A paper authored by Sathwik Bharadwaj, titled "Unraveling Optical Polarization at Deep Microscopic Scales in Crystalline Materials," has been featured on the cover of ACS Photonics. This selection recognizes the scientific contribution of the work.
The paper presents a theoretical framework for describing optical polarization at the lattice level of crystalline materials. This work introduces a microscopic optical band theory of solids, a quantum-based approach inspired by the electronic band structure of materials.
This theory reveals the existence of propagating waves within a crystal lattice, which are distinct from those described by the conventional macroscopic refractive index. These waves, termed "hidden waves" in the paper, are governed by crystal-optical indices that adhere to crystal symmetries and possess a specific optical polarization texture. The work includes an analysis of these waves in 14 materials, spanning Group IV, III–V, and II–VI semiconductors.
To facilitate further research, the paper announces the release of the open-source software package, Purdue-Picomax, which enables the computational discovery of these waves in various materials. The foundational nature of this work establishes a new perspective on light–matter interactions and holds implications for applications in fields such as solar energy and imaging.
Read the article here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsphotonics.4c01766
