CEAC-2021-02-February
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with the atomic precision of single-crystal semiconductors,<br />
free (ballistic) electrons interact with an oscillating optical<br />
field.<br />
Synchronizing the optical field with the frequency of the motion<br />
of the free electrons as they bounce within the confines<br />
of the thin conducting layers, forming the composite material,<br />
causes the electrons to resonate, enhancing the reaction<br />
of each electron and creating a metamaterial that works at<br />
higher frequencies. While the researchers were not yet able<br />
to reach the wavelengths of the visible spectrum, they did<br />
get 60% of the way there.<br />
“We showed that there is a physics mechanism that makes<br />
this possible,” Narimanov said. “Before, people did not realize<br />
this was something that could be done. We have opened<br />
the way. We showed it is theoretically possible, and then we<br />
experimentally demonstrated 60 percent improvement in the<br />
operational frequency over existing materials.”<br />
Narimanov originated the idea and then teamed up with<br />
Kun Li, Andrew Briggs, Seth Bank and Daniel Wasserman at<br />
the University of Texas, as well as Evan Simmons and Viktor<br />
Podolskiy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The<br />
University of Texas researchers developed the fabrication<br />
technology, while the Massachusetts Lowell scientists contributed<br />
to the full quantum theory and performed the numerical<br />
simulations to be sure everything functioned as planned.<br />
POWER SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS<br />
Newly developed ballistic optical materials consist of a composite of two<br />
transparent materials, creating a plasmonic material. (Illustration by Evan<br />
Simmons and Kun Li)<br />
“We will keep pushing this frontier,” Narimanov said. “Even<br />
if we are extremely successful, nobody is going to get semiconductor<br />
metamaterials to the visible and near-infrared<br />
spectrum within a year or two. It may take about five years.<br />
But what we have done is provide the material platform. The<br />
bottleneck for photonics is in the material where electrons<br />
and photons can meet on the same length scale, and we<br />
have solved it.”<br />
This work was partially supported by the National Science<br />
Foundation (grants DMR-1629276, DMR-1629330, DMR-<br />
1629570 and ECCS-1926187), the Defense Advanced Research<br />
Projects Agency Nascent Light-Matter Interactions program,<br />
and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.<br />
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Volume 86 · Number 2 | 43
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