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Falk Eilenberger

Publications and source records attributed to Falk Eilenberger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Fabrication-Aware Design of a Hybrid Metasurface-Bragg Mirror for Low-Noise Precision Optics

High-reflectivity coatings for precision interferometry must simultaneously minimize optical losses and thermally driven displacement noise. Dielectric Bragg mirrors provide robust high reflectance but rely on thick multilayer coatings, whereas metasurface mirrors provide high reflectance and low noise but are sensitive to fabrication-induced deviations. A fabrication-aware hybrid mirror concept is introduced that combines a resonant single-layer metasurface, an etch-stop layer, an antiresonant spacer, and a reduced Bragg reflector. Fabrication effects, including geometric tolerances and line-edge roughness, are explicitly considered in the optical design. Full-wave electromagnetic simulations are combined with a truncated-Gaussian Monte Carlo analysis to determine the performance distribution under the assumed fabrication conditions. The ideal metasurface design achieves a modeled non-reflected power of $1-R<10^{-5}$. After roughness-aware reoptimization, the modeled non-reflected power remains below $1.04\cdot10^{-4}$ at $80\%$ fabrication yield. For the cryogenic ETpathfinder gravitational-wave testbed, two Bragg layer pairs reduce the non-reflected power of the complete stack to approximately $6.6\,\mathrm{ppm}$. The estimated thermal displacement-noise amplitude spectral density is $1.97\cdot10^{-20}\,\mathrm{m/\sqrt{Hz}}$ at $100\,\mathrm{Hz}$. The architecture connects fabrication robustness, optical performance, and thermal-noise reduction within a single design framework.

physics.optics

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

Coherent interaction of WS$_2$ and quasi-2D perovskite excitons over micrometer distances via a cavity field

The coherent coupling of cavity-confined photons and excitonic matter resonances leads to the formation of cavity polaritons, hybrid light-matter quasi-particles. If multiple exciton resonances couple to the same photonic mode, the resulting polariton constitutes a coherent interaction between matter resonances that can be spatially separated without any direct electronic coupling. In this work, we demonstrate the formation of such a coherent coupling at room temperature using an open optical cavity containing two distinct van der Waals materials - monolayer WS2 and layered quasi-2D halide perovskites (HaPs) - separated by $1.5 μ\rm m$. The system forms three polariton branches, with the middle branch possessing nearly equal fractions of both excitons and the photonic mode. White-light reflectivity and luminescence measurements are in good agreement with simulations using a coupled harmonic oscillator and a microscopic Wannier-Hopfield framework. Our results lay the foundation to combine highly complementary degrees of freedom in 2D materials in an in-situ tunable fashion to enable new polaritonic functionalities.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Universal computational super-resolution framework for imaging of quantum dots

We present a universal deep-learning method that reconstructs super-resolved images of quantum emitters from a single camera frame measurement. Trained on physics-based synthetic data spanning diverse point-spread functions, aberrations, and noise, the network generalizes across experimental conditions without system-specific retraining. We validate the approach on low- and high-density In(Ga)As quantum dots and strain-induced dots in 2D monolayer WSe$_2$, resolving overlapping emitters even under low signal-to-noise and inhomogeneous backgrounds. By eliminating calibration and iterative acquisitions, this single-shot strategy enables rapid, robust computational super-resolution for nanoscale characterization and quantum photonic device fabrication.

quant-ph

Charge Tunable Optical Nonlinearity of Moiré Exciton-Polaritons

Transition metal dichalcogenides represent a versatile platform to study strong light-matter interactions based on excitons and electrons in ordered lattices. Twist-engineering of moiré structures further enables the manipulation of the polaritonic nonlinearities via engineering the exciton landscape on the nanoscale. In this work, we demonstrate in-situ control of the optical saturation-based nonlinearity of moiré exciton-polaritons by phase space restriction via charge doping. Strong exciton-photon coupling is established in a gate-controllable MoTe$_2$-MoSe$_2$ heterobilayer, embedded in a spectrally-tunable open cavity. A small gate voltage can effectively lower the necessary polariton density by one order of magnitude to achieve a similar nonlinear saturation effect as in the charge-neutral case. Our microscopic description successfully explains the observed phenomena in the framework of Pauli blocking for the moiré superlattices with charge preoccupation.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Direct Wafer Bonding of Crystal-Ion-Sliced GaP Thin Films for Photonic Applications

Gallium phosphide (GaP) is a promising material platform for integrated photonics because of its high refractive index, broad optical transparency, and strong second-order nonlinear response. Here, we demonstrate GaP-on-insulator thin films fabricated by crystal ion slicing and direct wafer bonding, using fused silica and SiO$_2$/Si/Si thermally oxidized silicon substrates as representative platforms. Unlike GaP thin-film platforms that rely on heteroepitaxial growth or sacrificial-layer release, the presented approach enables the flexible integration of crystalline GaP thin films, independent of both donor and target substrates. Following post-transfer annealing, the films exhibit near-bulk crystalline quality with low residual strain, smooth surfaces suitable for nanophotonic fabrication, and homogeneous bonding interfaces. Furthermore, annealing restores the linear optical dispersion (n and k) approaching that of epitaxially grown GaP with estimated plane wave absorption loss of 0.9 dB/cm at 1550 nm in the telecom C-band. The demonstrated approach establishes a scalable pathway toward high-quality GaP thin-film photonics compatible with versatile heterogeneous integration and back-end-of-line CMOS processing.

physics.optics

Strong coupling regimes of an organic exciton mirror in a microcavity

The coherent, periodic energy transfer between light- and matter excitations characterizes the strong coupling regime of cavity exciton-polaritons, resulting, in the simplest case, in a Rabi-doublet in the spectral domain. We demonstrate a peculiar regime of strong light-matter coupling, which arises when photonic cavity modes couple to an ultra-thin excitonic mirror. We embed a 12 nm J-aggregated thin film in an open microcavity and tune the coupling strength from weak to the onset of ultrastrong coupling. At resonance, the excitonic mirror selectively changes dielectric to metallic field boundary conditions adding a 2π phase, which links optical cavity modes of different order. Our work gives an exciting perspective to ultra-fast cavity switches and photonic devices based on excitonic optical elements.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Demonstration of a Monolithic and Fully Telecom-Fiber-Compatible Tunable Source of Polarization Entangled Photon Pairs Based on a van der Waals Material

We present a tunable, single-mode-optical-fiber-based source of polarization entangled photon pairs for the near-infrared telecommunication band that is deployable in standard infrastructure. The photon pairs are generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) in a submicron-scale thin film of the inversion-broken rhombohedral polytype of the transition metal dichalcogenide molybdenum disulfide (3R-MoS$_2$), located between two fiber connectors. By exploiting the intrinsic symmetries of the second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor of 3R-MoS$_2$, this hybrid approach offers control over the generated two-photon polarization state through the incident pump polarization. Most notably, two of the four maximally entangled Bell states, as well as fully co-polarized pairs can be produced. This represents a substantial improvement in terms of tunability and simplicity over established fiber-integrated sources, which require additional optical elements, precise alignment, or careful engineering of design parameters. Additionally, a nonlinear drop in the background photoluminescence signal of 3R-MoS$_2$ is observed at low pump powers, allowing us to reach a coincidences-to-accidentals ratio (CAR) of $(8.3\pm1.8)\times10^{3}$, the highest value recorded for SPDC in van der Waals materials to date.

quant-ph

Sparse Spectral Imaging for Thickness Mapping of 3R-MoS$_2$ on PDMS

We present a non-destructive, spatially resolved thickness characterization method for rhombohedral (3R) molybdenum disulfide (MoS$_2$) on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. Unlike broadband spectroscopic approaches, the proposed method reduces the measurement to a small number of discrete intensity images, enabling direct thickness mapping with a conventional microscope architecture and commercially available bandpass filters. Our approach combines a systematic framework for selecting optimal discrete wavelength samples of the material's reflectance with a robust thickness retrieval algorithm based on a multivariate Gaussian probability model. By sampling the reflectance with just five strategically chosen near-infrared bandpass filters, we demonstrate thickness characterization up to 691 nm with a mean 95% confidence-interval width of 8.3 nm. The method is adaptable to other van der Waals materials and conventional optical thin-film systems. It therefore provides a foundation for scalable, real-time thickness characterization in, e.g., dry-transfer fabrication workflows, where thickness screening remains a critical bottleneck for the production of van der Waals heterostructure devices.

physics.optics

Beyond Bragg-Mirrors for Gravitational Wave Telescopes: A Fabrication Tolerant Hybrid Metasurface-Bragg Mirror Design

Coating thermal noise in high-reflectivity test-mass mirrors is a major limitation for future gravitational-wave detectors, especially in the 10--300 Hz band. ET-Pathfinder therefore requires mirror coatings that combine very high reflectance at 1.55 micrometer with low thermal noise under cryogenic conditions. Conventional dielectric Bragg mirrors provide high reflectance but require thick coatings, whereas metasurface mirrors can reduce coating-related noise but are limited by fabrication tolerances and line-edge roughness. We present a hybrid metasurface--Bragg mirror concept tailored to ET-Pathfinder. The design combines a fabrication-tolerant one-layer metasurface, an anti-resonant Fabry--Perot spacer, and a reduced dielectric Bragg stack. Optical performance is evaluated using full-wave electromagnetic simulations, while fabrication robustness is assessed with a truncated-Gaussian Monte Carlo analysis. Line-edge roughness is included as a systematic edge-smoothing effect. The resulting reflectance distributions are used to determine the minimum Bragg-stack support required to meet system-level specifications. The ideal metasurface exceeds 99.999% reflectance. When fabrication uncertainties and line-edge roughness are included, the metasurface reflectance is limited to about 99.9% at the 95% yield level. The remaining transmission can be compensated by a supporting Bragg stack with as few as seven layer pairs. For this configuration, the hybrid mirror achieves a total thermal displacement noise about one order of magnitude below the projected ET-Pathfinder coating-noise budget. These results show that fabrication-limited metasurface reflectance can be compensated within a hybrid architecture, enabling reduced coating thickness and thermal noise for next-generation gravitational-wave detectors.

astro-ph.IM

Quantum simulation of wave optics in weakly inhomogeneous media using block-encoding

We propose a quantum algorithm that simulates the propagation of a light field through a weakly inhomogeneous medium. The wave equation in the paraxial approximation in inhomogeneous material takes the form of the Schrödinger equation with a time-dependent Hamiltonian. This reduction is used to simulate wave optical dynamics on a quantum computer. Beam propagator operators for a short propagation distance are constructed using an efficient and flexible block-encoding that enables the simulation of various optical setups. The algorithm is showcased by simulating the propagation of a 1D Gaussian beam through a lens with a finite thickness, and the resulting spherical aberrations are demonstrated.

quant-ph

Stabilizing van der Waals NbOI2 by SiO2 encapsulation for Photonic Applications

Niobium oxide diiodide (NbOI2) is an emerging material for photonics and electronics, distinguished by its exceptional second-order nonlinearity and pronounced in-plane ferroelectricity, both originating from its highly anisotropic ABC-stacked crystal structure. Its broken inversion symmetry enables its optical nonlinear efficiency to scale with thickness, making multilayer NbOI2 highly promising for nonlinear frequency conversion like second harmonic generation or and spontaneous parametric down-conversion in bulk or waveguides. However, under ambient conditions NbOI2 degrades into an amorphous oxide within weeks, severely diminishing its nonlinear response. To overcome this, we investigate SiO2 encapsulation via physical vapor deposition to protect NbOI2 multilayers from environmental degradation. Our systematic study reveals that encapsulation preserves structural integrity and nonlinear optical performance, establishing NbOI2 as a stable candidate for heterogeneous integration in foundry-compatible photonic platforms and quantum technologies.

physics.optics

Exciton-polariton condensate in the van der Waals magnet CrSBr

Van der Waals magnets are an emergent material class of paramount interest for fundamental studies in coupling light with matter excitations, which are uniquely linked to their underlying magnetic properties. Among these materials, the semiconducting magnet CrSBr is possibly a first playground where we can study simultaneously the interaction of photons, magnons, and excitons at the quantum level. Here we demonstrate a coherent macroscopic quantum phase, the bosonic condensation of exciton-polaritons, emerging in a CrSBr flake embedded in a fully tunable cryogenic open optical cavity. The Bose condensate is characterized by a highly non-linear threshold-like behavior, and coherence manifests distinctly via its first and second order quantum correlations. We find that the condensate's non-linearity is highly susceptible to the magnetic order in CrSBr. Specially, it can encounter a sign change from attractive to repulsive interactions when the intrinsic antiferromagnetic order transforms to the forced ferromagnetic order. Our findings open a route towards magnetically controllable quantum fluids of light, and optomagnonic devices where spin magnetism is coupled to on-chip Bose-Einstein condensates.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Intrinsically chiral exciton polaritons in an atomically-thin semiconductor

Photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs) have emerged as a versatile tool for enhancing light-matter interactions by strongly confining light fields. Chiral BICs are photonic resonances with a high degree of circular polarisation, which hold great promise for spin-selective applications in quantum optics and nanophotonics. Here, we demonstrate a novel application of a chiral BIC for inducing strong coupling between the circularly polarised photons and spin-polarised (valley) excitons (bound electron-hole pairs) in atomically-thin transition metal dichalcogenide crystals (TMDCs). By placing monolayer WS$_2$ onto the BIC-hosting metasurface, we observe the formation of intrinsically chiral, valley-selective exciton polaritons, evidenced by circularly polarised photoluminescence (PL) at two distinct energy levels. The PL intensity and degree of circular polarisation of polaritons exceed those of uncoupled excitons in our structure by an order of magnitude. Our microscopic model shows that this enhancement is due to folding of the Brillouin zone creating a direct emission path for high-momenta polaritonic states far outside the light cone, thereby providing a shortcut to thermalisation (energy relaxation) and suppressing depolarisation. Moreover, while the polarisation of the upper polariton is determined by the valley excitons, the lower polariton behaves like an intrinsic chiral emitter with its polarisation fixed by the BIC. Therefore, the spin alignment of the upper and lower polaritons ($\uparrow\downarrow$ and $\uparrow \uparrow$) can be controlled by $σ^+$ and $σ^-$ polarised optical excitation, respectively. Our work introduces a new type of chiral light-matter quasi-particles in atomically-thin semiconductors and provides an insight into their energy relaxation dynamics.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Tunable WS$_2$ Micro-Dome Open Cavity Single Photon Source

Versatile, tunable, and potentially scalable single-photon sources are a key asset in emergent photonic quantum technologies. In this work, a single-photon source based on WS$_2$ micro-domes, created via hydrogen ion irradiation, is realized and integrated into an open, tunable optical microcavity. Single-photon emission from the coupled emitter-cavity system is verified via the second-order correlation measurement, revealing a $g^{(2)}(τ=0)$ value of 0.3. A detailed analysis of the spectrally selective, cavity enhanced emission features shows the impact of a pronounced acoustic phonon emission sideband, which contributes specifically to the non-resonant emitter-cavity coupling in this system. The achieved level of cavity-emitter control highlights the potential of open-cavity systems to tailor the emission properties of atomically thin quantum emitters, advancing their suitability for real-world quantum technology applications.

quant-ph

Thickness-dependence of Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Multilayer 3R-MoS2

3R-MoS2, a MoS2 polytype with broken inversion symmetry, enables unique light-matter interactions and is promising for linear and nonlinear integrated photonics beyond the monolayer limit. Yet, systematic studies of its thickness-dependent reflectivity and its impact on harmonic generation are still lacking. . Yet, systematic studies of its thickness-dependent reflectivity and its impact on harmonic generation are still lacking. Here, we introduce a non-destructive optical method to determine the thickness of 3r-MoS2 flakes from reflectivity measurements, offering AFM-like precision with a mean bias of less than 2 nm range, while being much faster and applicable to non-solid substrates such as PDMS, in the 3-200 nm range. Nonlinear characterization further reveals distinct thickness-dependent maxima in second- and third-harmonic generation (SHG/THG), with the first clear peak at ~200 nm. These maxima arise from Fabry-Pérot-type phase matching conditions mediated by the film thickness and can further be shaped by absorption. This work thus provides both a practical thickness metrology and new insights for exploiting thickness-dependent 3R-MoS2 nonlinearities in scalable photonic technologies.

physics.optics

Role of Coherence in Polarization Response of Hybrid Monolayer MoS$_2$-Gold Nanoparticle Systems

Monolayers of transition metal dichacogenides show strong second-order nonlinearity and symmetry-driven selection rules from their three-fold lattice symmetry. This process resembles the valley-contrasting selection rules for photoluminescence in these materials. However, the underlying physical mechanisms fundamentally differ since second harmonic generation is a coherent process, whereas photoluminescence is incoherent, leading to distinct interactions with photonic nanoresonators. In this study, we investigate the far-field circular polarization properties of second harmonic generation from MoS$_2$ monolayers resonantly interacting with spherical gold nanoparticles. Our results indicate that the coherence of the second harmonic allows its polarization to be mostly preserved, unlike in an incoherent process, where the polarization is scrambled. These findings provide important insights for future applications in valleytronics and quantum nanooptics, where both coherent and incoherent processes can be probed in such hybrid systems without altering sample geometry or operational wavelength.

physics.optics

Structural and Optical Properties of Crystal Ion Sliced BaTiO$_3$ Thin Films

Barium titanate (BaTiO$_3$) is a compelling material for integrated photonics due to its strong electro-optic and second-order nonlinear properties. Crystal Ion Slicing (CIS) presents a scalable and CMOS-compatible route for fabricating thin BaTiO$_3$ films; however, ion implantation during CIS introduces lattice damage that can degrade structural and optical performance. In this study, we demonstrate that post-slicing thermal annealing effectively restores the structural integrity and optical quality of CIS-processed BaTiO$_3$ flakes. Raman spectroscopy confirms the recovery of crystallinity, while second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy reveals systematic reorientation of ferroelectric domains and restoration of the associated second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor $X^{(2)}$. Notably, SHG signals persist even in regions with weak Raman signatures, indicating that long-range ferroelectric order can survive despite partial lattice disruption. Optical measurements show that the linear dispersion of annealed CIS flakes closely matches that of bulk BaTiO$_3$, validating their suitability for photonic integration. Together, these results qualify CIS - combined with thermal annealing - as a viable and scalable manufacturing strategy for high-quality BaTiO$_3$-on-insulator (BTOI) platforms, enabling advanced integrated photonic devices for modulation, frequency conversion, and quantum optics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci