3D Nanophotonics in Artificially Structured Chalcogenide Materials
Lead Research Organisation:
Northumbria University
Department Name: Fac of Engineering and Environment
Abstract
The iridescent colours often seen in nature in butterfly wings, beetle carapaces and cuttlefish mating displays are a result of the wave nature of light which can show constructive and destructive interference effects for different colours. We can make in the lab repeated structures where the repeat period is close to the wavelength of light and see similar effects; a well-known example being the reflection from a compact disc but also the opposite effect is seen in the anti-reflection coating applied to spectacles which can be seen in the violet coloured high angle reflections. In fact, the angular sensitivity of these diffractive reflection effects can lead to wonderful rainbow reflective colour displays, while some three-dimensional structures such as butterfly wings suppress this angular change; as in the case of the famous blue morphospecies which maintains a largely blue wing colour while flying.
In this project, we aim to build three-dimensional repeating structures that can lead to very strong reflection effects while reducing the angular changes normally seen with two-dimensional gratings and mirrors. These 3D periodic materials can effectively reflect light incident from any angle for a particular range of colours (wavelengths) and essentially block light from passing through the material in any direction. These materials are known as photonic bandgap materials because they block a band of colours and because they have properties analogous to the semiconductor bandgaps that block electrons travelling in certain energy bands. Although difficult to fabricate, these materials could exhibit quite striking and useful effects. For instance, blocking all transmission in all directions could be used as protection against bright light (e.g. lasers) or the bandgap could be made sensitive to certain molecular species or pollutants providing a sensing modality. In our team, we have been looking at the light trapping properties of these materials and their effect on light emission. For instance, if a fluorescent dye molecule with emission band entirely within the bandgap is excited inside such an ideal material then it will have no route by which to emit light and remain in its excited state until decaying by a non-radiative route. However, if we create a cavity by removing a small amount of material, the light emission will occur but will be trapped in this cavity until absorbed or leaking through the finite barrier to the edge of the material. Theoretically, these storage times can be very long while the cavity volumes can be made very small which can lead to a strong enhancement of emission and absorption of light by the fluorophore, so-called 'strong coupling' predicted by the full quantum mechanical treatments of the light-matter interaction.
Finally, in this project, we will develop reliable techniques to make these 3D light confining materials and exploit their novel properties to trap light in tiny 'cavities' and waveguides thus showing the strongest light-matter interactions possible. These results will have an impact across the board from creating new light sources containing single 'atom' like emitters through to the smallest lasers and materials mimicking the reflectivity of butterfly wings.
In this project, we aim to build three-dimensional repeating structures that can lead to very strong reflection effects while reducing the angular changes normally seen with two-dimensional gratings and mirrors. These 3D periodic materials can effectively reflect light incident from any angle for a particular range of colours (wavelengths) and essentially block light from passing through the material in any direction. These materials are known as photonic bandgap materials because they block a band of colours and because they have properties analogous to the semiconductor bandgaps that block electrons travelling in certain energy bands. Although difficult to fabricate, these materials could exhibit quite striking and useful effects. For instance, blocking all transmission in all directions could be used as protection against bright light (e.g. lasers) or the bandgap could be made sensitive to certain molecular species or pollutants providing a sensing modality. In our team, we have been looking at the light trapping properties of these materials and their effect on light emission. For instance, if a fluorescent dye molecule with emission band entirely within the bandgap is excited inside such an ideal material then it will have no route by which to emit light and remain in its excited state until decaying by a non-radiative route. However, if we create a cavity by removing a small amount of material, the light emission will occur but will be trapped in this cavity until absorbed or leaking through the finite barrier to the edge of the material. Theoretically, these storage times can be very long while the cavity volumes can be made very small which can lead to a strong enhancement of emission and absorption of light by the fluorophore, so-called 'strong coupling' predicted by the full quantum mechanical treatments of the light-matter interaction.
Finally, in this project, we will develop reliable techniques to make these 3D light confining materials and exploit their novel properties to trap light in tiny 'cavities' and waveguides thus showing the strongest light-matter interactions possible. These results will have an impact across the board from creating new light sources containing single 'atom' like emitters through to the smallest lasers and materials mimicking the reflectivity of butterfly wings.
Organisations
- Northumbria University (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Surrey (Collaboration)
- Oxford Instruments (United Kingdom) (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Project Partner)
- University of Southampton (Project Partner)
Publications
Taverne M
(2022)
Strongly Confining Light with Air-Mode Cavities in Inverse Rod-Connected Diamond Photonic Crystals
in Crystals
Taverne MPC
(2023)
Conformal CVD-Grown MoS2 on Three-Dimensional Woodpile Photonic Crystals for Photonic Bandgap Engineering.
in ACS applied optical materials
Description | This research presents the application of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) to deposit a few layers of 2D materials onto 3D structures of wavelength-scale. This significantly enhances the precision of thickness measurements of these 3D structures when nanocoating thin films, and even allows for the measurement of ultra-thin layers, down to a few atomic layers. This is made possible by an angle-resolved FIS system, which operates by shining light onto the film and measuring the reflected light at various angles. A crucial aspect of thin film measurement is the use of numerical calculations to corroborate the experimental results. This involves utilising theoretical models to predict expected outcomes and then comparing these predictions with the actual measurements. This advancement is crucial for ensuring the proper functioning of these delicate layers. |
Exploitation Route | The results of the study on the angle-resolved FIS system for the measurement of nanocoating thin films in 3D structures have several potential applications: 1. Industrial Use: Industries such as aerospace, electronics, and biomedical devices, where accurate thin film measurements are vital, can adopt this technology to improve the quality and functionality of their products. 2. Material Science Studies: The study's findings can aid researchers in gaining a deeper understanding of nanoscale material properties, paving the way for the creation of new materials with distinctive characteristics. 3. Quality Assurance: This method can be employed by manufacturing sectors for quality control to ensure that products adhere to the required specifications for thickness and uniformity. 4. Educational Purposes: Educational institutions could include this advanced measurement technique in their curriculum to equip future scientists and engineers with the necessary skills. By sharing the results and methods of the research, it enables other researchers and industries to build upon this work. This can lead to the creation of innovative solutions and products that benefit from the accurate measurement and application of nanocoating thin films, especially in 3D periodic structures. |
Sectors | Chemicals Education Electronics Energy Environment Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
URL | https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsaom.3c00055 |
Description | Additive Micro/Nano-manufacturing of Structured Piezoelectric Active Materials for Intelligent Stent Monitoring |
Amount | £128,929 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/Y003551/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2024 |
End | 03/2026 |
Description | Exploring Topology-optimised Metasurface Architectures for Solar-thermal Absorption |
Amount | £19,954 (GBP) |
Funding ID | RGS\R1\221031 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 06/2023 |
Title | Determination of the inner surface area of 3D wavelength scale structures by using angle-resolved Fourier image spectroscopy |
Description | The research utilises 3D Direct Laser Writing (DLW) to create templates and Fourier Image Spectroscopy (FIS) for optical analysis. The aim is to fabricate 3D electrodes with enhanced active surface areas. The focus is on 3D electrodes derived from periodic structures with micrometer-sized periods, which exhibit photonic band structures within the visible to near-infrared spectrum, detectable by FIS. By aligning FIS data with simulations, the dimensions and integrity of the templates can be assessed pre and post any further processing. Once the unit cell size is established, the surface area can be approximated. This method is suitable for examining surface areas, similar to the assessments done by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, especially for lightweight mass samples that might be challenging for BET analysis. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | The energy density of fuel cells and batteries, which is area-dependent, is linked to the mass of the electrochemically active materials. The creation of 3D electrodes is anticipated to enhance the energy and power efficiency of these devices. However, no existing 3D electrodes combine dimensional compatibility, high mass activity, and superior electrochemical performance. This issue is a barrier to the successful deployment of energy applications. Therefore, the development of 3D electrodes that encompass all these characteristics is crucial for the progression of energy applications. This study employs 3D Direct Laser Writing (DLW) for templating and Fourier Image Spectroscopy (FIS) for optical characterization, with the goal of producing 3D electrodes with a substantial active surface area. We are focusing on 3D electrodes based on 3D periodic structures with micrometre-scale periods, as they display photonic band structures in the visible to near-infrared light wavelength range, which can be detected using FIS. By comparing FIS measurements with simulations, we can verify the dimensions and quality of the templates before and after any additional post-processing. Upon determining the dimensions of the unit cell, the surface area can then be estimated. This technique is particularly useful for evaluating surface areas, like those measured by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. It's especially beneficial for lightweight mass samples that might be challenging for BET analysis. Moreover, to maximize the active surface area of the resulting electrodes for a given volume, we can calculate the optimal fabrication parameters for various 3D periodic structures. To further decrease the size of the fabricated templates, thermal annealing can be employed. A 3D diamond lattice-based electrode, fabricated through stereolithography and combined with a thermal annealing post-processing treatment, resulted in a threefold reduction in the size of the polymer template. It has also been demonstrated that the volume of a polymer template fabricated through two-photon polymerization DLW (2PP-DLW) can be similarly reduced. Consequently, we are exploring the application of electrodes made from polymer templates fabricated using 2PP-DLW and thermal annealing, to demonstrate 3D electrode fabrication at the nano/micrometre scale. |
Title | The combination of an in-house built Fourier imaging spectroscopy setup and a heated microscope stage to characterize materials properties of thermophotovoltaic cells |
Description | The use of a microscope heating stage (Linkam TS1000EV high temperature heating stages with internal electrical contacts & vacuum ports) to heat samples and study the thermal optical properties using an FIS (Fourier imaging spectroscopy) setup, thereby enabling a broadband and wide angle-resolved scattering characterization in the visible and infrared range at vacuum pressure and high temperatures up to 1000°C. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | This setup will strongly enhance my research capacity as well as the research capacity of the theme of Energy Futures at Northumbria University, particularly its use of in thermophotovoltaic applications. The unique combination of an advanced heating stage and Fourier imaging spectroscopy as a thermal analysis technique in thermophotovoltaic research will be instrumental in securing further significant funding that will be used to upgrade the experimental set-up as well as provide PhD studentships and hire postdoctoral researchers. Due to the cross-disciplinary appeal of the project, further funding will be sought not only in Nanophononics but also in Renewable Energy. |
Description | Bristol Photonics and Director of QET Labs Quantum Engineering Technology Labs |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This is a collaborative grant spanning two institutes based on the in-kind contribution. We conduct a range of optical characterization using our home-built Fourier microscope characterization facility, and the designs of 3D photonic banbgap materials. |
Collaborator Contribution | They provide access to the facilities including 3D direct laser writing system, focused ion beam, ICP/RIE, E-beam systems, etc., and clean rooms, which are essential to this work. |
Impact | We have discovered a new way to engineering the photonic bandgap of three-dimensional photonic crystals through multilayer deposition of high-refractive-index materials, reported the outcome in the conferences, and submitted a paper on this. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology |
Organisation | Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We conduct a range of optical characterization, 3D photonic device designs & fabrications, and provided expertise in our knowledge of advanced structured materials to the industrial partner to help them identify materials more suitable in the application of 3D microfabrication techniques they are developing. |
Collaborator Contribution | They provide the process consultancy, attend annual review meetings, and use of applications lab tools. |
Impact | We have discovered a new way to develop a technology base for 3D structured materials capable of strongly controlling the propagation of light leading to future applications in 3D waveguide geometries and strong light confinement for lasers, and quantum light sources, and are writing a paper on this. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Royal Society Research Grants 2022 |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We develop a new setup with a broadband wavelength and wide angle-resolved scattering characterization of structures, which serves as a novel technique for measuring thermal emission by heating the sample in a microscope heating stage (Linkam TS-1000) while picking up the generated thermal radiation through an in-house built Fourier Imaging Spectroscope. This system measures the spectra across an image formed at the back focal plane of a high magnification objective lens, capturing the scattering pattern of the device under study. |
Collaborator Contribution | The Surrey group provides expertise in theory & modelling of correlated disorder materials and solar selective absorbers, while the Bristol group provides expertise in fabrication to explore advanced solar-thermal concepts and devices. This will contribute to the fields of using novel materials and designs for achieving highly efficient solar-thermal systems and experimental characterization of thin film and nanostructures. |
Impact | We have discovered a new class of metasurface selective structures in which geometrical and topological correlations are accurately controlled for the next generation solar-thermal absorbers, with ultra-high optical absorption, low-thermal losses and high-temperature stability, and are writing a joint proposal on this. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Royal Society Research Grants 2022 |
Organisation | University of Surrey |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We develop a new setup with a broadband wavelength and wide angle-resolved scattering characterization of structures, which serves as a novel technique for measuring thermal emission by heating the sample in a microscope heating stage (Linkam TS-1000) while picking up the generated thermal radiation through an in-house built Fourier Imaging Spectroscope. This system measures the spectra across an image formed at the back focal plane of a high magnification objective lens, capturing the scattering pattern of the device under study. |
Collaborator Contribution | The Surrey group provides expertise in theory & modelling of correlated disorder materials and solar selective absorbers, while the Bristol group provides expertise in fabrication to explore advanced solar-thermal concepts and devices. This will contribute to the fields of using novel materials and designs for achieving highly efficient solar-thermal systems and experimental characterization of thin film and nanostructures. |
Impact | We have discovered a new class of metasurface selective structures in which geometrical and topological correlations are accurately controlled for the next generation solar-thermal absorbers, with ultra-high optical absorption, low-thermal losses and high-temperature stability, and are writing a joint proposal on this. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Southampton Novel Glass & Fibre |
Organisation | University of Southampton |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This is a collaborative grant spanning two institutes based on the in-kind contribution. We conduct a range of optical characterization, design, and device applications. |
Collaborator Contribution | They provide the synthesis and deposition of chalcogenide materials including a range of CVD-grown chalcogenide thin films on various substrates for the selection of chalcogenide materials with optimized optical constants for the devices. |
Impact | We have developed the low temperature conformal CVD-grown MoS2 on three-dimensional photonics crystals for photonic bandgap engineering, reported the outcome in the conferences, and submitted a paper on this. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | MPEE Experience Week |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 27 participants attended for a school visit to Northumbria University. The participants met with us for an interview, based on the materials that we had previously shared with them. They then had to prepare a poster based on our research and present it during a poster session later in the week. They sparked questions and discussion afterwards, some participants reported increased interest in related subject areas (e.g., moulding the flow of light) and invited us to give a talk at their school's Physics Society. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
URL | https://nustem.uk/ |
Description | Multi-Functional Materials for Smart Stents Sensing Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Ten people (including the UK team) attended for a small workshop (Multi-Functional Materials for Smart Stents Sensing) to the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, supported by the Academia Sinica of Taiwan, which sparked questions and discussion afterwards, and the international teams reported increased interest in related subject areas, leading to develop new international partnerships with researchers overseas from Taiwan, Finland, and Vietnam. PI has proposed an international network project and applied for funding from the International Collaboration Grants. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |