Abstract: Methods of forming a structural color metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) component via a solution-based process are provided. First, a first metal layer is formed over a treated surface of a substrate by a first electroless deposition process. A surface of the treated substrate is contacted with a first plating bath that comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: copper, aluminum, silver, alloys, and combinations thereof. A dielectric layer, for example, comprising silicon dioxide, is then deposited over the first metal layer by a sol-gel process. Next, the method comprises forming a second metal layer over the dielectric layer by a second electroless deposition process by contacting the dielectric layer with a second plating bath having a neutral pH and comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of: copper, aluminum, silver, alloys, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Inverse temperature crystallization processes are provided to produce perovskite single crystals (PSCs), as well as surface passivation techniques for producing stabilizing the PSCs in the bulk region. Stable hybrid perovskite material include a bulk region comprising a single crystal perovskite material having a first bandgap and a smooth perovskite surface layer having a second bandgap greater than the first bandgap. Devices for detection and energy conversion are also contemplated, including for spectroscopic photon and elementary particle detection, such as radiation detectors. Crystallization chambers for forming the PSCs are also provided.

Abstract: A computer system includes memory hardware configured to store a multitask neural network, an optimization model, a material database, material feature vector inputs, and computer-executable instructions which include training the multitask neural network with the material feature vector inputs to generate a material structural parameter output, obtaining at least one of a target optical perception parameter and a target optical response, supplying the target optical perception parameter or target optical response and at least two of the multiple material data structures of the material database to the multitask neural network to output the at least one predicted material and the predicted structural parameter distribution, processing, by the optimization model, the predicted structural parameter distribution to generate a tuned structural parameter output, and transmitting the at least one predicted material and the tuned structural parameter output to a computing device to facilitate generation of an optica

Abstract: A plasmonic device incorporating a special hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) metamaterial is used for plasmonic lithography, including ultraviolet (UV) lithography. It may be a Type II HMM (??<0 and ??>0) whose tangential component of the permittivity ?? is close to zero. Due to the high anisotropy of the Type II epsilon near zero (ENZ) HMM, only one plasmonic mode can propagate horizontally with low loss in a waveguide system with ENZ HMM as its core. In certain aspects, a Type II ENZ HMM comprises alternating layers of aluminum/aluminum oxide films and the associated unusual mode of light transmission is used to expose a photosensitive layer in a specially designed lithography system. Methods for making patterns of nanofeatures via such plasmonic lithography are also provided, including as a plasmonic roller device.

Abstract: A method of increasing light emission efficiency in an organic light emitting diode (OLED) eliminates or reduces at least one waveguide mode selected from the group consisting of: transverse electric (TE0) mode, transverse magnetic (TM1) mode, and combinations thereof by disposing an ultrathin electrically conductive transparent metallic electrode having a first polarity within the OLED. The OLED has a transparent substrate on which the ultrathin electrically conductive transparent metallic electrode is disposed. It also has an emissive active assembly for generating photons defining first and second opposite sides. A conductive transparent metallic electrode is disposed along the first side. A second transparent electrode having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity disposed adjacent to the second side of emissive active assembly. The methods include increasing an external quantum efficiency of the organic light emitting diode to ?about 20%. OLEDs with such a design are also contemplated.

Abstract: A colored visibly opaque, highly efficient NIR-transmitting optical filter displaying angle insensitivity is based on one-dimensional photonic crystals. The filter comprises a photonic crystal stack comprising at least one high refractive index layer and two low refractive index layers respectively disposed along a first side and a second side of the high refractive index layer. The photonic crystal stack may have 10 or fewer layers. The filter transmits a first portion of an electromagnetic spectrum having a first range of predetermined wavelengths in an infrared light range or near infrared light range, while reflecting a second portion of the electromagnetic spectrum having a second range of predetermined wavelengths in a visible light range to generate a reflected output. In certain aspects, a refractive index contrast between the at least one high refractive index layer and at least one of the two low refractive index layers is ? about 40%.

Abstract: A method of forming a structural color filter includes: depositing a first metal layer on a surface of a substrate by applying an electric potential to the substrate; depositing a first dielectric layer on the first metal layer by contacting the first metal layer with a second electrolyte; and depositing a second metal layer on the first dielectric layer. The surface of the substrate is in contact with a first electrolyte; the first electrolyte comprises a first precursor, an electrochemical reaction of the first precursor at the surface of the substrate is driven by the electric potential; the depositing the first metal layer on the surface of the substrate is performed at a temperature of less than or equal to 50° C. The second electrolyte comprises a second precursor of a first dielectric material of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: In various aspects, a self-healing polymeric material is provided, as well as methods of making a self-healing material. The self-healing material may include a polymer network defining one or more ligands having a metal ion coordination site. The polymer network may be a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel and the metal ion may be a transition metal, like zinc. The metal ion is distributed in the polymer network and capable of interacting with the at least one metal ion coordination site via a reversible coordination bond. The polymer network is capable of self-healing a mechanical crack or cut in less than or equal to about 30 minutes at ambient conditions and in certain variations, in as little as 5-10 seconds. The self-healing polymeric materials can be used to form pressure sensitive adhesives.

Abstract: Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields and methods for broadband EMI shielding are provided. An EMI shield disposed in a path of electromagnetic radiation blocks a broad range of frequencies (>about 800 MHz to <about 90 GHz) to a shielding efficiency of >to 20 dB, while transmitting wavelengths in a visible range to an average transmission efficiency of >about 85% through the electromagnetic shield. The shield includes a flexible stack comprising a continuous ultrathin metal film comprising silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) and two antireflection dielectric layers disposed on either side of the ultrathin metal film. The shield may also include multiple stacks or an optional graphene layer that may be spaced apart from the flexible stack to achieve radiofrequency (RE) absorption, which provides additional form of EMI shielding. The EMI shield can be made via roll-to-roll sputtering.

Abstract: Angle insensitive/angle-robust colored filter assemblies are provided for use with a photovoltaic device to create a decorative and colored photovoltaic device assembly. The filter may be passive or active with an ultrathin reflective layer of high refractive index material, like amorphous silicon (a-Si). A passive filter may have transparent first and second pairs of dielectric materials surrounding the ultrathin reflective layer. An active filter may have transparent first and second electrodes and first and second doped hole/electron transport layer surrounding the ultrathin reflective layer. The filter can transmit a portion and reflect a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to generate a reflected color output with minimal angle dependence. Angle insensitive colored photovoltaic device assemblies having high power conversion efficiencies (e.g., ?18%) including a passive or active colored reflective filter and a photovoltaic device are also contemplated.

Abstract: A method for designing a multi-layer optical structure includes: obtaining candidate multi-layer optical structures through a sequence generator; obtaining a candidate spectrum for each candidate multi-layer optical structure; obtaining a difference between the candidate spectrum and a target spectrum; updating sequence generator parameters through reinforcement learning training and iteratively performing the obtainings and the updating in response to a first termination condition being not met; and selecting one of all obtained candidate structures to be a target multi-layer optical structure in response to the first termination condition being met. The difference between a spectrum of the target multi-layer optical structure and the target spectrum is minimized through the process. The method of the present application can perform the designs robustly and effectively.

Abstract: Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields and methods for broadband EMI shielding are provided. An EMI shield disposed in a path of electromagnetic radiation blocks a broad range of frequencies (> about 800 MHz to < about 90 GHz) to a shielding efficiency of > to 20 dB, while transmitting wavelengths in a visible range to an average transmission efficiency of > about 85% through the electromagnetic shield. The shield includes a flexible stack comprising a continuous ultrathin metal film comprising silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) and two antireflection dielectric layers disposed on either side of the ultrathin metal film. The shield may also include multiple stacks or an optional graphene layer that may be spaced apart from the flexible stack to achieve radiofrequency (RE) absorption, which provides additional form of EMI shielding. The EMI shield can be made via roll-to-roll sputtering.

Abstract: Optically transparent, highly conductive conductor materials are provided, which in certain variations may also be flexible. Methods of making transparent conductive conductors, such as electrodes, are also provided. Such a method may include creating a groove pattern on a substrate that defines a two-dimensional array. Then an electrically conductive material may be selectively applied within the groove pattern of the substrate so as to create a transparent conductor (e.g., a transparent conductive electrode (TCE)). The transparent conductor has a sheet resistance of ?about 5 Ohms/Square and a transmissivity of ?about 50% for a predetermined range of target wavelengths of electromagnetic energy. Such methods may form linear micromesh conductive arrays and tortuous micromesh conductive arrays that can be used in a variety of optoelectronic applications, including as optically transparent, flexible and mechanically reconfigurable zeroth-order resonant (ZOR) antennas.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a pigment. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming stacked multiple sets of films successively on the substrate, wherein each set of films comprises a sacrificial layer and an optical film, the sacrificial layer and the optical film are successively stacked, and the sacrificial layer is a stripping agent with compressive stress or low stress; and obtaining the pigment by stripping and crushing formed multiple sets of films.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an optical film, a structural colored pigment, and a method for preparing an optical film. The optical film includes a multilayer film. The multilayer film includes films with high refractive indexes and films with low refractive indexes alternately arranged in a multilayer manner, and a middle film. Some of the films with the high refractive indexes and some of the films with the low refractive indexes are disposed on a side of the middle film, constituting first other films. Optical thicknesses of films having a same refractive index in the optical films and an optical thickness of the middle film are all different or partially different.

Abstract: Inverse temperature crystallization processes are provided to produce perovskite single crystals (PSCs), as well as surface passivation techniques for producing stabilizing the PSCs in the bulk region. Stable hybrid perovskite material include a bulk region comprising a single crystal perovskite material having a first bandgap and a smooth perovskite surface layer having a second bandgap greater than the first bandgap. Devices for detection and energy conversion are also contemplated, including for spectroscopic photon and elementary particle detection, such as radiation detectors. Crystallization chambers for forming the PSCs are also provided.

Abstract: A wire-grip polarizer (“WGP”), and a panel having said WGP is provided. The WGP is mounted on an absorption layer. The absorption layer is mounted on a substrate. The substrate is brightly colored. The WGP includes a plurality of gratings formed of a metallic element. Each of the gratings is spaced apart from the other so as to form a waveguide. The WGP is configured to transmit S-Polarized light and reflect P-polarized light. The A thin film layer may be disposed on each of the metallic gratings. The thin film layer is configured to generate a resonance so as to modify the reflectivity of P-polarized light so as to reduce veiling glare and maintain the brightness of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a structural color filter includes: depositing a first metal layer on a surface of a substrate by applying an electric potential to the substrate; depositing a first dielectric layer on the first metal layer by contacting the first metal layer with a second electrolyte; and depositing a second metal layer on the first dielectric layer. The surface of the substrate is in contact with a first electrolyte; the first electrolyte comprises a first precursor, an electrochemical reaction of the first precursor at the surface of the substrate is driven by the electric potential; the depositing the first metal layer on the surface of the substrate is performed at a temperature of less than or equal to 50° C. The second electrolyte comprises a second precursor of a first dielectric material of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: Angle insensitive/angle-robust colored filter assemblies are provided for use with a photovoltaic device to create a decorative and colored photovoltaic device assembly. The filter may be passive or active with an ultrathin reflective layer of high refractive index material, like amorphous silicon (a-Si). A passive filter may have transparent first and second pairs of dielectric materials surrounding the ultrathin reflective layer. An active filter may have transparent first and second electrodes and first and second doped hole/electron transport layer surrounding the ultrathin reflective layer. The filter can transmit a portion and reflect a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to generate a reflected color output with minimal angle dependence. Angle insensitive colored photovoltaic device assemblies having high power conversion efficiencies (e.g., ?18%) including a passive or active colored reflective filter and a photovoltaic device are also contemplated.

Abstract: A plasmonic device incorporating a special hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) metamaterial is used for plasmonic lithography, including ultraviolet (UV) lithography. It may be a Type II HMM (??<0 and ??>0) whose tangential component of the permittivity ?? is close to zero. Due to the high anisotropy of the Type II epsilon near zero (ENZ) HMM, only one plasmonic mode can propagate horizontally with low loss in a waveguide system with ENZ HMM as its core. In certain aspects, a Type II ENZ HMM comprises alternating layers of aluminum/aluminum oxide films and the associated unusual mode of light transmission is used to expose a photosensitive layer in a specially designed lithography system. Methods for making patterns of nanofeatures via such plasmonic lithography are also provided, including as a plasmonic roller device.