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Dragomir N. Neshev

Publications and source records attributed to Dragomir N. Neshev.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Inverse designed metasurfaces for multi-wavelength full-Stokes polarisation imaging

Multispectral full-Stokes polarisation imaging has a broad range of applications, from biological cell imaging to agricultural remote surveying. For such applications, especially involving lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles like drones, it is necessary to have compact, single-shot, efficient optical systems. We present a topology-optimised metasurface design that diffractively separates a scene into spectral and polarimetric measurements, operating for 532 nm and 700 nm in a single-shot imaging system. The polarisation imaging performance of the design is shown in simulation to be robust to critical performance metrics, matching both spectral and angular bandwidth requirements. We fabricated our metasurface design by nanopatterning a TiO$_2$ thin film, and experimentally demonstrate polarisation reconstruction for two wavelengths with a single metasurface structure.

physics.optics↗

Chiral lasing via broken parity-time symmetry in bound-state-in-the-continuum metasurfaces

We propose a concept for chiral lasing from planar metasurfaces that obviates the need for traditional out-of-plane symmetry breaking by exploiting spatial gain-loss modulation to break parity-time symmetry. We explain the underlying non-Hermitian physics of this design principle using a coupled-mode model of a four-site plaquette. The symmetry requirements for such chiral emission are explained with a general symmetry analysis based on projection operator matrices, implemented algorithmically for automated evaluation. This method enables the design of planar metasurfaces capable of emitting nearly-pure circularly polarized light. We apply our analysis to simulations of both symmetric and asymmetric versions of a Fylfot metasurface design and demonstrate that the gain mode at the parity-time symmetric exceptional point exhibits chiral emission. Lastly, we present a readily manufacturable metasurface made from an InGaAs slab, showing that such a metasurface laser can be actively tuned from linear to circular polarization.

physics.optics↗

Valley-dependent emission patterns enabled by plasmonic nanoantennas

Selective control over the emission pattern of valley-polarized excitons in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides is crucial for developing novel valleytronic, quantum information, and optoelectronic devices. While significant progress has been made in directionally routing photoluminescence from these materials, key challenges remain: notably, how to link routing effects to the degree of valley polarization, and how to distinguish genuine valley-dependent routing from spin-momentum coupling - an optical phenomenon related to electromagnetic scattering but not the light source itself. In this study, we address these challenges by experimentally and numerically establishing a direct relationship between the intrinsic valley polarization of the emitters and the farfield emission pattern, enabling an accurate assessment of valley-selective emission routing. We report valley-selective manipulation of the angular emission pattern of monolayer tungsten diselenide mediated by gold nanobar dimer antennas at cryogenic temperature. Experimentally, we study changes in the system's emission pattern for different circular polarization states of the excitation, demonstrating a valley-selective circular dichroism in photoluminescence of 6%. These experimental findings are supported by a novel numerical approach based on the principle of reciprocity, which allows modeling valley-selective emission in periodic systems. We further show numerically, that these valley-selective directional effects are a symmetry-protected property of the nanoantenna array owing to its extrinsic chirality for oblique emission angles, and can significantly be enhanced when tailoring the distribution of emitters. This renders our nanoantenna-based system a robust platform for valleytronic processing.

physics.optics↗

Metasurface-enabled small-satellite polarisation imaging

Polarisation imaging is used to distinguish objects and surface characteristics that are otherwise not visible with black-and-white or colour imaging. Full-Stokes polarisation imaging allows complex image processing like water glint filtering, which is particularly useful for remote Earth observations. The relatively low cost of small-satellites makes their use in remote sensing more accessible. However, their size and weight limitations cannot accommodate the bulky conventional optics needed for full-Stokes polarisation imaging. We present the modelling of an ultra-thin topology-optimised diffractive metasurface that encodes polarisation states in five different diffraction orders. Positioning the metasurface in a telescope's pupil plane allows the diffraction orders to be imaged onto a single detector, resulting in the capability to perform single-shot full-Stokes polarisation imaging of the Earth's surface. The five rectangular image swaths are designed to use the full width of the camera, and then each successive frame can be stitched together as the satellite moves over the Earth's surface, restoring the full field of view achievable with any chosen camera without comprising the on-ground resolution. Each set of four out of the five orders enables the reconstruction of the full polarisation state, and their simultaneous reconstructions allow for error monitoring. The lightweight design and compact footprint of the polarisation imaging optical system achievable with a metasurface is a novel approach to increase the functionality of small satellites while working within their weight and volume constraints.

physics.optics↗

Generation of tunable quantum entanglement via nonlinearity symmetry breaking in semiconductor metasurfaces

Tunable biphoton quantum entanglement generated from nonlinear processes is highly desirable for cutting-edge quantum technologies, yet its tunability is substantially constrained by the symmetry of material nonlinear tensors. Here, we overcome this constraint by introducing symmetry-breaking in nonlinear polarization to generate optically tunable biphoton entanglement at picosecond speeds. Asymmetric optical responses have made breakthroughs in classical applications like non-reciprocal light transmission. We now experimentally demonstrate the nonlinear asymmetry response for biphoton entanglement using a semiconductor metasurface incorporating [110] InGaP nano-resonators with structural asymmetry. We realize continuous tuning of polarization entanglement from near-unentangled states to a Bell state. This tunability can also extend to produce tailored hyperentanglement. Furthermore, our nanoscale entanglement source features an ultra-high coincidence-to-accidental ratio of $\approx7\times10^4$, outperforming existing semiconductor flat optics by two orders of magnitude. Introducing asymmetric nonlinear response in quantum metasurfaces opens new directions for tailoring on-demand quantum states and beyond.

physics.optics↗

Enhanced infrared vision by nonlinear up-conversion in nonlocal metasurfaces

The ability to detect and image short-wave infrared light has important applications in surveillance, autonomous navigation, and biological imaging. However, the current infrared imaging technologies often pose challenges due to their large footprints, large thermal noise, and the inability to augment infrared and visible imaging. Here, we demonstrate infrared imaging by nonlinear up conversion to the visible on an ultra-compact, high-quality lithium niobate resonant metasurface. Images with high conversion efficiency and resolution quality are obtained despite the strong nonlocality of the metasurface. We further show the possibility of edge-detection image processing augmented with direct-up conversion imaging for advanced night vision applications.

physics.optics↗

Metasurface-based Toroidal Lenslet Array Design for Addressing Laser Guide Star Elongation

The Giant Magellan Telescope will use laser tomography adaptive optics to correct for atmospheric turbulence using artificial guide stars created in the sodium layer of the atmosphere (altitude ~95km). The sodium layer has appreciable thickness (~11km) and this results in the laser guide star being an elongated cylinder shape. Wavefront sensing with a Shack-Hartmann is challenging, as subapertures located further away from the laser launch position image an increasingly elongated perspective of the laser guide star. Large detectors can be used to adequately pack and sample the images on the detector, however, this increases readout noise and limits the design space available for the wavefront sensor. To tackle this challenge, we propose an original solution based on nano-engineered meta-optics tailored to produce a spatially varying anamorphic image scale compression. We present meta-lenslet array designs that can deliver ~100% of the full anamorphic image size reduction required for focal lengths down to 8mm, and greater than 50% image size reduction for focal lengths down to 2mm. This will allow greatly improved sampling of the available information across the whole wavefront sensor, while still being a viable design within the limits of current-generation fabrication facilities.

astro-ph.IM↗

Inverse Design of Nonlinear Metasurfaces for Sum Frequency Generation

Sum frequency generation (SFG) has multiple applications, from optical sources to imaging, where efficient conversion requires either long interaction distances or large field concentrations in a quadratic nonlinear material. Metasurfaces provide an essential avenue to enhanced SFG due to resonance with extreme field enhancements with an integrated ultrathin platform. In this work, we formulate a general theoretical framework for multi-objective topology optimization of nanopatterned metasurfaces that facilitate high-efficiency SFG and simultaneously select the emitted direction and tailor the metasurface polarization response. Based on this framework, we present novel metasurface designs showcasing ultimate flexibility in transforming the outgoing nonlinearly generated light for applications spanning from imaging to polarimetry. For example, one of our metasurfaces produces highly polarized and directional SFG emission with an efficiency of over 0.2 cm^2/GW in a 10 nm signal operating bandwidth.

physics.optics↗

Directionally Tunable Co- and Counter-Propagating Photon Pairs from a Nonlinear Metasurface

Nonlinear metasurfaces have recently been established as a new platform for generating photon pairs via spontaneous parametric down-conversion. While for classical harmonic generation in metasurfaces a high level of control over all degrees of freedom of light has been reached, this capability is yet to be developed for photon pair generation. In this work, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate for the first time precise control of the emission angle of photon pairs generated from a nonlinear metasurface. Our measurements show angularly tunable pair-generation with high coincidence-to-accidental ratio for both co- and counter-propagating emission. The underlying principle is the transverse phase-matching of guided-mode resonances with strong angular dispersion in a nonlinear lithium niobate metagrating. We provide a straightforward design strategy for photon pair generation in such a device and find very good agreement between the calculations and experimental results. Here we use all-optical emission angle tuning by means of the pump wavelength, however the principle could be extended to modulation via the electro-optic effect in lithium niobate. In sum, this work provides an important addition to the toolset of sub-wavelength thickness photon pair sources.

physics.optics↗

Engineering Quantum Light Sources with Flat Optics

Quantum light sources are essential building blocks for many quantum technologies, enabling secure communication, powerful computing, precise sensing and imaging. Recent advancements have witnessed a significant shift towards the utilization of ``flat" optics with thickness at subwavelength scales for the development of quantum light sources. This approach offers notable advantages over conventional bulky counterparts, including compactness, scalability, and improved efficiency, along with added functionalities. This review focuses on the recent advances in leveraging flat optics to generate quantum light sources. Specifically, we explore the generation of entangled photon pairs through spontaneous parametric down-conversion in nonlinear metasurfaces, as well as single photon emission from quantum emitters including quantum dots and color centers in 3D and 2D materials. The review covers theoretical principles, fabrication techniques, and properties of these sources, with particular emphasis on the enhanced generation and engineering of quantum light sources using optical resonances supported by nanostructures. We discuss the diverse application range of these sources and highlight the current challenges and perspectives in the field.

physics.optics↗

Optimization of metasurfaces for lasing with symmetry constraints on the modes

The development of active metasurface systems, such as lasing metasurfaces, requires the optimization of multiple modes at the absorption and lasing wavelength bands, including their quality factor, mode profile and angular dispersion. Often, these requirements are contradictory and impossible to obtain with conventional design techniques. Importantly, the properties of the eigenmodes of a metasurface are directly linked to their symmetry, which offers an opportunity to explore mode symmetry as an objective in optimization routines for active metasurface design. Here, we propose and numerically demonstrate a novel multi-objective optimization technique based on symmetry projection operators to quantify the symmetry of the metasurface eigenmodes. We present, as an example, the optimization of a lasing metasurface based on up-converting nano-particles. Our technique allows us to optimize the absorption mode dispersion, as well as the directionality of the lasing emission and therefore offers advantages for novel lasing systems with high directionality and low lasing threshold.

physics.optics↗

Photon pair generation from lithium niobate metasurface with tunable spatial entanglement

Two-photon state with spatial entanglement is an essential resource for testing fundamental laws of quantum mechanics and various quantum applications. Its creation typically relies on spontaneous parametric down-conversion in bulky nonlinear crystals where the tunability of spatial entanglement is limited. Here, we predict that ultrathin nonlinear lithium niobate metasurfaces can generate and diversely tune spatially entangled photon pairs. The spatial properties of photons including the emission pattern, rate, and degree of spatial entanglement are analysed theoretically with the coupled mode theory and Schmidt decomposition method. We show that by leveraging the strong angular dispersion of the metasurface, the degree of spatial entanglement quantified by the Schmidt number can be decreased or increased by changing the pump laser wavelength and a Gaussian beam size. This flexibility can facilitate diverse quantum applications of entangled photon states generated from nonlinear metasurfaces.

physics.optics↗

Polarization engineering of entangled photons from a lithium niobate nonlinear metasurface

Complex polarization states of photon pairs are indispensable in various quantum technologies. Conventional methods for preparing desired two-photon polarization states are realized through bulky nonlinear crystals, which can restrict the versatility and tunability of the generated quantum states due to the fixed crystal nonlinear susceptibility. Here we present a solution using a nonlinear metasurface incorporating multiplexed silica metagratings on a lithium niobate film of 300 nanometer thickness. We fabricate two orthogonal metagratings on a single substrate with an identical resonant wavelength, thereby enabling the spectral indistinguishability of the emitted photons, and demonstrate in experiments that the two-photon polarization states can be shaped by the metagrating orientation. Leveraging this essential property, we formulate a theoretical approach for generating arbitrary polarization-entangled qutrit states by combining three metagratings on a single metasurface, allowing the encoding of desired quantum states or information. Our findings enable miniaturized optically controlled quantum devices using ultrathin metasurfaces as polarization-entangled photon sources.

physics.optics↗

Full conversion of unpolarized to fixed-polarization light with topology optimized metasurfaces

Conventional polarizers and polarization beam splitters have a fundamental limit of 50\% efficiency when converting unpolarized light into one specific polarization. Here, we overcome this restriction and achieve near-complete conversion of unpolarized light to a single pure polarization state at several outputs of topology-optimized metasurfaces. Our fabricated metasurface achieves an extinction ratio approaching 100, when characterized with laboratory measurements. We further demonstrate that arbitrary power splitting can be achieved between three or more polarized outputs, offering flexibility in target illumination. Our results provide a path toward greatly improving the efficiency of common unpolarized light sources in a variety of applications requiring pure polarizations.

physics.optics↗

Meta-Optics with Lithium Niobate

The rapid development of metasurfaces - 2D ensembles of engineered nanostructures - is presently fostering a steady drive towards the miniaturization of many optical functionalities and devices to a subwavelength size. The material platforms for optical metasurfaces are rapidly expanding and for the past few years, we are seeing a surge in establishing meta-optical elements from high-index, highly transparent materials with strong nonlinear and electro-optic properties. Crystalline lithium niobate (LN), a prime material of choice in integrated photonics, has shown great promise for future meta-optical components, thanks to its large electro-optical coefficient, second-order nonlinear response and broad transparency window ranging from the visible to the mid-infrared. Recent advances in nanofabrication technology have indeed marked a new milestone in the miniaturization of LN platforms, hence enabling the first demonstrations of LN-based metasurfaces. These seminal works set the first steppingstone towards the realization of ultra-flat monolithic nonlinear light sources with emission ranging from the visible to the infrared, efficient sources of correlated photon pairs, as well as electro-optical devices. Here, we review these recent advances, discussing potential perspectives for applications in light conversion and modulation shaping as well as quantum optics, with a critical eye on the potential setbacks and limitations of this emerging field.

physics.optics↗

Spatially entangled photon-pairs from lithium niobate nonlocal metasurfaces

Metasurfaces consisting of nano-scale structures are underpinning new physical principles for the creation and shaping of quantum states of light. Multi-photon states that are entangled in spatial or angular domains are an essential resource for quantum imaging and sensing applications, however their production traditionally relies on bulky nonlinear crystals. We predict and demonstrate experimentally the generation of spatially entangled photon pairs through spontaneous parametric down-conversion from a metasurface incorporating a nonlinear thin film of lithium niobate. This is achieved through nonlocal resonances with tailored angular dispersion mediated by an integrated silica meta-grating, enabling control of the emission pattern and associated quantum states of photon pairs by designing the grating profile and tuning the pump frequency. We measure the correlations of photon positions and identify their spatial anti-bunching through violation of the classical Cauchy-Schwartz inequality, witnessing the presence of multi-mode entanglement. Simultaneously, the photon-pair rate is strongly enhanced by 450 times as compared to unpatterned films due to high-quality-factor metasurface resonances, and the coincidence to accidental ratio reaches 5000. These results pave the way to miniaturization of various quantum devices by incorporating ultra-thin metasurfaces functioning as room-temperature sources of quantum-entangled photons.

physics.optics↗

Tunable Unidirectional Nonlinear Emission from Transition-Metal-Dichalcogenide Metasurfaces

Nonlinear light sources are central to a myriad of applications, driving a quest for their miniaturisation down to the nanoscale. In this quest, nonlinear metasurfaces hold a great promise, as they enhance nonlinear effects through their resonant photonic environment and high refractive index, such as in high-index dielectric metasurfaces. However, despite the sub-diffractive operation of dielectric metasurfaces at the fundamental wave, this condition is not fulfilled for the nonlinearly generated harmonic waves, thereby all nonlinear metasurfaces to date emit multiple diffractive beams. Here, we demonstrate the enhanced single-beam second- and third-harmonic generation in a metasurface of crystalline transition-metal-dichalcogenide material, offering the highest refractive index. We show that the interplay between the resonances of the metasurface allows for tuning of the unidirectional second-harmonic radiation in forward or backward direction, not possible in any bulk nonlinear crystal. Our results open new opportunities for metasurface-based nonlinear light-sources, including nonlinear mirrors and entangled-photon generation.

physics.optics↗

Enhanced generation of non-degenerate photon-pairs in nonlinear metasurfaces

We reveal a novel regime of photon-pair generation driven by the interplay of multiple bound states in the continuum resonances in nonlinear metasurfaces. This non-degenerate photon-pair generation is derived from the hyperbolic topology of the transverse phase-matching and can enable orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the photon rate and spectral brightness, as compared to the degenerate regime. We show that the entanglement of the photon-pairs can be tuned by varying the pump polarization, which can underpin future advances and applications of ultra-compact quantum light sources.

physics.optics↗