Experimental studies of extraordinary light transmission through periodic arrays of subwavelength square and rectangular holes in metal films

We fabricate a series of periodic arrays of subwavelength square and rectangular air holes on gold films, and measure the transmission spectra of these metallic nanostructures. By changing some geometrical and physical parameters, such as array period, air hole size and shape, and the incident light polarization, we verify that both global surface plasmon resonance and localized waveguide mode resonance are influential on enhancing the transmission of light through nanostructured metal films. These two resonances induce different behaviours of transmission peak shift. The transmission through the rectangular air-hole structures exhibits an obvious polarization effect dependent on the morphology. Numerical simulations are also made by a plane-wave transfer-matrix method and in good consistency with the experimental results.     

金膜上亚波长小孔阵列表面等离激元颜色滤波器偏振性质

金属薄膜上制备的表面等离激元颜色滤波器具有很强的颜色可调性. 在200 nm厚的金膜上, 通过聚焦离子束刻蚀, 制备一系列周期逐渐变化的圆形、方形、矩形亚波长尺寸小孔方阵列表面等离激元颜色滤波器, 改变入射光的偏振方向, 观察其超透射滤波现象. 研究发现: 对于矩形小孔阵列, 其透射光颜色随入射光偏振方向的变化而改变; 而对于圆形、方形的小孔阵列, 其透射光颜色对入射光的偏振方向并不敏感. 分析表明, 对于金膜上刻蚀的小孔结构, 虽然结构的周期性导致的表面等离激元极化子会对透射光的颜色变化产生一定影响, 但是随小孔形状变化的局域表面等离激元共振才是影响透射光颜色的决定性因素. 如果入射光没有在小孔中激发出局域表面等离激元, 则表面等离激元极化子对透射光的影响也会消失. 根据不同形状小孔周期结构透射光颜色随入射光的偏振变化特点, 制备出了包含两种小孔形状的复合周期结构. 随着入射光偏振方向的改变, 该结构会显示出不同的颜色图案. 关键词： 表面等离激元极化子 局域表面等离激元 颜色滤波器 亚波长小孔阵列     

两种亚波长金属波片的透射特性对比

综合等效介质理论和表面等离子激元(SPP)Bloch模型,对比分析了两种新的亚波长光栅结构:二维矩形金属光栅和二维椭圆柱金属光栅。利用时域有限差分(FDTD)算法,对比分析了两种结构的透射率及其相位延迟与入射光波长及偏振角变化的关系,尤其两种结构实现λ/4波片功能所对应的透射特性。仿真结果表明,当入射光偏振角为75°时,两种结构均可实现λ/4波片功能,此时二维矩形和椭圆柱金属光栅的透射率分别为0.77和0.67,表明二维矩形金属光栅比椭圆柱光栅具有更好的透射效果。对应550～800nm的入射波长,两种光栅在各自允许的入射偏振角范围内均表现了较为平坦的宽带透射特性。     

Polarization properties of single metallic nano-spheroid using 3-D boundary element method

The polarization properties of an individual metallic nano-spheroid illuminated by the linearly polarized light are studied based on 3-D boundary element method. The scattering cross sections and the local field enhancements are investigated in detail when the incident lights are with different polarization directions and wavelengths. The numerical results show that the polarization direction of the incident light can strongly influence the scattering spectrum and the enhanced field distribution of the metallic nano-spheroid. The incident light with polarization direction parallel or perpendicular to the major axis can inspire longitudinal or transversal local surface plasmons resonance modes, respectively. The electric field enhancement and distribution around the nano-spheroid can be conveniently tuned by carefully selecting the polarization direction and wavelength of the incident light.     

Subwavelength polarization rotators via double-layer metal hole arrays

We show that the polarization of linearly polarized light can be rotated an arbitrary angle by double-layer metal hole array structures in a subwavelength regime. The transmitted light with the rotated polarization, however, remains of nearly the same strength as the incident field at particular frequencies. The mechanism can be attributed to the subwavelength feature of the rectangular holes, and the tangential guiding modes between layers modulated by the orientation of the holes. The structures have potential applications as polarization rotators in a broad frequency range covering from terahertz (THz) to infrared frequencies.     

Manipulation of subwavelength optical fields and resonant field enhancements of a silver-shell nanocylinder pair and chain waveguides with different core–shell patterns

Near field optical properties and surface plasmon resonances on a pair of silver-shell nanocylinder and nanochain waveguides with different core–shell patterns which interact with incident plane wave along chain axis are numerically investigated by using the finite element method. Simulation results show that the peak wavelengths and resonant field enhancements are highly tunable by using the nanoshell particles instead of solid ones, revealing a critical relationship among the wavelengths and illuminated direction of incident light, interparticle spacing, radii, and medium of dielectric holes and the patterns of chain waveguides. Besides, nanochain waveguides with different patterns of core–shell that are operated on resonant multipolar modes can provide higher propagation intensities and the transmission ability can be increased by decreasing the size of nanocylinders along the chain axis.     

Light‐switching‐light optical transistor based on metallic nanoparticle cross‐chains geometry incorporating Kerr nonlinearity

In this research work, we propose all‐optical transistor based on metallic nanoparticle cross‐chains geometry. The geometry of the proposed device consists of two silver nanoparticle chains arranged along the x‐ and z‐axis. The x‐chain contains a Kerr nonlinearity, the source beam is set at the left side of the later, while the control beam is located at the top side of the z‐chain. The control beam can turn ON and OFF the light transmission of an incoming light. We report a theoretical model of a very small all‐optical transistor proof‐of‐conceptmade of optical ‘light switching light'concept. We show that the transmission efficiency strongly depends on the control beam and polarization of the incoming light. We investigate the influence of a perfect reflector and reflecting substrate on the transmission of the optical signal when the control beam is turned ON and OFF. These new findings make our unique design a potential candidate for future highly‐integrated optical information processing chips.     

Optical transmission through metallic nanoslit with symmetric or asymmetric surface-relief profile

The enhanced optical transmission through metallic nanoslit with symmetric or asymmetric surface-relief profile is investigated based on rigorous electromagnetic theory by using the boundary integral method (BIM). Metallic nanoslits with different geometrical structure surfaces: asymmetric sinusoid surface-relief profile and symmetric sinusoid surface-relief profiles, are investigated. The transmission spectra are calculated and the corresponding intensity distributions of magnetic fields at the resonant wavelengths are numerically emulated and illuminated. The numerical results show that there are two transmission peaks - attributed to the nanoslit geometrical structure and the metallic material, respectively, and the normalized transmittance through the conventionally rectangular nanoslit will be enhanced largely when its surface profile is replaced by the smoothly surface-relief shape of the metallic nanoslit. It is indicated that anomalously high transmission is quite sensitive to the surface geometrical profile of the nanoslit and the incident direction of the light wave.     

Tunable dual-band infrared polarization filter based on a metal-dielectric-metal compound rectangular strip array

A tunable dual-band infrared polarization filter is proposed and investigated. Based on the perfect absorption characteristic of the metal-dielectric-metal sandwich structure, the reflection spectrum performs as a filter. The filter consists of three layers. The top layer is a compound metal nano-structure array comprised of rectangular strips. The middle and bottom layers are a dielectric spacer and metal film, respectively. The calculated results show that the filter properties are closely related to the polarization of the incident light. Different dual-band wavelengths are filtered while the incident light has different polarizations, which are parallel or vertical to the x axis. Moreover, it is found that the resonant wavelength strongly depends on the length of the rectangular strip(which causes the resonant effect) and is independent of other strips. Therefore, the filter wavelengths can be tuned freely by adjusting the length of the corresponding rectangular strip. In addition, the calculated results show that all of the intensities at the filter wavelengths are closed to zero, which implies that the filter exhibits good filtering performance.     

有限厚度传导孔径对太赫兹脉冲的时空整形

太赫兹脉冲经时空整形后常被用在太赫兹光谱和成像上。用三维时域有限差分法模拟了矩形和圆形孔径的整形效应,模拟结果表明有限厚度矩形和圆形孔径对太赫兹脉冲能实现有效的整形和滤波。当矩形孔径长边垂直于入射波的偏振方向时,矩形孔径有较好的整形和滤波作用,当矩形孔径长边平行于入射波的偏振方向时,几乎没有明显的整形和滤波作用。圆形孔径具有比矩形孔径更加显著的整形和滤波作用。这些模拟结果用平面光波导理论可以得到很好的解释。     

Localized surface plasmons-based transmission enhancement of terahertz radiation through metal aperture arrays

The extraordinary transmission spectrum of a copper film pierced by a periodic array of subwavelength rectangular holes is measured by the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The transmission coefficient is strongly dependent on the angle between the polarization of terahertz electric field and the latitudinal direction of the periodic apertures. When the angle increases from 0^o to 90^o, a peak becomes stronger and another peak reduces. The transmission is proposed to be the contributions of localized surface plasmons inside the apertures. The finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulation results are in good agreement with experimental observations.     

Effects of laser intenstiy on the emission direction of fast electrons in laser-solid interactions

The dependence of emission direction of fast electrons on the laser intensity has been investigated. The experimental results show that, at nonrelativistic laser intensities, the emission of fast electrons is mainly in the polarization plane. With the increase of the laser intensity, fast electrons emit towards the laser propagation direction from laser polarization direction. At relativistic laser intensities, fast electrons move away from the laser polarization plane, closely to the reflection direction of the incident laser beam.     

Effects of laser intensity on the emission direction of fast electrons in laser-solid interactions

The dependence of emission direction of fast electrons on the laser intensity has been investigated. The experimental results show that, at nonrelativistic laser intensities, the emission of fast electrons is mainly in the polarization plane. With the increase of the laser intensity, fast electrons emit towards the laser propagation direction from laser polarization direction. At relativistic laser intensities, fast electrons move away from the laser polarization plane, closely to the reflection direction of the incident laser beam.     

Polarization properties of subwavelength hole arrays consisting of rectangular holes

The influence of hole shape on extraordinary optical transmission was investigated using hole arrays consisting of rectangular holes with different aspect ratios. It was found that the transmission could be tuned continuously by rotating the hole array. Furthermore, a phase was generated in this process, and linear polarization states could be changed to elliptical polarization states. This phase was correlated with the aspect ratio of the holes. An intuitional model was presented to explain these results.     

金属粒子阵列共振的偏振特性

当金属纳米粒子形成规则分布且阵列周期与单粒子的共振波长近似匹配时, 会形成一种特殊的阵列共振, 这种共振比单粒子的局域表面等离子体共振具有更窄的共振线宽和更高的共振强度. 基于修正的长波近似方法, 讨论了矩形阵列的消光截面与阵列因子和单粒子的极化率之间的关系; 并详细研究了在不同偏振的入射光照射下, 阵列因子随着电偶极子方向的改变而产生的变化, 以及这一效应对阵列共振和消光截面所产生的影响. 结果表明, 大型的方阵是偏振无关的; 在矩形阵列中, 沿着阵列两个轴向的相邻粒子之间的耦合形成了阵列因子的两个极值, 并且分别对应了散射截面的最小值.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF DIFFRACTIVE PROPERTIES OF WAVELENGTH-SIZED SINGLE GROOVES COATED WITH GOLD FILM

We have gained a very comprehensive set of results for infrared diffraction (10.6 μm wavelength) from fabricated single grooves of reflection with widths in the range of 5μm to 65μm. The experimental results show that the diffraction can still occur when the groove width becomes comparable to or less than the wavelength of the probing light. Variations of the diffraction intensities have a very regular sinusoidal relationship with the polarization angle of the incident light; and the diffraction intensities are the maximal when the incident light is TM polarized. However, the diffraction intensities will be a minimum when the incident light is TE polarized; and the bigger the diffraction angle, the higher the rate of change of the diffractive intensity with increasing polarization angle of the incident light.     

Strong polarization in the optical transmission through elliptical nanohole arrays

Strong polarization dependence is observed in the optical transmission through nanohole arrays in metals. It is shown that the degree of polarization is determined by the ellipticity and orientation of the holes; the polarization axis lies perpendicular to the broad edge of the ellipse. Furthermore, the depolarization ratio shows a squared dependence on the aspect ratio of the holes, which is discussed in terms of coupling into and out of the surface plasmon modes. The observed results will be useful for tailoring the polarization behavior of metallic nanophotonic elements in many applications, including surface plasmon enhanced optical sensing and ultrafast optical switching.     

有孔双层矩形金属机壳屏蔽效能

为了分析带有孔缝双层金属机壳的屏蔽效能,采用广义散射矩阵级联的思想,将多层金属腔体近似等效为若干个能够传输多个模式的波导级联,提出了一种使用模式匹配法和基于矩量法求解混合位积分方程的全波混合算法。该算法考虑了腔体结构、孔缝排列形式、入射波极化方向以及高次模等因素对屏蔽效能的影响。通过将数值仿真结果与经典算法仿真结果进行对比,验证了其具有较高的准确性和有效性。研究结果表明:双层金属腔体的屏蔽效能要优于单层金属腔体的屏蔽效能,适当地增加双层金属腔体上孔缝所在侧壁之间的距离可以提高屏蔽效能,当双层金属腔体侧壁上的孔缝平行排列时,平行极化下的屏蔽效能要优于垂直极化下的屏蔽效能,而当孔缝交叉排列时,平行极化和垂直极化下屏蔽效能的优劣则并不明显。     

Scattering properties of an individual metallic nano-spheroid by the incident polarized light wave

The scattering properties of a metallic nano-spheroid under the illumination of different polarized light waves are investigated using 3D boundary element method. The influences of different geometrical sizes of the nano-spheroid and incident directions of the illuminating light wave on the scattering spectrum are studied for different incident polarized light waves. The results show that the metallic nano-spheroid has two intrinsic resonant modes, corresponding to different polarization states and resonant wavelengths. The scattering enhancement, the resonant wavelength, and the location of the enhanced optical field are strongly dependent on the polarization properties of the illuminating light waves, and they can be modulated by appropriately choosing the polarization directions of the incident light wave.