Matching Items (6)
Description
Reconfigurable metasurfaces (RMSs) are promising solutions for beamforming and sensing applications including 5G and beyond wireless communications, satellite and radar systems, and biomarker sensing. In this work, three distinct RMS architectures – reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), meta-transmission lines (meta-TLs), and substrate integrated waveguide leaky-wave antennas (SIW-LWAs) are developed and characterized. The ever-increasing demand for higher data rates and lower latencies has propelled the telecommunications industry to adopt higher frequencies for 5G and beyond wireless communications. However, this transition to higher frequencies introduces challenges in terms of signal coverage and path loss. Many base stations would be necessary to ensure signal fidelity in such a setting, making bulky phased array-based solutions impractical. Consequently, to meet the unique needs of 5G and beyond wireless communication networks, this work proposes the use of RISs characterized by low-profile, low-RF losses, low-power consumption, and high-gain capabilities, making them excellent candidates for future wireless communication applications. Specifically, RISs at sub-6GHz, mmWave and sub-THz frequencies are analyzed to demonstrate their ability to improve signal strength and coverage.
Further, a linear meta-TL wave space is designed to achieve miniaturization of true-time delay beamforming structures such as Rotman lenses which are traditionally bulky. To address this challenge, a modified lumped element TL model is proposed. A meta-TL is created by including the mutual coupling effects and can be used to slow down the electromagnetic signal and realize miniaturized lenses. A proof-of-concept 1D meta-TL is developed to demonstrate about 90% size reduction and 40% bandwidth improvement.
Furthermore, a conformable antenna design for radio frequency-based tracking of hand gestures is also detailed. SIW-LWA is employed as the radiating element to couple RF signals into the human hand. The antenna is envisaged to be integrated in a wristband topology and capture the changes in the electric field caused by various movements of the hand. The scattering parameters are used to track the changes in the wrist anatomy. Sensor characterization showed significant sensitivity suppression due to lossy multi-dielectric nature tissues in the wrist. However, the sensor demonstrates good coupling of electromagnetic energy making it suitable for on-body wireless communications and magnetic resonance imaging applications.
ContributorsKashyap, Bharath Gundappa (Author) / Trichopoulos, Georgios C (Thesis advisor) / Balanis, Constantine A (Committee member) / Aberle, James T (Committee member) / Alkhateeb, Ahmed (Committee member) / Imani, Seyedmohammedreza F (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Nanophotonics studies the interaction of light with nanoscale devices and nanostructures. This thesis focuses on developing nanoscale devices for optical modulation (saturable absorber and all-optical modulator) and investigating light scattering from nanoparticles for underwater navigation and energy sector application. Saturable absorbers and all-optical modulators are essential to generate ultrashort high-power laser pulses and high-speed communications. Graphene-based devices are broadband, ultrafast, and compatible with different substrates and fibers. Nevertheless, the required fluence to saturate or modulate the optical signal with graphene is still high to realize low-threshold, compact broadband devices, which are essential for many applications. This dissertation emphasizes that the strong light-matter interaction in graphene-plasmonic hybrid metasurface greatly enhances monolayer graphene’s saturable absorption and optical signal modulation effect while maintaining graphene’s ultrafast carrier dynamics. Furthermore, based on this concept, simulation models and experimental demonstrations are presented in this dissertation to demonstrate both subwavelength (~λ/5 in near-infrared and ~λ/10 in mid-infrared) thick graphene-based saturable absorber (with record-low saturation fluence (~0.1μJ/cm2), and ultrashort recovery time (~60fs) at near-infrared wavelengths) and all-optical modulators ( with 40% reflection modulation at 6.5μm with ~55μJ/cm2 pump fluence and ultrafast relaxation time of ~1ps at 1.56μm with less than 8μJ/cm2 pump fluence).
Underwater navigation is essential for various underwater vehicles. However, there is no reliable method for underwater navigation. This dissertation presents a numerical simulation model and algorithm for navigation based on underwater polarization mapping data. With the methods developed, for clear water in the swimming pool, it is possible to achieve a sun position error of 0.35˚ azimuth and 0.03˚ zenith angle, and the corresponding location prediction error is ~23Km. For turbid lake water, a location determination error of ~100Km is achieved. Furthermore, maintenance of heliostat mirrors and receiver tubes is essential for properly operating concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. This dissertation demonstrates a fast and field deployable inspection method to measure the heliostat mirror soiling levels and receiver tube defect detection based on polarization images. Under sunny and clear sky conditions, accurate reflection efficiency (error ~1%) measurement for mirrors with different soiling levels is achieved, and detection of receiver tube defects is demonstrated.
ContributorsRafique, Md Zubair Ebne (Author) / Yao, Yu (Thesis advisor) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Committee member) / Sukharev, Maxim (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Polarization detection and control techniques play essential roles in various applications, including optical communication, polarization imaging, chemical analysis, target detection, and biomedical diagnosis. Conventional methods for polarization detection and polarization control require bulky optical systems. Flat optics opens a new way for ultra-compact, lower-cost devices and systems for polarization detection and control. However, polarization measurement and manipulating devices with high efficiency and accuracy in the mid-infrared (MIR) range remain elusive. This dissertation presented design concepts and experimental demonstrations of full-Stokes parameters detection and polarization generation devices based on chip-integrated plasmonic metasurfaces with high performance and record efficiency. One of the significant challenges for full-Stokes polarization detection is to achieve high-performance circular polarization (CP) filters. The first design presented in this dissertation is based on the direct integration of plasmonic quarter-wave plate (QWP) onto gold nanowire gratings. It is featured with the subwavelength thickness (~500nm) and extinction ratio around 16. The second design is based on the anisotropic thin-film interference between two vertically integrated anisotropic plasmonic metasurfaces. It provides record high efficiency (around 90%) and extinction ratio (>180). These plasmonic CP filters can be used for circular, elliptical, and linear polarization generation at different wavelengths. The maximum degree of circular polarization (DOCP) measured from the sample achieves 0.99998.
The proposed CP filters were integrated with nanograting-based linear polarization (LP) filters on the same chip for single-shot polarization detection. Full-Stokes measurements were experimentally demonstrated with high accuracy at the single wavelength using the direct subtraction method and over a broad wavelength range from 3.5 to 4.5mm using the Mueller matrix method. This design concept was later expanded to a pixelized array of polarization filters. A full-Stokes imaging system was experimentally demonstrated based on integrating a metasurface with pixelized polarization filters arrays and an MIR camera.
ContributorsBai, Jing (Author) / Yao, Yu (Thesis advisor) / Balanis, Constantine A. (Committee member) / Wang, Liping (Committee member) / Zhang, Yong-Hang (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Polarization imaging and polarization microscopy is of great interest in industrial inspection, defense, biomedical and clinical research, food safety, etc. An ideal polarization imaging system suitable for versatile applications should be full-Stokes, compact, broadband, fast, and highly accurate within a large operation angle. However, such a polarization imaging system remains elusive among state-of-the-art technology. Recently, flat optics based on metasurfaces have been explored for polarization detection and imaging. Compared with state-of-art, metasurface-based solutions have the advantages of compactness, great design flexibility, and feasibility for on-chip integration. This dissertation reports a dual wavelength (630 to 670nm and 480nm to 520nm) chiral metasurfaces featured with sub-wavelength dimension, extinction ratio over 10 across a broad operation bandwidth (175nm) and efficiency over 60%, which can be used for detection and generation of circular polarization (Chapter 2).
This dissertation then reports a chip-integrated full-Stokes polarimetric Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) imaging sensor based on metasurface polarization filter arrays (MPFA) mentioned above. The sensor has high measurement accuracy of polarization states with an angle of view up to 40°. Calibration and characterization of the device are demonstrated, whereby high polarization states measurement accuracy (measurement error <4%) at incidence angle up to ±20° and full Stokes polarization images of polarized objects are shown. (Chapter 3).
A scalable fabrication approach based on nano imprint lithography is demonstrated, with improved fabrication efficiency, lower cost, and higher optical performance up to 10 times compared to EBL process. (Chapter 4).
Several polarization imaging applications including a dual-camera full-Stokes underwater polarization navigation system are discussed. Polarization mapping under clear sky and clear water is demonstrated for proof concept. Enhancing contrast of objects through turbid water and polarization images of silver dendrites are also discussed (Chapter 5).
Though distinctive in its advantages in rich polarization information, most existing Mueller matrix microscope (MMM) operate at single mode, narrow bandwidth with bulky components. This dissertation reports a compact, dual wavelength, dual mode MMM with satisfactory measurement accuracy (Mueller matrix (MM) measurement error≤ 2.1%) using polarimetric imaging sensor mentioned previously, MM imaging of photonic structures, bio-tissues, etc are demonstrated for proof of concept (Chapter 6).
ContributorsZuo, Jiawei (Author) / Yao, Yu (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Chao (Thesis advisor) / Palais, Joseph (Committee member) / Sinha, Kanupriya (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Dynamic metasurface antennas (DMAs) consist of waveguides patterned with numerous metamaterial radiators loaded with switchable components (such as varactors). Byapplying different direct current (DC) signals to each element, DMAs can generate a multitude of radiation patterns ranging from directive beams useful for wireless communication to spatially diverse ones useful for computational imaging and sensing. In this thesis,
DMAs are extended to conformal configurations. Using full-wave simulation, it is shown
that a conformal DMA can detect the angle of the incident signal over the horizon using a
two port device at a single frequency. The design and operation of the conformal DMA will
be detailed. In addition, it shows that DMAs can be implemented using a single substrate
layer, significantly simplifying its structure compared to conventional multiple-layer ones.
Using full-wave simulation, this thesis demonstrates a mechanism to bring DC signal to
metamaterial elements without requiring an extra layer. This design can be instrumental in
implementing the conformal DMA in the future
AoA detection was achieved over unique diode distributions of the conformal DCMA
at a 10-degree resolution. Investigations into additive noise of the simulated measured
data as well as the minimum amount of diode distributions to accurately detect AoA were
conducted and documented within this thesis. The single-layer DMA yielded both directive
and complex patterns that allow for many potential applications. With success in bringing
the DC signal to the metamaterial elements on a single-layer, further advances in conformal
DMAs can be achieved.
ContributorsWilliams, Travis Hugh (Author) / Imani, Seyedmohammadreza F (Thesis advisor) / Aberle, James (Committee member) / Trichopoulos, Georgios (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Design and development of optical sensors for the detection of specific targets, e.g., ions, molecules, proteins, light polarizations, is one of the most essential research topics in the field of nanophotonics that paves the way for significant technological progressions in chemical and biomarker detections, polarimetric imaging and other sensing related applications. In this dissertation, three designs of optical sensors based on plasmonic and dielectric nanostructures are thoroughly studied for the applications in chemicals, biomarkers and light polarization detection. Firstly, a plasmonic nanoantenna structure, which is composed of complementary anisotropic nanobars and nanoapertures featuring strong localized electric field enhancement at nanogap region, demonstrates both high sensitivity refractometric detection and specific infrared fingerprint detection for chemical sensing. Specifically, the sensor can probe monolayer thin octadecanethiol with a large resonance shift of 136 nm and all four characteristic infrared fingerprints detected. Secondly, a bio-inspired double-layered metasurface structure, which is made of dielectric nanoantenna and plasmonic nanogratings, mediates strong optical chirality and enables the selection of circularly polarized light handedness (extinction ratio ≥ 35) with high transmission efficiency (≥ 80%). The structure can be further integrated on-chip with linear polarizers for highly precise full-Stokes polarimetric detection with minimum transmission loss. Lastly, a gold nanoparticle based colorimetric assay is designed for high sensitivity, specificity and rapid detection of infectious diseases related biomarkers. The complete design workflows from critical reagents productions, rapid detection protocol to assay characterizations are extensively studied. Detection of Ebola virus disease biomarker, secreted glycoprotein, within 20 minutes are experimentally demonstrated with limit of detection down to ~40 pM and a broad detection range from 10 pM to 1 µM.
The designs of the three sensors propose novel and versatile design concepts for the development of sensing devices in the detection of chemicals, biomarkers and light polarization. The efforts in the fundamental theoretical analysis and experimental demonstrations are expected to provide valuable contents to the optical sensor researches and to potentially inspire new sensor designs for broad sensing applications in the future.
ContributorsChen, Xiahui (Author) / Wang, Chao (Thesis advisor) / Zhao, Yuji (Committee member) / Wang, Liping (Committee member) / Goryll, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021