Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 30: Focus Session: Phonon Polaritons: Opportunities for THz Nanooptics I

O 30.5: Invited Talk

Tuesday, March 13, 2018, 12:30–13:00, HE 101

Novel Materials and Approaches for Dynamic IR Nano-Optics — •Joshua Caldwell — Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA

The field of nanophotonics is based on the ability to confine light to sub-diffractional dimensions. Up until recently, research in this field has been primarily focused on the use of plasmonic metals. However, the high optical losses inherent in such metal-based surface plasmon materials has led to an ever-expanding effort to identify, low-loss alternative materials capable of supporting sub-diffractional confinement. Beyond this, the limited availability of high efficiency optical sources, refractive and compact optics in the mid-infrared to THz spectral regions make nanophotonic advancements imperative. One highly promising alternative are polar dielectric crystals whereby sub-diffraction confinement of light can be achieved through the stimulation of surface phonon polaritons within an all-dielectric, and thus low loss material system. Due to the wide array of high quality crystalline species and varied crystal structures, a wealth of unanticipated optical properties have recently been reported. This talk will discuss recent advancements from our group including the realization of localized phonon polariton modes, the observation and exploitation of the natural hyperbolic response of hexagonal boron nitride. Beyond this, methods to improve the material lifetime, realize active modulation and to induce additional functionality through isotopic enrichment and hybridization of optical modes will also be presented.