The resonant modes of plasmonic nanoparticle structures made of gold or silver endow them with an ability to manipulate light at the nanoscale. However, owing to the high light losses caused by metals at optical wavelengths, only a small fraction of plasmonics applications have been realized. Kuznetsov et al. review how high-index dielectric nanoparticles can offer a substitute for these metals, providing a highly flexible and low-loss route to the manipulation of light at the nanoscale.

Science , this issue p. [10.1126/science.aag2472][1]

 [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aag2472

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/354/6314/aag2472.full.pdf

Optically resonant dielectric nanostructures

In recent years, notions drawn from non-Hermitian physics and parity–time (PT) symmetry have attracted considerable attention. In particular, the realization that the interplay between gain and loss can lead to entirely new and unexpected features has initiated an intense research effort to explore non-Hermitian systems both theoretically and experimentally. Here we review recent progress in this emerging field, and provide an outlook to future directions and developments. This Review Article outlines the exploration of the interplay between parity–time symmetry and non-Hermitian physics in optics, plasmonics and optomechanics.

Non-Hermitian physics and PT symmetry

Metamaterials, artificial electromagnetic media that are structured on the subwavelength scale, were initially suggested for the negative-index 'superlens'. Later metamaterials became a paradigm for engineering electromagnetic space and controlling propagation of waves: the field of transformation optics was born. The research agenda is now shifting towards achieving tunable, switchable, nonlinear and sensing functionalities. It is therefore timely to discuss the emerging field of metadevices where we define the devices as having unique and useful functionalities that are realized by structuring of functional matter on the subwavelength scale. In this Review we summarize research on photonic, terahertz and microwave electromagnetic metamaterials and metadevices with functionalities attained through the exploitation of phase-change media, semiconductors, graphene, carbon nanotubes and liquid crystals. The Review also encompasses microelectromechanical metadevices, metadevices engaging the nonlinear and quantum response of superconductors, electrostatic and optomechanical forces and nonlinear metadevices incorporating lumped nonlinear components.

/pdf/from-metamaterials-to-metadevices-4vgaose515.pdf

From metamaterials to metadevices.

The ideal material for nanophotonic applications will have a large refractive index at optical frequencies, respond to both the electric and magnetic fields of light, support large optical chirality and anisotropy, confine and guide light at the nanoscale, and be able to modify the phase and amplitude of incoming radiation in a fraction of a wavelength. Artificial electromagnetic media, or metamaterials, based on metallic or polar dielectric nanostructures can provide many of these properties by coupling light to free electrons (plasmons) or phonons (phonon polaritons), respectively, but at the inevitable cost of significant energy dissipation and reduced device efficiency. Recently, however, there has been a shift in the approach to nanophotonics. Low-loss electromagnetic responses covering all four quadrants of possible permittivities and permeabilities have been achieved using completely transparent and high-refractive-index dielectric building blocks. Moreover, an emerging class of all-dielectric metamaterials consisting of anisotropic crystals has been shown to support large refractive index contrast between orthogonal polarizations of light. These advances have revived the exciting prospect of integrating exotic electromagnetic effects in practical photonic devices, to achieve, for example, ultrathin and efficient optical elements, and realize the long-standing goal of subdiffraction confinement and guiding of light without metals. In this Review, we present a broad outline of the whole range of electromagnetic effects observed using all-dielectric metamaterials: high-refractive-index nanoresonators, metasurfaces, zero-index metamaterials and anisotropic metamaterials. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future goals for the field at the intersection with quantum, thermal and silicon photonics, as well as biomimetic metasurfaces.

All-dielectric metamaterials

Orbital angular momentum (OAM), which describes the “phase twist” (helical phase pattern) of light beams, has recently gained interest due to its potential applications in many diverse areas. Particularly promising is the use of OAM for optical communications since: (i) coaxially propagating OAM beams with different azimuthal OAM states are mutually orthogonal, (ii) inter-beam crosstalk can be minimized, and (iii) the beams can be efficiently multiplexed and demultiplexed. As a result, multiple OAM states could be used as different carriers for multiplexing and transmitting multiple data streams, thereby potentially increasing the system capacity. In this paper, we review recent progress in OAM beam generation/detection, multiplexing/demultiplexing, and its potential applications in different scenarios including free-space optical communications, fiber-optic communications, and RF communications. Technical challenges and perspectives of OAM beams are also discussed.

Optical communications using orbital angular momentum beams

Metasurfaces are two-dimensional structures enabling complete control on light amplitude, phase, and polarization. Unlike plasmonic metasurfaces, silicon structures facilitate high transmission, low losses, and compatibility with existing semiconductor technologies. We experimentally demonstrate two examples of high-efficiency polarization-sensitive dielectric metasurfaces with 2π phase control in transmission mode (45% transmission efficiency for the vortex converter and 36% transmission efficiency for the beam steering device) at telecommunication wavelengths. Silicon metasurfaces are poised to enable a versatile platform for the realization of all-optical circuitry on a chip.

High-Efficiency All-Dielectric Metasurfaces for Ultracompact Beam Manipulation in Transmission Mode

By exploiting the emerging non-Hermitian photonics design at an exceptional point, we demonstrate a microring laser producing a single-mode OAM vortex lasing with the ability to precisely define the topological charge of the OAM mode.

/pdf/orbital-angular-momentum-microlaser-9e4mrkubfo.pdf

Orbital angular momentum microlaser

We propose a design of an extremely broad frequency band absorber based on destructive interference mechanism. Metamaterial of multilayered SRRs structure is used to realize a desirable refractive index dispersion spectrum, which can induce a successive anti-reflection in a wide frequency range. The corresponding high absorptance originates from the destructive interference of two reflection waves from the two surfaces of the metamaterial. A strongly absorptive bandwidth of almost 60GHz is demonstrated in the range of 0 to 70GHz numerically. This design provides an effective and feasible way to construct broad band absorber in stealth technology, as well as the enhanced transmittance devices.

An extremely broad band metamaterial absorber based on destructive interference.

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) intrinsically carried by vortex light beams holds a promise for multidimensional high-capacity data multiplexing, meeting the ever-increasing demands for information. Development of a dynamically tunable OAM light source is a critical step in the realization of OAM modulation and multiplexing. By harnessing the properties of total momentum conservation, spin-orbit interaction, and optical non-Hermitian symmetry breaking, we demonstrate an OAM-tunable vortex microlaser, providing chiral light states of variable topological charges at a single telecommunication wavelength. The scheme of the non–Hermitian-controlled chiral light emission at room temperature can be further scaled up for simultaneous multivortex emissions in a flexible manner. Our work provides a route for the development of the next generation of multidimensional OAM-spin-wavelength division multiplexing technology.

/pdf/tunable-topological-charge-vortex-microlaser-4kfo8vj097.pdf

Tunable topological charge vortex microlaser

A class of strongly anisotropic materials having their principal elements of dielectric permittivity or magnetic permeability tensors of opposite signs, so-called indefinite or hyperbolic materials, has recently attracted significant attention. These materials enabled such novel properties and potential applications as all-angle negative refraction, high density of states, and imaging beyond the diffraction limit using a so-called hyperlens. While several studies identified a few examples of negative refractions in birefringent crystals existing in nature, the majority of optical materials with hyperbolic dispersion relations known to date are engineered composite materials, “metamaterials”, such as metal-dielectric subwavelength multilayered structures or metal nanowires in a dielectric matrix. In this paper, we investigate naturally existing hyperbolic materials with indefinite permittivity for a range of frequencies from terahertz to ultraviolet. These include graphite, MgB2, cuprate, and ruthenate. Sp...

Jingbo Sun

Papers

High-Efficiency All-Dielectric Metasurfaces for Ultracompact Beam Manipulation in Transmission Mode

Orbital angular momentum microlaser

An extremely broad band metamaterial absorber based on destructive interference.

Tunable topological charge vortex microlaser

Indefinite by Nature: From Ultraviolet to Terahertz