Demonstration of Spatial Self Phase Modulation based photonic diode functionality in MoS2/h-BN medium

Spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) is the optical nonlinear process and is a result of spatially varying refractive index profile along the line of propagation in a medium. SSPM is proved to be a method to demonstrate different photonic functionalities. Transition metal dichalcogenides play a key role in 2D nanophononics due to their unique and fascinating properties. MoS2 is the widely studied layered TMDs among all other 2D materials. This paper demonstrates such photonic functionality using thermally induced nonlinear optical response SSPM method, of MoS2 nano bottles. Thermally induced nonlinear optical parameters have been estimated by utilizing the saturable absorption response of h- BN, the nonreciprocal light propagation has been achieved. The diode actions have also been demonstrated in liquid-solid and solid-solid devices with the help of passive elements

Speckle lithography for fabricating Gaussian, quasi-random 2D structures and black silicon structures

Laser speckle pattern is a granular structure formed due to random coherent wavelet interference and generally considered as noise in optical systems including photolithography. Contrary to this, in this paper, we use the speckle pattern to generate predictable and controlled Gaussian random structures and quasi-random structures photo-lithographically. The random structures made using this proposed speckle lithography technique are quantified based on speckle statistics, radial distribution function (RDF) and fast Fourier transform (FFT). The control over the speckle size, density and speckle clustering facilitates the successful fabrication of black silicon with different surface structures. The controllability and tunability of randomness makes this technique a robust method for fabricating predictable 2D Gaussian random structures and black silicon structures. These structures can enhance the light trapping significantly in solar cells and hence enable improved energy harvesting. Further, this technique can enable efficient fabrication of disordered photonic structures and random media based devices.Published versio

Plasmonic 2D nanopillar arrays in high index and gradient index medium for subtractive optical filtering

2D metal nanopillar arrays in media of constant and gradient refractive indices are simulated and their subtractive colour filtering features are demonstrated. These results are expected to contribute to the next generation display technologies.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)Accepted versio

Plasmonic nanopillar coupled two-dimensional random medium for broadband light trapping and harvesting

Random textures have proven to be a better option for light localization and energy harvesting in solar cells. On the other hand, plasmonic structures are significant in localizing the fields into submicron domains. We propose a layered structure design that contains the random dielectric medium with a plasmonic nanopillars array as a back reflector, followed by demonstrating its efficient light trapping ability through simulation means. This structure has shown significant enhancement in the broadband absorption of the light spectrum in the wavelength range UV-IR and a higher extinction in the near-infrared wavelengths. The structure also shows the dependence of reflection on the nanopillar height as well as localization in the nanopillar region. The broadened and red shifted plasmonic nanopillar resonances (transverse and longitudinal) in a high-index medium are shown as the reasons for enhanced broadband absorption.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)Published versio

Individual speckle diffraction based 1D and 2D Random Grating Fabrication for detector and solar energy harvesting applications

Laser speckles and speckle patterns, which are formed by the random interference of scattered waves from optically rough surfaces, have found tremendous applications in a wide range of metrological and biomedical fields. Here, we demonstrate a novel edge diffraction phenomenon of individual speckle for the fabrication of 1D and 2D micron and sub-micron size random gratings. These random gratings exhibit broadband response with interesting diffusive diffraction patterns. As an immediate application for solar energy harvesting, significant reduction in transmission and enhanced absorption in thin “Si-random grating-Si” sandwich structure is demonstrated. This work has multifaceted significance where we exploited the individual speckle diffraction properties for the first time. Besides the solar harvesting applications, random gratings are suitable structures for fabrication of theoretically proposed random quantum well IR detectors and hence expected that this work will augur well for such studies in the near future.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)Published versio

Plasmon coupled 2D random medium For Enhanced absorption in solar cells

Random textures are proved to be better for energy harvesting in solar cells. In this research, we have studied the absorption properties of a random dielectric medium with plasmonic nanostructures in it. This structure has shown significant enhancement in broad band absorption of light spectrum and higher extinction of near infrared wavelengths. We also discuss several strategies to improve the solar cell efficiency based on dielectric and plasmonic random media. Finally, a comparative study of solar cell efficiencies with flat, periodic and random structures as active medium and back reflectors is carried out with a proposal for possible potential solar cell configurations.MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)Accepted versio

Raman mode random lasing in ZnS-β-carotene random gain media

Raman mode random lasing is demonstrated in ZnS-b-carotene random gain media at room temperature. A self assembled random medium is prepared with ZnS sub micron spheres synthesized by homogeneous precipitation method. b-Carotene extracted from pale green leaves is embedded in this random medium. The emission band of ZnS random medium (on excitation at 488 nm) overlaps considerably with that of b-carotene, which functions as a gain medium. Here, random medium works as a cavity, leading to Raman mode lasing at 517nm and 527nm triggered by stimulated resonance Raman scatteringAccepted versio

Enhancement of photoluminescence from defect states in ZnS random photonic crystal : an effect of electronic and photonic mode coupling

This paper reports on the enhanced defect state emission from ZnS in the form of a random photonic crystal (RPC) medium. ZnS photonic crystals with varied randomness are fabricated by colloidal self assembly of ZnS nanospheres (215 ± 10 nm). Reflection and transmission studies reveal mid band gap wavelength at ∼435 nm. The band structure calculated for BCC lattice with reduced packing fraction (53%) is in good agreement with experimental results. The reflection due to the photonic band gap diminishes with increased randomness in the nanosphere arrangement. The features of fluorescence from ZnS are modified in the RPC medium, resulting in suppression at wavelengths in the photonic band gap region and an enhancement at band edge wavelengths of 415 and 468 nm. This enhancement becomes less prominent with increasing randomness in the structure. Interestingly these two modes correspond to the electronic defect states of ZnS. Emission enhancement is shown to be due to the strong coupling of electronic defect states and photonic band edge states which is facilitated by randomly scattering slow Bloch modes in the ZnS RPC. Fabrication of RPCs by colloidal self-assembly with specifically designed degrees of randomness (leading to controllable features of emission) provides scope for the design of low threshold random lasing systems.Accepted versio

Plasmonically tunable blue-shifted emission from coumarin 153 in Ag nanostructure random media : a demonstration of fast dynamic surface-enhanced fluorescence

Enhancement of intensity and wavelength tunability of emission are desirable features for light-emitting device applications. We report on the large and tunable blue shift (60 nm) in emission from an environment-sensitive fluorophore (Coumarin153) embedded in Ag plasmonic randommedia. Coumarin 153 having emission at 555 nm, show a systematic blue shift (to 542, 503 and 495 nm) upon infiltration into random media fabricated by Ag nanowires of different aspect ratio (hence, surface plasmon resonances at 426, 445 and 464 nm). The blue shift is due to the fast dynamic surface-enhanced fluorescence mechanism and can be tuned by controlling the surface plasmon resonance and hotspot density in random media. Enhanced emission at desired wavelength is achieved by using nanostructures having higher extinction coefficient but same-surface plasmon resonance. Ag nanostructures of different aspect ratio used for fabricating the random media are synthesized by chemical route.Accepted versio