New Breakthrough Captures Light from Metamaterials Embedded with Nanocrystals

Scientists have discovered a method to both enhance light emission and capture light from metamaterials embedded with light emitting nanocrystals. The breakthrough could potentially lead to a range of applications, including ultrafast LEDs, nanoscale lasers and efficient single photon sources.

Metamaterials are materials that have been specially engineered to have properties that have not yet been found in nature. They're often fashioned of metal or plastic, and have repeating patterns, which affect their properties.

In this latest study, the researchers used metamaterials having hyperbolic dispersion. This enhanced the light emission properties of the nanocrystals and simultaneously engineered and efficient light extraction scheme.

"The idea of metamaterials in the context of optics is that you can manipulate light and decide how you want it to behave in this medium," said Vinod Menon, one of the researchers, in a news release.

Enhancement in light emission from these systems has been shown by different groups in the past. Yet they weren't useful since light did not come out easily from them, making their practical application an issue. Now, though, researchers have taken the first step towards developing practical light emitters based on metamaterials.

"We've shown both an increase in light emission and were able to extract light," said Menon.

The findings could be huge for future applications. That said, the scientists will have to refine the new method before it's used in consumer products.

The findings are published in the journal Optica.

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