Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in ε-near-zero materials

L Caspani; R P M Kaipurath; M Clerici; M Ferrera; T Roger; J Kim; N Kinsey; Monika Pietrzyk; Andrea Di Falco; V M Shalaev; A Boltasseva; D Faccio

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.233901

Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in ε-near-zero materials

L Caspani, R P M Kaipurath, M Clerici, M Ferrera, T Roger, J Kim, N Kinsey, Monika Pietrzyk, Andrea Di Falco, V M Shalaev, A Boltasseva, D Faccio

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

Abstract

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-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films show a sixfold increase of the Kerr nonlinear refractive index (n₂) at the ENZ wavelength, located in the 1300 nm region. This in turn leads to ultrafast light-induced refractive index changes of the order of unity, thus representing a new paradigm for nonlinear optics.

Original language	English
Article number	233901
Number of pages	5
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	116
Issue number	23
Early online date	8 Jun 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.233901
Publication status	Published - 10 Jun 2016

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.233901

PhysRevLett.116.233901
© 2016 American Physical Society. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the final published version of the work, which was originally published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.233901
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Andrea Di Falco
- adf10st-andrews.acuk
- School of Physics and Astronomy - Director of Impact, Professor
- Centre for Biophotonics
Person: Academic

Data underpinning - Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in epsilon-near-zero materials
Caspani, L. (Creator), Kaipurath, R. P. M. (Creator), Clerici, M. (Creator), Ferrera, M. (Creator), Roger, T. (Creator), Kim, J. (Creator), Kinsey, N. (Creator), Pietrzyk, M. (Creator), Di Falco, A. (Creator), Shalaev, V. M. (Creator), Boltasseva, A. (Creator) & Faccio, D. (Creator), Heriot-Watt University, 19 Apr 2016
DOI: 10.17861/d82f29dc-5c47-4c5a-b893-c1ea93ab5224
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title = "Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in ε-near-zero materials",

abstract = "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-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films show a sixfold increase of the Kerr nonlinear refractive index (n2) at the ENZ wavelength, located in the 1300 nm region. This in turn leads to ultrafast light-induced refractive index changes of the order of unity, thus representing a new paradigm for nonlinear optics.",

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T1 - Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in ε-near-zero materials

AU - Caspani, L

AU - Kaipurath, R P M

AU - Clerici, M

AU - Ferrera, M

AU - Roger, T

AU - Kim, J

AU - Kinsey, N

AU - Pietrzyk, Monika

AU - Di Falco, Andrea

AU - Shalaev, V M

AU - Boltasseva, A

AU - Faccio, D

PY - 2016/6/10

Y1 - 2016/6/10

N2 - 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-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films show a sixfold increase of the Kerr nonlinear refractive index (n2) at the ENZ wavelength, located in the 1300 nm region. This in turn leads to ultrafast light-induced refractive index changes of the order of unity, thus representing a new paradigm for nonlinear optics.

AB - 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-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films show a sixfold increase of the Kerr nonlinear refractive index (n2) at the ENZ wavelength, located in the 1300 nm region. This in turn leads to ultrafast light-induced refractive index changes of the order of unity, thus representing a new paradigm for nonlinear optics.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.233901

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.233901

M3 - Letter

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 116

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 23

M1 - 233901

ER -

Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in ε-near-zero materials

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Data underpinning - Enhanced nonlinear refractive index in epsilon-near-zero materials

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