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Atomically Traceable Nanostructure Fabrication
Published on: July 17, 2015
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An image analysis method for quantifying precision and disorder in nanofabricated photonic structures
Henry S Carfagno1, Pedro David García2, Matthew F Doty1
1Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, United States of America.
Nanotechnology
|October 13, 2022
Summary
We developed a new method to analyze and visualize disorder in photonic crystals. This technique precisely quantifies defects, improving quality control for photonic devices.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and optical engineering
- Materials science and nanotechnology
- Condensed matter physics
Background:
- Disorder significantly impacts photonic systems, affecting topological states and mode localization.
- Understanding and controlling disorder is crucial for designing robust photonic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a method for analyzing and visualizing disorder in periodic photonic structures.
- To assess the method's selectivity for disorder type and sensitivity to small variations.
- To apply the method to complex structures relevant to topological photonics.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel analysis and visualization technique for positional, size, and shape disorder.
- Testing the method's sensitivity down to sub-1% disorder levels.
- Application to periodic structures, including those with complex shapes.
Main Results:
- The method demonstrates selectivity for different types of disorder.
- High sensitivity to disorder, detecting variations below 1%.
- Successful application to complex shapes used in topological photonics.
Conclusions:
- The developed method offers a powerful tool for analyzing and visualizing disorder in photonic crystals.
- It is valuable for process development and quality control in fabricating photonic devices.
- Enables precise quantification of lithography, deposition, and etch process limitations.
