Transparent Sub-diffraction Photonics

Massive efforts over the last decade have been driven by miniaturization and integration of electronics and photonics on the same platform. However, the diffraction limit of light is a fundamental barrier to interfacing micrometer-scale waveguides to nanoscale electronic circuitry. It is also a fundamental barrier to interface single emitters with nanophotonics. It has been a long-held belief that resonators and waveguides can only poorly interface to single emitters because of the large photonic mode volumes.

In the scope of this project, we have introduced the principles of relaxed total internal reflection and evanescent wave skin-depth engineering to confine light beyond the diffraction limit. This can lead to large coupling efficiencies and interfaces between quantum emitters and nanophotonics. We have surpassed the diffraction limit of light by a new class of all-dielectric artificial materials that are lossless and do not use metals. Our results and those of the emerging field of all-dielectric metamaterials are summarized in a recent review paper available on request.