Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures

We review our recent results concerning surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by confined optical and surface optical phonons in semiconductor nanostructures including CdS, CuS, GaN, and ZnO nanocrystals, GaN and ZnO nanorods, and AlN nanowires. Enhancement of Raman scattering by confined optical phonons as well as appearance of new Raman modes with the frequencies different from those in ZnO bulk attributed to surface optical modes is observed in a series of nanostructures having different morphology located in the vicinity of metal nanoclusters (Ag, Au, and Pt). Assignment of surface optical modes is based on calculations performed in the frame of the dielectric continuum model. It is established that SERS by phonons has a resonant character. A maximal enhancement by optical phonons as high as 730 is achieved for CdS nanocrystals in double resonant conditions at the coincidence of laser energy with that of electronic transitions in semiconductor nanocrystals and localized surface plasmon resonance in metal nanoclusters. Even a higher enhancement is observed for SERS by surface optical modes in ZnO nanocrystals (above 10⁴). Surface enhanced Raman scattering is used for studying phonon spectrum in nanocrystal ensembles with an ultra-low areal density on metal plasmonic nanostructures.     

Lattice dynamics and thermodynamic functions of a CaF2 slab with (110) free surfaces

We present results of lattice dynamical calculations for a eleven layer CaF₂ slab with (110) free surfaces. From a comparison with earlier results for NaCl and CsCI structured slabs, we find that new surface modes appear both in the optical and acoustical range of frequencies. The additional modes occur due to the presence of the Raman active band. Results pertaining to the contribution of the surface vibrational modes to the thermodynamic properties are presented.     

Surface optical phonon—assisted electron Raman scattering in a semiconductor quantum disc

We have carried out a theoretical calculation of the differential cross section for the electron Raman scattering process associated with the surface optical phonon modes in a semiconductor quantum disc.electron states are considered to be confined within a quantum disc with infinite potential barriers.The optical phonon modes we have adopted are the slab phonon modes by taking into consideration the Frohlich interaction between an electron and a phonon.The selection rules for the Raman process are given.Numerical results and a discussion are also presented for various radii and thicknesses of the disc,and different incident radiation energies.     

One-phonon-assisted resonant electron Raman scattering of GaAs quantum dots in an AlAs matrix

We have presented a theoretical calculation of the differential cross section (DCS) for the electron Raman scattering (ERS) process associated with the bulk-like longitudinal optical (LO) and interface optical (IO) phonon modes in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Electron states are considered to be confined within the QDs. We consider the Fröhlich electron-phonon interaction in the framework of the dielectric continuum approach. We study selection rules for the processes. Some singularities in the Raman spectra are found and interpreted. A discussion of the phonon behavior for QDs with large and small size is presented. The numerical results are also compared with that of experiments.     

Superresolution of pulsed multiphoton Raman transitions

We have investigated higher order multiphoton Raman resonances with two pulsed optical frequencies. Multiphoton transfer with up to 50 photons is observed with milliwatts of laser power. We demonstrate that the spectral width of the multiphoton resonances can be far below the Fourier transform linewidth of the driving optical pulses. The functional dependence of the transition linewidth on the number of exchanged photons is found to vary with the pulse shape. Our experiment is performed with laser-cooled rubidium atoms confined in a CO2-laser optical dipole trap.     

Quantized spin waves in antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains

The quantized stationary spin wave modes in one-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin chains with easy axis on-site anisotropy have been studied by means of Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert spin dynamics. We demonstrate that the confined antiferromagnetic chains show a unique behavior having no equivalent, neither in ferromagnetism nor in acoustics. The discrete energy dispersion is split into two interpenetrating n and n' levels caused by the existence of two sublattices. The oscillations of individual sublattices as well as the standing wave pattern strongly depend on the boundary conditions. Particularly, acoustical and optical antiferromagnetic spin waves in chains with boundaries fixed (pinned) on different sublattices can be found, while an asymmetry of oscillations appears if the two pinned ends belong to the same sublattice.     

Unconditional two-mode squeezing of separated atomic ensembles

We propose schemes for the unconditional preparation of a two-mode squeezed state of effective bosonic modes realized in a pair of atomic ensembles interacting collectively with optical cavity and laser fields. The scheme uses Raman transitions between stable atomic ground states and under ideal conditions produces pure entangled states in the steady state. The scheme works both for ensembles confined within a single cavity and for ensembles confined in separate, cascaded cavities.     

Standing optical phonons in finite semiconductor superlattices studied by resonant Raman scattering in a double microcavity

We report optical double resonant enhancement of Raman scattering in a new double microcavity geometry. The design allows almost backscattering geometries, providing easy access to the excitations' in-plane dispersion. The cavity is used to study the phonon spectra of a finite GaAs/AlAs superlattice. A new type of "standing optical vibration" is demonstrated involving the GaAs confined phonons with a standing wave envelope determined by the superlattice thickness. A strong dispersion of the first order standing wave mode is observed, as well as its anticrossing with higher order confined modes of the same symmetry.     

Gap surface plasmon polaritons enhanced by a plasmonic lens

We numerically investigate the optical field enhancement based on gap surface plasmon polaritons (GSPPs) that are enhanced by propagating surface waves launched by a circular slit at a metal-dielectric interface. The optical field enhancement originates not only from multiple scattering and coupling of GSPPs in the spacer region between two metal layers but also from propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) launched by a circular plasmonic lens. We find that the combination of the GSPPs and the propagating SPPs launched by the plasmonic lens can achieve extremely strong field confinement, and we find that the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factor can be up to 10(15) at the tip of the equilateral triangular nanostructures. The structure proposed here is expected to find promising applications where strong field enhancement is desired, such as optical sensing with the SERS effect.     

Utilisation de l'heterodynage optique pour des mesures locales de la vitesse de phase d'ondes elastiques

A new optical method for measuring the acoustical wavelengths with a great accuracy has been investigated. An acousto-optical interaction is performed and the acoustical frequency range is such that the diffraction take place in “Bragg regime”. The phase modulation of the scattered laser beam is visualized by means of an optical heterodyning. When the location of the acousto-optical interaction is linearly displaced, the detected beating signal supplies a local measurement (10 μ) of the acoustical wavelength.     

Disorder activated Raman scattering in Ga1−xAlxAs alloys

We report Raman scattering experiments in mixed crystals Ga_1?xAl_xAs in the spectral range 20 – 400 cm^?1. We performed the measurements for several incident and scattered light polarizations. Besides the D.A.L.A. already observed¹ we find a new band at lower energy. We interpret this structure as due to disorder activated transverse acoustical phonons and label it D.A.T.A. Several weaker bands corresponding to disorder activated optical processes are also seen. Our results are compared with recent calculations of Talwar et al².     

Zone edge phonons in CdS1−xSex

Zone edge phonons of mixed CdS_1?xSe_x have been studied by mean of infrared absorption and Raman scattering techniques. In the A point of the Brillouin zone, it has been shown that transverse acoustical phonons have a one mode behaviour, and that optical phonons have a two modes behaviour. CdS and CdSe zone center phonons can combined and give a LO(CdS) + LO(CdSe) Raman peak in addition to the 2LO(CdS) and 2LO(CdSe) peaks; this is not the case for phonons from the edge of the Brillouin-zone where no CdS + CdSe combination can take place.     

Normal incidence Raman scattering enhancement in double-cavity microresonators

We report on the observation of huge enhancements of the Raman scattering efficiency at quasi-backscattering due to double optical resonances in a microcavity. The structure, based on a double-cavity configuration separated by a central mirror, was specifically designed and grown by molecular beam epitaxy to achieve a large splitting, close to the energy of the LO phonon of GaAs, between the two confined photon modes.     

Effective Raman gain characteristics in germanium- and fluorine-doped optical fibers

We describe the dopant dependence of Raman gain in germanium- and fluorine-doped optical fibers. We clarify, both theoretically and experimentally, the effective Raman gain characteristic in an optical fiber, which is closely related to the fiber's refractive-index profile and electromagnetic field profile. We also show that this experimentally determined relationship can be used to evaluate the effective Raman gain characteristic in a germaninum- or a fluorine-doped optical fiber with an arbitrary index profile.     

Study of the in-plane and c-axis fluctuation conductivity of melt-textured YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> under hydrostatic pressure

Strongly confined nano-systems, such as one-dimensional nanowires, feature deviations in their structural, electronic and optical properties from the corresponding bulk. In this work, we investigate the behavior of long-wavelength, optical phonons in vertical arrays of InAs nanowires by Raman spectroscopy. We attribute the main changes in the spectral features to thermal anharmonicity, due to temperature effects, and rule out the contribution of quantum confinement and Fano resonances. We also observe the appearance of surface optical modes, whose details allow for a quantitative, independent estimation of the nanowire diameter. The results shed light onto the mechanisms of lineshape change in low-dimensional InAs nanostructures, and are useful to help tailoring their electronic and vibrational properties for novel functionalities.     

纳米级润滑膜分子排列取向的拉曼光谱表征技术

利用激光拉曼散射技术,对剪切作用下受限于钢球与石英盘之间的纳米级液晶5 CB的分子排列取向进行研究. 结果表明,在特定的实验条件下,可以得到高信噪比的纳米级润滑膜的拉曼散射信号(20∶1). 同时发现,当激光偏振方向与剪切运动方向平行(垂直)时,所得拉曼信号强度达到最大(小)值,表明纳米级液晶5 CB分子在剪切诱导作用下,沿剪切运动方向趋于定向排列. 另外,当钢球与石英盘之间的剪切速度逐渐增大时,受限的纳米级液晶5 CB的拉曼信号强度也逐渐增大. 最后,利用根据相对光强干涉原理研制的纳米膜厚测量仪对纳米级 关键词： 薄膜润滑 分子排列取向 拉曼散射     

Elements optiques utilisant des gaz en vibration

We have studied the optical properties of cylindrical resonant cavities filled with gases in which radial acoustical standing waves are excited.     

内腔拉曼频移激光器输出光束参量计算

从理论上讨论了内腔拉曼频移激光器输出光束的腰斑大小和位置。首先从矩阵光学出发求出拉曼介质中抽运基频场的光束参量；然后根据Ibison的匹配模理论求出拉曼介质中的斯托克斯参量；最后通过出射光学系统传递矩阵的变换，求出出射拉曼频移光束的参量。为拉曼频移激光器的设计提供了依据。     

Large electric-field-induced enhancement of resonant Raman scattering of a single quantum well

The electric-field enhancement of the resonant Raman efficiency of confined optical phonon modes in a single quantum well has been observed in an asymmetrical n-type triple-barrier GaAs/AlAs resonant tunneling structure. The measurement takes advantage of an outgoing resonance with the e₂-hh₁ exciton transition confined to the wide quantum well, and according to the polarization properties, the Fröhlich interaction dominates the scattering mechanism. A fifteenfold increase is found from zero field to 7.5 × 10⁴ V/cm, which results from break-down of the parity selection rules for the photon-exciton and the exciton phonon coupling mechanisms.     

Microstructural and optical properties of multiple closely stacked InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot arrays

The microstructural and the optical properties of multiple closely stacked InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) arrays were investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The AFM and the TEM images showed that high-quality vertically stacked InAs QD self-assembled arrays were embedded in the GaAs barriers. The PL peak position corresponding to the interband transitions from the ground electronic subband to the ground heavy-hole band (E₁-HH₁) of the InAs/GaAs QDs shifted to higher energy with increasing GaAs spacer thickness. The activation energy of the electrons confined in the InAs QDs increased with decreasing with GaAs spacer thickness due to the coupling effect. The present results can help to improve the understanding of the microstructural and the optical in multiple closely stafcked InAs/GaAs QD arrays.