Customizable polarization-selective narrowband meta-filters using a printable UV-curing nanocomposite

Area of Science:

• Nanophotonics and Metasurfaces
• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Low-cost nanocomposite metasurfaces offer potential alternatives to dielectric metasurfaces for light manipulation.
• Limited analysis exists on the resonance characteristics of embedded structures in nanocomposite metasurfaces beyond effective refractive index.
• Need for advanced optical filters with tunable, polarization-selective properties for specific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate customizable polarization-selective narrowband meta-filters utilizing ultraviolet-curable (UV) nanocomposites.
• To investigate the role of near-field effects and Mie resonances in enhancing meta-filter performance.
• To enable tunable narrowband reflections with high intensity and polarization selectivity for near-infrared applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of meta-units using UV-curable nanocomposites with low aspect ratio (AR = 0.2).
• Exploitation of near-field interactions between highly concentrated doped nanoparticles to enhance Mie resonances.
• Coupling of surface lattice resonances (SLRs) with enhanced Mie resonances for tunable narrowband reflection.
• Optimization of asymmetric lattice structures to control polarization-selective properties.

Main Results:

• Achieved tunable narrowband (FWHM ~0.007λ) reflections with intensities near unity.
• Demonstrated enhancement of Mie resonance through near-field effects in concentrated nanoparticles.
• Successfully tuned polarization-selective properties by optimizing lattice asymmetry.

Conclusions:

• Proposed a new generation of customizable meta-filters based on UV nanocomposites.
• Highlighted the significance of near-field effects and coupled resonances for meta-filter performance.
• Offered novel strategies for filtering specific near-infrared polarized fluorescence in integrated imaging systems.