Nonlinear Chiral Meta-Mirrors: Enabling Technology for Ultrafast Switching of Light Polarization

Photonic nanostructures that realize ultrafast switching of light polarization are essential to advancements in the area of optical information processing. The unprecedented flexibility of metasurfaces in light manipulation makes them a promising candidate for active polarization control. However, due to the lack of optical materials exhibiting a fast as well as large refractive index change, photonic metadevices capable of ultrafast polarization switching remain elusive. Here, an ultrathin nonlinear chiral meta-mirror consisting of an array of amorphous silicon (α-Si) split-ring resonators on top of a silver backplane is demonstrated as a feasible platform for picosecond all-optical polarization switching of near-infrared light at picojoule-per-resonator pump energies. This success was made possible by the high-quality-factor resonances of the proposed meta-atoms that enable the mirror to exhibit strong chiro- and enantioselectivity. Experimental results confirm that our meta-mirrors can be used to facilitate high-speed and power-efficient polarization-state modulators.

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Work Title Nonlinear Chiral Meta-Mirrors: Enabling Technology for Ultrafast Switching of Light Polarization
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Lei Kang
  2. Cheng-Yu Wang
  3. Xuexue Guo
  4. Xingjie Ni
  5. Zhiwen Liu
  6. Douglas H. Werner
Keyword
  1. Metasurfaces
  2. Chirality
  3. Nonlinearity
  4. Optical switching
  5. Polarization
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Nano Letters
Publication Date February 7, 2020
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c00007
Deposited July 19, 2022

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Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added NanoLett_Muscript_PSUopenAccess.pdf
  • Added Creator Lei Kang
  • Added Creator Cheng Yu Wang
  • Added Creator Xuexue Guo
  • Added Creator Xingjie Ni
  • Added Creator Zhiwen Liu
  • Added Creator Douglas H. Werner
  • Published
  • Updated Keyword, Description, Publication Date Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Metasurfaces, Chirality, Nonlinearity, Optical switching, Polarization
    Description
    • <p>Photonic nanostructures that realize ultrafast switching of light polarization are essential to advancements in the area of optical information processing. The unprecedented flexibility of metasurfaces in light manipulation makes them a promising candidate for active polarization control. However, due to the lack of optical materials exhibiting a fast as well as large refractive index change, photonic metadevices capable of ultrafast polarization switching remain elusive. Here, an ultrathin nonlinear chiral meta-mirror consisting of an array of amorphous silicon (α-Si) split-ring resonators on top of a silver backplane is demonstrated as a feasible platform for picosecond all-optical polarization switching of near-infrared light at picojoule-per-resonator pump energies. This success was made possible by the high-quality-factor resonances of the proposed meta-atoms that enable the mirror to exhibit strong chiro- A nd enantioselectivity. Experimental results confirm that our meta-mirrors can be used to facilitate high-speed and power-efficient polarization-state modulators.</p>
    • <p>Photonic nanostructures that realize ultrafast switching of light polarization are essential to advancements in the area of optical information processing. The unprecedented flexibility of metasurfaces in light manipulation makes them a promising candidate for active polarization control. However, due to the lack of optical materials exhibiting a fast as well as large refractive index change, photonic metadevices capable of ultrafast polarization switching remain elusive. Here, an ultrathin nonlinear chiral meta-mirror consisting of an array of amorphous silicon (α-Si) split-ring resonators on top of a silver backplane is demonstrated as a feasible platform for picosecond all-optical polarization switching of near-infrared light at picojoule-per-resonator pump energies. This success was made possible by the high-quality-factor resonances of the proposed meta-atoms that enable the mirror to exhibit strong chiro- and enantioselectivity. Experimental results confirm that our meta-mirrors can be used to facilitate high-speed and power-efficient polarization-state modulators.</p>
    Publication Date
    • 2020-03-11
    • 2020-02-07
  • Renamed Creator Cheng-Yu Wang Show Changes
    • Cheng Yu Wang
    • Cheng-Yu Wang
  • Updated