Deep-subwavelength engineering of stealthy hyperuniformity

TL;DR

This paper develops a method to engineer disordered multilayers at deep-subwavelength scales, enabling angle-selective control of wave localization by manipulating stealthy hyperuniformity, thus bridging disordered photonics and metamaterials.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to control wave localization in deep-subwavelength disordered structures using stealthy hyperuniformity, revealing EMT breakdown at these scales.

Findings

Achieved angle-selective wave localization in multilayers.

Demonstrated control of microstructural phases via order-to-disorder transitions.

Bridged disordered photonics with metamaterials at deep-subwavelength scales.

Abstract

Light behaviours in disordered materials have been of research interest primarily at length scales beyond or comparable to the wavelength of light, because order and disorder are often believed to be almost indistinguishable in the subwavelength regime according to effective medium theory (EMT). However, it was recently demonstrated that the breakdown of EMT occurs even at deep-subwavelength scales when interface phenomena, such as the Goos-Hanchen effect, dominate light flows. Here we develop the engineering of disordered multilayers at deep-subwavelength scales to achieve angle-selective manipulation of wave localization. To examine the disorder-dependent EMT breakdown, we classify the intermediate regime of microstructural phases between deep-subwavelength crystals and uncorrelated disorder through the concept of stealthy hyperuniformity (SHU). In this classification, we devise nontrivial order-to-disorder transitions by selectively tailoring the short-range and long-range order in SHU multilayers, achieving angle-selective control of wave localization. The result paves the way to the realization of deep-subwavelength disordered metamaterials, bridging the gap between the fields of disordered photonics and metamaterials.