux distance, and that ice-covered conditions occurred on an F-dwarf planet with only a 2% reduction in instellation relative to the present instellation on Earth, assuming fixed CO(2) (present atmospheric level on Earth). A similar planet orbiting the Sun at an equivalent flux distance required an 8% reduction in instellation, while a planet orbiting an M-dwarf star required an additional 19% reduction in instellation to become ice-covered, equivalent to 73% of the modern solar constant. The reduction in instellation must be larger for planets orbiting cooler stars due in large part to the stronger absorption of longer-wavelength radiation by icy surfaces on these planets in addition to stronger absorption by water vapor and CO(2) in their atmospheres, which provides increased downwelling longwave radiation. Lowering the IR and visible-band surface ice and snow albedos for an M-dwarf planet increased the planet's climate stability against changes in instellation and slowed the descent into global ice coverage. The surface ice-albedo feedback effect becomes less important at the outer edge of the habitable zone, where atmospheric CO(2) could be expected to be high such that it maintains clement conditions for surface liquid water. We showed that ∼3-10 bar of CO(2) will entirely mask the climatic effect of ice and snow, leaving the outer limits of the habitable zone unaffected by the spectral dependence of water ice and snow albedo. However, less CO(2) is needed to maintain open water for a planet orbiting an M-dwarf star than would be the case for hotter main-sequence stars.