Non-volatile temperature-induced structural phase transitions such as those found in chalcogenide glasses are known to lead to strong changes in optical properties and are widely used in rewritable optical disk technology. Herein, we demonstrate that thermally activated optical memory can be achieved via the nanostructural reconfiguration of a metallic nanowire metamaterial array made from a shape-memory alloy: A nickel-titanium film of nanoscale thickness structured on the subwavelength scale exhibits bistability of its optical properties upon temperature cycling between 30 °C and 210 °C. The structure, comprising an array of NiTi nanowires coated with a thin film of gold to enhance its plasmonic properties, can exist in two non-volatile states presenting an optical reflectivity differential of 12% via nanoscale mutual displacements of alternating nanowires in the structure. Such all-metal shape-memory photonic gratings and metamaterials may find applications in bistable optical devices.
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9 July 2018
Research Article|
July 13 2018
Optical bistability in shape-memory nanowire metamaterial array
Yusuke Nagasaki;
Yusuke Nagasaki
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
2
Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University
, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Behrad Gholipour;
Behrad Gholipour
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
3
Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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Jun-Yu Ou
;
Jun-Yu Ou
a)
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: jo2c09@orc.soton.ac.uk
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Masanori Tsuruta;
Masanori Tsuruta
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
4
Asahi Kasei, Energy and Environment R&D Center
, 2-1 Samejima, 416-8501 Fuji, Japan
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Eric Plum
;
Eric Plum
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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Kevin F. MacDonald
;
Kevin F. MacDonald
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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Junichi Takahara
;
Junichi Takahara
2
Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University
, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
5
Photonics Advanced Research Center, Osaka University
, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Nikolay I. Zheludev
Nikolay I. Zheludev
1
Optoelectronics Research Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton
, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
6
Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, SPMS, TPI, Nanyang Technological University
, Singapore 637371, Singapore
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: jo2c09@orc.soton.ac.uk
Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 021105 (2018)
Article history
Received:
February 09 2018
Accepted:
June 08 2018
Citation
Yusuke Nagasaki, Behrad Gholipour, Jun-Yu Ou, Masanori Tsuruta, Eric Plum, Kevin F. MacDonald, Junichi Takahara, Nikolay I. Zheludev; Optical bistability in shape-memory nanowire metamaterial array. Appl. Phys. Lett. 9 July 2018; 113 (2): 021105. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5025400
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