Mikaela Chashnikova

Bio: Mikaela Chashnikova is an academic researcher from Humboldt University of Berlin. The author has contributed to research in topics: Laser & Quantum cascade laser. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 10 publications receiving 664 citations.

Mid-infrared optical properties of thin films of aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride

Abstract: The complex refractive index components, n and k, have been studied for thin films of several common dielectric materials with a low to medium refractive index as functions of wavelength and stoichiometry for mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths within the range 1.54–14.29 μm (700–6500 cm−1). The materials silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and titanium oxide are prepared using room temperature reactive sputter deposition and are characterized using MIR variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The investigation shows how sensitive the refractive index functions are to the O2 and N2 flow rates, and for which growth conditions the materials deposit homogeneously. It also allows conclusions to be drawn on the degree of amorphousness and roughness. To facilitate comparison of the materials deposited in this work with others, the index of refraction was also determined and provided for the near-IR and visible ranges of the spectrum. The results presented here should serve as a useful information base for designing optical coatings for the MIR part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The results are parameterized to allow them to be easily used for coating design.

Low-threshold intersubband laser based on interface-scattering-rate engineering

Abstract: The dependence of the scattering rate between different electronic states in semiconductor heterostructures due to interface roughness on the barrier height is exploited to enhance the population inversion in intersubband lasers. Barriers with differing heights are used within a strain-compensated InGaAs-InAlAs heterostructure to either increase or decrease the interface-roughness scattering component for specific confined states. In particular, low barriers are used where the upper laser state has its highest probability, thus maximizing the lifetime of the upper laser state; the higher barriers are used where the lower laser state and the few subsequent confined states have their highest probabilities, thus minimizing the lifetime of the lower laser state. By combining differing barrier heights in this way, the lifetime of the upper laser state is increased, while simultaneously the lifetime of the lower laser state is decreased; thus, the population inversion is significantly enhanced. This design appr...

Mid-infrared optical properties of thin films of aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, aluminum nitride, and silicon nitride. Appl. Opt. 51, 6789-6798

Abstract: The complex refractive index components, n and k, have been studied for thin films of several common dielectric materials with a low to medium refractive index as functions of wavelength and stoichiometry for mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths within the range 1.54-14.29 μm (700-6500 cm(-1)). The materials silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and titanium oxide are prepared using room temperature reactive sputter deposition and are characterized using MIR variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. The investigation shows how sensitive the refractive index functions are to the O2 and N2 flow rates, and for which growth conditions the materials deposit homogeneously. It also allows conclusions to be drawn on the degree of amorphousness and roughness. To facilitate comparison of the materials deposited in this work with others, the index of refraction was also determined and provided for the near-IR and visible ranges of the spectrum. The results presented here should serve as a useful information base for designing optical coatings for the MIR part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The results are parameterized to allow them to be easily used for coating design.

Interplay between phase formation mechanisms and magnetism in the Sr2FeMoO6–δ metal‐oxide compound

Abstract: Double perovskites with the structural formula A2BBO6±δ, especially the strontium ferromolybdate Sr2FeMoO6-δ, have attracted a lot of attention due to their unique magnetic and electrical properties and a possible application in spintronic devices. However, a strict correlation between the functional characteristics of Sr2FeMoO6-δ and its synthesis technology has been lacking up to date. Thus, we have studied in the present work the crystallization kinetics of Sr2FeMoO6-δ using reagents with different pre-history as well as the structural and magnetic properties of the obtained compounds. Differences in the crystallization kinetics as well as higher magnetic inhomogeneity of Sr2FeMoO6-δ synthesised from a mixture of MoO3, Fe2O3, SrCO3 in comparison with the compound synthesised from the SrFeO2.5 and SrMoO4-у precursors have been found and interpreted.

Buried-heterostructure quantum-cascade laser overgrown by gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy

Abstract: We describe the realization of buried-heterostructure quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) using gas-source molecular beam epitaxy both for the growth of the active region as well as for the regrowth of InP:Fe. The regrowth of the semi-insulating InP:Fe layer was carried out at 470 °C, which is more than 100 °C below the standard growth temperature during metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy, the standard method for laser overgrowth. The electrical resistivity of the InP:Fe insulation layer, measured in test samples grown on (001) InP, is as large as 2×108Ωcm. High-resistivity InP:Fe is overgrown non-selectively over the etched laser ridge, followed by the top contact alloyed through it to the active region. The processed quantum-cascade lasers show no evidence of parallel leakage current and exhibit lower threshold current density than lasers using SiO2 as an insulator. The ability to fabricate buried heterostructure lasers without exceeding 600 °C is important for strain-compensated AlAs-InGaAs quantum cascade la...

A dual-mode textile for human body radiative heating and cooling.

Abstract: Maintaining human body temperature is one of the most basic needs for living, which often consumes a huge amount of energy to keep the ambient temperature constant. To expand the ambient temperature range while maintaining human thermal comfort, the concept of personal thermal management has been recently demonstrated in heating and cooling textiles separately through human body infrared radiation control. Realizing these two opposite functions within the same textile would represent an exciting scientific challenge and a significant technological advancement. We demonstrate a dual-mode textile that can perform both passive radiative heating and cooling using the same piece of textile without any energy input. The dual-mode textile is composed of a bilayer emitter embedded inside an infrared-transparent nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE) layer. We demonstrate that the asymmetrical characteristics of both emissivity and nanoPE thickness can result in two different heat transfer coefficients and achieve heating when the low-emissivity layer is facing outside and cooling by wearing the textile inside out when the high-emissivity layer is facing outside. This can expand the thermal comfort zone by 6.5°C. Numerical fitting of the data further predicts 14.7°C of comfort zone expansion for dual-mode textiles with large emissivity contrast.

Nonlinear optical effects in epsilon-near-zero media

Abstract: Efficient nonlinear optical interactions are essential for many applications in modern photonics. However, they typically require intense laser sources and long interaction lengths, requirements that often render nonlinear optics incompatible with new nanophotonic architectures in integrated optics and metasurface devices. Obtaining materials with stronger nonlinear properties is a crucial step towards applications that require lower powers and smaller footprints. Recently, a new class of materials with a vanishing permittivity, known as epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials, has been reported to exhibit unprecedented ultrafast nonlinear efficiencies within sub-wavelength propagation lengths. In this Review, we survey the work that has been performed on ENZ materials and the related near-zero-index materials, focusing on the observation of various nonlinear phenomena (such as intensity-dependent refraction, four-wave mixing and harmonic generation), the identification of unique field-enhancement mechanisms and the study of non-equilibrium dynamics. Degenerately doped semiconductors (such as tin-doped indium oxide and aluminium-doped zinc oxide) are particularly promising candidates for ENZ-enhanced nonlinear optical applications. We conclude by pointing towards possible future research directions, such as the search for ENZ materials with low optical losses and the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying nonlinear enhancements. Materials with vanishingly small dielectric permittivity, known as epsilon-near-zero materials, enable strong ultrafast optical nonlinear responses within a sub-wavelength propagation length. This Review surveys the various observations of nonlinear phenomena in this class of materials.

Probing the ultimate plasmon confinement limits with a van der Waals heterostructure

Abstract: The ability to confine light into tiny spatial dimensions is important for applications such as microscopy, sensing, and nanoscale lasers. Although plasmons offer an appealing avenue to confine light, Landau damping in metals imposes a trade-off between optical field confinement and losses. We show that a graphene-insulator-metal heterostructure can overcome that trade-off, and demonstrate plasmon confinement down to the ultimate limit of the length scale of one atom. This is achieved through far-field excitation of plasmon modes squeezed into an atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride dielectric spacer between graphene and metal rods. A theoretical model that takes into account the nonlocal optical response of both graphene and metal is used to describe the results. These ultraconfined plasmonic modes, addressed with far-field light excitation, enable a route to new regimes of ultrastrong light-matter interactions.

A Comprehensive Photonic Approach for Solar Cell Cooling

Abstract: The heating of a solar cell has significant adverse consequences on both its efficiency and its reliability. Here to fully exploit the cooling potential of solar cells, we experimentally characterized the thermal radiation and solar absorption properties of current silicon solar cells and, on the basis of such experimental characterization, propose a comprehensive photonic approach by simultaneously performing radiative cooling while also selectively utilizing sunlight. In particular, we design a photonic cooler made of one-dimensional photonic films that can strongly radiate heat through its thermal emission while also significantly reflecting the solar spectrum in the sub-band-gap and ultraviolet regimes. We show that applying this photonic cooler to a solar panel can lower the cell temperature by over 5.7 °C. We also show that this photonic cooler can be used in a concentrated photovoltaic system to significantly reduce the solar cell temperature or required cooling power. This photonic cooler can be r...

Silicon Nitride Photonic Integration Platforms for Visible, Near-Infrared and Mid-Infrared Applications

Abstract: Silicon nitride photonics is on the rise owing to the broadband nature of the material, allowing applications of biophotonics, tele/datacom, optical signal processing and sensing, from visible, through near to mid-infrared wavelengths. In this paper, a review of the state of the art of silicon nitride strip waveguide platforms is provided, alongside the experimental results on the development of a versatile 300 nm guiding film height silicon nitride platform.