3D Nanophotonics Beyond Planar Materials

Abstract

This talk presents recent advances in 3D nanophotonics enabled by directional physical growth and functional material integration. First, glancing angle deposition (GLAD) is introduced as a versatile growth platform in which nanoscale shadowing and limited surface diffusion govern the formation of anisotropic nanostructures [1]. Using seeded growth, highly ordered chiral plasmonic architectures are realized and integrated with electrochromic materials for active optical modulation, including dynamic color and polarization control [2]. Next, seedless growth is explored to generate short-range correlated disordered nanoparticle arrays with stochastic optical responses. The resulting plasmonic metasurfaces exhibit unique scattering characteristics that enable optical physical unclonable functions (PUFs) for secure authentication [3]. Finally, the directional growth strategy is extended to ultrathin tellurium films exhibiting thermochromic optical responses. Large refractive-index modulation in Te thin films enables dynamic photonic resonators for real-time visualization of thermal events [4]. These studies demonstrate how physically grown three-dimensional nanostructures beyond planar materials provide scalable pathways toward active and multifunctional nanophotonic devices.