Nicholas S. Nye

Reconfigurable opto-thermal graded-index waveguiding in bulk chalcogenide glasses

In the absence of suitable deposition processes, the fabrication of graded-index chalcogenide waveguides or fibers remains an outstanding challenge. Here, by exploiting the strong thermo-optic effect present in chalcogenide glasses, we experimentally demonstrate non-permanent optically-induced waveguides in bulk As2Se3 rods using a 1.55 μm wavelength laser. This single-step process can be used not only to self-trap the writing beam, but also to guide another optical beam at a different wavelength in the opto-thermally inscribed waveguide channel. These results could pave the way towards harnessing nonlinear effects in graded-index chalcogenide guided settings.

Passive PT-Symmetric Metasurfaces With Directional Field Scattering Characteristics

We show that passive parity-time (PT) symmetric metasurfaces can be utilized to appropriately engineer the resulting far-field characteristics. Such PT-symmetric structures are capable of eliminating diffraction orders in specific directions, while maintaining or even enhancing the remaining orders. A systematic methodology is developed to implement this class of metasurfaces in both one-dimensional and two-dimensional geometries. In two-dimensional systems, PT symmetry can be established by employing either H-like diffractive elements or diatomic oblique Bravais lattices.

Controlling Disorder by Electric-Field-Directed Reconfiguration of Nanowires To Tune Random Lasing

Top-down fabrication is commonly used to provide positioning control of optical structures; yet, it places stringent limitations on component materials, and oftentimes, dynamic reconfigurability is challenging to realize. Here, we present a reconfigurable nanoparticle platform that can integrate heterogeneous particle assembly of different shapes, sizes, and chemical compositions. We demonstrate dynamic control of disorder in this platform and use it to tune random laser emission characteristics for a suspension of titanium dioxide nanowires in a dye solution. Using an alternating current electric field, we control the nanowire orientation to dynamically engineer the collective scattering of the sample. Our theoretical model indicates that a change of up to 22% in scattering coefficient can be achieved for the experimentally determined nanowire length distribution upon alignment. Dependence of light confinement on anisotropic particle alignment provides a means to reversibly tune random laser characteristics; a nearly 20-fold increase in lasing intensity was observed with aligned particle orientation. We illustrate the generality of the approach by demonstrating enhanced lasing for aligned nanowires of other materials including gold, mixed gold/dielectric, and vanadium oxide.

Design of broadband anti-reflective metasurfaces based on an effective medium approach

In this paper we show how to systematically design anti-reflective metasurfaces for the mid-infrared wavelength range. To do so, we have utilized a multilayer arrangement involving a judiciously nano-perforated surface, having air holes, arranged in a hexagonal fashion. By exploiting an effective medium approach, we optimized the dimensions of the surface features in our design. Here, we report a broadband reflectivity 3.5 − 5.5 μm that is below 10% over a broad range of incident angles 00 ≤ θ𝑖 ≤ 700 , irrespective of the incident polarization (TE, TM). Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with full-wave finite element simulations. This systematic approach can be used to design a wide variety of patterned metasurfaces, capable of controlling the phase of the incident optical field.

Exact bidirectional X -wave solutions in fiber Bragg gratings

We find exact solutions describing bidirectional pulses propagating in fiber Bragg gratings. They are derived by solving the coupled-mode theory equations and are expressed in terms of products of modified Bessel functions with algebraic functions. Depending on the values of the two free parameters the general bidirectional X-wave solution can also take the form of a unidirectional pulse. We analyze the symmetries and the asymptotic properties of the solutions and also discuss about additional waveforms that are obtained by interference of more than one solutions. Depending on their parameters such pulses can create a sharp focus with high contrast.

PT-symmetric scatterers (Presentation Recording)

Parity-time (PT) symmetric complex structures can exhibit peculiar properties which are otherwise unattainable in traditional Hermitian systems. This is achieved by judiciously involving balanced regions of gain and loss. Here we investigate the scattering properties of PT-symmetric diffraction gratings. The presence of the imaginary potential can modify the light transport properties in their far field. This is an outcome of a local power flow taking place between the gain and loss regions in the near field. We show that for a certain gain/loss contrast, all the negative diffraction orders can be eliminated while the positive diffraction orders can be amplified.