Scattering of surface plasmon polaritons by a nanoparticle with the inclusion of the magnetic dipole contribution

Using the method of the tensor Green’s function of the wave equation, the differential and total cross sections for the scattering of surface optical electromagnetic waves (surface plasmon polaritons) by a spherical nanoparticle into surface plasmon polaritons and light have been obtained with the inclusion of the magnetic dipole contribution. Using the example of noble metal systems, it has been shown that the magnetic dipole contribution may significantly affect the angular dependence of the differential cross sections and increase their anisotropy as the plasmon wavelength increases.     

Scattering of a surface plasmon polariton beam by chains of dipole nanoparticles

Scattering and splitting of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by a chain of strongly interacting nanoparticles located near a metal surface are numerically studied. The applied numerical model is based on the Green’s function formalism and point–dipole approximation for scattering by nanoparticles. Dependencies of the splitting efficiency on the inter-particle distance in the chain and on the angle of incidence of the SPP Gaussian beam are considered. It is found that the splitting efficiency depends on the inter-particle distances especially when the angle between the SPP beam and the chain is relatively small. The role of multiple scattering in the SPP splitting by the chains of nanoparticles is also discussed.     

周期地嵌入电介质球壳的金属表层的表面等离子激元及其与电介质腔体模式的耦合

通过观察金属底板中周期地嵌入电介质球壳的体系的光学吸收性质，研究了表面等离子激元 以及与其他电磁模式的耦合特性.在这种周期结构的金属表面，发现存在两种响应频率，分 别对应于表面等离子激元模式和金属中的电介质腔体模式.在这些响应频率上，可观察到与 它们相对应的吸收峰.由于金属的表面模式不能与平面入射光直接耦合，而腔体模式与平面 入射光和表面等离子激元模式的耦合一般较弱，因而通常情况下这些吸收峰的峰值有限.然 而，通过调整体系中的某些参数，可以使腔体模式和表面模式的频率非常接近，这时二者之 间的耦合强度将大大提高.此时，在相应的频率附近可观察到极强的吸收峰.详细地研究了介 质球壳的物理和几何参数对此共振吸收的影响. 关键词： 腔体模式 表面等离子体模式 共振吸收     

Plasmon scattering from single subwavelength holes

We map the complex electric fields associated with the scattering of surface plasmon polaritons by single subwavelength holes of different sizes in thick gold films. We identify and quantify the different modes associated with this event, including a radial surface wave with an angularly isotropic amplitude. This wave is shown to arise from the out-of-plane electric dipole induced in the hole, and we quantify the corresponding polarizability, which is in excellent agreement with electromagnetic theory. Time-resolved measurements reveal a time delay of 38±18 fs between the surface plasmon polariton and the radial wave, which we attribute to the interaction with a broad hole resonance.     

Non‐Locality Effects in Excitation and Spatial Propagation of Surface Plasmon‐Polaritons

This work investigates the influence of non‐locality in the dielectric response on the spatio‐temporal evolution of surface plasmon‐polaritons (SPP). SPP excitations are coherently generated by a quantum scatterer in the vicinity of a flat metal interface. It is demonstrated that the excited non‐equilibrium SPP population eventually splits into two coherent localized wave packets. One packet propagates along the interface and the other is centered in the vicinity of the scatter. The amplitude of both waves slowly decreases due to several relaxation mechanisms, with the Landau damping being the strongest. The non‐locality of the metallic dielectric response considerably influences spatial profiles of the plasmon field intensity, in particular, leading to coherent spatio‐temporal oscillations between the two wave packets.     

Surface plasmon polariton assisted optical pulling force

We demonstrate both analytically and numerically the existence of optical pulling forces acting on particles located near plasmonic interfaces. Two main factors contribute to the appearance of this negative recoil force. The interference between the incident and reflected waves induces a rotating dipole with an asymmetric scattering pattern, while the directional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) enhances the linear momentum of scattered light. The strongly asymmetric SPP excitation is determined by spin–orbit coupling of the rotating dipole and surface plasmon polariton. As a result of the total momentum conservation, the force acting on the particle points in a direction opposite to the incident wave propagation. We derive analytical expressions for the force acting on dipolar particles placed in the proximity of plasmonic surfaces. Analytical expressions for this pulling force are derived within the dipole approximation and are in excellent agreement with results of electromagnetic numerical calculations. The forces acting on larger particles are analyzed numerically, beyond the dipole approximation.

     

Duality of Spoof Surface Plasmon Polaritons on the Complementary Structures of Ultrathin Metal Films

Complementary metal structures manifest a remarkable scattering feature, known as Babinet's principle. Meanwhile, for surface modes confined to one or two dimensions, the relation between the modes on complementary structures has not been thoroughly studied. Here, spoof surface plasmon polaritons supported on complementary metal films are systematically investigated. The duality of electromagnetism guarantees that these surface modes on complementary metal films possess precisely the same dispersion regardless of the geometry of the grooves, which is confirmed by both numerical simulations and experimental measurements. This work may open another avenue for spoof surface plasmon polaritons in both the theoretical and practical aspects.     

基于厚金属狭缝阵列的表面等离子激元光刻

提出一种利用厚金属狭缝阵列耦合激发表面等离子激元制作非周期图形的纳米光刻模型.采用时域有限差分电磁场模拟仿真软件研究了厚金属狭缝阵列中表面等离子激元的激发、模式选择以及光刻胶中的光场分布.结果表明,通过优化厚金属狭缝阵列结构参量和匹配介质参量可有效抑制表面等离子激元在光栅狭缝出口处的发散,增加表面等离子激元的穿透深度,...     

基于厚金属狭缝阵列的表面等离子激元光刻

提出一种利用厚金属狭缝阵列耦合激发表面等离子激元制作非周期图形的纳米光刻模型.采用时域有限差分电磁场模拟仿真软件研究了厚金属狭缝阵列中表面等离子激元的激发、模式选择以及光刻胶中的光场分布.结果表明,通过优化厚金属狭缝阵列结构参量和匹配介质参量可有效抑制表面等离子激元在光栅狭缝出口处的发散,增加表面等离子激元的穿透深度,可获得高分辨率的较大曝光深度的周期和非周期纳米图形,可为纳米激光直写技术提供有益的借鉴.     

金属-介质光栅结构表面等离子体耦合效率的模拟研究

表面等离子体可以将光子局域在金属表面附近, 并形成很强的近场能量密度, 可以大大提高金属表面附近分子的发光效率和光电转换吸收材料的利用率, 从而提高发光器件和光电转换器件的效率. 本文研究了在一维周期性金属-介质混合结构的光栅中表面等离子体激元的耦合条件, 给出了耦合效率随着结构和填充因子的变化, 并证明了在光栅的填充因子较高以至光栅的金属间隔较小时, 光子耦合成为表面等离子体的效率较高, 可以达到94%以上. 关键词： 表面等离子体激元 填充因子 光栅 吸收光谱     

内嵌圆饼空心方形银纳米结构的光学性质

采用离散偶极子近似方法计算了内嵌圆饼空心方形银纳米结构的消光光谱以及其近场的电场强度分布,并进一步与空心方形纳米结构的消光光谱和表面电场做比较.结果表明,在耦合作用下内嵌圆饼空心方形银纳米结构不仅产生了新的共振模式,而且新的共振模式在传统表面增强拉曼散射的激发波长范围内,进而可以弥补由于实验上运用纳米切片法所制备的空心方形纳米结构尺寸较大导致其共振吸收峰在远红外波长范围的不足.此外,可以通过改变内嵌圆饼空心方形银纳米结构的形貌参数调节其表面等离子体共振峰的共振波长,以满足在表面增强拉曼散射、生物分子或化学分子探测上的应用.     

Scattering of surface plasmon-polaritons and volume waves by thin gold films

The specific features of elastic scattering of volume waves and surface plasmon polaritons by polycrystalline gold films have been investigated. An analysis of the relative scattered energy, power spectral density of surface roughness, and integral and angular dependences of scattering of waves of different nature indicates a strong nonradiative multiple scattering of surface plasmon polaritons in gold films. When roughness increases, this scattering leads to an increase in scattering isotropy and to a partial loss of structural information about gold films. The analysis of the scattered energy of surface plasmon polaritons with application of the data on multifractal dimension of gold surface indicates also that the radiative scattering of surface plasmon polaritons depends on both the rms surface roughness and the surface wave propagation length.     

银层超透镜光学传递函数的研究

银层超透镜对基于表面等离子体激元的超分辨光刻、 成像和生物传感有着重要作用.利用银层超透镜的光学传递函数详 细研究了银板的表面等离子体激元共振和成像特性, 并利用时域有限差分法计算模拟了银层超透镜的成像过程, 得到与理论推导公式相符合的结果, 证明了光学传递函数的可靠性, 为基于表面等离子体激元的传感器件、 超分辨成像以及辅助增强干涉光刻提供了快速参数优化方法.     

Surface Plasmon Polaritons of Two-Dimensional Three-Order Dendritic Structures

We study surface plasmon polaritons excited on two-dimensional three-order dendritic structures. Previous studies show that split ring resonators (SRRs)
can be used to obtain magnetic resonance, thus sustaining surface waves behaving like surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). In this paper, we obtain detailed results on surface plasmon polaritons of several different grating structures and theoretically prove that this kind of structures can sustain SPPs. Besides, since dendritic structures can be fabricated by double template-assisted electrochemical deposition, it is worth noting that fabrication of SPP-based materials might be much easier.     

Surface plasmon polariton scattering by small ellipsoid particles

Scattering of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP’s) by small ellipsoid particles placed near a dielectric–metal interface is theoretically considered. Using the Green’s function formalism and the dipole approximation, we consider the differential and total scattering cross-sections associated with the SPP-to-SPP scattering as well as with the SPP scattering into waves propagating away from the interface, analyzing the influence of system parameters. As an example, scattering cross-sections of differently shaped gold spheroid particles placed near an air–gold interface are evaluated at the light wavelength of 800 nm. It is shown that the differential and total cross-sections depend strongly upon the particle-to-surface distance, the ratio between the major and minor axes and their orientation with respect to both the interface and the direction of SPP incidence. Implications of the obtained results to the design of SPP micro-optical components are also discussed.     

Long-range surface plasmon polaritons at THz frequencies in thin semiconductor layers

We present a theoretical investigation of THz long-range surface plasmon polaritons propagating on thin layers of InSb.The metallic behavior of doped semiconductors at THz frequencies allows the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons with propagation and confinement lengths that can be actively controlled.This control is achieved by acting on the free carrier density,which can be realized by changing the temperature of InSb.     

Long-range propagation of plasmon polaritons in a thin metal film on a one-dimensional photonic crystal surface

We present experimental results on ultralong-range surface plasmon polaritons, propagating in a thin metal film on a one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal surface over a distance of several millimeters. This propagation length is about 2 orders of magnitude higher than the one in the ordinary Kretschmann configuration at the same optical frequency. We show that a long-range surface plasmon polaritons propagation may take place not only in a (quasi)symmetrical scheme, where a thin metal film is located between two media with (approximately) the same refraction index, but also in a scheme where the thin metal film is located between an appropriate 1D photonic crystal and an arbitrary (air, water, etc.) medium. The ultralong-range surface plasmon polaritons are potentially important for biosensors, plasmonics, and other applications.     

Comparison of the spectra of a blackbody and thermally stimulated surface plasmon polaritons in the infrared range

The emission spectra of thermally stimulated surface plasmon polaritons (thermally stimulated surface plasmon polaritons) and a blackbody have been analyzed and compared, and the temperature dependence of these spectra has been studied. It has been found that the total energy of the entire ensemble of surface plasmons is proportional to the cube of temperature and their spectrum is red-shifted from the blackbody spectrum. It has been shown that the spectrum of thermally stimulated surface plasmon polaritons obeys the Wien’s displacement law, yet with another constant. The fraction of the photon energy of the conducting layer transferred to the surface plasmons has been estimated. It has been demonstrated numerically by the example of a gold layer that this fraction can exceed 10% for a layer thickness of less than 1 mm.     

Ultra‐fast nano‐optics

Ultra‐fast nano‐optics is a comparatively young and rapidly growing field of research aiming at probing, manipulating and controlling ultrafast optical excitations on nanometer length scales. This ability to control light on nanometric length and femtosecond time scales opens up exciting possibilities for probing dynamic processes in nanostructures in real time and space. This article gives a brief introduction into the emerging research field of ultrafast nano‐optics and discusses recent progress made in it. A particular emphasis is laid on the recent experimental work performed in the authors' laboratories. We specifically discuss how ultrafast nano‐optical techniques can be used to probe and manipulate coherent optical excitations in individual and dipole‐coupled pairs of quantum dots, probe the dynamics of surface plasmon polariton excitations in metallic nanostructures, generate novel nanometer‐sized ultrafast light and electron sources and reveal the dipole interaction between excitons and surface plasmon polaritons in hybrid metal‐semiconductor nanostructures. Our results indicate that such hybrid nanostructures carry significant potential for realizing novel nano‐optical devices such as ultrafast nano‐optical switches as well as surface plasmon polariton amplifiers and lasers.     

Surface plasmon interference excited by tightly focused laser beams

We show that interfering surface plasmon polaritons can be excited with a focused laser beam at normal incidence to a plane metal film. No protrusions or holes are needed in this excitation scheme. Depending on the axial position of the focus, the intensity distribution on the metal surface is either dominated by interferences between counterpropagating plasmons or by a two-lobe pattern characteristic of localized surface plasmon excitation. Our experiments can be accurately explained by use of the angular spectrum representation and provide a simple means for locally exciting standing surface plasmon polaritons.