When a pebble is thrown into a still pond, circular ripples radiate outwards, bouncing off objects like logs or rocks and creating complex patterns. Similarly, Mie resonances are ‘patterns’ formed by light waves interacting with particles smaller than the wavelength of light, such as dust or air droplets.
By understanding and controlling these resonances, scientists can design semiconductor materials with distinctive optical properties for more efficient light sources, better sensors and quantum computing applications.
Thanh Xuan Hoang, a Senior Scientist at A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), has made a career of exploring the mathematical modelling of light interaction with nanostructures. In this study, Hoang and IHPC colleagues applied these principles to significantly enhance light sources for advanced technologies.
Initially, the team examined Mie resonances, concentrating on how light creates intricate patterns when it meets tiny, spherical or pillar-shaped structures. The researchers then connected these particles, creating photonic molecules, allowing for the study of more complex light patterns. Finally, by arranging these particles in chains to create super-efficient light traps called nano-cavities, they designed a mechanism for capturing light in the mid-infrared spectrum.
Their study revealed an innovative nano-cavity design that significantly enhances light emission rates and directs light in two directions that, under certain conditions, can be made to converge into one direction. Hoang and colleagues discovered that by making simple adjustments to the shape of nano-cavities, they could tailor the fabrication process for devices operating in the mid-infrared part of the light spectrum. This optimal design represents a significant advancement towards the creation of practical and widely applicable photonic devices.
“While optical communications and computing demand efficient control of light-matter interactions, our high-performance nano-cavities offer a pathway toward optimising energy-efficient optical technologies,” said Hoang.
“From infrared lasers and detectors to imaging devices and beyond, the enhanced performance facilitated by our optimised nano-cavities might serve as a useful guideline to photonic device engineering.”
Furthermore, their discoveries hold the potential to catalyse breakthroughs in the cutting-edge field of photonic quantum technology, where highly efficient interactions between light and matter are imperative for ensuring secure quantum communication and developing highly sensitive quantum sensors.
Moreover, Hoang highlighted how their nano-cavity technology has the capability to revolutionise biochemical sensing, enabling advancements in diagnostics, tracking environmental changes and safeguarding food safety.
The A*STAR-affiliated researchers contributing to this research are from the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC).
