Search Results (12)

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a high-resolution parallel patterning method based on molding. It has proven resolution down to the nanometer range and can be scaled up for large areas and high throughput. Its main characteristic is that the surface pattern of a mold is imprinted on a material that is displaced locally by using the difference in hardness of the mold and the moldable material, thus replicating its surface topography. This can be achieved by shaping a thermoplastic film by heating and cooling (T-NIL) or a photosensitive resin followed by a curing process for hardening (UV-NIL). In lithography, the local thickness contrast of the thin molded film can be used as a masking layer to transfer the pattern onto the underlying substrate. Therefore, NIL will be an alternative in fields in which electron-beam lithography and photolithography do not provide sufficient resolution at reasonable throughput. Direct imprint enables applications where a modified functional surface is needed without pattern transfer. NIL is currently used for high-volume manufacturing in different applications, like patterned sapphire substrates, wire grid polarizers, photonic devices, lightguides for AR/VR devices, metalenses, and biosensors for DNA analysis, and is being tested for semiconductor integrated circuit chips. Full article

There has been a significant rise in the fabrication of polarizing elements with the rapid advancement of polarization imaging technology, coinciding with a rise in research on such elements. This article provides a comprehensive review of sub-wavelength wire grid polarizers which can be applied in different operating wavelength ranges, specifically focusing on their design, as well as their related fabrication processes and metrology methods. First, structural parameters, designed and simulated via the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method or rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA), and their impact on wire grid performance are investigated based on the effective medium theory. Second, a comprehensive overview of domestic and international studies is provided, focusing on the developments in sub-wavelength wire grid polarizers with single-layer structures and bilayer structures at different operating wavelength bands—deep ultraviolet, visible, middle- and far-infrared, and terahertz wavelength bands. Research related to polarizers with multilayer structures, simulated and carried out via the use of specific software, is also presented. Finally, the progress regarding sub-wavelength wire grid polarizer research is summarized, and future prospects are forecasted, with emphasis on material selection, wire grid structure optimization, and innovation in manufacturing processes. Full article

The pinhole plate is a key component of the point diffraction interferometer (PDI). The reasonable improvement and simulation of this device would enhance the application of point diffraction interferometry technology during the measurement of wavefronts. The traditional point diffraction interferometry measurement method is easily disturbed by environmental noise, making it difficult to obtain high-precision dynamic measurements. This paper introduces a four-step phase-shift PDI that can be employed in a common optical path. By using the principle of the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD), a simulation model of the orthogonal polarization point diffraction pinhole plate (OP-PDPP) structure is established. The results show that when Cr is used as the film material in the pinhole plate, the parameters include a film thickness of 150 nm, a pinhole diameter of 2 μm, a wire grid period of 150 nm, and a wire grid width of 100 nm; in addition, the comprehensive extinction ratio of the pinhole plate is the greatest and the diffraction wavefront error is the smallest. Finally, the constructed experimental system is used to test the wavefront of a flat sample with a 25.4 mm aperture, and the test results are compared with those of the ZYGO interferometer. The difference in the peak-to-valley (PV) value between the OP-PDI and the ZYGO interferometer measurement is 0.0028λ, with an RMS value difference of 0.0011λ; this verifies the feasibility of the scheme proposed in this paper. The experimental results show that the proposed OP-PDPP is an effective tool for high-precision dynamic measurement. Full article

Background:In the diagnosis and primary health care of an individual, estimation of the pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO${}_2$) is critical. The pulse rate and SpO${}_2$ are determined by methods including photoplethysmography (iPPG), light spectroscopy, and pulse oximetry. These devices need to be compact, non-contact, and noninvasive for real-time health monitoring. Reflection-based iPPG is becoming popular as it allows non-contact estimation of the heart rate and SpO${}_2$. Most iPPG methods capture temporal data and form complex computations, and thus real-time measurements and spatial visualization are difficult. Method:In this research work, reflective mode polarized imaging-based iPPG is proposed. For polarization imaging, a custom image sensor with wire grid polarizers on each pixel is designed. Each pixel has a wire grid of varying transmission axes, allowing phase detection of the incoming light. The phase information of the backscattered light from the fingertips of 12 healthy volunteers was recorded in both the resting as well as the excited states. These data were then processed using MATLAB 2021b software. Results: The phase information provides quantitative information on the reflection from the superficial and deep layers of skin. The ratio of deep to superficial layer backscattered phase information is shown to be directly correlated and linearly increasing with an increase in the SpO${}_2$ and heart rate. Conclusions: The phase-based measurements help to monitor the changes in the resting and excited state heart rate and SpO${}_2$ in real time. Furthermore, the use of the ratio of phase information helps to make the measurements independent of the individual skin traits and thus increases the accuracy of the measurements. The proposed iPPG works in ambient light, relaxing the instrumentation requirement and helping the system to be compact and portable. Full article

Infrared detectors with polarization sensitivity could extend the information dimension of the detected signals and improve target recognition ability. However, traditional infrared polarization detectors with epitaxial semiconductors usually suffer from low extinction ratio, complexity in structure and high cost. Here, we report a simulation study of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) infrared detectors with monolithically integrated metal wire-grid polarizer and optical cavity. The solution processibility of CQDs enables the direct integration of metallic wire-grid polarizers with CQD films. The polarization selectivity of HgTe CQDs with resonant cavity-enhanced wire-grid polarizers are studied in both short-wave and mid-wave infrared region. The extinction ratio in short-wave and mid-wave region can reach up to 40 and 60 dB, respectively. Besides high extinction ratio, the optical cavity enhanced wire-grid polarizer could also significantly improve light absorption at resonant wavelength by a factor of 1.5, which leads to higher quantum efficiency and better spectral selectivity. We believe that coupling CQD infrared detector with wire-grid polarizer and optical cavity can become a promising way to realize high-performance infrared optoelectronic devices. Full article

The large area wire grid polarizers (LA-WGPs) with 50 nm half-pitch were fabricated using ArF immersion lithography overcoming the limit of the shot field size. To realize the 50 nm line and space patterns on a 300 mm wafer, a zero-distance stitching process that connects the shot fields is suggested. To compensate for mutual interference between the shot fields which is called the local flare effect (LFE), the shot field arrangement is changed with optical proximity correction (OPC). Using a master wafer produced by the suggested method, 300 mm large-area WGPs were fabricated by the nano-imprint process. The WGPs have more than 80% transmittance in the visible light region, and the possibility of performance improvement can be confirmed depending on the number and method of the etch process. Full article

This paper reports on the propagation of lightning overvoltage in a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) meshed grid. Since several topologies of meshed grids have been elaborated in the last decade, we used a common comprehensive reference test platform. The lightning impulse propagation was investigated with regard to the impact of surge arresters and the polarity of the lightning stroke concerning the DC line polarity (±500 kV). Various scenarios were considered, including a direct lightning strike to the DC+ conductor, to the tower, and to the shielding wire in the middle of the span, including backflash on the insulators. The influence of tower footing impedance on overvoltage levels at various nodes was assessed, depicting the critical value. A description of the models used in the simulations was provided. The main focus of the paper was on the wide-area propagation of the overvoltages in the meshed grid, at distant terminals and inside the feeders. An interesting observation was the effects of lightning at the far end of the analyzed grid, propagating through multiterminal and long-distance connections. The presented analysis, based on an exemplary meshed HVDC grid, underlines the importance of the insulation coordination studies and system security studies with respect to the localization of overvoltage protection systems. Full article

Conventional polarizers including sheet, wire-grid, prism, and Brewster-angle type polarizers are not easily integrated with photonic circuits. Polarizing elements on the nanoscale are indispensable for integrated all-optical nanophotonic devices. Here, we propose a plasmonic nanopolarizer based on a silver nanorod. The polarization characteristics result from the excitation of different resonance modes of localized surface plasmons (LSPs) at different wavelengths. Furthermore, the polarization characteristics in near field regions have been demonstrated by the electric field distribution of the nanorod based on finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation, indicating a strong local resonant cavity with a standing wave mode for transverse electric (TE) polarization and weak electric fields distributed for transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. The nanopolarizer can efficiently work in the near field region, exhibiting a nanopolarization effect. In addition, very high extinction ratios and extremely low insertion losses can be achieved. Particularly, the nanopolarizer can work in a broadband from visible to near-infrared wavelengths, which can be tuned by changing the aspect ratio of the nanorod. The plasmonic nanopolarizer is a promising candidate for potential applications in the integration of nanophotonic devices and circuits. Full article

Plasmonic metasurfaces based on quasi-one-dimensional (1D) nanostripe arrays are homogeneously prepared over large-area substrates (cm²), exploiting a novel self-organized nanofabrication method. Glass templates are nanopatterned by ion beam-induced anisotropic nanoscale wrinkling, enabling the maskless confinement of quasi-1D arrays of out-of-plane tilted gold nanostripes, behaving as transparent wire-grid polarizer nanoelectrodes. These templates enable the dichroic excitation of localized surface plasmon resonances, easily tunable over a broadband spectrum from the visible to the near- and mid-infrared, by tailoring the nanostripes’ shape and/or changing the illumination conditions. The controlled self-organized method allows the engineering of the nanoantennas’ morphology in the form of Au-SiO₂-Au nanostripe dimers, which show hybridized plasmonic resonances with enhanced tunability. Under this condition, superior near-field amplification is achievable for the excitation of the hybridized magnetic dipole mode, as pointed out by numerical simulations. The high efficiency of these plasmonic nanoantennas, combined with the controlled tuning of the resonant response, opens a variety of applications for these cost-effective templates, ranging from biosensing and optical spectroscopies to high-resolution molecular imaging and nonlinear optics. Full article

We review our recent works on polarization-sensitive electro-optic (PS-EO) sampling, which is a method that allows us to measure elliptically-polarized terahertz time-domain waveforms without using wire-grid polarizers. Because of the phase mismatch between the employed probe pulse and the elliptically-polarized terahertz pulse that is to be analyzed, the probe pulse senses different terahertz electric-field (E-field) vectors during the propagation inside the EO crystal. To interpret the complex condition inside the EO crystal, we expressed the expected EO signal by “frequency-domain description” instead of relying on the conventional Pockels effect description. Using this approach, we derived two important conclusions: (i) the polarization state of each frequency component can be accurately measured, irrespective of the choice of the EO crystal because the relative amplitude and phase of the E-field of two mutually orthogonal directions are not affected by the phase mismatch; and, (ii) the time-domain waveform of the elliptically-polarized E-field vector can be retrieved by considering the phase mismatch, absorption, and the effect of the probe pulse width. We experimentally confirm the above two conclusions by using different EO crystals that are used for detection. This clarifies the validity of our theoretical analysis based on the frequency-domain description and the usefulness of PS-EO sampling. Full article

We report on the development, testing, and performance analysis of a bow-tie resonant cavity for terahertz (THz) radiation, injected with a continuous-wave 2.55 THz quantum cascade laser. The bow-tie cavity employs a wire-grid polarizer as input/output coupler and a pair of copper spherical mirrors coated with an unprotected 500 nm thick gold layer. The improvements with respect to previous setups have led to a measured finesse value F = 123, and a quality factor Q = 5.1·10⁵. The resonator performances and the relevant parameters are theoretically predicted and discussed, and a comparison among simulated and experimental spectra is given. Full article

A transflective nano-wire grid polarizer is fabricated on a single mode fiber tip by focused ion beam machining. In contrast to conventional absorptive in-line polarizers, the wire grids reflect TE-mode, while transmitting TM-mode light so that no light power is discarded. A reflection contrast of 13.7 dB and a transmission contrast of 4.9 dB are achieved in the 1,550 nm telecom band using a 200-nm wire grid fiber polarizer. With the help of an optic circulator, the polarization states of both the transmissive and reflective lights in the fiber may be monitored simultaneously. A kind of robust fiber optic sensor is thus proposed that could withstand light power variations. To verify the idea, a fiber pressure sensor with the sensitivity of 0.24 rad/N is demonstrated. The corresponding stress-optic coefficient of the fiber is measured. In addition to pressure sensing, this technology could be applied in detecting any polarization state change induced by magnetic fields, electric currents and so on. Full article