No abstract

In this paper, we are able to fabricate 3D photonic crystals or quasi-crystals through single beam and single optical element based holographic lithography. The reflective optical elements are used to generate multiple side beams with s-polarization and one central beam with circular polarization which in turn are used for interference based holographic lithography without the need of any other bulk optics. These optical elements have been used to fabricate 3D photonic crystals with 4, 5 or 6-fold symmetry. A good agreement has been observed between fabricated holographic structures and simulated interference patterns.

Photonic quasi-crystals and photonic crystals with certain degrees of disorder can have a broadband light-matter interaction. In this paper, we present the holographic fabrication of graded photonic super-quasi-crystals through pixel-by-pixel phase pattern engineering using a spatial light modulator. Using the same phase pattern arranged in a decagon, we have fabricated graded photonic super-quasi-crystals with five-fold symmetry and multiple levels of gradients and graded photonic super-crystals with rectangular unit super-cells, depending on the Fourier filter. Although a certain degree of disorder was incorporated in the quasi-crystals, we still observed the golden ratio in the diameters of the diffraction rings of the fabricated quasi-crystals, indicating five-fold symmetry. Using direct pixel-by-pixel phase engineering, the same laser projection system, consisting of an integrated spatial light modulator and a reflective optical element, can be used for the fabrication of graded photonic super-crystals with various symmetries. The multi-level gradient effects on the optical properties of an organic light-emitting diode were simulated. When the cathode of an organic light-emitting device is patterned in the graded photonic super-crystals, a light extraction efficiency up to 76% in the visible range can be achieved.

Light-trapping enhancement in newly discovered graded photonic super-crystals (GPSCs) with dual periodicity and dual basis is herein explored for the first time. Broadband, wide-incident-angle, and polarization-independent light-trapping enhancement was achieved in silicon solar cells patterned with these GPSCs. These super-crystals were designed by multi-beam interference, rendering them flexible and efficient. The optical response of the patterned silicon solar cell retained Bloch-mode resonance; however, light absorption was greatly enhanced in broadband wavelengths due to the graded, complex unit super-cell nanostructures, leading to the overlap of Bloch-mode resonances. The broadband, wide-angle light coupling and trapping enhancement mechanism are understood to be due to the spatial variance of the index of refraction, and this spatial variance is due to the varying filling fraction, the dual basis, and the varying lattice constants in different directions.

In this paper, we have systematically studied the holographic fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) structures using a single 3D printed reflective optical element (ROE), taking advantage of the ease of design and 3D printing of the ROE. The reflective surface was setup at non-Brewster angles to reflect both s- and p-polarized beams for the interference. The wide selection of reflective surface materials and interference angles allow control of the ratio of s- and p-polarizations, and intensity ratio of side-beam to central beam for interference lithography. Photonic bandgap simulations have also indicated that both s and p-polarized waves are sometimes needed in the reflected side beams for maximum photonic bandgap size and certain filling fractions of dielectric inside the photonic crystals. The flexibility of single ROE and single exposure based holographic fabrication of 3D structures was demonstrated with reflective surfaces of ROEs at non-Brewster angles, highlighting the capability of the ROE technique of producing umbrella configurations of side beams with arbitrary angles and polarizations and paving the way for the rapid throughput of various photonic crystal templates.