About us
At META-IR, we investigate the infrared spectral and spatial properties of newly emerging materials as well as metamaterials, for taming and tuning of the infrared emitted radiation. The goal of the laboratory's research lies in the synergistic overlap of engineering, photonics, and materials science.
Our work is focused on the investigation of metamaterials and metasurfaces with tailored spectral response to set the basis for the realization of tunable and dynamically controllable systems as building blocks for the development of platforms for MIR functionalities including IR sensors and sources. To this aim, an ultimate generation versatile infrared interferometer (Invenio-FTIR) is available including angular reflectance unit with variable independent angles, polarized light with variable angles of both incoming and outcoming beams, high index ATR hemisphere crystal (ZnSe) with sample holder for customized experiments.
Research
Research at META-IR is focused on tailoring spectral response, polarization behavior or angular emission features of materials and metastructures to advance in fields such as thermal management, chemical and bio- sensing and photonics in general. Newly emerging 2D materials as well as IR featured nanostructures allow several applications such as detection of traces of biomolecules and harmful/explosive substances [1], the realization of depolarizing optical components, adaptive emissivity elements [2] as well as devices for thermal imaging and for medical diagnostics.
Selective and tunable IR emission in polar metamaterials
Polarization selective spectral emissivity of a SiC (silicon carbide) based metamaterial matching the emissivity lines of two explosives, such as XRD (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) and TNT (trinitrotoluene).
Designing of patterned polar metasurfaces for diseases markers screening.
Tuning an emissivity peak in 1 micron hBN film with cylindrical air inclusions to get a resonance at 1585 cm-1 to match the absorption line of a maker type 2 for diabetes (isoleucine).
Thermal filtering and infrared camouflage.
Phase change materials, such as thermochromic vanadium dioxide, display versatile, adaptable IR emission features under different heating regimes, and allow the design of active thermal devices.
[1] M.C.Larciprete, M.Centini, R.Li Voti and C.Sibilia, Journal of the Optical Society of Am. B, 34, 1459 (2017).
[2] M.C.Larciprete, M. Centini, S. Paoloni, I. Fratoddi, S. A. Dereshgi, K. Tang, J. Wu and K. Aydin., “Adaptive tuning of infrared emission using VO2 thin films”, Scientific Reports, 10(1), 11544 (2020).
Selected Publications
Abedini Dereshgi, Sina; Larciprete, Maria Cristina; Centini, Marco; Murthy, Akshay A.; Tang, Kechao; Wu, Junqiao; Dravid, Vinayak P.; Aydin, Koray, Tuning of Optical Phonons in α-MoO3-VO2Multilayers, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces (2021). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c12320
Link to Publications
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7876-628X
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6701400811
Ongoing Projects
- Progetto PRIN 2022: “C-MOOVO: Combined Molibdenum trioxide/Vanadium dioxide structures for a new class of tunable photonic devices in the mid-infrared”.
- Progetto PNRR MUR - MISSIONE 4: "ISTRUZIONE E RICERCA", SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY CENTER - CN4 - SPOKE 11: INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND LIGHWEIGHTING (CUP B83C22002900007). Linea Tematica (PI Larciprete): Development of metamaterials for IR manipulation for active/passive systems. / Financed by the European Union - NextGenerationEU (National Sustainable Mobility Center
CN00000023, Italian Ministry of University and Research Decree n. 1033 - 17/06/2022, Spoke 11 - Innovative Materials & Lightweighting).
- Progetto Sapienza Accordi Internazionali 2022: Framework and Cultural & Scientific Collaboration Agreements. (between Sapienza University and Northwestern University (Evanston, IL, USA).
Past Projects
- Metamaterials with Tunable Hybrid Phonon Polaritons for Infrared Radiation Managing. (Sapienza Medie Attrezzature 2020): https://www.sbai.uniroma1.it/node/7836
- Progetto Sapienza Accordi Internazionali 2020: Framework and Cultural & Scientific Collaboration Agreements. (between Sapienza University and Northwestern University (Evanston, IL, USA).
Facilities
- High resolution Fourier Transform Infrared Interferometer for customized experiments
- High power IR source
- Room temperature detector (DTGS)
- Liquid N2 cooled Detector (MCT).
- Aperture wheel for multiple samples investigation
- Automatic polarizer rotational unit; mechanical analyzer rotational unit
- IR wide range (2-30 micron) holographic wire grid polarizers
- Reflection Unit with ATR crystal (ZnSe) with sample holder.
- Reflectance accessory, 13°-83°, computer-controlled angle adjustment.
- High Performance equipped with Spectroscopy Software.
Computer facilities
Lab Computers are provided with Opus software for Bruker instrumentation management and Matlab software for numerical simulations. All lab computers are connected via WiFi or internal Lan to the Department network.
Laboratory guidelines
Laboratory access is limited to: undergraduates, PhD students, post doc fellows and faculty staff.
