Digital design of multimaterial photonic particles

Abstract

Scattering of light from dielectric particles whose size is on the order of an optical wavelength underlies a plethora of visual phenomena in nature and is a foundation for optical coatings and paints. Tailoring the internal nanoscale geometry of such "photonic particles" allows tuning their optical scattering characteristics beyond those afforded by their constitutive materials - however, flexible yet scalable processing approaches to produce such particles are lacking. Here, we show that a thermally induced in-fiber fluid instability permits the "digital design" of multimaterial photonic particles: the precise allocation of high refractive-index contrast materials at independently addressable radial and azimuthal coordinates within its 3D architecture. Exploiting this unique capability in all-dielectric systems, we tune the scattering cross-section of equisized particles via radial structuring and induce polarization-sensitive scattering from spherical particles with broken internal rotational symmetry. The scalability of this fabrication strategy promises a generation of optical coatings in which sophisticated functionality is realized at the level of the individual particles.