John Blair

Bio: John Blair is an academic researcher from Georgia Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Photonic crystal & Metamaterial. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 23 publications receiving 324 citations. Previous affiliations of John Blair include Agere Systems & Avago Technologies.

Direct visualization of optical frequency invisibility cloak based on silicon nanorod array.

Abstract: A new invisibility cloak was recently proposed for hiding objects in front of a highly reflecting mirror. This cloak requires only modest values of optical constants with minimal anisotropy and thus can be implemented by using non-resonant dielectric materials, making it an ideal system for optical frequency operation. We implemented the cloak using an array of silicon nanorods fabricated by electron-beam lithography. We then directly visualized the cloaking effect by monitoring the light propagation inside the device using the near-field optical microscopy.

Biomimicry of optical microstructures of Papilio palinurus

Abstract: The brilliant coloration of animals in nature is sometimes based on their structure rather than on pigments. The green colour on the wings of a butterfly Papilio palinurus originates from the hierarchical microstructure of individual wing scales that are tiled on the wing. The hierarchical structure gives rise to two coloured reflections of visible light, blue and yellow which when additively mixed, produce the perception of green colour on the wing scales. We used breath figure templated assembly as the starting point for the structure and, combining it with atomic layer deposition for the multilayers necessary for the production of interference colors, we have faithfully mimicked the structure and the optical effects found on the wing scale of the butterfly Papilio palinurus.

Fabrication of annular photonic crystals by atomic layer deposition and sacrificial etching

Abstract: In this article, the fabrication process of annular photonic crystals on silicon-on-insulator wafers was addressed for the first time. A self-alignment procedure for nanofabrication using atomic layer deposition and sacrificial etching was established to place accurately nanosized dielectric rods in nanosized circular air holes. Avoiding the challenging electron-beam lithography alignment, this method achieves atomic level precision and shows high stability.

Controller and transceiver employable in a wireless communications network

Abstract: The present invention provides a controller for use with a transceiver in a wireless communications network. In one embodiment, the controller includes a sensing system that senses, perhaps periodically, at least one characteristic associated with at least two channels of the wireless communications network. The controller further includes a modification system that updates channel information in a channel information table associated with the at least two channels based on the at least one characteristic. The controller still further includes a selection system that selects channels in accordance with the channel information.

Design of annular photonic crystal slabs

Abstract: We present the design of realistic annular photonic-crystal (APC) structures of finite thickness aiming to obtain a complete photonic bandgap (PBG). The APC is composed of dielectric rods and circular air holes in a triangular lattice such that each rod is centered within each hole. The optical and geometrical values of the structure are studied, and the interplay between various design parameters is highlighted. The coupled role of the inner-dielectric-rod radius, material types, and slab thickness is investigated. It is shown that the slab thickness is vital to obtain a complete photonic bandgap below the light line, and the specific value of the inner-dielectric-rod radius to sustain the maximum PBG if the hole radius is fixed at proper value is found.

Crystallinity of inorganic films grown by atomic layer deposition: Overview and general trends

Abstract: Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is gaining attention as a thin film deposition method, uniquely suitable for depositing uniform and conformal films on complex three-dimensional topographies. The deposition of a film of a given material by ALD relies on the successive, separated, and self-terminating gas–solid reactions of typically two gaseous reactants. Hundreds of ALD chemistries have been found for depositing a variety of materials during the past decades, mostly for inorganic materials but lately also for organic and inorganic–organic hybrid compounds. One factor that often dictates the properties of ALD films in actual applications is the crystallinity of the grown film: Is the material amorphous or, if it is crystalline, which phase(s) is (are) present. In this thematic review, we first describe the basics of ALD, summarize the two-reactant ALD processes to grow inorganic materials developed to-date, updating the information of an earlier review on ALD [R. L. Puurunen, J. Appl. Phys. 97, 121301 (2005)], and give an overview of the status of processing ternary compounds by ALD. We then proceed to analyze the published experimental data for information on the crystallinity and phase of inorganic materials deposited by ALD from different reactants at different temperatures. The data are collected for films in their as-deposited state and tabulated for easy reference. Case studies are presented to illustrate the effect of different process parameters on crystallinity for representative materials: aluminium oxide, zirconium oxide, zinc oxide, titanium nitride, zinc zulfide, and ruthenium. Finally, we discuss the general trends in the development of film crystallinity as function of ALD process parameters. The authors hope that this review will help newcomers to ALD to familiarize themselves with the complex world of crystalline ALD films and, at the same time, serve for the expert as a handbook-type reference source on ALD processes and film crystallinity.

Three-Dimensional Invisibility Cloak at Optical Wavelengths

Abstract: We have designed and realized a three-dimensional invisibility-cloaking structure operating at optical wavelengths based on transformation optics. Our blueprint uses a woodpile photonic crystal with a tailored polymer filling fraction to hide a bump in a gold reflector. We fabricated structures and controls by direct laser writing and characterized them by simultaneous high-numerical-aperture, far-field optical microscopy and spectroscopy. A cloaking operation with a large bandwidth of unpolarized light from 1.4 to 2.7 micrometers in wavelength is demonstrated for viewing angles up to 60 degrees.

Metamaterial-inspired silicon nanophotonics

Abstract: Applying metamaterial concepts to dielectric systems offers low losses compared with metallic structures. Here, silicon-based metamaterial and nanophotonic advances are reviewed. The prospect of creating metamaterials with optical properties greatly exceeding the parameter space accessible with natural materials has been inspiring intense research efforts in nanophotonics for more than a decade. Following an era of plasmonic metamaterials, low-loss dielectric nanostructures have recently moved into the focus of metamaterial-related research. This development was mainly triggered by the experimental observation of electric and magnetic multipolar Mie-type resonances in high-refractive-index dielectric nanoparticles. Silicon in particular has emerged as a popular material choice, due to not only its high refractive index and very low absorption losses in the telecom spectral range, but also its paramount technological relevance. This Review overviews recent progress on metamaterial-inspired silicon nanostructures, including Mie-resonant and off-resonant regimes.

Experimental demonstration of a bilayer thermal cloak

Abstract: Invisibility has attracted intensive research in various communities, e.g., optics, electromagnetics, acoustics, thermodynamics, dc, etc. However, many experimental demonstrations have only been achieved by virtue of simplified approaches due to the inhomogeneous and extreme parameters imposed by the transformation-optic method, and usually require a challenging realization with metamaterials. In this Letter, we demonstrate a bilayer thermal cloak made of bulk isotropic materials, and it has been validated as an exact cloak. We experimentally verified its ability to maintain the heat front and its heat protection capabilities in a 2D proof-of-concept experiment. The robustness of this scheme is validated in both 2D (including oblique heat front incidence) and 3D configurations. The proposed scheme may open a new avenue to control the diffusive heat flow in ways inconceivable with phonons, and also inspire new alternatives to the functionalities promised by transformation optics.