Mikhail Kats

Infrared limiters, diodes, and tunable filters based on phase-transition materials

Prof. Mikhail Kats
Associate Professor and Dugald C. Jackson Faculty Scholar, Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Wisconsin – Madison

Abstract:

This talk will discuss the use of phase-transition materials and optical micro/nanostructures to implement new types of infrared optical limiters, power diodes, and tunable filters.

Phase-transition materials such as vanadium dioxide can have very large changes in infrared refractive index in response to applied stimuli such as heat, current, and optical fields, making them ideal candidates for tunable infrared devices. We incorporate these tunable materials into resonant optical nanostructures such as thin-film stacks and frequency selective surfaces to enhance figures of merit such the on-off ratio and damage threshold in optical limiters, and provide new functionalities such as optical filters that switch from narrow to broad passbands.

Bio:

Prof. Mikhail Kats is an Associate Professor and Dugald C. Jackson Faculty Scholar at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Wisconsin–Madison. Prof. Kats’s research interests include optical properties of engineered materials, infrared optical technologies, thermal emission and radiative heat transfer, and related topics in optics and photonics. Prof. Kats is the recipient of this year’s IEEE Nanotechnology Council Early Career Award.