Bending light to improve optics and circuitry

Rainbows are created when light enters a water droplet, causing the light to diffract into many colors. 

Each color bends a different amount of light, creating the spectrum of color that we understand today. The capacity in which we are able to measure and control this refraction is known among scientists as the index of refraction.   

With this index in mind, scientists have become invested in further studying particular materials that demonstrate indexes, which they have deemed as Epsilon Near-Zero (EMZ) materials. The refraction that these EMZ materials provide may prove to have greater application to the imaging of smaller images, and may aid in creating stronger and better optical imaging devices. 

A team of researchers from the University of TX, Austin, Notre Dame, Cornell University, and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell have already begun to explore these applications for improving optical devices. Irfan Khan, a doctoral student and lead writer for the paper, stated “Many molecules have vibrational modes in the mid-infrared spectral region, and these vibrations can be used to detect them.” He added ““We used ENZ materials to couple to a special optical mode, known as the Berreman mode, to engineer specific optical responses in semiconductor materials currently used in industry.” 

The team recently shared their findings in a publication of Optics Express. 

Being able to engineer and manipulate these optical modes with such materials with enable the research to continue towards incorporating the ENZ materials into future designs for optical devices and circuitry, according to project lead and Associate Professor of electrical engineering. From eyeglasses to camera lenses to lasers, these applications could lead to significant changes and improvements within their respective designs. 

“The fact that ENZ materials are readily available, simple to fabricate and operate well on a very small scale also makes them ideal for a variety of applications.”