Tailoring light-matter interaction for reconfigurable photonics

Abstract

The evolution of photonics into reconfigurable platforms with adaptable functionalities represents the forefront of technological advancement, catering to diverse and widespread applications. The ability to dynamically manipulate optical properties holds immense significance across various domains, including optical communication, dynamic displays, and self-adjusting photonics. This progression has seen the integration of optically active materials and deformable photonics within a spectrum of photonic platforms, typically within the micro/nanometer scale, to meet the demand for dynamic responses over broad optical bands. This thesis extensively examines the recent advancements in tunable photonics, focusing on the control of optical properties ranging from the visible to the infrared range, also, addresses the growing demand for a robust analytic platform and design rules tailored to active materials and their diverse applications. Notably, the study delves into the representative three specific domains: resonance switching based on dimension switching, photonic structures with phase change materials, and low-powered photonics with conducting polymers.