ADVANCED METASRFACES AND APPLICATIONS
Structured light metasurfaces
Dr Haoran Ren
ARC DECRA Fellow
Monash University, AU
Bibliography
Structured light has proven useful for numerous photonic applications. Conventional structured-light generation typically requires multiple cascaded phase- and polarisation-sensitive elements, imposing major challenges for practical applications. Metasurfaces composed of subwavelength meta-atoms have recently transformed photonic design, opening a new way of using ultrathin elements to generate, detect, and manipulate structured light. Recently, structured light metasurfaces have been developed by many groups, mostly fabricated via planar lithography. In this lecture, I will give a brief introduction to the key concepts of meta-optics. I will highlight our recent work on 3D meta-optics fabricated via 3D laser nanoprinting technology with unleashed height degree of freedom. I will present a few examples of 3D metasurfaces used for twisted light holography [1], achromatic focusing on metafibres [2], and creation of complex structured light fields [3].
Photonic metasurfaces in microfluidic environments for biophotonics applications
Prof. Andrea Di Falco
Professor
University of St Andrews, UK
Bibliography
Most advanced biophotonic platforms use complex microfluidic chips and experimental optical setups to grant proximity and access to the specimens of interest from arbitrary angles. These goals are successfully enabled by structuring either light or matter at the nanoscale. However, these requirements are often frustrated by the physical constraints of the experimental setup, for example where the microscope objectives with limited NA allow only for keyhole-type experiments. In this talk, we present an experimental platform based on photonic metasurfaces in microfluidic environments, interfaced with a holographic optical trapping setup, uniquely satisfying this type of experiment’s requirements. Optical metasurfaces have been proposed as a suitable candidate for integrated optical trapping applications. Here we demonstrate the optical trapping of extended micro-devices using metasurfaces both in reflection and transmission configuration, operating at wavelengths from the NIR to the blue region of the visible spectrum, with trap stiffness comparable to that obtainable with high NA objectives [1]. The demonstration is completed with an experimental platform that enables a systematic characterization and thus optimization of the optical forces created by the metasurfaces. Additionally, we show that photonic metasurfaces can be scaled down to sizes of a few tens of microns, decorated with handles and manipulated by the hybrid optical setup for more advanced biophotonic experiments. In particular, we show that trapped metasurfaces are intrinsically more stable than spherical handles for trapping applications [2]. We then demonstrate the use of manipulated metasurfaces for imaging and sensing, in configurations not possible with existing methodologies.
Low-cost and scalable manufacturing of optical metasurfaces in the visible using engineered optical materials
Prof. Junsuk Rho
Mu-Eun-Jae (无垠斋) Endowed Chair Professor & Young Distinguished Professor
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), KR
Bibliography
The invisibility cloak in Harry Potter and the dreams of invisibility as a superpower are no longer fiction. With the invention of metamaterials, they are theoretically and experimentally possible in real life. Metamaterials — materials that are engineered to have properties that are not found in naturally-occuring materials — allow us to overcome physical limitations. Scientists around the world are researching metamaterials that can be used in diverse sectors, including healthcare, optical display, and military affairs. For example, metalenses, which can exceed the physical limitations of light, may facilitate leaps in biology and chemistry. The development of metamaterials has just begun, but their potential is limitless. In this talk, I will give a brief overview of metamaterials and metasurfaces: principles, applications and manufacturing methods towards their science-to-technology transition.