Troy Ribaudo

Epsilon-Near-Zero Strong Coupling in Metamaterial-Semiconductor Hybrid Structures

We present a new type of electrically tunable strong coupling between planar metamaterials and epsilon-near-zero modes that exist in a doped semiconductor nanolayer. The use of doped semiconductors makes this strong coupling tunable over a wide range of wavelengths through the use of different doping densities. We also modulate this coupling by depleting the doped semiconductor layer electrically. Our hybrid approach incorporates strong optical interactions into a highly tunable, integrated device platform.

Observation of Rabi Splitting from Surface Plasmon Coupled Conduction State Transitions in Electrically Excited InAs Quantum Dots

We demonstrate strong coupling between a surface plasmon and intersublevel transitions in self-assembled InAs quantum dots. The surface plasmon mode exists at the interface between the semiconductor emitter structure and a periodic array of holes perforating a metallic Pd/Ge/Au film that also serves as the top electrical contact for the emitters. Spectrally narrowed quantum-dot electroluminescence was observed for devices with varying subwavelength hole spacing. Devices designed for 9, 10, and 11 μm wavelength emission also exhibit a significant spectral splitting. The association of the splitting with quantum-dot Rabi oscillation is consistent with results from a calculation of spontaneous emission from an interacting plasmonic field and quantum-dot ensemble. The fact that this Rabi oscillation can be observed in an incoherently excited, highly inhomogeneously broadened system demonstrates the utility of intersublevel transitions in quantum dots for investigations of coherent transient and quantum coherence phenomena.

Voltage-controlled active mid-infrared plasmonic devices

We demonstrate active voltage-controlled spectral tuning of mid-infrared plasmonic structures. Extraordinary optical transmission gratings were fabricated on n-doped GaAs epilayers with a HfO2 gate dielectric between the grating and the doped semiconductor. The permittivity of the GaAs was tuned by depleting charge carriers below the top grating gate upon the application of a reverse bias to the gate. Devices were characterized both electrically and optically, and resonant transmission peak spectral and transmitted intensity shifts were achieved. Possible applications for, as well as the limitations of, the demonstrated technology are discussed.

Plasmonic mid-infrared beam steering

We present a metal/semiconductor beam steering device for use in the mid-infrared wavelength range. We demonstrate how changing the frequency of the incident light results in a smoothly varying shift in the angular distribution of the transmitted beam, and we present an analysis of the beam profile for a number of different wavelengths. Finally we verify that a similar steering effect is achieved with fixed frequency incident light and a modification of the permittivity of the semiconductor substrate, ultimately resulting in a 3° shift in the transmitted beam angle for minimal shifts in the semiconductor permittivity.

Room temperature midinfrared electroluminescence from InAs quantum dots

We demonstrate room temperature midinfrared electroluminescence from intersublevel transitions in self-assembled InAs quantum dots. The dots are grown in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures designed to maximize current injection into dot excited states while preferentially removing electrons from the ground states. As such, these devices resemble quantum cascade lasers. However, rigorous modeling of carrier transport through the devices indicates that the current transport mechanism for quantum dot active regions differs from that of quantum-well-based midinfrared lasers. We present the calculated energy states and transport mechanism for an intersublevel quantum dot emitter, as well as experimental electroluminescence data for these structures.

Infrared rectification in a nanoantenna-coupled metal-oxide-semiconductor tunnel diode

Direct rectification of electromagnetic radiation is a well-established method for wireless power conversion in the microwave region of the spectrum, for which conversion efficiencies in excess of 84% have been demonstrated. Scaling to the infrared or optical part of the spectrum requires ultrafast rectification that can only be obtained by direct tunnelling. Many research groups have looked to plasmonics to overcome antenna-scaling limits and to increase the confinement. Recently, surface plasmons on heavily doped Si surfaces were investigated as a way of extending surface-mode confinement to the thermal infrared region. Here we combine a nanostructured metallic surface with a heavily doped Si infrared-reflective ground plane designed to confine infrared radiation in an active electronic direct-conversion device. The interplay of strong infrared photon-phonon coupling and electromagnetic confinement in nanoscale devices is demonstrated to have a large impact on ultrafast electronic tunnelling in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Infrared dispersion of SiO2 near a longitudinal optical (LO) phonon mode gives large transverse-field confinement in a nanometre-scale oxide-tunnel gap as the wavelength-dependent permittivity changes from 1 to 0, which leads to enhanced electromagnetic fields at material interfaces and a rectified displacement current that provides a direct conversion of infrared radiation into electric current. The spectral and electrical signatures of the nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diodes are examined under broadband blackbody and quantum-cascade laser (QCL) illumination. In the region near the LO phonon resonance, we obtained a measured photoresponsivity of 2.7 mA W(-1) cm(-2) at -0.1 V.

Active control and spatial mapping of mid-infrared propagating surface plasmons.

Surface waves on metal films with subwavelength features and tunable optical resonances are excited with a quantum cascade laser. The resulting transmission through, and propagation on, the metal/dielectric interface is measured, both spectrally and spatially.

High efficiency reflective waveplates in the midwave infrared

We demonstrate a high efficiency reflective waveplate which exhibits incidence angle dependent phase shift tuning capabilities in the midwave infrared. Using Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) modeling, the phase shift and reflection efficiency are simulated for a variety of geometrical parameters, the results of which are then employed to optimize design. Devices were fabricated and both the polarization and efficiency characteristics were measured and compared to FDTD simulations showing excellent agreement. Further, the potential for scalability to other wavelength ranges and the capability to generate an arbitrary phase shift are explored to demonstrate the versatility of our design.

Spectral and spatial investigation of midinfrared surface waves on a plasmonic grating

A patterned metal film with a periodic array of subwavelength apertures, fabricated upon a semiconductor substrate and designed to possess transmission resonances in the midinfrared is interrogated with a wavelength-tunable external cavity quantum cascade laser. The interaction of the coherent light with this plasmonic structure is studied using a spatially resolved transmission experiment, allowing for the far-field imaging of propagating waves on the surface of the metal film. Spatial and spectral transmission is investigated for a range of near-normal incidence angles. For nonzero angles of incidence, coupling of laser light, at distinct frequencies, to surface waves propagating in opposite directions is demonstrated.

Highly directional thermal emission from two-dimensional silicon structures

We simulate, fabricate, and characterize near perfectly absorbing two-dimensional grating structures in the thermal infrared using heavily doped silicon (HdSi) that supports long wave infrared surface plasmon polaritons (LWIR SPPs). The devices were designed and optimized using both finite difference time domain (FDTD) and rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) simulation techniques to satisfy stringent requirements for thermal management applications requiring high thermal radiation absorption over a narrow angular range and low visible radiation absorption over a broad angular range. After optimization and fabrication, characterization was performed using reflection spectroscopy and normal incidence emissivity measurements. Excellent agreement between simulation and experiment was obtained.