Vanderbilt University

Exelis Inc.

University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc

Harris It Services Corporation

Richard Forsberg Haglund

Anthony Bresenhan Kaye

Joshua D Caldwell

David Edward Cliffel

David Wright

Jason G Valentine

Thomas G Folland

Zhihua Zhu

James Everett Pendell Jones

Yohannes Abate

Austin Howes

James Everett Jones

Metallic and dielectric domains in phase change materials (PCM) provide spatially localized changes in the local dielectric environment, enabling launching, reflection, and transmission of hyperbolic polaritons (HPs) at the PCM domain boundaries, and tuning the wavelength of HPs propagating in hyperbolic materials over these domains, providing a methodology for realizing planar, sub-diffractive refractive optics. This approach offers reconfigurable control of in-plane HP propagation to provide design optical functionality because the phase change material can be manipulated by changing the local structure, for example, to manipulate polaritons in the adjacent hyperbolic material, thus tuning the wave propagation properties of the polaritons in the hyperbolic material.

Actively reconfigurable, hyperbolic metasurfaces

According to some aspects, a transmissive and all-dielectric optical component/limiter with great cutoff efficiency using Vanadium Dioxide (VO) as the active component is disclosed. In some embodiments, Vanadium dioxide is used for an optical limiter due to the large contrast in optical constants upon undergoing the semiconductor to metal phase transition. When triggered optically, this transition occurs within 60 fs, making the device suitable for an ultrafast laser environment. In addition, the phase transition threshold is tunable by applying stress or doping; therefore, the device cutoff intensity can be adjusted to fulfill specific requirements.

High-efficiency optical limiter using metasurface and phase-change material

A sensor device includes an optical limiting structure including a metal layer with at least one metal particle having a size no greater than about 1500 nanometers, and a phase-change material layer disposed adjacent at least a portion of the metal layer, the phase-change material layer including a phase-change material, and a dendritic-metal layer disposed over at least a portion of the phase-change material layer of the optical limiting structure, the dendritic-metal layer including an organic compound including branching chain amino acid groups attached to a metal structure. The optical limiting structure is configured to transition from a first optical state to a second optical state when the phase-change material is heated above a critical temperature, with transmittance of light at a predetermined wavelength through the optical limiting structure being lower at the second optical state of the optical limiting structure in relation to the first optical state of the optical limiting structure.

Optical sensors including surface modified phase-change materials for detection of chemical, biological and explosive compounds

An optical limiting structure includes a metal layer with a single metal particle or a plurality of metal particles spaced from each other so as to form an array, where the metal particles have sizes no greater than about 1000 nanometers. A phase-change material layer is disposed adjacent at least a portion of the metal layer, where the phase-change material layer includes a phase-change material. The optical limiting structure is configured to transition from a first optical state to a second optical state, where the optical limiting structure substantially limits transmittance of light of at least one wavelength through the optical limiting structure at the second optical state, and the at least one wavelength at which the optical limiting structure substantially limits transmittance of light is different from any wavelength of light at which transmittance is substantially limited through the phase-change material prior to integration into the optical limiting structure.

Phase-change materials and optical limiting devices utilizing phase-change materials

Growing community of inventors

Brentwood, TN, United States of America

Richard Forsberg Haglund