Integrated Nanostructured Systems

Photonic metamaterials, Photonic crystal fibers, Nonlinear optics, Nanophotonics, Photonic devices

Our research interests include linear and nonlinear optics in metamaterials, photonic devices, and optical fiber communications. Two current research directions of our Nanophotonics and Nonlinear Optics group are as follows:

1. Theoretical and numerical investigations of fundamental properties and potential applications of photonic metamaterials. Photonic metamaterials are artificial nanostructures that emerge as a source of nearly unlimited opportunities for the realization of refractive indices that were not previously accessible, including positive, negative, and even zero values, and for gaining unprecedented control over the spatial refractive index distribution.


2. Theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies of photonic crystal fiber-based devices. Photonic crystal fibers are a new class of optical fibers containing airholes ranging in diameter from 25 nanometers to 50 micrometers, running along the fiber length, and distributed in the cladding in either periodic or random fashion. These fibers offer exceptional opportunities for the manipulation of light propagation and the realization of novel photonic devices.

• Optical Spectrum Analyzer ANDO/Yokogawa AQ63187B
• White light source ANDO AQ4305
• Open-Loop Piezo Controllers: XYZ Flexure System MDT630A
• Fusion Splicer Fujikura FSM-40F
• Ultrasonic cleaner USC-01A
• Fiber cleaver CT-32
• Other equipment includes various optical fibers (SMF-28, NUFERN Ultra-High NA Silica Fiber UHNA4, OFS Fitel photonic crystal fibers), other sources (HeNe), microscope objectives, fiber stripping tools, high refractive-index liquids, etc.

• Dell Precision Quad Core T5400 workstation 64-bit, Dell Opti-Plex 755 Intel® Core^TM 2 Duo Processor E8500 PC 64-bit
• RSoft BeamPROP, COMSOL Mutliphysics+RF Module

N. M. Litchinitser, I. R. Gabitov A. I. Maimistov, and V. M. Shalaev, Negative Refractive Index Metamaterials in Optics, for Progress in Optics, edited by E. Wolf, V. 51, Chapter 1, pp 1-68 (2008).

N. M. Litchinitser and V. M. Shalaev, Loss as a route to transparency, Nature Photonics 3, 75-76 (2009).

N. M. Litchinitser, A. I. Maimistov I. R. Gabitov, R. Z. Sagdeev, and V. M. Shalaev, Metamaterials: electromagnetic enhancement at zero-index transition, Opt. Lett. 33, 2350-2352 (2008).

N. M. Litchinitser and V. M. Shalaev, Metamaterials move beyond nature's limits, Optics & Laser Europe, Issue 161, pp. 14-15 (2008).

N. M. Litchinitser and V. M. Shalaev, Negative refraction, The McGraw-Hill 2008 Yearbook of Science & Technology, 230-233.

N. M. Litchinitser and V. M. Shalaev, Photonic metamaterials, Laser Phys. Lett. 5, No. 6, 411-420 (2008).

N. M. Litchinitser, I. R. Gabitov, and A. I. Maimistov, Optical bistability in a nonlinear optical coupler with a negative index channel, Phys. Rev. Lett 99, 113902(4) (2007).

N. M. Litchinitser, I. R. Gabitov A. I. Maimistov, and V. M. Shalaev, Effect of an optical negative refractive index thin film on optical bistability, Opt. Lett. 32, 151-153 (2007).

N. M. Litchinitser, S. C. Dunn, P. E. Steinvurzel, B. J. Eggleton, T. P. White, R. C. McPhedran, and C. M. de Sterke, Application of an ARROW model for designing tunable photonic devices, Opt. Express 12, 1540-1550 (2004).

N. M. Litchinitser, S. C. Dunn, B. Usner, B. J. Eggleton, T. P. White, R. C. McPhedran, and C. M. de Sterke, Resonances in microstructured optical waveguides, Opt. Express 11, 1243 (2003).

N. M. Litchinitser, A. K. Abeeluck, C. Headley, and B. J. Eggleton, Antiresonant reflecting photonic crystal optical waveguides, Opt. Lett. 27, 1592-1594 (2002).

N. M. Litchinitser, C. J. McKinstrie, C. M. de Sterke, and G. P. Agrawal, Spatial-temporal instabilities in nonlinear bulk media with a Bragg grating, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 18, 45-54 (2000).

N. M. Litchinitser, B. J. Eggleton, and D. B. Patterson, Fiber Bragg gratings for dispersion compensation in transmission: Theoretical model and design criteria for nearly ideal pulse recompression, J. of Lightwave Technol. 15, 1303-1313 (1997).

N. M. Litchinitser and D. B. Patterson, Analysis of fiber Bragg gratings for dispersion compensation in reflective and transmissive geometries, J. of Lightwave Technol. 15, 1323-1328 (1997).