arXiv subjects

Mohammad Taghinejad

Publications and source records attributed to Mohammad Taghinejad.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nonresonant optomechanical control of structural phases

Optical tweezers demonstrate how light can exert forces to trap, repel, and manipulate microscopic particles without absorption. Recent theory has suggested that such forces can extend beyond particle manipulation to drive structural phase transitions in solids. Here we apply this optomechanical principle to tin selenide (SnSe), a material where proximity to several different structural phases gives rise to its high thermoelectric figure of merit and makes it a candidate for a switchable topological crystalline insulator. Whereas the force for standard optical tweezers arises from a gradient in the intensity of a light field, the optomechanical force is mediated by a gradient in the dielectric constant as a function of phonon coordinate. Unlike conventional methods that rely on resonant excitation and absorption through the imaginary part of the dielectric function, this approach operates dispersively through the real part and can be directly driven by Raman processes, enabling selective transitions with reduced energy cost and ultrafast response. Using time-domain Raman scattering, we show that above a critical mid-infrared field strength the $A_g$ Raman modes disappear abruptly without softening, signaling the formation of a new structural phase. This phase, distinct from those induced by heating or carrier excitation, exhibits large-amplitude and long-lived modulations in its optical response. Complementing this observation, we show also evidence for an equivalent DC-field-driven structural phase transformation to a higher symmetry phase, as observed by atom probe tomography. Our study demonstrates the concept of nonresonant optomechanical phase control and defines novel opportunities for synthesizing hidden structural phases with unique functional properties.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Interfacial control of hot-carrier extraction and photostability in two-dimensional materials

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are promising materials for next-generation optoelectronic devices, yet their implementation is hindered by limited sample stability and challenges in forming reliable electrical contacts. Here, by utilizing time-domain THz emission spectroscopy we directly probe charge carrier dynamics in monolayer WS2 on gold (Au) and fused silica (SiO2) as a function of interface morphology. For laser excitation above the band gap of WS2, we independently extract effective transport times for both electrons and holes and find that discontinuous WS2 contacts on rough Au generate larger net photocurrents than uniform, strongly coupled interfaces - a counterintuitive observation attributed to imbalanced electron and hole transfer from WS2 to Au. Crucially, we demonstrate that ultrafast charge extraction and separation suppress recombination-driven energy release and thereby prevent photo-induced degradation under ambient conditions, eliminating the need for encapsulation. These findings redefine interfacial design as a central control parameter for both performance and stability in 2D optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Acoustic wave modulation of gap plasmon cavities

The role of metallic nanostructures in nanophotonics is expected to expand if ways to electrically manipulate their optical resonances at high speed can be identified. Here, we capitalize on electrically-driven surface acoustic waves and the extreme light concentration afforded by gap plasmons to achieve this goal. We place gold nanoparticles in a particle-on-mirror configuration with a few-nanometer-thick, compressible polymer spacer. Surface acoustic waves are then used to tune light scattering at speeds approaching the GHz regime. We observe evidence that the surface acoustic waves produce mechanical deformations in the polymer, and that ensuing nonlinear mechanical dynamics lead to unexpectedly large levels of strain and spectral tuning. Our approach provides a design strategy for electrically driven dynamic metasurfaces and fundamental explorations of high-frequency, polymer dynamics in ultra-confined geometries.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Ion-Assisted Nanoscale Material Engineering in Atomic Layers

Achieving deterministic control over the properties of low-dimensional materials with nanoscale precision is a long-sought goal. Mastering this capability has a transformative impact on the design of multifunctional electrical and optical devices. Here, we present an ion-assisted synthetic technique that enables precise control over the material composition and energy landscape of two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals. Our method transforms binary transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), like MoSe$_2$, into ternary MoS$_{2α}$Se$_{2(1-α})$ alloys with systematically adjustable compositions, $α$. By piecewise assembly of the lateral, compositionally modulated MoS$_{2α}$Se$_{2(1-α)}$ segments within 2D atomic layers, we present a synthetic pathway towards the realization of multi-compositional designer materials. Our technique enables the fabrication of complex structures with arbitrary boundaries, dimensions as small as 30 nm, and fully customizable energy landscapes. Our optical characterizations further showcase the potential for implementing tailored optoelectronics in these engineered 2D crystals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Optical Synthesis of Transient Chirality in Achiral Plasmonic Metasurfaces

As much as chiral metasurfaces are significant in stereochemistry and polarization control, tunable chiroptical response is important for their dynamic counterparts. A single metasurface device with invertible chiral states can selectively harness or manipulate both handedness of circularly polarized light upon demand, where in fact chiral inversion in molecules is an active research field. Tactics for chirality switching can be classified into geometry modification and refractive index tuning. However, these generally confront slow modulation speed or restrained refractive index tuning effects in the visible regime with forbidden 'true' inversion. Here, we reconfigure the 'optical' geometry through inhomogeneous spatiotemporal distribution of hot carriers as a breakthrough, transforming a plasmonic achiral metasurface into an ultrafast transient chiral medium with near-perfectly-invertible handedness in the visible. The photoinduced chirality relaxes through the fast spatial diffusion process of electron temperature compared to electron-phonon relaxation, empowering hot-carrier-based devices to be particularly suitable for ultrafast chiroptics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Electrically driven programmable phase-change meta-switch reaching 80% efficiency

Despite recent advances in active metaoptics, wide dynamic range combined with high-speed reconfigurable solutions is still elusive. Phase-change materials (PCMs) offer a compelling platform for metasurface optical elements, owing to the large index contrast and fast yet stable phase transition properties. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an in situ electrically-driven reprogrammable metasurface by harnessing the unique properties of a phase-change chalcogenide alloy, Ge$_{2}$Sb$_{2}$Te$_{5}$ (GST), in order to realize fast, non-volatile, reversible, multilevel, and pronounced optical modulation in the near-infrared spectral range. Co-optimized through a multiphysics analysis, we integrate an efficient heterostructure resistive microheater that indirectly heats and transforms the embedded GST film without compromising the optical performance of the metasurface even after several reversible phase transitions. A hybrid plasmonic-PCM meta-switch with a record electrical modulation of the reflectance over eleven-fold (an absolute reflectance contrast reaching 80%), unprecedented quasi-continuous spectral tuning over 250 nm, and switching speed that can potentially reach a few kHz is presented. Our work represents a significant step towards the development of fully integrable dynamic metasurfaces and their potential for beamforming applications.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Dynamic hybrid metasurfaces

Efficient hybrid plasmonic-photonic metasurfaces that simultaneously take advantage of the potential of both pure metallic and all-dielectric nanoantennas are identified as an emerging technology in flat optics. Nevertheless, post-fabrication tunable hybrid metasurfaces are still elusive. Here, we present a reconfigurable hybrid metasurface platform by incorporating the phase-change material Ge$_{2}$Sb$_{2}$Te$_{5}$ (GST) into metal-dielectric meta-atoms for active and non-volatile tuning of properties of light. We systematically design a reduced-dimension meta-atom, which selectively controls the fundamental hybrid plasmonic-photonic resonances of the metasurface via the dynamic change of optical constants of GST without compromising the scattering efficiency. As a proof-of-concept, we experimentally demonstrate miniaturized tunable metasurfaces that control the amplitude and phase of incident light necessary for high-contrast optical switching and anomalous to specular beam deflection, respectively. Finally, we leverage a deep learning-based approach to present an intuitive low-dimensional visualization of the enhanced range of response reconfiguration enabled by the addition of GST. Our findings further substantiate dynamically tunable hybrid metasurfaces as promising candidates for the development of small-footprint energy harvesting, imaging, and optical signal processing devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Metasurfaces for near-eye augmented reality

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to revolutionize the way in which information is presented by overlaying virtual information onto a person's direct view of their real-time surroundings. By placing the display on the surface of the eye, a contact lens display (CLD) provides a versatile solution for compact AR. However, an unaided human eye cannot visualize patterns on the CLD simply because of the limited accommodation of the eye. Here, we introduce a holographic display technology that casts virtual information directly to the retina so that the eye sees it while maintaining the visualization of the real-world intact. The key to our design is to introduce metasurfaces to create a phase distribution that projects virtual information in a pixel-by-pixel manner. Unlike conventional holographic techniques, our metasurface-based technique is able to display arbitrary patterns using a single passive hologram. With a small form-factor, the designed metasurface empowers near-eye AR excluding the need of extra optical elements, such as a spatial light modulator, for dynamic image control.

cs.GR↗

arXiv2015

Nonlinear Raman Shift Induced by Exciton-to-Trion Transformation in Suspended Trilayer MoS2

Layered two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) have recently attracted remarkable attention because of their unique physical properties. Here, we use photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy to study the formation of the so- called trions in a synthesized freestanding trilayer MoS2. A trion is a charged quasi-particle formed by adding one electron or hole to a neutral exciton (a bound electron-hole pair). We demonstrate accurate control over the transformation of excitons to trions by tuning the power of the optical pump (laser). Increasing the power of the excitation laser beyond a certain threshold (~ 4 mW) allows modulation of trion-to-exciton PL intensity ratio as well as the spectral linewidth of both trions and excitons. Via a systematic and complementary Raman analysis we disclose a strong coupling between laser induced exciton-to-trion transformation and the characteristic phononic vibrations of MoS2. The onset of such an optical transformation corresponds to the onset of a previously unknown nonlinear Raman shift of the in-plane (E12g) and out-of-plane (A1g) vibrational modes. This coupling directly affects the well-known linear red-shift of the A1g and E12g vibrations due to heating at low laser powers, and changes it to a nonlinear and non-monotonic dependence with a blue-shift in the high laser power regime. Local reduction of the electron density upon exciton-to-trion transformation is found to be the underlying mechanism for the blue-shift at high laser powers. Our findings enrich our knowledge about the strong coupling of photonic and phononic properties in 2D semiconductors, and enable reliable interpretation of PL and Raman spectra in the high laser power regimes.

physics.optics↗