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Dr Marian Florescu

Senior Lecturer

Email:
Phone: Work: 01483 68 6813
Room no: 26 ATI 02

Further information

Biography

Marian Florescu joined the University of Surrey in 2011. He graduated from the University of Bucharest with a BSc in Physics and then obtained his PhD in Theoretical Quantum Optics at the University of Toronto in 2003.  Prior to joining the Physics Department at Surrey he was a Research Scholar and Lecturer at Princeton University and a National Research Council Research Associate at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His current activities are focused on the physics and applications of non-crystallographic photonic band gap materials, thermal radiation control in photonic materials and quantum optics in structured photonic reservoirs.

Please see my homepage for further details of my research.

Research Interests

Please see my homepage for further details of my research.


MICRO- AND NANO-PHOTONICS

  • Photonic band gap formation in non-crystallographic photonic structures
  • Nonlinear optics and all-optical information processing in micro-structured photonic materials
  • Thermal radiation in nano-structured photonic materials; thermal management and thermophotovoltaic energy conversion systems

LINEAR OPTICAL QUANTUM COMPUTING IN PHOTONIC NANOSTRUCTURES

  • Single-photon sources and detectors
  • Quantum memory and loss quenching in quantum information systems

NANO-ELECTRONICS AND SPINTRONICS

  • Spin and electronic properties of quantum dots: spin dephasing and relaxation

Publications

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Highlights

  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2010) 'Effects of random link removal on the photonic band gaps of honeycomb networks'. AMER INST PHYSICS APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 97 (20) Article number ARTN 201103
    doi: 10.1063/1.3505322
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104834/
  • Schuler CJ, Wolff C, Busch K, Florescu M. (2009) 'Thermal emission from finite photonic crystals'. AMER INST PHYSICS APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 95 (24) Article number ARTN 241103
    doi: 10.1063/1.3275578
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104849/
  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2009) 'Designer disordered materials with large, complete photonic band gaps.'. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, United States: 106 (49), pp. 20658-20663.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907744106
  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2009) 'Complete band gaps in two-dimensional photonic quasicrystals'. AMER PHYSICAL SOC PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 80 (15) Article number ARTN 155112
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.80.155112
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104832/

Journal articles

  • Man W, Hashemizad S, He Y, Leung B, Williamson E, Florescu M, Chaikin P. (2012) 'Experimental demonstration of guiding, bending, and filtering of electromagnetic wave in disordered photonic band gap materials'. 2012 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, CLEO 2012,
  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2010) 'Effects of random link removal on the photonic band gaps of honeycomb networks'. AMER INST PHYSICS APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 97 (20) Article number ARTN 201103
    doi: 10.1063/1.3505322
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104834/
  • Schuler CJ, Wolff C, Busch K, Florescu M. (2009) 'Thermal emission from finite photonic crystals'. AMER INST PHYSICS APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 95 (24) Article number ARTN 241103
    doi: 10.1063/1.3275578
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104849/
  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2009) 'Designer disordered materials with large, complete photonic band gaps.'. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, United States: 106 (49), pp. 20658-20663.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907744106
  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2009) 'Complete band gaps in two-dimensional photonic quasicrystals'. AMER PHYSICAL SOC PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 80 (15) Article number ARTN 155112
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.80.155112
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104832/
  • Florescu M, Lee H, Puscasu I, Pralle M, Florescu L, Ting DZ, Dowling JP. (2007) 'Improving solar cell efficiency using photonic band-gap materials'. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS, 91 (17), pp. 1599-1610.
    doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2007.05.001
  • Florescu M, Busch K, Dowling JP. (2007) 'Thermal radiation in photonic crystals'. AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOC PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 75 (20) Article number ARTN 201101
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.75.201101
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104850/
  • Scheel S, Florescu M, Haffner H, Lee H, Strekalov DV, Knight PL, Dowling JP. (2007) 'Single photons on demand from tunable 3D photonic band-gap structures'. TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD JOURNAL OF MODERN OPTICS, 54 (2-3), pp. 409-416.
    doi: 10.1080/09500340600759670
  • Scheel S, Florescu M, Häffner H, Lee H, Strekalov DV, Knight PL, Dowling JP. (2007) 'Single photons on demand from tunable 3D photonic band-gap structures'. Journal of Modern Optics, 54 (3-4), pp. 409-416.
    doi: 10.1080/09500340600759670
  • Florescu M, Scheel S, Knight PL, Florescu M, Lee H, Dowling JP. (2006) 'Nonlinear tuning of 3D photonic band-gap structures for single-photon on demand sources'. Physica E: Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, 32 (1-2 SPEC. ISS.), pp. 484-487.
    doi: 10.1016/j.physe.2005.12.144
  • Florescu M, Hawrylak P. (2006) 'Spin relaxation in lateral quantum dots: Effects of spin-orbit interaction'. AMER PHYSICAL SOC PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 73 (4) Article number ARTN 045304
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.73.045304
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104847/
  • Florescu M, Lee H, Stimpson AJ, Dowling J. (2005) 'Thermal emission and absorption of radiation in finite inverted-opal photonic crystals'. AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOC PHYSICAL REVIEW A, 72 (3) Article number ARTN 033821
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.72.033821
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104848/
  • Spedalieri FM, Lee H, Florescu M, Kapale KT, Yurtsever U, Dowling JP. (2004) 'Exploiting the quantum Zeno effect to beat photon loss in linear optical quantum information processors'. Optics Communications,
    doi: 10.1016/j.optcom.2005.05.033

    [ Status: Unpublished ]
  • Florescu M, John S, Florescu M. (2004) 'Resonance fluorescence in photonic band gap waveguide architectures: Engineering the vacuum for all-optical switching'. Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 69 (5 B), pp. 053810-1.
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.69.053810
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104840/

    Abstract

    The spectral characteristics of radiation scattered by two level atoms, driven by a strong external field, and coupled to a photonic crystal radiation reservoir were described. It was shown that in the presence of strong variations with the frequency of the photonic reservoir density of states, the atomic sideband components of the scattered intensity could be strongly modified. It was also found that a weak optical probe field experienced a substantial differential gain in response to slight variations in the intensity of an optical driving field. The relevance of these effects to all-optical transistor action in photonic crystals was discussed.

  • Florescu M, Scheel S, Haeffner H, Lee H, Strekalov DV, Knight PL, Dowling JP. (2002) 'Single photons on demand from 3D photonic band-gap structures'. Europhysics Letterrs 69, 945 (2005),
    doi: 10.1209/epl/i2004-10453-5
  • John S, Florescu M. (2001) 'Photonic bandgap materials: towards an all-optical micro-transistor'. IOP PUBLISHING LTD JOURNAL OF OPTICS A-PURE AND APPLIED OPTICS, 3 (6), pp. S103-S120.
    doi: 10.1088/1464-4258/3/6/361
  • Florescu M, John S. (2001) 'Single-atom switching in photonic crystals'. American Physical Society Physical Review A. Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 64 (3), pp. 033801/1-033801/21.
    doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.64.033801
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/164562/

    Abstract

    We describe the role of first non-Markovian corrections to resonance fluorescence in photonic crystals, using a perturbative expansion of the Heisenberg equations of motion in powers of the atom-field reservoir coupling strength. Non-Markovian effects arise from the rapid variation of the photonic density of states with frequency. Our method recaptures the physics of the photon-atom bound state in the presence of a full photonic band gap. For the anisotropic three-dimensional photonic band gap, it predicts remarkable features in the resonance fluorescence, such as atomic population inversion and switching behavior in a two-level atom for moderate values of the applied laser field. The magnitude of the switching effect depends sensitively on the external laser intensity and its detuning frequency from the atomic transition. The robustness of this effect against nonradiative decay and dephasing mechanisms is also investigated.

Conference papers

  • Schuler CJ, Wolff C, Busch K, Florescu M. (2010) 'Thermal emission from finite photonic crystals'. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING ACTIVE PHOTONIC MATERIALS III, San Diego, CA: Conference on Active Photonic Materials III 7756
    doi: 10.1117/12.860075
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104856/

    Abstract

    We present a microscopic theory of thermal emission from truncated photonic crystals and show that spectral emissivity and related quantities can be evaluated via standard bandstructure computations without any approximation. We then analyze the origin of thermal radiation enhancement and suppression inside photonic crystals and demonstrate that the central quantity that determines the thermal radiation characteristics such as intensity and emissive power is the area of the iso-frequency surfaces and not the density of states as is generally assumed. We also identify the physical mechanisms through which interfaces modify the potentially super-Planckian radiation flow inside infinite photonic crystals, such that thermal emission from finite-sized samples is consistent with the fundamental limits set by Planck's law. As an application, we further demonstrate that a judicious choice of a photonic crystal's surface termination facilitates considerable control over both the spectral and angular thermal emission properties. Finally, we outline design principles that allow the maximization of the radiation flux, including effects associated with the isotropy of the effective Brillouin zone, photonic band gap size and flatness of the band structure in the spectral range of interest.

  • Man WN, Florescu M, Matsuyama K, Yadak P, Torquato S, Steinhardt P, Chaikin P. (2010) 'Experimental observation of photonic bandgaps in hyperuniform disordered material'. IEEE 2010 CONFERENCE ON LASERS AND ELECTRO-OPTICS (CLEO) AND QUANTUM ELECTRONICS AND LASER SCIENCE CONFERENCE (QELS), San Jose, CA: Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO)/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS)
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104852/

    Abstract

    We report the first experimental demonstration of photonic bandgaps (PBGs) in 2D hyperuniform disordered materials and show that is possible to obtain isotropic, disordered, photonic materials of arbitrary size with complete PBGs.

  • Florescu M, Busch K. (2009) 'Properties of thermal radiation in photonic crystals'. IOP PUBLISHING LTD JOURNAL OF OPTICS A-PURE AND APPLIED OPTICS, Bad Honnef, GERMANY: 1st International Workshop on Theoretical and Computational Nano-Photonics 11 (11)
    doi: 10.1088/1464-4258/11/11/114005
  • Florescu M, Torquato S, Steinhardt PJ. (2009) 'New classes of non-crystalline photonic band gap materials'. Proccedings of The European Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the XIth European Quantum Electronics Conference, Munich, Germany: CLEO/Europe - EQEC 2009
    doi: 10.1109/CLEOE-EQEC.2009.5191928
  • Florescu M, Scheel S, Lee H, Knight PL, Dowling JP. (2006) 'Nonlinear tuning of 3D photonic band-gap structures for single-photon on demand sources'. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV PHYSICA E-LOW-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS & NANOSTRUCTURES, Albuquerque, NM: 12th International Conference on Modulated Semiconductor Structures (MSS12) 32 (1-2), pp. 484-487.
    doi: 10.1016/j.physe.2005.12.144
  • Florescu M, Scheel S, Lee H, Knight PL, Bowling JP. (2006) 'Three-dimensional photonic band-gap structures for single-photon on demand sources'. IEEE ICTON 2006: 8th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, Vol 2, Proceedings, Nottingham, ENGLAND: 8th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, pp. 40-43.
  • Florescu M, Dickman S, Ciorga M, Sachrajda A, Hawrylak P. (2004) 'Spin-orbit interaction and spin relaxation in a lateral quantum dot'. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV PHYSICA E-LOW-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS & NANOSTRUCTURES, Nara, JAPAN: 15th International Conference on Electronic Properties of Two-Dimensional Systems (EP2DS-15) 22 (1-3), pp. 414-417.
    doi: 10.1016/j.physe.2003.12.034
  • Florescu M, John S. (2002) 'All-optical transistor action in photonic band gap materials'. SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF PHOTONIC TECHNOLOGY 5, QUEBEC CITY, CANADA: 5th International Conference on Applications of Photonic Technology (ICAPT 2002) 4833, pp. 513-524.
    doi: 10.1117/12.474416
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/104851/

    Abstract

    We describe all-optical transistor action in photonic band gap materials doped with active atoms. In the presence of a photonic band gap (PBG) material, a coherent laser beam with the frequency slightly detuned from the resonant atomic transition frequency can drive a collection of two-level atoms to an almost totally inverted state, a phenomenon strictly forbidden in ordinary vacuum. By changing the laser eld intensity in the neighborhood of a threshold value, it is possible to drive the atomic system through a transition from states in which the atoms populate preferentially the ground level to almost totally inverted states. In this process, the atomic system switches from a passive medium (highly absorptive) to a active medium (highly amplifying). The switching action in a PBG material is not associated with operating near a narrow cavity resonance with conventional trade-o between switching time and switching threshold intensity. Rather it is associated with an abrupt discontinuity in the engineered broad band electromagnetic density of states of the PBG material. We demonstrate all-optical transistor action in PBG materials by analyzing the absorption spectrum of a second probe laser beam and we show that the probe beam experience a substantial di erential gain by slight intensity modulations in the control laser eld.

PATENTS AND INVENTION DISCLOSURES