Quantum optics combines classical electrodynamics with quantum mechanics to describe how light interacts with material on the nanoscale, and many of the tricks and techniques used in nanophotonics can be extended to this quantum realm. Specifically, quantum vacuum fluctuations of electromagnetic fields experience boundary conditions that can be tailored by the nanoscopic geometry and dielectric properties of the involved materials. These quantum fluctuations give rise to a plethora of phenomena ranging from spontaneous emission to the Casimir effect, which can all be controlled and manipulated by changing the boundary conditions for the fields. Here, we focus on several recent developments in modifying the Casimir effect and related phenomena, including the generation of torques and repulsive forces, creation of photons from vacuum, modified chemistry, and engineered material functionality, as well as future directions and applications for nanotechnology.
Near-zero-index (NZI) materials are becoming increasingly important for photonic designs because they enable new ways to control light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Many device prototypes that utilize NZI layers are created under conditions that are tool and laboratory specific, making widespread utilization and scalability of NZI materials difficult. Herein, this limitation is circumvented by using transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) produced from scalable commercial sources. The optical response of 49 distinct TCOs with NZI behavior from 12 different suppliers is quantified, including indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminumdoped zinc oxide (AZO), and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). The measurements reveal that the ITO samples have the strongest NZI resonances with many samples exhibiting |n| < 0.6 with resonances occurring between 1150 and 1350 nm. Conversely, the FTO and AZO films present higher values of |n| (ranging from 0.6 to 0.9) at 1500-1900 nm. The optical properties, resistivities, and roughness values for all thin films are reported, creating a useful database for device design. Finally, novel NZI phenomena, such as the strong suppression of non-normal incidence illumination using the data collected from these samples, are demonstrated, opening the door to new opportunities for both research-grade and mass-produced NZI devices.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.