Infrared near-field optics, micro and nano thermics

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We mainly study infrared radiation at sub-wavelength scales, whether resulting from thermal agitation or electrical pumping of a semiconductor or graphene-based device. We also study thermal transport at short scales. Our work ranges from fundamental research to applications. We collaborate with teams from academia, aerospace and industrial laboratories.

Applications to internships, PhD and positions are more than welcome (see “Jobs” section). For more information, please contact the group leader, Dr.Yannick De Wilde.
email: yannick.dewilde (arobase) espci.fr


Research topics

Electroluminescence and energy transfer in graphene transistors encapsulated in hBN


Plasmonic and dielectric nano-antennas - Infrared spatial modulation spectroscopy

We have developed an infrared spatial modulation spectroscopy (IR-SMS) technique that can detect extremely weak thermal radiation signals without background noise, from objects whose dimensions are far smaller than the field of view of the infrared detectors used for Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

In collaboration with Patrick Bouchon’s team at the French aerospace research center ONERA, we have applied this method to study the electromagnetic modes of individual metal-insulator-metal (MIM) antennas when excited by thermal fluctuations [Li_PHYS_REV_LETT2018]. We then studied the appearance of hybrid modes in dimers of near-field coupled MIM antennas. [Abou_Hamdan_OPT_LETT2021]. These studies are continuing, using NxN arrays of MIM antennas to create reconfigurable devices.

We have also applied the IR-SMS method to study the Mie resonances of silica microspheres (SiO2), which are of interest for daylight radiative cooling [Abou_Hamdan_ACS_PHOT2022].

Near-field radiative conductance: towards N-body systems


Thermal radiation on subwavelength scales


TRSTM coupled with FTIR operates beyond the diffraction limit. It improves spatial resolution by a factor of 100 compared with infrared microscopes and spectrometers.

For example, the figure opposite shows the TRSTM study of the cleaved face of a multilayer stack of doped and undoped semiconductors, where each layer has a thickness of around 300 nm. In certain regions of the infrared spectrum, this stack behaves like a hyperbolic metamaterial. By measuring TRSTM images at different heights, we observed the transition from the homogeneous regime to one where the thermal radiation of each layer must be considered individually, over a distance of just 200 nm [Peragut_OPTICA2017].

The recording of spectro-images revealed the contribution to EM-LDOS of surface plasmons propagating at the interface between doped and undoped semiconductor layers.


Research linked with industrial partners


REFERENCES (full list here )

[Abou_Hamdan_NATURE2025] Electroluminescence and Energy Transfer Mediated by Hyperbolic Polaritons
L. Abou-Hamdan, A. Schmitt, R. Bretel, S. Rossetti, M. Tharrault, D. Mele, A. Pierret, M. Rosticher, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, C. Maestre, C. Journet, B. Toury, V. Garnier, P. Steyer, J. H. Edgar, E. Janzen, J-M. Berroir, G. Fève, G. Ménard, B. Plaçais, C. Voisin, J-P. Hugonin, E. Bailly, B. Vest, J-J. Greffet, P. Bouchon, Y. De Wilde, E. Baudin
NATURE, in press, 2025. arXiv:2310.08351v5 [cond-mat.mes-hall]

[Yang_NATURE_NANOTECH2018] A graphene Zener–Klein transistor cooled by a hyperbolic substrate
W. Yang, S. Berthou, X. Lu, et al.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY, v. 13, 47–52 (2018).

[Li_PHYS_REV_LETT2018] Near-Field and Far-Field Thermal Emission of an Individual Patch Nanoantenna
C. Li, V. Krachmalnicoff, P. Bouchon, J. Jaeck, N. Bardou, R. Haïdar, Y. De Wilde
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, v. 121, 243901 (2018).

[Abou_Hamdan_OPT_LETT2021] Hybrid modes in a single thermally excited asymmetric dimer antenna
L. Abou-Hamdan, C. Li, R. Haidar, V. Krachmalnicoff, P. Bouchon, Y. De Wilde
Optics Letters 46, 981-984 (2021). DOI: doi.org/10.1364/OL.413382

[Abou_Hamdan_ACS_PHOT2022] Transition from Phononic to Geometrical Mie Modes Measured in Single Subwavelength Polar Dielectric Spheres
L. Abou-Hamdan, L. Coudrat, S. Bidault, V. Krachmalnicoff, R. Haidar, P. Bouchon, Y. De Wilde
ACS Photonics 9, 7, 2295–2303 (2022). DOI: doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.2c00273

[Doumouro_PHYS_REV_APPL2021] Quantitative measurement of the thermal contact resistance between a glass microsphere and a plate
J. Doumouro, E. Perros, A. Dodu, N. Rahbany, D. Leprat, V. Krachmalnicoff, R. Carminati, W. Poirier, Y. De Wilde
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED 15, 014063 (2021).

[De_Wilde_NATURE2006] Thermal Radiation Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy
Y. De Wilde, F. Formanek, R. Carminati, B. Gralak, P.-A. Lemoine, J.-P. Mulet, K. Joulain, Y. Chen, J.-J. Greffet,
NATURE 444, 740 (2006).

[Babuty_PHYS_REV_LETT2013] Blackbody spectrum revisited in the near-field
A. Babuty, K. Joulain, P.-O. Chapuis, J.-J. Greffet, Y. De Wilde
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 110, 146103 (2013).

[Peragut_OPTICA2017] Hyperbolic metamaterials and surface plasmon polaritons
F. Peragut, L. Cerruti, A. Baranov,J.P. Hugonin, T. Taliercio, Y. De Wilde, J.J. Greffet
OPTICA, 4, 1409-1415 (2017).

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