Integral merit function for broadband omnidirectional mirrors

By using the notion of wavelength- and angle-averaged reflectance, we assess in a systematic way the performance of finite omnidirectional reflectors. We put forward how this concept can be employed to optimize omnidirectional capabilities. We also apply it to give an alternative meaningful characterization of the bandwidth of these systems.     

Narrowband Bragg reflectors in Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides

Bragg grating reflectors etched in amorphous silicon overlay films have been integrated with Ti:LiNbO3 optical waveguides to obtain a narrow (0.05 nm) reflectance spectrum with a > 20 dB dip in the transmittance spectrum. These results were realized at a wavelength of 1542.7 nm for TE polarization on an x-cut, y-propagating substrate with gratings etched to a depth of approximately 93 nm in a 105 nm thick silicon film over a length of 12.5 mm. The reflectance in the channel waveguides is found to be strongly dependent on the depth of the etched grating. The effect of the Bragg waveguide loss factor on the transmittance and reflectance spectra is investigated by using a model for contradirectional coupling that includes an attenuation coefficient. The values for coupling constants kappa and amplitude attenuation constants alpha of samples etched for different time durations to control the grating depths are obtained from the model through the use of the depth of the dips in the transmittance spectra and the spectral widths of the reflectance peaks. It is concluded that the corrugated Si overlay film increases the insertion loss by approximately 2.7 dB, and the loss is not significantly affected by the grating depth.     

Metal-substituted organic Cd-arachidate multilayers as soft-x-ray mirrors

Multilayers for soft x rays, lambda > 4.5 nm, have been made with Cd arachidate, a metal-substituted fatty acid. The multilayer period is found to be 5.53 nm, double the normal length of a Cd-arachidate molecule. The interfaces have a low roughness value of < 0.3 nm, which does not reduce the long-wavelength reflectance significantly. The soft-x-ray reflectance at 3.0 nm has been measured to be 0.13% for this prototypical multilayer that has 12 bilayers. The theoretical reflectance of these multilayers determined at a wavelength of 10.0 nm, suitable for x-ray lithography, is found to saturate at approximately 43% for approximately 150 bilayers.     

High-reflectance composite metal coatings for planar-integrated free-space optics

For planar-integrated free-space optical (PIFSO) systems high-reflectance thin-film coatings are crucial. Evaporated metal films are preferred for their relative technological simplicity. We propose a three-layer Al-Ag-Al coating composition that combines the high reflectance of Ag with the chemical passivity of Al and its good adherence to glass. Two special measures are taken to prevent delamination: one is an anchoring of the edges of the coating in narrow ditches that are etched into the substrate and the other is the use of an adhesive Al underlayer; to reduce absorption this underlayer is implemented only in sparsely distributed discrete areas. The optical properties of such composite coatings are investigated theoretically. The fabrication complexity is only slightly increased compared to PIFSO systems with one-layer Al reflectors. In experimental tests we verified a reflectance of approximately 98% and an adherence comparable to that of simple Al coatings.     

Design and characteristics of refractive index sensor based on thinned and microstructure fiber Bragg grating

A refractive index sensor based on the thinned and microstructure fiber Bragg grating (ThMs-FBG) was proposed and realized as a chemical sensing. The numerical simulation for the reflectance spectrum of the ThMs-FBG was calculated and the phase shift down-peak could be observed from the reflectance spectrum. Many factors influencing the reflectance spectrum were considered in detail for simulation, including the etched depth, length, and position. The sandwich-solution etching method was utilized to realize the microstructure of the ThMs-FBG, and the photographs of the microstructure were obtained. Experimental results demonstrated that the reflectance spectrum, phase shift down-peak wavelength, and reflected optical intensity of the ThMs-FBG all depended on the surrounding refractive index. However, only the down-peak wavelength of the ThMs-FBG changed with the surrounding temperature. Under the condition that the length and cladding diameter of the ThMs-FBG microstructure were 800 and 14 mum, respectively, and the position of the microstructure of the ThMs-FBG is in the middle of grating region, the refractive index sensitivity of the ThMs-FBG was 0.79 nm/refractive index unit with the wide range of 1.33-1.457 and a high resolution of 1.2 x 10(-3). The temperature sensitivity was 0.0103 nm/ degrees C, which was approximately equal to that of common FBG.     

Influence of binding layer on the reflective performance of a Au film in vacuum ultraviolet wavelength region

We investigate the influence of the binding layer on the reflectance of a Au film in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength region theoretically and experimentally. The reflectance of Au films on quartz glass substrates with an approximately 2 nm binding layer of Ti, Cr, and Ir are estimated and fabricated. Their reflectance in the 115-140 nm wavelength region are measured continuously by the reflectometer located in the National Synchroton Radiation Laboratory. The testing results show that the addition of the binding layer indeed greatly enhances the interfacial adhesion of the Au layer to the quartz glass substrate, but it also exerts a considerably adverse impact on the reflectance of the Au layer in VUV wavelength region. In near normal incidence, the reflectance of the Au layer with a 2 nm thick binding layer is less than 20%, approximately 5% lower than those without the binding layer. The material used for the binding layer has little impact on the reflectance if this layer is thin enough.     

Structural effects of Ti underlayer on CoCrPt magnetic films

The effects of long-range and short-range orders of Ti underlayer thickness on the magnetic properties of sputtered Co72 Cr21 Pt7 films were investigated using synchrotron X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy. The results were consistent with that of magnetic measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For thin Ti underlayers (10 nm), the oxidation of Ti and significant mixing of other elements within this underlayer did not promote texture development, further resulting in poor texturing of magnetic films and undesirable magnetic properties. Increased crystallinity and texture of metallic Ti in thicker underlayers enhanced the magnetic peak alignment and its properties.     

Sub-quarter-wave multilayer coatings with high reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet

Multilayer coatings with a small number of layers were designed and prepared to provide an increase in normal-incidence reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet compared with the reflectance of available single-layer coatings, namely, SiC, B4C, and Ir. Multilayers were designed to produce coatings with the highest possible reflectance at 91.2 and at 58.4 nm. At these wavelengths all the materials absorb radiation strongly, but still a reflectance enhancement can be obtained by means of sub-quarter-wave multilayer coatings with two or more different materials. Sub-quarter-wave multilayer coatings based on Al, MgF2, diamondlike carbon, B4C, SiC, and Ir showed higher reflectance than single-layer coatings of SiC and B4C not only at the target wavelength but in a wide band ranging from 50 nm to the 121.6-nm H Lyman-alpha line. Multilayer coatings suffered some reflectance degradation over time. However, after approximately 80-100 days of aging in a desiccator, the reflectance for the multilayer coatings was greater than for the single-layer coatings.     

Angle-resolved reflectance of obliquely aligned silver nanorods

Arrays of silver nanorods (AgNRs) formed by oblique-angle deposition (OAD) are strongly anisotropic, with either metallic or dielectric characteristics depending on the polarization of incident light, and may be used to enhance Raman scattering and surface plasmon polaritons. This work investigates the polarization-dependent reflectance of inclined AgNR arrays at the wavelengths of 635 and 977 nm. The specular reflectance at various incidence angles and the bidirectional reflectance distribution function were measured with a laser scatterometer, while the directional-hemispherical reflectance was measured with an integrating sphere. The AgNR layer is modeled as an effectively homogenous, optically uniaxial material using the effective medium theory to elucidate the dielectric or metallic response for differently polarized incidence. The thin-film optics formulation is modified considering optical anisotropy and surface scattering. This study helps gain a better understanding of optical properties of nanostructured materials.     

Tunable optical properties of a two-dimensional square-lattice superconductor-dielectric Bragg reflector

We numerically analyze the optical properties of a two-dimensional (2D) superconducting Bragg reflector (SBR) using the finite element method in conjunction with a two-fluid model. It is found that the wavelength-dependent reflectance spectra of the proposed 2D SBR are strongly dependent on the polarizations of incident light and can be parametrically tuned by the system temperature and the geometric parameters of embedded dielectric rods. Taking advantage of the dispersive superconductor with its zero-refractive index characteristic and the structural periodicity of the proposed superconducting structure, narrow passband filters can be generated near the threshold wavelength. Furthermore, the narrow passband features of the 2D SBR are found to be sustained up to a very large angle of incidence. The extraordinary optical properties imply that the proposed 2D SBR may be applied to the design of an omnidirectional narrowband transmission filter.     

NiW/Ru underlayer for CoPt-SiO2 granular perpendicular recording media

This paper presented the usage of the NiW/Ru underlayer to replace the single Ru underlayer for promoting CoPt hcp (0002) texture. Fcc (111) textured NiW film was used to induce the Ru hcp (0002) texture. It was found that the utilization of the (111) textured NiW alloying layer promoted the formation of Ru(0002) texture, enhanced the magnetic grain isolation and generated the uniform grains with gain size less than 10 nm in CoPt-SiO2 recording layer. The out-of-plane coercivity was also enhanced with the growth of 10 nm NiW underlayer below the Ru layer.     

Theoretical performance of Bragg gratings based on long-range surface plasmon-polariton waveguides

A plasmon-polariton Bragg grating (PPBG) concept, based on the propagation of the long-range ss0b mode in structures comprising a thin metal film of finite width embedded in a homogeneous background dielectric, is discussed theoretically. The PPBGs are operated in an end-fire arrangement with access plasmon-polariton waveguides or optical fibers being directly butt-coupled to their input and output ports. A model for the PPBGs, which was recently proposed and validated experimentally for third order structures, is used to generate theoretical results describing their expected performance for various architectures. First order uniform periodic, interleaved, and apodized grating structures are considered and compared. Third order uniform periodic designs are also considered. The gratings investigated are based on a 20 nm thick Au film embedded in SiO2 and have a Bragg wavelength near 1550 nm. First order uniform periodic gratings provide the strongest reflection, with a maximum reflectance of about 97% being achievable over a length of a few millimeters and over a full width at half-maximum bandwidth of about 0.8 nm. The off-resonance insertion loss of the gratings can be as low as a few decibels. Specific Bragg wavelengths can easily be attained using interleaving without requiring extraordinary resolution from the fabrication process. Apodized designs providing low sidelobe levels are also investigated.     

Effect of Ag underlayer on microstructures and perpendicular magnetic properties of CoPt nanocomposite thin films

CoPt/Ag films were prepared by magnetron sputtering on glass substrates and subsequent annealing. The dependence of degree of ordering and magnetic properties on Ag film thickness and annealing conditions were investigated. It was found that the Ag underlayer played a dominant role in inducing the (001) texture of the CoPt film after annealing. CoPt films with a thickness about 20 nm and Ag underlayers with a thickness about 70 nm are easy to obtain a large degree of ordering and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy after annealing at 700 degrees C for 30 min. CoPt/Ag films with out-of-plane coercivity (Hc (perpendicular)) in the range of 13.5-14.0 kOe and a out-of-plane squareness (S(perpendicular)) of 0.97 were obtained after annealing at 700 degrees C for 30 min. Ag underlayer is beneficial to enhance the Hc(perpendicular)and S(perpendicular) of CoPt film significantly. The degree of ordering and perpendicular magnetic properties of the CoPt films which deposited on Ag underlayer are larger than those of the single layer CoPt films.     

Mo/Si and Mo/Be multilayer thin films on Zerodur substrates for extreme-ultraviolet lithography

Multilayer-coated Zerodur optics are expected to play a pivotal role in an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography tool. Zerodur is a multiphase, multicomponent material that is a much more complicated substrate than commonly used single-crystal Si or fused-silica substrates. We investigate the effect of Zerodur substrates on the performance of high-EUV reflectance Mo/Si and Mo/Be multilayer thin films. For Mo/Si the EUV reflectance had a nearly linear dependence on substrate roughness for roughness values of 0.06-0.36 nm rms, and the FWHM of the reflectance curves (spectral bandwidth) was essentially constant over this range. For Mo/Be the EUV reflectance was observed to decrease more steeply than Mo/Si for roughness values greater than approximately 0.2-0.3 nm. Little difference was observed in the EUV reflectivity of multilayer thin films deposited on different substrates as long as the substrate roughness values were similar.     

A novel silicon nanotips antireflection surface for the micro Sun sensor

We have developed a new technique to fabricate an antireflection surface using silicon nanotips for use on a micro Sun sensor for Mars rovers. We have achieved randomly distributed nanotips of radii spanning from 20 to 100 nm and aspect ratio of approximately 200 using a two-step dry etching process. The 30 degrees specular reflectance at the target wavelength of 1 microm is only about 0.09%, nearly 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of bare silicon, and the hemispherical reflectance is approximately 8%. When the density and aspect ratio of these nanotips are changed, a change in reflectance is demonstrated. When surfaces are covered with these nanotips, the critical problem of ghost images that are caused by multiple internal reflections in a micro Sun sensor was solved.     

Realization of effective light trapping and omnidirectional antireflection in smooth surface silicon nanowire arrays

We have successfully fabricated well-ordered silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays of smooth surface by using a low-cost and facile Ag-assisted chemical etching technique. We have experimentally found that the reflectance can be significantly suppressed (<1%) over a wide solar spectrum (300-1000 nm) in the as-grown samples. Also, based on our bundled model, we have used rigorous coupled-wave analysis to simulate the reflectance in SiNW arrays, and found that the calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data. From a further simulation study on the light absorption in SiNW arrays, we have obtained a photocurrent enhancement of up to 425% per unit volume of material as compared to crystalline Si, implying that effective light trapping can be realized in the as-grown samples. In addition, we have demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that the as-grown samples have an omnidirectional high-efficiency antireflection property.     

Holographic recording of Bragg gratings for wavelength division multiplexing in doped and partially polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate)

Bragg gratings are recorded in doped and partially polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) with green light (wavelength, 532 nm) in transmission geometry, and the gratings are read in reflection geometry with infrared light (wavelength, approximately 1550 nm). Diffraction efficiencies of more than 99% with a wavelength bandwidth of approximately 1 nm are obtained for single gratings with a typical length of 15 mm. Superposition of four gratings in a volume sample has been demonstrated as well. The material is promising for use in the fabrication of add-drop filters, attenuators, switches, and multiplexers-demultiplexers for optical networks that use wavelength division multiplexing.     

Fano-Like Resonance from Disorder Correlation in Vacancy-Doped Photonic Crystals

By preparing colloidal crystals with random missing scatterers, crystals are created where disorder is embodied as vacancies in an otherwise perfect lattice. In this special system, there is a critical defect concentration where light propagation undergoes a transition from an all but perfect reflector (for the spectral range defined by the Bragg condition), to a metamaterial exhibiting an enhanced transmission phenomenon. It is shown that this behavior can be phenomenologically described in terms of Fano-like resonances. The results show that the Fano's parameter q experiences a sign change signaling the transition from a perfect crystal exhibiting a reflectance Bragg peak, through a state where background scattering is maximum and Bragg reflectance reaches a minimum to a point where the system reenters a low scattering state recovering ordinary Bragg diffraction. A simple dipolar model considering the correlation between scatterers and vacancies is proposed and the reported evolution of the Fano-like scattering is explained in terms of the emerging covariance between the optical paths and polarizabilities and the effect of field enhancement in photonic crystal (PhC) defects.     

Surface finish requirements for soft x-ray mirrors

We have examined the correlations between direct surface-finish metrology techniques and normalincidence, soft x-ray reflectance measurements of highly polished x-ray multilayer mirrors. We find that, to maintain high reflectance, the rms surface roughness of these mirrors must be less than ~ 1 ? over the range of spatial frequencies extending approximately from 1 to 100 μm(-1)1 (i.e., spatial wavelengths from 1 μm to 10 nm). This range of spatial frequencies is accessible directly only through scanning-probe metrology. Because the surface-finish Fourier spectrum of such highly polished mirrors is described approximately by an inverse power law (unlike a conventional surface), bandwidth-limited rms roughness values measured with instruments that are sensitive to only lower spatial frequencies (i.e., optical or stylus profileres) are generally uncorrelated with the soft x-ray reflectance and can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the expected performance of substrates for x-ray mirrors.     

Optical constants of V(1-x)W(x)O(2) Films

The spectral complex optical constants in the visible and the near-infrared region of VO(2) and V(1-x)W(x)O(2) films deposited on glass substrates were determined from observed reflectance and transmittance spectra for which the least-squares method was used. In the metallic phase, the optical properties were characterized by the Drude model in wavelength regions longer than 750 nm.