Artificial double-zero-index materials

Phase mismatch-free nonlinear propagation in optical zero-index materials.

Phase matching is a critical requirement for coherent nonlinear optical processes such as frequency conversion and parametric amplification. Phase mismatch prevents microscopic nonlinear sources from combining constructively, resulting in destructive interference and thus very low efficiency. We report the experimental demonstration of phase mismatch-free nonlinear generation in a zero-index op...

Enhanced Nonlinear Refractive Index in ε-Near-Zero Materials.

New propagation regimes for light arise from the ability to tune the dielectric permittivity to extremely low values. Here, we demonstrate a universal approach based on the low linear permittivity values attained in the ε-near-zero (ENZ) regime for enhancing the nonlinear refractive index, which enables remarkable light-induced changes of the material properties. Experiments performed on Al-dop...

Buckling Double Zero

Near - zero refractive index photonics

The control and manipulation of light on the nanoscale — the primary aim of nanophotonics — is of fundamental scientific interest and plays a key role in telecommunication technologies and energy management. Yet, because light–matter interactions are usually weak and hard to confine, they often need to be assisted by the use of suitably designed macroscopic media. For instance, the use of caref...

On-chip zero-index metamaterials

Metamaterials with a refractive index of zero exhibit physical properties such as infinite phase velocity and wavelength. However, there is no way to implement these materials on a photonic chip, restricting the investigation and application of zero-index phenomena to simple shapes and small scales. We designed and fabricated an on-chip integrated metamaterial with a refractive index of zero in...