Topology-optimized source shifter for optical location camouflaging.

Through engineering the emission features emanating from a light source, source illusions enable the generation of illusions in which observers viewing at a distance misperceive the actual state of the source. However, those few efforts are significantly limited to the source transformation and metamaterials used. This limitation makes high-performance camouflaging of source emissions difficult to achieve. Even with basic functionalities such as source shifters camouflaging, source location remains difficult because the illusion is of low quality. Here, we demonstrate a way to improve substantially the camouflaging performance of a light-source shifter using topology optimization. Its scheme, objective function, and a few constraints are proposed. Generating an optimal topology for an all-dielectric light-source shifter is attempted for optical location camouflaging. Moreover, we succeed in designing very simple but high-performing source shifters despite several difficult properties such as multimodality. Our proposal extends the distance between the actual and virtual source locations that can be camouflaged and generates a broad band of frequencies for optical location camouflaging.

Electromagnetic-acoustic biphysical cloak designed through topology optimization.

Various strategies have been proposed to achieve invisibility cloaking, but usually only one phenomenon is controlled by each device. Cloaking an object from two different waves, such as electromagnetic and acoustic waves, is a challenging problem, if not impossible, to be achieved using transformation theory and metamaterials, which are the major approaches in physics. Here, by developing topology optimization for controlling both electromagnetic and acoustic waves, we present a multidisciplinary attempt for designing biphysical cloaks with triple-wave cloaking capabilities, specifically for Ez- and Hz-polarized waves and acoustic wave. The topology-optimized biphysical cloak cancels the scattering of the three waves and reproduces the original propagating waves as if nothing is present, thus instilling the desired cloaking capability. In addition, we describe cloaking structures for multiple incident directions of the three waves and structures that work for both electromagnetic waves and sound waves of different wavelengths.

Biphysical undetectable concentrators manipulating both heat flux and direct current via topology optimization.

Recent remarkable developments in metamaterials and metadevices manipulating diffusive processes, such as thermal and electrical conduction, have enabled the control of multiple phenomena and the development of multifunctional devices. However, only either multiphysics operations or multiple functionalities are usually implemented on single metadevices. In this paper, we describe a method for the optimal design of metadevices that achieves both cloaking and focusing in the control of both heat flux and direct current by a single device, i.e., biphysical-bifunctional metadevices having four capabilities. Our design scheme performs well in terms of providing cloaking and focusing bifunctionality. Additionally, it assumes bulk natural materials without the use of metamaterials, which improves the manufacturability of the designed metadevices. Moreover, multidirectional metad evices are optimally designed for thermal-electrical conductions transmitted from multiple directions or from heat and voltage sources at various locations.

dc electric cloak concentrator via topology optimization.

We succeeded in simultaneously cloaking and concentrating direct current in a conducting material through topology optimization based on a level-set method. To design structures that perform these functions simultaneously, optimal topology is explored for improving two objective functions that govern separately the cloaking and concentration of current. Our design scheme, i.e., the topology optimization of a direct-current electric cloak concentrator, provides this bifunctionality well despite simple, common bulk materials being used to make up the structures. The materials also rigorously obey the electric conduction equation in contrast to the approximated artificial materials, so-called metamaterials, of other design schemes. The structural features needed for this simultaneous bifunctionality are found by adopting level-set method to generate material domains and clear structural interfaces. Furthermore, robust performances of the bifunctional structures against fluctuations in electrical conductivity was achieved by improving the fitness incorporating multiple objective functions. Additionally, the influence of the size of the current-concentrating domain on the performances of the optimal configuration is investigated.

DC carpet cloak designed by topology optimization based on covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy.

Optimal designs of direct current (DC) carpet cloaks are obtained using topology optimization based on the covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy. The cloaking structures are expressed using an immersed boundary-level set method visualized as gray-scale-free configurations and composed simply of homogeneous materials. These cloaks successfully hide bumps made electrically invisible through topology optimization by minimizing the difference in voltage distributions around the cloaked bump and over the flat surface in the absence of the bump. Moreover, reproducing the electric potential field without a bump for DC flowing over a wide angle is achieved by the optimal cloak despite the presence of the bump on the flat surface.

Topology-optimized carpet cloaks based on a level-set boundary expression.

The concept of topology-optimized carpet cloaks is presented using level-set boundary expressions. Specifically, these carpet cloaks are designed with the idea of minimizing the value of an objective functional, which is here defined as the integrated intensity of the difference between the electric field reflected by a flat plane and that controlled by the carpet cloak. Made of dielectric material, our cloaks are designed to imitate reflections from a flat plane, and with some cloaks, the value of the objective functional falls below 0.12% of that for a bare bump on a flat plane. These optimal carpet cloaks spontaneously satisfy the time-reversal symmetry of the scattered field during the optimization process. The profiles associated with optimal configurations are controlled by adjusting a regularization parameter. With this approach, a variety of configurations with different structural characteristics can be obtained.

Topology-optimized multiple-disk resonators obtained using level set expression incorporating surface effects.

Topology-optimized designs of multiple-disk resonators are presented using level-set expression that incorporates surface effects. Effects from total internal reflection at the surfaces of the dielectric disks are precisely simulated by modeling clearly defined dielectric boundaries during topology optimization. The electric field intensity in optimal resonators increases to more than four and a half times the initial intensity in a resonant state, whereas in some cases the Q factor increases by three and a half times that for the initial state. Wavelength-scale link structures between neighboring disks improve the performance of the multiple-disk resonators.

Study on transition from photonic-crystal laser to random laser.

The dependence of the lasing threshold on the amount of positional disorder in photonic crystal structures is newly studied by means of the finite element method, not of the finite difference time domain method usually used. A two-dimensional model of a photonic crystal consisting of dielectric cylinders arranged on a triangular lattice within a circular region is considered. The cylinders are assumed to be homogeneous and infinitely long. Positional disorder of the cylinders is introduced to the photonic crystals. Optically active medium is introduced to the interspace among the cylinders. The population inversion density of the optically active medium is modeled by the negative imaginary part of dielectric constant. The ratio between radiative power of electromagnetic field without amplification and that with amplification is computed as a function of the frequency and the imaginary part of the dielectric constant, and the threshold of the imaginary part, namely population inversion density for laser action is obtained. These analyses are carried out for various amounts of disorder. The variation of the lasing threshold from photonic-crystal laser to random laser is revealed by systematic computations with numerical method of reliable accuracy for the first time. Moreover, a novel phenomenon, that the lasing threshold have a minimum against the amount of disorder, is found. In order to investigate the properties of the lasing states within the circular system, the distributions of the electric field amplitudes of the states are also calculated.