What are liquid crystals?4 answersLiquid crystals are a unique state of matter that exhibit properties of both solids and liquids. They consist of molecules organized in a specific order, allowing them to flow like liquids while maintaining some level of molecular alignment akin to crystals. Liquid crystals come in various types such as lyotropic, polymeric, thermotropic, and discotic, with complex molecular structures that lead to distinct phases like crystals, smectic, nematic, and cholesteric. These materials have found applications in photonics, optics, field sensing, and even in liquid crystal displays, showcasing their versatility and importance in both scientific research and industrial applications. Liquid crystals' ability to respond to external stimuli like temperature, electric fields, and light makes them promising for a wide range of future applications and scientific exploration.
What is photonic engineering?5 answersPhotonic engineering involves manipulating light and its interactions with materials for various applications. It encompasses modifying optical properties through both material adjustments and engineering of the photonic environment. For instance, in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems, photonic engineering using photon-added and photon-subtracted states enhances secure communication over satellite channels. Additionally, advancements in photonic engineering have led to the observation of macroscopically coherent states in gas systems, predicting increased photoluminescence intensity below critical temperatures. By leveraging the unique properties of two-dimensional materials, such as their in-plane crystalline structures and quantum confinement, engineers can further tailor light-matter interactions through innovative photonic environment modifications. This interdisciplinary field plays a crucial role in various sectors like communications, healthcare, energy, and security.
Is photonic crystal resonator, waveguide?5 answersYes, a photonic crystal resonator can act as a waveguide. Photonic crystals exhibit photonic band-gaps due to their periodic refractive index contrast, allowing for the creation of resonance effects within the cavity structure. Additionally, the presence of defect modes in photonic crystals can lead to the efficient waveguiding of light, as seen in various types of photonic crystal waveguides such as closed surface-wave photonic crystals. Furthermore, the strong confinement of waveguiding photons within a crystal resonator, as indicated by large group refractive index and Rabi splitting energy values, suggests efficient optical waveguiding capabilities. Therefore, photonic crystal resonators can indeed function as waveguides, enabling the controlled propagation of light for various applications in integrated optical circuits and high-speed communications.
Bandstructure of the Photonic crystal ?5 answersThe bandstructure of photonic crystals has been studied in several papers. Segovia-Chaves et al. calculated the photonic band structure for a defective two-dimensional photonic crystal with a star defect using the plane wave expansion method and supercell technique. Montaño-Priede and Large developed a computational approach based on the finite-difference time-domain method to accurately calculate the photonic band structures of finite supercrystals. Jafari et al. considered a one-dimensional photonic crystal composed of double-layered dielectrics and investigated the effect of added atoms on the band structure. Erdiven et al. investigated the optical characteristics and band gaps of a two-dimensional square lattice photonic crystal structure. Dragoman and Breazu showed that the position of the first bandgap for TM polarized electromagnetic radiation in a high-filling ratio two-dimensional square photonic crystal is practically insensitive to the shape of dielectric rods.
What is crystal?4 answersA crystal is a three-dimensional repetition array of atoms, where atoms are arranged in a periodically repeating geometric array. Crystals can be used in various applications such as peer-to-peer multimedia streaming systems, where they are used to test and troubleshoot new designs in a controlled experimental environment. Crystals can also be mounted on apparel, accessories, furnishings, or building/room interiors to provide healing or wellbeing enhancing effects to the wearer or user. In the field of crystallography, crystals are finite real objects in physical space that can be idealized by infinite three-dimensional periodic crystal structures in point space. The program CRYSTAL computes the electronic structure and properties of periodic systems, such as crystals, surfaces, and polymers, using various approximations.
Thesis topic based on Photonic Crystal Fiber?4 answersPhotonic crystal fibers (PCFs) have been the focus of research in the field of fiber optics. PCFs offer improved light confinement and reduced optical nonlinearities compared to traditional fiber designs. They have been used for various applications such as temperature sensing, dispersion control, polarization-maintenance, supercontinuum generation, and more. The unique properties of PCFs, such as rotational symmetry and long-range orientation of transverse lattice arrays, allow for the optimization of light propagation and introduce new guiding features. PCFs have also been explored for topological photonics, demonstrating protected supermode propagation over a wide range of wavelengths. The use of PCFs in complex circuits and integrated optics has been proposed for applications in biophotonics and integrated optics. Overall, PCFs offer flexibility and richness to the optical properties of fibers, making them a promising area of research in the field of photonic crystal fiber optics.