Near-zero-index (NZI) media is a family of photonic nanostructures (continuous media and/or metamaterials) characterized by a near-zero refractive index. As the refractive index approaches zero, spatial and temporal variations of the electromagnetic field decouple, giving rise of a regime of qualitatively different light-matter interactions. Therefore, NZI nanostructures exhibit a unique optical response, where a concept as basic as the geometry plays an essentially different role. Examples of the exotic wave phenomena include transmission through deformed waveguides, cavities whose resonant frequency does not depend on the geometry of their external boundary, nonradiating modes in three-dimensional open cavities, violation of effective medium theories, anomalous dispersion, nonperturbative nonlinear optics, to name a few.
These unconventional effects have a high potential for technological innovation. However, the crucial challenge of transforming these basic phenomena into practical devices has not yet been addressed. In NZINATECH, we are addressing this challenge by pushing forward the basic theoretical research on NZI media to the stage of NZI nanophotonic technologies. To this end, we are carrying out an ambitious research plan that includes the experimental demonstration of NZI devices in different material platforms, including polaritonic materials and silicon photonics. This multidisciplinary research plan combines the fields of NZI media, metamaterials, quantum optics, electron-beam spectroscopy, thermal emission and silicon photonics.
Our objectives include the development of a novel technology of thermal emitters, which is key for heat and energy management applications, including renewable energies such as thermophotovoltaics and radiative cooling. We also aim to make an impact within the field of integrated photonics, a rapidly growing field with an increasingly dominant role in communication, sensing and LIDAR, computing, and quantum technologies, as well as in neural networks and artificial intelligence.
