Hyperuniform Disordered Photonic Materials

In this proposal we aim to develop novel photonic materials in which disorder is exploited as a resource, to control light emission and transport, for future generations of optical devices.
The use of light to communicate and process information is widely recognised as the technology that will drive innovations in the 21st century across a wide range of areas, from information technology, energy and sensing, to healthcare. So far, control of light flow has been achieved by carefully and periodically structured materials, which can bend light, slow it down and stop if for a short time, to allow for the processing steps to take place.
Due to advances in theoretical, computational and nano-fabrication capabilities we are no longer restricted to well-defined periodic structures. Instead we can construct complex systems made of apparently random patterns, which when suitably designed, can lead to performances superior to those offered by conventional photonic systems.
The proposed project will focus on the development of hyperuniform disordered nanophotonic materials, a novel class of photonic structures in which structural correlations and disorder are accurately controlled. Discovered in 2009, these new materials have already attracted considerable attention as they combine the robust properties of periodic systems with the flexibility of disordered ones. We will explore the properties of hyperuniform media with the goal to control light flow, to enhance light emission, and to construct novel type of lasers and optical circuits.
The research proposed will enhance UK's capabilities in disordered photonic materials, laser technology and integrated photonics circuitry, will have direct impact on more efficient and cost effective photovoltaic power generation and efficient lightning; the advanced optical capabilities to be enabled by our research will support the constant exponential growth of the "internet of things".

The development of advanced photonic materials and novel characterisation, design, simulation methods to characterise them are critical for enabling the next generation of future technologies for information processing and communication, advancing the infrastructure for the "internet of things", energy harvesting and energy conversion systems, healthcare and biophotonics, and quantum information processing on nanophotonics platforms. For many of these applications photon management on versatile photonic-circuit platforms, integration of light sources with on-demand spatial and spectral characteristics, and addressing the effects of structural imperfections are major challenges that need to be urgently addressed.
We strongly believe that the research we propose will produce fundamental and technological advances in the field of nanophotonics, from novel disordered photonic materials to laser technology and integrated photonics circuitry, which will be of benefit to industry and researchers alike. These advances will contribute to setting the international agenda in the field of disordered photonic materials. Immediate commercial benefit will be in the fields of network components and optical equipment where our patent applications and industrial collaborations can be directly exploited. On longer term, developers, manufacturers and integrators of optical interconnection systems will benefit from denser, faster and more energy-efficient photonic integrated circuits enabled by our research. Furthermore, the development of flexible strategies for efficient light trapping and light coupling in thin hyperuniform disordered films to be pursued in this project is expected to have an important impact on new technologies related to thin-film photovoltaic cells.
The field of disordered photonics has grown tremendously in the last years and the advances in this field are currently being exploited to challenge existing technological roadblocks and deliver photonic devices with performance far superior to current technologies. The research proposed is an integral part of a global effort to pursue new disruptive innovations such that photonic technologies (a $375 billion market in 2013) can reach their full potential. The United Nations has proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (http://www.light2015.org), recognising the importance of raising global awareness about how light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health. The broad impact of our research on hyperuniform disordered structures will also be of benefit outside of academia and industry, to governmental and independent policy makers, funders of academic and industrial research, to the educational sector, and ultimately to the wider public and the UK.