As abstract as these questions may seem, nanophotonics is essential for understanding and manipulating photon interactions for advancement in diverse areas, from cancer diagnosis to quantum computing.
Nanophotonics is a branch of physics that explores the interactions between light and matter at the nanometre scale. A growing interest in conductive oxide materials, such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), is due to its optical properties, which are highly temperature-dependent and therefore sensitive to laser excitation. In fact, by placing a thin film of ITO near nanoparticles, the resonance frequency of these nanoparticles can be adjusted simply by heating the ITO with ultrashort laser pulses.
Through an academic partnership, Professor Lora Ramunno and Professor Israel De Leon of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (México), aim to model tunable or “active” metamaterials—artificial materials that have optical properties not found in nature—using laser excitation. The two physicists combine theoretical knowledge with laboratory expertise to model the response of ITO. This work requires multi-physics simulations that take into account both the electromagnetic and thermal processes in the ITO. Moving forward, they plan to use their computational design capabilities to create tunable, nonlinear optical metasurfaces for applications in optical communication, computation and flat optical devices, among others.
This collaboration not only allows Prof. Ramunno and her team to develop multi-physics simulations, but it also provides valuable connections to experimental research. As for her collaborators, they gain insight from Prof. Ramunno’s computations and her group’s access to state-of-the-art supercomputers capable of simulating complex electromagnetic systems with a high degree of accuracy. This collaborative work is enabled by the NanoFab facility at the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Research in Photonics, where Professor Robert Boyd’s group will fabricate ITO-based nanophotonic devices that will be used to validate their modelling approach. Professor Ramunno shares that “this project can push the University of Ottawa further to the forefront of research in the field of nanophotonics, and more specifically active metasurfaces.”
Professor Ramunno is pleased to be working with Professor De Leon, a skilled researcher who shares a passion for nanophotonics and enthusiasm for the applications that their partnership may bring. Interestingly, Professor De Leon is an alumnus of the University of Ottawa, having done his PhD work with Professor Pierre Berini and his post-doctoral work with Professor Robert Boyd. This international collaboration is a strong testimonial of the long-lasting bond that can be created between students and faculty members as well as between academic institutions.
