Birefringent cadmium-telluride-based metamaterial

• Main Authors: Markham, M.L (Author), Baumberg, J.J (Author), Smith, D.C (Author), Li, X. (Author), Gabriel, T. (Author), Attard, G.S (Author), Nandhakumar, I. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2005-01-03.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

A CdTe-based optical metamaterial, with large induced optical birefringence (4%), has been produced and its optical properties fully characterized and modeled over the spectral range 1500- 450 nm. This metamaterial, which is related to mesoporous silica, is made using electrochemical deposition in the presence of a lyotropic liquid crystal template. This process produces a stoichiometric CdTe film containing a hexagonal array of similar to4.2 nm cylindrical pores with interpore separation similar to6.5 nm. A model of the dielectric properties of the films indicates that their birefringence can be entirely attributed to the film's nanoporosity.