This project is jointly funded by the Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM) Program in the Division of Materials Research (DMR) and the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) Program in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS).
This research project is on electromagnetic metamaterials and transformation optics, and aims at achieving broadband, high-performance metamaterials-based devices in the visible spectrum. The research is designed to use the conventional photolithography techniques to fabricate broadband, transformation optical devices at relatively low costs. The project studies the ultimate resolution limit of Maxwell fisheye and Eaton microlenses and investigates how the resolution limit relates to device magnification. In addition, the project explores recently developed broadband "trapped rainbow" geometry in novel multichannel sensing for possible "spectroscopy on a chip" architecture.
The project addresses basic and applied research issues in an interdisciplinary area that combines materials science and device engineering, with high technological relevance. The research may open new ways of direct high-resolution visualization of small objects such as viruses and biomolecules using "regular" optical microscopes. This project also advances education and training of undergraduate and graduate students. It provides students opportunities to participate in a newly developed Professional Science Masters Program in Applied Physics at Towson University and to learn unique technological skills in the areas of electromagnetic metamaterials and transformation optics.
