Home > Press > Researchers at Purdue unlock light-matter interactions on sub-nanometer scales, leading to picophotonics
This figure demonstrates picophotonics in the 3D lattice of silicon atoms. The red wave represents the conventional electromagnetic wave propagating in the solid. The blue inner wave represents the new predicted picophotonic wave.
CREDIT Purdue University/Zubin Jacob |
Abstract:
Researchers at Purdue University have discovered new waves with picometer-scale spatial variations of electromagnetic fields which can propagate in semiconductors like silicon. The research team, led by Dr. Zubin Jacob, Elmore Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy (courtesy), published their findings in APS Physics Review Applied in a paper titled, Picophotonics: Anomalous Atomistic Waves in Silicon.
Researchers at Purdue unlock light-matter interactions on sub-nanometer scales, leading to picophotonics
West Lafayette, IN | Posted on November 18th, 2022
The word microscopic has its origins in the length scale of a micron which is a million times smaller than a meter. Our work is for light matter interaction within the picoscopic regime which is far smaller, where the discrete arrangement of atomic lattices changes lights properties in surprising ways, says Jacob.
These intriguing findings demonstrate that natural media host a variety of rich light-matter interaction phenomena at the atomistic level. The use of picophotonic waves in semiconducting materials may lead researchers to design new, functional optical devices, allowing for applications in quantum technologies.
Light-matter interaction in materials is central to several photonic devices from lasers to detectors. Over the past decade, nanophotonics, the study of how light flows on the nanometer scale in engineered structures such as photonic crystals and metamaterials have led to important advances. This existing research can be captured within the realm of classical theory of atomic matter. The current finding leading to picophotonics was made possible by a major leap forward using a quantum theory of atomistic response in matter. The team consists of Jacob as well as Dr. Sathwik Bharadwaj, research scientist at Purdue University, and Dr. Todd Van Mechelen, former post-doc at Purdue University.
The long-standing puzzle in the field was the missing link between atomic lattices, their symmetries and the role it plays on deeply picoscopic light fields. To answer this puzzle, the theory team developed a Maxwell Hamiltonian framework of matter combined with a quantum theory of light induced response in materials.
This is a pivotal shift from the classical treatment of light flow applied in nanophotonics, says Jacob. The quantum nature of lights behavior in materials is the key for the emergence of picophotonics phenomena.
Bharadwaj and colleagues showed that hidden amidst traditional well-known electromagnetic waves, new anomalous waves emerge in the atomic lattice. These light waves are highly oscillatory even within one fundamental building block of the silicon crystal (sub-nanometer length scale).
Natural materials itself have rich intrinsic crystal lattice symmetries and light is strongly influenced by these symmetries, says Bharadwaj. The immediate next goal is to apply our theory to the plethora of quantum and topological materials and also verify the existence of these new waves experimentally.
Our group has been leading the frontier of research on pico-scale electrodynamic fields inside matter at the atomistic level, says Jacob. We recently initiated the picoelectrodynamics theory network where we are bringing together diverse researchers to explore macroscopic phenomena stemming from microscopic pico-electrodynamic fields inside matter.
This research was funded by the DARPA QUEST program.
Writer: Cheryl Pierce, communications specialist, Earth, Atmospheric, Planetary Sciences | Physics/Astronomy, Purdue University
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Kayla Wiles
Purdue University
Office: 765-494-2432 x2432
Copyright © Purdue University
If you have a comment, please Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
News and information
HKUST researchers develop a novel integration scheme for efficient coupling between III-V and silicon November 18th, 2022
Rice turns asphaltene into graphene for composites: Flashed byproduct of crude oil could bolster materials, polymer inks November 18th, 2022
How 2D materials expand: New technique that accurately measures how atom-thin materials expand when heated could help engineers develop faster, more powerful electronic devices November 18th, 2022
New insights into energy loss open doors for one up-and-coming solar tech November 18th, 2022
Govt.-Legislation/Regulation/Funding/Policy
NISTs grid of quantum islands could reveal secrets for powerful technologies November 18th, 2022
How 2D materials expand: New technique that accurately measures how atom-thin materials expand when heated could help engineers develop faster, more powerful electronic devices November 18th, 2022
Possible Futures
HKUST researchers develop a novel integration scheme for efficient coupling between III-V and silicon November 18th, 2022
NISTs grid of quantum islands could reveal secrets for powerful technologies November 18th, 2022
Chip Technology
NISTs grid of quantum islands could reveal secrets for powerful technologies November 18th, 2022
An on-chip time-lens generates ultrafast pulses: New device opens the doors to applications in communication, quantum computing, astronomy November 18th, 2022
Semi-nonlinear etchless lithium niobate waveguide with bound states in the continuum November 4th, 2022
Spin photonics to move forward with new anapole probe November 4th, 2022
Optical computing/Photonic computing
An on-chip time-lens generates ultrafast pulses: New device opens the doors to applications in communication, quantum computing, astronomy November 18th, 2022
Semi-nonlinear etchless lithium niobate waveguide with bound states in the continuum November 4th, 2022
Spin photonics to move forward with new anapole probe November 4th, 2022
Discoveries
An on-chip time-lens generates ultrafast pulses: New device opens the doors to applications in communication, quantum computing, astronomy November 18th, 2022
Rice turns asphaltene into graphene for composites: Flashed byproduct of crude oil could bolster materials, polymer inks November 18th, 2022
How 2D materials expand: New technique that accurately measures how atom-thin materials expand when heated could help engineers develop faster, more powerful electronic devices November 18th, 2022
New insights into energy loss open doors for one up-and-coming solar tech November 18th, 2022
Announcements
HKUST researchers develop a novel integration scheme for efficient coupling between III-V and silicon November 18th, 2022
NISTs grid of quantum islands could reveal secrets for powerful technologies November 18th, 2022
How 2D materials expand: New technique that accurately measures how atom-thin materials expand when heated could help engineers develop faster, more powerful electronic devices November 18th, 2022
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
An on-chip time-lens generates ultrafast pulses: New device opens the doors to applications in communication, quantum computing, astronomy November 18th, 2022
Rice turns asphaltene into graphene for composites: Flashed byproduct of crude oil could bolster materials, polymer inks November 18th, 2022
How 2D materials expand: New technique that accurately measures how atom-thin materials expand when heated could help engineers develop faster, more powerful electronic devices November 18th, 2022
New insights into energy loss open doors for one up-and-coming solar tech November 18th, 2022
Military
An on-chip time-lens generates ultrafast pulses: New device opens the doors to applications in communication, quantum computing, astronomy November 18th, 2022
Rice turns asphaltene into graphene for composites: Flashed byproduct of crude oil could bolster materials, polymer inks November 18th, 2022
How 2D materials expand: New technique that accurately measures how atom-thin materials expand when heated could help engineers develop faster, more powerful electronic devices November 18th, 2022
New catalyst can turn smelly hydrogen sulfide into a cash cow: Light-powered catalyst makes hydrogen energy from pungent gas in one-step process November 3rd, 2022
Photonics/Optics/Lasers
HKUST researchers develop a novel integration scheme for efficient coupling between III-V and silicon November 18th, 2022
An on-chip time-lens generates ultrafast pulses: New device opens the doors to applications in communication, quantum computing, astronomy November 18th, 2022
Semi-nonlinear etchless lithium niobate waveguide with bound states in the continuum November 4th, 2022
Spin photonics to move forward with new anapole probe November 4th, 2022