'Hidden order in disorder' makes nanodevices easier to design
Augmented reality (AR) glasses, lenses thinner than a human hair, and holograms floating above your fingertips may sound like technologies from science fiction. At the heart of these emerging technologies, however, lies a nanoscale optical device known as a "metasurface."
Nanodevices, such as AR glasses and lenses thinner than a human hair, rely on nanoscale optical devices known as metasurfaces. These metasurfaces, made of nanostructures smaller than the wavelength of light, can control light's direction, color, and other properties. However, their complex structures have made it challenging for researchers to design them efficiently.
Professor Junsuk Rho and Dr. Seokwoo Kim at POSTECH have discovered hidden repeating patterns within seemingly disordered nanostructures, which could simplify the analysis and design of metasurfaces. Metasurfaces are typically designed by varying the size, shape, or orientation of individual nanostructures. When these structures become increasingly different, their periodicity is lost, making it difficult to predict their behavior.
The researchers found that even seemingly complex structures may contain an underlying repeating order. By identifying a small repeating unit within the metasurface, they can analyze the entire device by calculating only this small unit containing several tens of nanostructures. This approach reduces computational demands and enables rapid, accurate analysis of metasurface performance.
The method, based on wave physics, can be extended to systems involving sound, electrons, and mechanical vibrations, potentially revolutionizing the development of next-generation optical devices like AR/VR components and high-performance metalenses.
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