Nanoengineered hyperbolic materials for optical sensing applications

Tom G. Mackay

doi:10.1117/12.2190118

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20 August 2015 Nanoengineered hyperbolic materials for optical sensing applications

Tom G. Mackay

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Proceedings Volume 9558, Nanostructured Thin Films VIII; 955815 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2190118
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Anisotropic dielectric materials characterized indefinite permittivity dyadics (known as hyperbolic materials) were investigated for possible optical sensing applications. Such materials present hyperbolic dispersion relations for extraordinary plane waves which only allow plane waves to propagate in certain directions. In contrast, anisotropic dielectric materials characterized positive-definite (or negative-definite) permittivity dyadics present elliptical dispersion relations which generally allow plane waves to propagate in all directions. The transition between hyperbolic and elliptical dispersion relations may be exploited for optical sensing. This phenomenon was investigated theoretically by considering the homogenization of a porous hyperbolic material which is infiltrated by an analyte-containing fluid. The theoretical approach adopted was based on the extended version of the Maxwell Garnett homogenization formalism Factors taken into consideration include the shape, size, and orientation of pores in the hyperbolic material as well as its porosity. It was found that exceeding large values of sensitivity could be attained as the negative–valued eigenvalue of the permittivity dyadic (or its real part for dissipative materials) of the infiltrated hyperbolic material approached zero.

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Tom G. Mackay "Nanoengineered hyperbolic materials for optical sensing applications", Proc. SPIE 9558, Nanostructured Thin Films VIII, 955815 (20 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2190118

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