Metamaterial metal-based bolometers

We demonstrate metamaterial metal-based bolometers, which take advantage of resonant absorption in that a spectral and/or polarization filter can be built into the bolometer. Our proof-of-principle gold-nanostructure-based devices operate around 1.5 \mum wavelength and exhibit room-temperature time constants of about 134 \mus. The ultimate detectivity is limited by Johnson noise, enabling room-temperature detection of 1 nW light levels within 1 Hz bandwidth. Graded bolometer arrays might allow for integrated spectrometers with several octaves bandwidth without the need for gratings or prisms and for integrated polarization analysis without external polarization optics

High-speed, 3-dimensional, telecentric imaging

The design, testing and operation of a system for telecentric imaging of dynamic objects is presented. The simple system is capable of rapid electronic scanning of a single focal plane within a specimen or of simultaneous focusing on multiple planes whose depth and relative spacing within the specimen can be changed electronically. Application to studies of dynamic processes in microscopy is considered. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America</p

Novel optical materials and devices by direct laser writing

We characterize chiral three-dimensional photonic nanostructures composed of both polymeric and metallic helices. Fabrication involves direct-laser writing and electrochemical deposition of gold. The structures' optical properties reveal new opportunities for realizing advanced polarizing optical devices

Gold helix photonic metamaterial as broadband circular polarizer

We investigated propagation of light through a uniaxial photonic metamaterial composed of three-dimensional gold helices arranged on a two-dimensional square lattice. These nanostructures are fabricated via an approach based on direct laser writing into a positive-tone photoresist followed by electrochemical deposition of gold. For propagation of light along the helix axis, the structure blocks the circular polarization with the same handedness as the helices, whereas it transmits the other, for a frequency range exceeding one octave. The structure is scalable to other frequency ranges and can be used as a compact broadband circular polarizer