skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Universal Ensemble‐Embedding Graph Neural Network for Direct Prediction of Optical Spectra from Crystal Structures
Abstract Optical properties in solids, such as refractive index and absorption, hold vast applications ranging from solar panels to sensors, photodetectors, and transparent displays. However, first‐principles computation of optical properties from crystal structures is a complex task due to the high convergence criteria and computational cost. Recent progress in machine learning shows promise in predicting material properties, yet predicting optical properties from crystal structures remains challenging due to the lack of efficient atomic embeddings. Here, Graph Neural Network for Optical spectra prediction (GNNOpt) is introduced, an equivariant graph‐neural‐network architecture featuring universal embedding with automatic optimization. This enables high‐quality optical predictions with a dataset of only 944 materials. GNNOpt predicts all optical properties based on the Kramers‐Krönig relations, including absorption coefficient, complex dielectric function, complex refractive index, and reflectance. The trained model is applied to screen photovoltaic materials based on spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency and search for quantum materials based on quantum weight. First‐principles calculations validate the efficacy of the GNNOpt model, demonstrating excellent agreement in predicting the optical spectra of unseen materials. The discovery of new quantum materials with high predicted quantum weight, such as SiOs, which host exotic quasiparticles with multifold nontrivial topology, demonstrates the potential of GNNOpt in predicting optical properties across a broad range of materials and applications.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2345084
PAR ID:
10641185
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Advanced Materials
Volume:
36
Issue:
46
ISSN:
0935-9648
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Two dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising for optical modulation, detection, and light emission since their material properties can be tuned on-demand via electrostatic doping1–21. The optical properties of TMDs have been shown to change drastically with doping in the wavelength range near the excitonic resonances22–26. However, little is known about the effect of doping on the optical properties of TMDs away from these resonances, where the material is transparent and therefore could be leveraged in photonic circuits. Here, we probe the electro-optic response of monolayer TMDs at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths (i.e. deep in the transparency regime), by integrating them on silicon nitride (SiN) photonic structures to induce strong light -matter interaction with the monolayer. We dope the monolayer to carrier densities of (7.2 ± 0.8) × 1013 cm-2, by electrically gating the TMD using an ionic liquid [P14+] [FAP-]. We show strong electro-refractive response in monolayer tungsten disulphide (WS2) at NIR wavelengths by measuring a large change in the real part of refractive index ∆n = 0.53, with only a minimal change in the imaginary part ∆k = 0.004. We demonstrate photonic devices based on electrostatically gated SiN-WS2 phase modulator with high efficiency ( ) of 0.8 V · cm. We show that the induced phase change relative to the change in absorption (i.e. ∆n/∆k) is approximately 125, that is significantly higher than the ones achieved in 2D materials at different spectral ranges and in bulk materials, commonly employed for silicon photonic modulators such as Si and III-V on Si, while accompanied by negligible insertion loss. Efficient phase modulators are critical for enabling large-scale photonic systems for applications such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), phased arrays, optical switching, coherent optical communication and quantum and optical neural networks27–30. 
    more » « less
  2. Metamaterials are complex structured mixed-material systems with tailored physical properties that have found applications in a variety of optical and electronic technologies. New methods for homogenizing the optical properties of metamaterials are of increasing importance, both to study their exotic properties and because the simulation of these complex structures is computationally expensive. We propose a method to extract a homogeneous refractive index and wave impedance for inhomogeneous materials. We examine effective medium models, where inhomogeneities are subwavelength, and equivalent models where features are larger. Homogenization is only physically justified in the former; however, it is still useful in the latter if only the reflection, transmission, and absorption are of interest. We introduce a resolution of the branching problem in the Nicolson-Ross-Weir method that involves starting from the branch of the complex logarithm beginning with the minimum absolute mean derivative and then enforcing continuity, and also determine an effective thickness. We demonstrate the proposed method on patterned PbS colloidal quantum dot films in the form of disks and birefringent gratings. We conclude that effective models are Kramers-Kronig compliant, whereas equivalent models may not be. This work illuminates the difference between the two types of models, allowing for better analysis and interpretation of the optical properties of complex metamaterials. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract Optical spectroscopy is indispensable for research and development in nanoscience and nanotechnology, microelectronics, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Advanced optical spectroscopy tools often require both specifically designed high-end instrumentation and intricate data analysis techniques. Beyond the common analytical tools, deep learning methods are well suited for interpreting high-dimensional and complicated spectroscopy data. They offer great opportunities to extract subtle and deep information about optical properties of materials with simpler optical setups, which would otherwise require sophisticated instrumentation. In this work, we propose a computational approach based on a conventional tabletop optical microscope and a deep learning model called ReflectoNet . Without any prior knowledge about the multilayer substrates, ReflectoNet can predict the complex refractive indices of thin films and 2D materials on top of these nontrivial substrates from experimentally measured optical reflectance spectra with high accuracies. This task was not feasible previously with traditional reflectometry or ellipsometry methods. Fundamental physical principles, such as the Kramers–Kronig relations, are spontaneously learned by the model without any further training. This approach enables in-operando optical characterization of functional materials and 2D materials within complex photonic structures or optoelectronic devices. 
    more » « less
  4. Metamaterials are artificially engineered structures that have unique properties not usually found in natural materials, such as negative refractive index. Conventional interferometry or ellipsometry is generally used for characterizing the optical properties of metamaterials. Here, we report an alternative optical vortex based interferometric approach for the characterization of the effective parameters of optical metamaterials by directly measuring the transmission and reflection phase shifts from metamaterials according to the rotation of vortex spiral interference pattern. The fishnet metamaterials possessing positive, zero and negative refractive indices are characterized with the vortex based interferometry to precisely determine the complex values of effective permittivity, permeability, and refractive index. Our results will pave the way for the advancement of new spectroscopic and interferometric techniques to characterize optical metamaterials, metasurfaces, and nanostructured thin films in general. 
    more » « less
  5. Synthetic photonic materials created by engineering the profile of refractive index or gain/loss distribution, such as negative-index metamaterials or parity-time-symmetric structures, can exhibit electric and magnetic properties that cannot be found in natural materials, allowing for photonic devices with unprecedented functionalities. In this article, we discuss two directions along this line—non-Hermitian photonics and topological photonics—and their applications in nonreciprocal light transport when nonlinearities are introduced. Both types of synthetic structures have been demonstrated in systems involving judicious arrangement of optical elements, such as optical waveguides and resonators. They can exhibit a transition between different phases by adjusting certain parameters, such as the distribution of refractive index, loss, or gain. The unique features of such synthetic structures help realize nonreciprocal optical devices with high contrast, low operation threshold, and broad bandwidth. They provide promising opportunities to realize nonreciprocal structures for wave transport. 
    more » « less