Related papers: Selective Reflection Spectroscopy at the Interface…
Four atom optics experiments that each serve to measure atom-surface interactions near nanofabricated gratings are presented here. In these experiments atoms in a beam travel within 25 nm of a material grating bar, and the analysis…
New high-refractive-index dielectric materials may enhance many optical technologies by enabling efficient manipulation of light in waveguides, metasurfaces, and nanoscale resonators. Van der Waals materials are particularly promising due…
A new scheme for the computation of dispersive interactions from first principles is presented. This cost-effective approach relies on a Wannier function representation compatible with density function theory descriptions. This is an…
The strength of an atom-surface interaction is determined by studying atom diffraction from a rotated material grating. A phasor diagram is developed to interpret why diffraction orders are never completely suppressed when a complex…
Interlayer interactions in 2D materials, also known as van der Waals (vdWs) interactions, play a critical role in the physical properties of layered materials. It is fascinating to manipulate the vdWs interaction, and hence to "redefine"…
Numerous optical phenomena and applications have been enabled by nanophotonic structures. Their current fabrication from high refractive index dielectrics, such as silicon or gallium phosphide, pose restricting fabrication challenges, while…
Sun-induced fluorescence (SIF) as a close remote sensing based proxy for photosynthesis is accepted as a useful measure to remotely monitor vegetation health and gross primary productivity. In this work we present the new retrieval method…
Geometrically decorated two-dimensional (2D) discrete surfaces can be more effective than conventional smooth reflectors in managing wave radiation. Constructive non-specular wave scattering permits the scattering angle to be other than…
The 1%-accurate calculations of the van der Waals interaction between an atom and a cavity wall are performed in the separation region from 3 nm to 150 nm. The cases of metastable He${}^{\ast}$ and Na atoms near the metal, semiconductor or…
We present first experimental data on the high energy behavior of helium atoms quantum reflecting from the nanoscopically disordered surface of a quartz crystal. The use of the light, stable and inert He atom not only opens the unique…
A variety of fabrication methods for van der Waals heterostructures have been demonstrated; however, their wafer-scale deposition remains a challenge. Here we report few-layer van der Waals PtS2/PtSe2 heterojunction photodiodes fabricated…
In order to enable high quality lens designs using calcium fluoride (CaF2) and Heraeus Infrasil 301 (Infrasil) for cryogenic operating temperatures, we have measured the absolute refractive index of these two materials as a function of both…
We explore the adsorption of MoS2 on a range of metal substrates by means of first-principles density functional theory calculations. Including van der Waals forces in the density functional is essential to capture the interaction between…
We have demonstrated a high temperature vapor cell for absorption spectroscopy on the Ca intercombination line. The cell uses a dual chamber design to achieve the high temperatures necessary for an optically dense vapor while avoiding the…
The photomolecular effect has been hypothesized to enhance evaporation of water at visible wavelengths. This study develops a measurement technique to investigate its presence and magnitude at the liquid-vapor interface of water. The…
Adhesion is a key issue for researchers of various fields, it is therefore of uppermost importance to understand the parameters that are involved. Commonly, only surface parameters are employed to determine the adhesive forces between…
We show that a thermal vapor confined in a nanostructure is of spectroscopic interest. We perform reflection spectroscopy on a Cs vapour cell whose window is covered with a thin opal film (typically, 10 or 20 layers of ~ 1{\mu}m diameter…
The method recently developed to include Van der Waals interactions in the Density Functional Theory by using the Maximally-Localized Wannier functions, is improved and extended to the case of atoms and fragments weakly bonded (physisorbed)…
We present the results of a computer simulation study of the liquid density distribution normal to the interface between liquid Hg and the reconstructed (0001) face of sapphire. The simulations are based on an extension of the…
We report improved precision measurements of the Van der Waals potential strength ($C_3$) for Na atoms and a silicon-nitride (SiN$_x$) surface. We studied diffraction from nano-fabricated gratings with a particular "magic" open-fraction…