Tailorable photonics: from metasurfaces to new physics

Ultrafast control of light is crucial for advancing nonlinear and quantum optics, as well as optical technologies including telecommunication. Tailorable and dynamically tunable materials play a key role, and transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) and transition metal nitrides (TMNs) stand out due to their enhanced light-matter interactions, particularly in their metallic/plasmonic regime and near the so-called epsilon near zero (ENZ) region. We explore the static and dynamic tailorability and tunability of optical properties in TCOs and TMNs, accompanying shifts of their ENZ points. Both homogeneous TCOs and TMNs, as well as structured devices made from them, were investigated for tunability of their nonlinear optical interactions such as harmonic generation and optical modulation. TCO’s potential to realize the emerging and novel idea of photonic time crystals has increased their popularity. To this aspect their ability to be tuned within one optical cycle of light is inspected in ultrafast dynamics studies. This research contributes to understanding novel optical phenomena and holds promise for practical devices with TCOs and TMNs.