Phase Change Materials for Nanophotonics and Metamaterials—Multiphysics Approach

Phase change materials undergo a rapid and reversible phase transition, resulting in a significant change of their physical properties. These materials have the potential to revolutionize technology, with applications ranging from neuromorphic devices and efficient high-frequency electronics to (re)programmable optical metamaterials and integrated photonics. Nevertheless, the process of analysing and optimising material properties is a lengthy and iterative empirical one. The integration of computational methods into the design of materials offers a promising avenue for streamlining and optimising the design process, which could ultimately result in a reduction in the time and cost associated with achieving desired material properties. The implementation of computational techniques for materials design significantly reduces the resource and time requirements, thereby promoting advanced product development in a wide range of fields. This presentation presents progress towards a unified description of complex nanophotonic devices based on phase change materials. A self-consistent analysis of electromagnetic, heat transfer, carrier transport and phase transition models is required for this description. The potential applications of such a multiphysics approach in the realms of metamaterials and nanophotonics are explored and discussed.