Multifunctional Cascaded Metamaterials: Integrated Transmitarrays

Control of electromagnetic waves using engineered materials is very important in a wide range of applications, therefore there is always a continuous need for new and more efficient solutions. Known natural and artificial materials and surfaces provide a particular functionality in the frequency range they operate but cast a "shadow" and produce reflections at other frequencies. Here, we introduce a concept of multifunctional engineered materials that possess different predetermined functionalities at different frequencies. Such response can be accomplished by cascading metasurfaces (thin composite layers) that are designed to perform a single operation at the desired frequency and are transparent elsewhere. Previously, out-of-band transparent metasurfaces for control over reflection and absorption were proposed. In this paper, to complete the full set of functionalities for wave control, we synthesize transmitarrays that tailor transmission in a desired way, being "invisible" beyond the operational band. The designed transmitarrays for wavefront shaping and anomalous refraction are tested numerically and experimentally. To demonstrate our concept of multifunctional engineered materials, we have designed a cascade of three metasurfaces that performs three different functions for waves at different frequencies. Remarkably, applied to volumetric metamaterials, our concept can enable a single composite possessing desired multifunctional response.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, journal pape

Unconventional photon blockade in doubly resonant microcavities with second-order nonlinearity

It is shown that non-centrosymmetric materials with bulk second-order nonlinear susceptibility can be used to generate strongly antibunched radiation at an arbitrary wavelength, solely determined by the resonant behavior of suitably engineered coupled microcavities. The proposed scheme exploits the unconventional photon blockade of a coherent driving field at the input of a coupled cavity system, where one of the two cavities is engineered to resonate at both fundamental and second harmonic frequencies, respectively. Remarkably, the unconventional blockade mechanism occurs with reasonably low quality factors at both harmonics, and does not require a sharp doubly-resonant condition for the second cavity, thus proving its feasibility with current semiconductor technology

Energy harvesting: a review of the interplay between structure and mechanism

The science of energy harvesting has recently undergone radical change, with the advent of new materials exploiting mechanisms fundamentally different from those of traditional solar cells. Utilizing principles that are in many cases acquired from breakthroughs in molecular photobiology, the introduction of a range of new synthetic polymers, multichromophore arrays and nanoparticle-based materials heralds a marked resurgence of interest, a shift of focus and heightened expectations in the science of light-harvesting. The interplay between structure and mechanism significantly impinges upon issues extending from fundamental theory to the principles of energy-harvesting materials design. Understanding and exploiting the principles allows materials to be engineered that can harness absorbed energy with heightened efficiency. Two of the key areas of application are dendrimers and rare-earth doped solids

Direct Measurement of Piezoelectric Response around Ferroelectric Domain Walls in Crystals with Engineered Domain Configuration

We report the first investigation of the piezoelectric response on a nanoscale in the poled ferroelectric crystals with engineered configuration of domains. Piezoresponse force microscopy of tetragonal 0.63PMN-0.37PT relaxor-based ferroelectric crystals reviled that the d33 piezoelectric coefficient is significantly reduced within the distance of about 1 um from the uncharged engineered domain wall. This finding is essential for understanding the mechanisms of the giant piezoresponse in relaxor-based crystals and for designing new piezoelectric materials

Tunable Spin-Orbit Coupling via Strong Driving in Ultracold Atom Systems

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is an essential ingredient in topological materials, conventional and quantum-gas based alike.~Engineered spin-orbit coupling in ultracold atom systems --unique in their experimental control and measurement opportunities-- provides a major opportunity to investigate and understand topological phenomena.~Here we experimentally demonstrate and theoretically analyze a technique for controlling SOC in a two component Bose-Einstein condensate using amplitude-modulated Raman coupling.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figue

Compliant rolling-contact architected materials for shape reconfigurability.

Architected materials can achieve impressive shape-changing capabilities according to how their microarchitecture is engineered. Here we introduce an approach for dramatically advancing such capabilities by utilizing wrapped flexure straps to guide the rolling motions of tightly packed micro-cams that constitute the material's microarchitecture. This approach enables high shape-morphing versatility and extreme ranges of deformation without accruing appreciable increases in strain energy or internal stress. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional macroscale prototypes are demonstrated, and the analytical theory necessary to design the proposed materials is provided and packaged as a software tool. An approach that combines two-photon stereolithography and scanning holographic optical tweezers is demonstrated to enable the fabrication of the proposed materials at their intended microscale

Cucurbituril-based supramolecular engineered nanostructured materials

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Cucurbituril (CB) is a unique macrocycle with a rigid symmetrical structure, which is composed of two identical hydrophilic portals decorated with partially negatively charged carbonyl groups and a hydrophobic cavity. A number of different nanostructured materials, including nanoparticles, nanocomposites, vesicles and rods, have been prepared by taking advantage of the varying cavity size of the CB homologues, their ability to accommodate more than one guest in their cavities, their rigid symmetrical structures, as well as the water solubility of CB7. These nanostructures could find a wide range of potential applications in the areas of self-healing materials, nanomedicine, plasmonics, and nanocatalysis. Here, we review the recent progresses in the synthesis, properties and application of CB-based supramolecular engineered nanostructures, which are either constructed through CB-assisted self-assembly or from post-functionalized-CB homologues