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This work is concerned with inverse design of the grating metasurface over hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) in order to enhance spontaneous emission (SE). We formulate the design problem as a PDE-constrained optimization problem and employ the gradient descent method to solve the underlying optimization problem. The adjoint-state method is applied to compute the gradient of the objective function efficiently. Computational results show that the SE efficiency of the optical structure with the optimized metasurface increases by 600% in the near field compared to the bare HMM layer. In particular, an optimized double-slot metasurface obtained by this design method enhances the SE intensity by a factor of over 100 in the observation region. 

Promotion and tenure (P&T) remain the central tenets of academia. The criteria for P&T both create and reflect the mission of an institution. The discipline of biomedical engineering is built upon the invention and translation of tools to address unmet clinical needs. ‘Broadening the bar’ for P&T to include efforts in innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-based transfer (I/E/T) will require establishing the criteria and communication of methodology for their evaluation. We surveyed the department chairs across the fields of biomedical and bioengineering to understand the state-of-the-art in incorporation, evaluation, and definition of I/E/T as applied to the P&T process. The survey results reflected a commitment to increasing and respecting I/E/T activities as part of the P&T criteria. This was balanced by an equally strong desire for improving the education and policy for evaluating I/E/T internally as well as externally. The potential for ‘broadening the bar’ for P&T to include I/E/T activities in biomedical engineering may serve as an example for other fields in engineering and applied sciences, and a template for potential inclusion of additional efforts such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the pillars of scholarship, education, and service.