Design of multidimensional nanophotonic materials with improved performance and functionalities

Multi-dimensional (2D and 3D) architectures with characteristic feature sizes on the order of a micrometer and below can exhibit extraordinary properties that are not present in their non-structured counterparts. Of particular interest are 3D microstructures, which have been found promising due to their unique photonic, electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties. Due to their unique potential to control the propagation of light in all directions, it is the photonic properties of three-dimensionally microstructure materials, so-called 3D photonic crystals (3D PhCs), that have attracted the greatest amount of attention. Although 3D PhCs have been suggested to have great promise, in practice they have been limited by both the properties of the available constituent materials and difficulties in processing materials with feature sizes small enough to impact visible and near IR wavelengths. This thesis will thus focus on developing novel techniques to overcome some long-lasting processing challenges in the 3D PhCs community and provide 3D structures that may also be of interest for their electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties. As an overview, in Chapter One we will first introduce the background of PhCs as well as the current achievements and challenges. In Chapters Two to Chapter Four, we will show 1) how a newly developed transfer printing method can be used to enrich the functionalities of 3D PhCs made by holographic lithography (Chapter Two) and 2) how metallic alloy systems may be more interesting than pure metals for 3D metallic PhCs under elevated temperature (Chapter Three & Four). Based on the learnings in these two chapters, we will then continue our discussions in Chapter Five to Chapter Seven on how electrochemical approaches can become powerful in creating novel structures with superior electronic and photonic properties that can potentially lead to a significant improvement in the technology field. Finally, additional to the design of static photonic devices made with solid materials, in Chapter Eight, the design of a new dynamic controllable 3D PhC based on reconfigurable microplasma arrays is simulated and experimentally presented. The unifying theme of this thesis is therefore to build a better understanding of how light and materials with complex structures will interact and make an impact on the development of 3D PhCs as well as other nanophotonic technologies