IFIC Experimental Seminar: Metasurfaces as light concentrators for noble elements detectors

by Augusto Martinez Alves

Monday 13 Mar 2023, 12:00 → 13:00 Europe/Madrid

1001-Primera-1-1-1 - Paterna. Seminario (Universe)

Light collection is central to most particle physics detectors, for noble element detectors where particle interactions produce ionization electrons and induce VUV scintillation light. The detection of the scintillation light is challenging as it lies in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region of the optical spectrum. Typical light concentrators for VUV light, rely on non-planar optical devices with bulky, expensive and more complicated geometries. To overcome this issue, we investigate metasurfaces as an alternative to collect VUV light. A metasurface locally manipulates the properties of light at the level of the so-called meta-atoms, which are nanoresonators with subwavelength dimensions that interact strongly with light.  Metalenses, which is a metasurface that focus light, have been attracting significant attention due to their potential for achieving unique optical functionalities in miniaturized systems. Recent advances in nanotechnology have allowed the design and fabrication of metalenses devices that use phase shifting nanostructures to focus light, offering the prospect of mass production at a low cost.  We are pushing the metalens technology towards its use as light concentrators in noble element detectors, a push that entails significant challenges given the shorter wavelength of the VUV scintillation.