Spatially variant photonic crystal apparatus, methods, and applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10824045-B2
Application number	US-201715627060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 17, 2016
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed compositions and devices that include a spatially-variant lattice (SVL), such as spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPC), as well as methods for making and using the same. In particular, the compositions and devices include SVPCs that are configured for manipulating the path and/or properties of electromagnetic radiation flowing through the SVPC in a variety of ways.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiplexing apparatus, comprising:
a controllably-modified spatially variant lattice, wherein, in an unmodified form, the spatially-variant lattice includes a plurality of unit cells characterized by at least a size, a shape, a symmetry, a pattern, an orientation, a periodicity, a fill-factor, a chirality, self-collimation, and a lattice spacing, further wherein, in a controllably-modified form, the spatially-variant lattice is characterized by at least two contemporaneously-varied characteristics of the plurality of unit cells selected from the group of at least a controllably-modified size of the unit cells, a controllably-modified functionally graded orientation of the unit cells, a controllably-modified functionally graded fill-factor of the unit cells, a controllably-modified functionally graded lattice spacing, a controllably-modified spatially varied pattern within the unit cells, a controllably-modified spatially varied rotation of the unit cells, a controllably-modified spatially varied lattice symmetry, and a controllably-modified chirality of the unit cells, such that the controllably-modified spatially-variant lattice enables at least two multiplexed functions of a transmission between an input and an output of the lattice.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spatially variant lattice is a spatially variant photonic crystal (SVPC).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lattice spacing is 0.1λ 0 to 1.0λ 0 .

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unit cell is one of a cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, and hexagonal unit cell.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unit cells of the lattice comprise at least one material selected from a polymer, a photoresist, a chemically amplified resist, a chalcogenide, a semiconductor, a network solid, a glass, a metal, an alloy, a liquid crystal, a liquid crystal polymer, a polymer composite, nanoparticles, or a nanoparticle composite.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor is silicon or gallium nitride, gallium arsenide, or silicon nitride.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the material is a glassy or crystalline oxide, including but not limited to silica, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, and aluminum oxide.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lattice is configured to flow electromagnetic radiation having a vacuum wavelength of A 0 to a common location independent of angle and/or position of incidence.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two multiplexed functions are selected from the group of at least focusing, bending, collimating, lensing, steering, relaying, imaging, splitting, combining, filtering, rotating, polarizing, processing, switching, performing a logic function, mode coupling/decoupling, controlling an intensity, controlling a power, and controlling a phase of the transmission between the input and the output of the lattice.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission is one of electromagnetic, vibrational, fluidic.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmission is an optical beam.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lattice comprises multiple regions, further wherein each region enables at least three multiplexed functions.

13. The multiplexing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a material within a volume of the lattice that is not part of the lattice itself, called the interstitial regions, is one of a vacuum, air, a gas, condensed matter, a solution, a polymer, a chalcogenide, a semiconductor, a network solid, an oxide glass, a metal, an alloy, a liquid crystal, a liquid crystal polymer, a polymer composite, nanoparticles, or a nanoparticle composite.

14. A method for multiplexing a spatially variant lattice apparatus, comprising:
providing a spatially-variant lattice that includes a plurality of unit cells characterized by at least a size, a shape, a symmetry, a pattern, an orientation, a periodicity, a fill-factor, a chirality, and a lattice spacing; and
contemporaneously varying at least two characteristics of the plurality of unit cells selected from the group of at least a controllably-modified size of the unit cells, a controllably-modified functionally graded orientation of the unit cells, a controllably-modified functionally graded fill-factor of the unit cells, a controllably-modified functionally graded lattice spacing, a controllably-modified spatially varied pattern within the unit cells, a controllably-modified spatially varied rotation of the unit cells, a controllably-modified spatially varied lattice symmetry, and a controllably-modified chirality of the unit cells, enabling at least two multiplexed functions of a transmission between an input and an output of the lattice.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising multiplexing at least two functions of a transmission between an input and an output of the spatially-variant lattice selected from the group of at least focusing, bending, collimating, lensing, steering, relaying, imaging, splitting, combining, filtering, rotating, polarizing, processing, switching, performing a logic function, mode coupling/decoupling, controlling an intensity, controlling a power, and controlling a phase of the transmission between the input and the output of the lattice.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the transmission is an electromagnetic wave/beam.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the transmission is an optical wave/beam.

Assignees

• Univ Central Florida Res Found Inc
• Univ Of Central Florida Research Foundation
• The Univ Of Texas At El Paso

Inventors

• Rumpf Raymond C
• Kuebler Stephen
• Martinez Noel P
• Valle Cesar Luis

Classifications

• G02F1/293 Primary

  by another light beam, i.e. opto-optical deflection · CPC title

• G02F2202/32

  Photonic crystals · CPC title

• G02F2201/38

  Anti-reflection arrangements · CPC title