AIPLAB — Adaptive & Integrated Photonics Lab

Adaptive & Integrated Photonics Lab

Nanoparticle design

Nanoparticles can have well-defined interactions with light. By inverse design methods we explore the options and optimize nanoparticle size, shape, and materials composition to facilitate desired optical responses.

Adaptive photonic materials

We perform simulations of adaptive photonic materials based on nanoparticle structures. Thereby we combine knowledge of the interaction of the nanoparticles with light, inter-particle interactions, and external perturbations. Hereby we try to achieve bistable particle patterns/sturctures between which we can switch by external triggers, while the two stable state should have different optical response functions. The idea is similar to liquid crystal structures but with nanoparticles as basis, enhancing the space of possibilities.

Experimental setup designs

The theoretically designed nanoparticles and structures from our computational models are tested with dedicated experimental setups where we utilize imaging and spectroscopy to assess their correctness and give feedback to the theoretical models.

Optical integrated circuit elements

We design optical transistors, switches, logical gates and memory units, based on scattering simulation models and inverse design algorithms.

Vision of AIPLAB

At AIPLAB (pronounced as "ape-lab") we try to design novel photonic integrated circuit elements by leveraging the scattering properties of nanoparticles. We specifically focus on high refraction index semi-conductor materials and use the shape and particles' material composition in order to tune optical response. Designing clusters or pattern configuration of these particles provides us with very specific scattering characteristics which are used to develop "Mie-tronics", or circuit elements such as beam splitters, logical gates, microlasers. We first design the circuit elements by means of numerical simulations and afterwards work towards experimental prototypes.