Random negative index material structures in a three-dimensional volume

• US 7,593,170 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Shih-Yuan, Bratkovski, Alexandre M., Wu, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US11/584,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 359/719, 359/586, 252/570
• US Class Current: 359/719
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/00 Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/007 made of negative effective refractive index materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/30 Metamaterials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials

Abstract

Materials and methods for fabricating and using negative index materials are disclosed. A negative index material comprises a three-dimensional volume including a bulk solution and a plurality of unit cells disposed in the bulk solution in a substantially random pattern. Each unit cell comprises a periodic hole array pattern on a substrate or a resonator formed on a first surface of a substrate, and a thin wire pattern formed on a second surface of the substrate. The combination of the unit cells in the bulk solution produces a negative effective permeability and a negative effective permittivity over a frequency band of interest for the three-dimensional volume. The negative index material may be used to focus radiation by directing an incident radiation at the negative index material and generating a focused radiation by a negative refraction of the incident radiation in the negative index material.

Claims

1. A negative index material, comprising:

a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising a resonator formed on a substrate, wherein the resonator exhibits a negative permeability and a negative permittivity over a frequency band of interest; and

a three-dimensional volume including a bulk solution wherein the plurality of unit cells is disposed in the bulk solution to form a substantially random pattern of unit cells to produce a negative effective permeability and a negative effective permittivity over the frequency band of interest for the three-dimensional volume.

2. The negative index material of claim 1, wherein the resonator of the unit cells comprises:

a resonator structure formed on a first surface of the substrate and including conductive material formed in a pattern selected from the group consisting of a split ring resonator pattern, a square split ring resonator pattern, a Swiss roll pattern, and a L-shaped pattern; and

a thin wire pattern formed on a second surface of the substrate.

3. The negative index material of claim 1, wherein the resonator of the unit cells comprises:

a periodic hole array pattern of a conductive material formed on a first surface of the substrate; and

another periodic hole array pattern of a conductive material formed on a second surface of the substrate.

4. The negative index material of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor, circuit board material, glass, quartz, ceramics, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

5. The negative index material of claim 1, wherein the bulk solution comprises a non-conductive organic solvent.

6. The negative index material of claim 1 wherein the bulk solution further comprises a gain material.

7. The negative index material of claim 6, wherein the gain material is selected from the group consisting of Raman gain materials, erbium, semiconductor materials, and quantum dots.

8. A method of forming a negative index material, comprising:

forming unit cells on a substrate, each unit cell comprising a resonator exhibiting a negative permeability and a negative permittivity over a frequency band of interest;

singulating the unit cells;

disposing the unit cells into a three-dimensional volume including a bulk solution to form a substantially random pattern of unit cells, wherein the substantially random pattern of unit cells produces a negative effective permeability and a negative effective permittivity over the frequency band of interest for the three-dimensional volume.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the unit cells comprises:

forming a resonator structure on a first surface of the substrate of a conductive material in a pattern selected from the group consisting of a split ring resonator pattern, a square split ring resonator pattern, a swiss roll pattern, and a L-shaped pattern; and

forming a thin wire pattern on a second surface of the substrate.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein forming the unit cells comprises:

forming a periodic hole array pattern of a conductive material on a first surface of the substrate; and

forming another periodic hole array pattern of a conductive material on a second surface of the substrate.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein supplying the substrate comprises supplying a material selected from the group consisting of semiconductor, circuit board material, glass, quartz, ceramics, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the bulk solution comprises a non-conductive organic solvent.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the bulk solution further comprises a gain material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the gain material is selected from the group consisting of Raman gain materials, erbium, semiconductor materials, and quantum dots.

15. A method of focusing radiation, comprising:

providing a negative index material, comprising;

a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising a resonator formed on a substrate, wherein the resonator exhibits a negative permeability and a negative permittivity over a frequency band of interest; and

a three-dimensional volume including a bulk solution wherein the plurality of unit cells is disposed in the bulk solution to form a substantially random pattern of unit cells to produce a negative effective permeability and a negative effective permittivity over the frequency band of interest for the three-dimensional volume;

directing an incident radiation at an incident surface of the negative index material; and

generating a focused radiation at a focal location outside the negative index material by a negative refraction of the incident radiation in the negative index material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the resonator of the unit cells comprises:

a resonator structure formed on a first surface and including conductive material formed in a pattern selected from the group consisting of a split ring resonator pattern, a square split ring resonator pattern, a swiss roll pattern, and a L-shaped pattern; and

a thin wire pattern formed on a second surface of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the resonator of the unit cells comprises:

a periodic hole array pattern of a conductive material formed on a first surface of the substrate; and

another periodic hole array pattern of a conductive material formed on a second surface of the substrate.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor, circuit board material, glass, quartz, ceramics, polystyrene, and polycarbonate.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the bulk solution comprises a non-conductive organic solvent.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the bulk solution further comprises a gain material.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the gain material is selected from the group consisting of Raman gain materials, erbium, semiconductor materials, and quantum dots.