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Zhaolong Cao

Publications and source records attributed to Zhaolong Cao.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Towards a universal meta-optics solver via large language models

Metasurface design increasingly requires fast models that can operate across structurally distinct device families, rather than retraining a separate surrogate for every geometry class. Conventional neural network surrogates often depend on fixed-dimensional descriptors, family-specific output formats, and repeated architecture tuning, which limits their scalability across heterogeneous meta-atoms. Here, we present a unified large language model (LLM) workflow for multi-family metasurface modeling and inverse-design. Geometries, design parameters, and optical response channels were converted into a shared instruction-following text format and used to fine-tune Gemma-2-9B across 8 metasurface families. Compared with single-family baselines, the joint model simultaneously predicted the optical responses of all metasurface families while reducing the MSE for each family by an average of 56.5%. The same representation was also used for inverse design. These results show that a shared sequence-based LLM interface can provide a practical route to cross-family metasurface design while reducing the need for task-specific surrogate architectures.

physics.optics

Mitigating Electrode-Induced Polarization Artifacts in Miniaturized Terahertz Detectors via a Ring-Shaped Electrode Design

Terahertz (THz) polarization detection provides critical insights into material properties but faces a fundamental constraint upon miniaturization: subwavelength metallic electrodes induce strong localization and distortion of the incident field, thereby convoluting the intrinsic device response with electrode-induced artifacts. Here, we overcome this limitation with a ring-shaped electrode architecture that suppresses field perturbations across a broad bandwidth from 2.0 to 5.0 THz. The resonant frequency of the ring electrode can be flexibly detuned from the target operation frequency by adjusting its inner and outer radii, while the smooth, edge-free geometry minimizes the lightning-rod effect. These design features collectively lead to a pronounced suppression of localized THz field enhancement. Numerical simulations reveal an 8.48x reduction in the local field strength compared with conventional rod-shaped electrodes. Consistent with this, experimental measurements on graphene-based detectors exhibit a 6.95x decrease in photocurrent for the ring-shaped electrode relative to the rod-shaped configuration. Moreover, the ring geometry effectively reduces the linear polarization ratio of the photocurrent from >3 to <1.4, confirming its effectiveness in mitigating electrode-induced polarization anisotropy. Our design decouples the detection response from electrode-induced artifacts, enabling compact THz detectors that preserve intrinsic signal fidelity for high-quality polarization-resolved imaging and diagnostics.

physics.optics

Fixed-Attention Mechanism for Deep-Learning-Assisted Design of High-Degree-of-Freedom 3D Metamaterials

The traditional design approaches for high-degree-of-freedom metamaterials have been computationally intensive and, in many cases, even intractable due to the vast design space. In this work, we introduce a novel fixed-attention mechanism into a deep learning framework to address the computational challenges of metamaterial design. We consider a 3D plasmonic structure composed of gold nanorods characterized by geometric parameters and demonstrate that a Long Short-Term Memory network with a fixed-attention mechanism can improve the prediction accuracy by 48.09% compared to networks without attention. Additionally, we successfully apply this framework for the inverse design of plasmonic metamaterials. Our approach significantly reduces computational costs, opening the door for efficient real-time optimization of complex nanostructures.

physics.optics

Harmonizing Material Quantity and Terahertz Wave Interference Shielding Efficiency with Metallic Borophene Nanosheets

Materials with electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding in the terahertz (THz) regime, while minimizing the quantity used, are highly demanded for future information communication, healthcare and mineral resource exploration applications. Currently, there is often a trade-off between the amount of material used and the absolute EMI shielding effectiveness (EESt) for the EMI shielding materials. Here, we address this trade-off by harnessing the unique properties of two-dimensional (2D) beta12-borophene (beta12-Br) nanosheets. Leveraging beta12-Br's light weight and exceptional electron mobility characteristics, which represent among the highest reported values to date, we simultaneously achieve a THz EMI shield effectiveness (SE) of 70 dB and an EESt of 4.8E5 dB cm^2/g (@0.87 THz) using a beta12-Br polymer composite. This surpasses the values of previously reported THz shielding materials with an EESt less than 3E5 dB cm^2/g and a SE smaller than 60 dB, while only needs 0.1 wt.% of these materials to realize the same SE value. Furthermore, by capitalizing on the composite's superior mechanical properties, with 158% tensile strain at a Young's modulus of 33 MPa, we demonstrate the high-efficiency shielding performances of conformably coated surfaces based on beta12-Br nanosheets, suggesting their great potential in EMI shielding area.

physics.app-ph

Monolithic Multi-parameter Terahertz Nano-micro Detector Based on Plasmon Polariton Atomic Cavity

Terahertz signals hold significant potential for ultra-wideband communication and high-resolution radar, necessitating miniaturized detectors capable of multi-parameter detection of intensity, frequency, polarization, and phase. Conventional detectors cannot meet these requirements. Here, we propose plasmon polariton atomic cavities (PPAC) made from single-atom-thick graphene, demonstrating the monolithic multifunctional miniaturized detector. With a footprint one-tenth the incident wavelength, the detector offers benchmarking intensity-, frequency-, and polarization-sensitive detection, rapid response, and sub-diffraction spatial resolution, all operating at room temperature across 0.22 to 4.24 THz. We present the monolithic detection applications for free-space THz polarization-coded communication and stealth imaging of physical properties. These results showcase the PPAC's unique ability to achieve strong absorption and weak signal detection with a thickness of only 10^-5 of the excitation wavelength, which is inaccessible with other approaches.

physics.app-ph

Intrinsic 1T' phase induced in atomically thin 2H-MoTe$_2$ by a single terahertz pulse

Polymorphic transitions in layered transition metal dichalcogenides provide an excellent platform for discovering exotic phenomena associated with metastable states, ranging from topological phase transitions to enhanced superconductivity. In particular, the transition from 2H to 1T'-MoTe$_2$, which was thought to be induced by high-energy photon irradiation among many other means, has been intensely studied for its technological relevance in nanoscale transistors. Despite the remarkable electrical performance arising from this 2H-to-1T' transition, it remains controversial whether a crystalline 1T' phase is produced because optical signatures of this putative transition are found to be associated with the formation of elemental Te clusters instead. Here, we demonstrate the creation of an intrinsic 1T' lattice after irradiating a mono- or few-layer 2H-MoTe$_2$ with a single field-enhanced terahertz pulse, whose low photon energy limits possible structural damage by optical pulses. To visualize the temporal evolution of this irreversible transition, we further develop a single-shot terahertz pump-second harmonic probe technique, and we find that the transition out of the 2H phase occurs within 10 ns after photoexcitation. Our results not only resolve the long-standing debate over the light-induced polymorphic transition in MoTe$_2$, they also highlight the unique capability of strong-field terahertz pulses in manipulating the structure of quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall