T\mathbb{T}-operator bounds on angle-integrated absorption and thermal radiation for arbitrary objects

We derive fundamental per-channel bounds on angle-integrated absorption and thermal radiation for arbitrary bodies---for any given material susceptibility and bounding region---that simultaneously encode both the per-volume limit on polarization set by passivity and geometric constraints on radiative efficiencies set by finite object sizes through the scattering $\mathbb{T}$-operator. We then analyze these bounds in two practical settings, comparing against prior limits as well as near optimal structures discovered through topology optimization. Principally, we show that the bounds properly capture the physically observed transition from the volume scaling of absorptivity seen in deeply subwavelength objects (nanoparticle radius or thin film thickness) to the area scaling of absorptivity seen in ray optics (blackbody limits).Comment: 9 pages including appendices, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Quantum nanophotonics using hyperbolic metamaterials

Engineering the optical properties using artificial nanostructured media known as metamaterials has led to breakthrough devices with capabilities from super-resolution imaging to invisibility. In this article, we review metamaterials for quantum nanophotonic applications, a recent development in the field. This seeks to address many challenges in the field of quantum optics using recent advances in nanophotonics and nanofabrication. We focus on the class of nanostructured media with hyperbolic dispersion that have emerged as one of the most promising metamaterials with a multitude of practical applications from subwavelength imaging, nanoscale waveguiding, biosensing to nonlinear switching. We present the various design and characterization principles of hyperbolic metamaterials and explain the most important property of such media: a broadband enhancement in the electromagnetic density of states. We review several recent experiments that have explored this phenomenon using spontaneous emission from dye molecules and quantum dots. We finally point to future applications of hyperbolic metamaterials of using the broadband enhancement in the spontaneous emission to construct single photon sources.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures, Review Articl

Fundamental limits to attractive and repulsive Casimir--Polder forces

We derive upper and lower bounds on the Casimir--Polder force between an anisotropic dipolar body and a macroscopic body separated by vacuum via algebraic properties of Maxwell's equations. These bounds require only a coarse characterization of the system---the material composition of the macroscopic object, the polarizability of the dipole, and any convenient partition between the two objects---to encompass all structuring possibilities. We find that the attractive Casimir--Polder force between a polarizable dipole and a uniform planar semi-infinite bulk medium always comes within 10% of the lower bound, implying that nanostructuring is of limited use for increasing attraction. In contrast, the possibility of repulsion is observed even for isotropic dipoles, and is routinely found to be several orders of magnitude larger than any known design, including recently predicted geometries involving conductors with sharp edges. Our results have ramifications for the design of surfaces to trap, suspend, or adsorb ultracold gases.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Fundamental limits to radiative heat transfer: theory

Near-field radiative heat transfer between bodies at the nanoscale can surpass blackbody limits on thermal radiation by orders of magnitude due to contributions from evanescent electromagnetic fields, which carry no energy to the far-field. Thus far, principles guiding explorations of larger heat transfer beyond planar structures have assumed utility in surface nanostructuring, which can enhance the density of states, and further assumed that such design paradigms can approach Landauer limits, in analogy to conduction. We derive fundamental shape-independent limits to radiative heat transfer, applicable in near- through far-field regimes, that incorporate material and geometric constraints such as intrinsic dissipation and finite object sizes, and show that these preclude reaching the Landauer limits in all but a few restrictive scenarios. Additionally, we show that the interplay of material response and electromagnetic scattering among proximate bodies means that bodies which maximize radiative heat transfer actually maximize scattering rather than absorption. Finally, we compare our new bounds to existing Landauer limits, as well as limits involving bodies maximizing far-field absorption, and show that these lead to overly optimistic predictions. Our results have ramifications for the ultimate performance of thermophotovoltaics and nanoscale cooling, as well as related incandescent and luminescent devices.Comment: 12 pages including appendices, 1 figure; SM and PSV contributed equall

Channel-based algebraic limits to conductive heat transfer

Recent experimental advances probing coherent phonon and electron transport in nanoscale devices at contact have motivated theoretical channel-based analyses of conduction based on the nonequilibrium Green's function formalism. The transmission through each channel has been known to be bounded above by unity, yet actual transmissions in typical systems often fall far below these limits. Building upon recently derived radiative heat transfer limits and a unified formalism characterizing heat transport for arbitrary bosonic systems in the linear regime, we propose new bounds on conductive heat transfer. In particular, we demonstrate that our limits are typically far tighter than the Landauer limits per channel and are close to actual transmission eigenvalues by examining a model of phonon conduction in a 1-dimensional chain. Our limits have ramifications for designing molecular junctions to optimize conduction.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, 2 appendice

B 12 -Mediated, Long Wavelength Photopolymerization of Hydrogels

Medical hydrogel applications have expanded rapidly over the past decade. Implantation in patients by non-invasive injection is preferred, but this requires hydrogel solidification from a low viscosity solution to occur in vivo via an applied stimuli. Transdermal photo-crosslinking of acrylated biopolymers with photoinitiators and lights offers a mild, spatiotemporally controlled solidification trigger. However, the current short wavelength initiators limit curing depth and efficacy because they do not absorb within the optical window of tissue (600 - 900 nm). As a solution to the current wavelength limitations, we report the development of a red light responsive initiator capable of polymerizing a range of acrylated monomers. Photo-activation occurs within a range of skin type models containing high biochromophore concentrations

Outlook for inverse design in nanophotonics

Recent advancements in computational inverse design have begun to reshape the landscape of structures and techniques available to nanophotonics. Here, we outline a cross section of key developments at the intersection of these two fields: moving from a recap of foundational results to motivation of emerging applications in nonlinear, topological, near-field and on-chip optics.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Fundamental limits to radiative heat transfer: The limited role of nanostructuring in the near-field

In a complementary article, we exploited algebraic properties of Maxwell's equations and fundamental principles such as electromagnetic reciprocity and passivity, to derive fundamental limits to radiative heat transfer applicable in near- through far-field regimes. The limits depend on the choice of material susceptibilities and bounding surfaces enclosing arbitrarily shaped objects. In this article, we apply these bounds to two different geometric configurations of interest, namely dipolar particles or extended structures of infinite area in the near field of one another, and compare these predictions to prior limits. We find that while near-field radiative heat transfer between dipolar particles can saturate purely geometric "Landauer" limits, bounds on extended structures cannot, instead growing much more slowly with respect to a material response figure of merit, an "inverse resistivity" for metals, due to the deleterious effects of multiple scattering; nanostructuring is unable to overcome these limits, which can be practically reached by planar media at the surface polariton condition