Related papers: Structured Optical Materials Controlled by Light

We study effects of finite height and surrounding material on photonic crystal slabs of one- and two-dimensional photonic crystals with a pseudo-spectral method and finite difference time domain simulation methods. The band gap is shown to…

We put forward a technique to unveil to which symmetry group a nonlinear crystal belongs, making use of nonlinear optics with structured light. We consider as example the process of spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The crystal, which…

The ability to actively tune the properties of a nanocavity is crucial for future applications in photonics and quantum information. Two important man-made classes of materials have emerged to mold the flow of electromagnetic waves.…

The interaction of chirped femtosecond laser pulses with hybrid materials - materials comprised of plasmon sustaining structures and resonant molecules - is scrutinized using a self-consistent model of coupled Maxwell-Bloch equations. The…

It is well established that light can control magnetism in matter, e.g. via the inverse Faraday effect or ultrafast demagnetization. However, such control is typically limited to magnetization transverse to light's polarization plane, or…

Structured optical waveforms are emerging as powerful control fields for the next generation of complex photonic and electromagnetic systems, where the temporal structure of light can determine the ultimate performance of scientific…

Optical metamaterials have the potential to control the flow of light at will which may lead to spectacular applications as the perfect lens or the cloaking device. Both of these optical elements require invariant effective material…

Controlling complex light waves to achieve desired behaviours or characteristics on demand presents a significant challenge. This task becomes even more complicated when manipulating speckled light beams owing to their inherently fuzzy…

The optics of correlated disordered media is a fascinating research topic emerging at the interface between the physics of waves in complex media and nanophotonics. Inspired by photonic structures in nature and enabled by advances in…

The electronic structure of a material fundamentally determines its underlying physical, and by extension, its functional properties. Consequently, the ability to identify or generate materials with desired electronic properties would…

Living systems are capable of locomotion, reconfiguration, and replication. To perform these tasks, cells spatiotemporally coordinate the interactions of force-generating, "active" molecules that create and manipulate non-equilibrium…

Microscopy and optical imaging are drastically limited by the inhomogeneities encountered by the light while propagating from the object of interest to the detection system. In this context, adaptive optics and wavefront manipulation are…

Ultra-compact, low-loss, fast, and reconfigurable optical components, enabling manipulation of light by light, could open numerous opportunities for controlling light on the nanoscale. Nanostructured all-dielectric metasurfaces have been…

The future fibre optic communications network will rely on photons as carriers of information, which may be stored in intensity, polarization or phase of light. However, processing of such optical information usually relies on electronics.…

Precise control of spatial spin structures, such as spin helices, is critical for advancing spintronic devices, particularly in non-volatile, low-power information storage and processing. Conventional techniques, including transient spin…

Confining electromagnetic energy is crucial to enhance light-matter interactions, with important implications for science and technology. Here, we discuss the opportunities offered by trapping and confining light in open structures, based…

Disordered optical media are an emerging class of materials capable of strongly scattering light. Their study is relevant to investigate transport phenomena and for applications in imaging, sensing and energy storage. While such materials…

The search for new control methods over light-matter interactions is one of the engines that advances fundamental physics and applied science alike. A specific class of light-matter interaction interfaces are setups coupling photons of…

Energy absorbing materials, like foams used in protective equipment, are able to undergo large deformations under low stresses, reducing the incoming stress wave below an injury or damage threshold. They are typically effective in absorbing…

Photomechanically active materials undergo reversible deformation on illumination, making them ideal for remote, tether-free actuation. Much of the work on these materials has focused on one-dimensional structures, such as strips. In this…