Propagating anti-symmetrically coupled plasmons generation by electron beams

Propagating anti-symmetrically coupled plasmons that usually cannot be excited with incident light and radiate to far field can be efficiently generated by electron beams. An electron beam is proposed as a practical propagating anti-symmetrically coupled plasmon source due to that it couples differently to the surface plasmons than free radiation. Specifically, whispering-gallery anti-symmetrically coupled plasmons with the character of symmetrical coupled dipoles are excited by an electron beam in a nested ringlike waveguide, which is consistent with the dispersion of electron excited plasmons in an infinite-long nanowire pair.     

Enhanced light transmission through a single subwavelength aperture

The optical transmission through a subwavelength aperture in a metal film is strongly enhanced when the incident light is resonant with surface plasmons at the corrugated metal surface surrounding the aperture. Conversely, the aperture acts as a novel probe of the surface plasmons, yielding useful insights for optimizing the transmission enhancement. For the optimal corrugation geometry, a set of concentric circular grooves, three times more light is transmitted through the central subwavelength aperture than directly impinges upon it. This effect is useful in the fabrication of near-field optical devices with extremely high optical throughput.     

金属薄膜亚波长微结构的光束集束器件设计

利用时域有限差分方法,模拟了P偏振光高斯光束入射到金属银亚波长细缝与光栅结构的透射情况.由于表面等离子激元波的影响,对称光栅结构透射光呈现对称出射,而非对称结构可以实现小角度定方向的光束集束现象.借助公式推导法及Helmholtz互易定理,可设计出平行入射P偏振光的光束集束器件.由于高斯光束本身的发散性及近场分布的需要,针对高斯光束的器件在结构参量上缩小了12%.在对其他结构参量的优化的基础上,实现了针对633 nm高斯光束的对称出射及光束集束器件的设计.     

Subwavelength propagation and localization of light using surface plasmons: A brief perspective

Surface plasmons at the metal–dielectric interface have emerged as an important candidate to propagate and localize light at subwavelength scales. By tailoring the geometry and arrangement of metallic nanoarchitectures, propagating and localized surface plasmons can be obtained. In this brief perspective, we discuss: (1) how surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and localized surface plasmons (LSPs) can be optically excited in metallic nanoarchitectures by employing a variety of optical microscopy methods; (2) how SPPs and LSPs in plasmonic nanowires can be utilized for subwavelength polarization optics and single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on a photonic chip; and (3) how individual plasmonic nanowire can be optically manipulated using optical trapping methods.     

Surface plasmon-polaritons wave fields in the vicinity of a metallic nanohole

It is shown that metal surface with a nanohole can support surface plasmon-polaritons (SPP), whose wave fields are described by Hankel functions. These plasmons can be excited by an electromagnetic wave incident at the metal surface. The optical transmission through subwavelength holes in metal films can essentially be enhanced by interaction of the incident light with surface plasmons. Dependence of excitation of the wave field of SPP on the incidence angle and on the wavelength of incident light is considered.     

从光子晶体效应到表面等离子波的实时演变

文章报道了激光诱导太赫兹表面等离子谐振效应。采用激光抽运-太赫兹波探测技术，实时改变单晶硅中的载流子浓度，使其介电特性从类绝缘体演变为类金属导体，以支持表面等离子谐振效应，进而实现太赫兹波在周期性亚波长单晶硅孔阵列中的实时可控制谐振增强传输。同时还通过实验观测到太赫兹波从光子晶体效应到表面等离子波的实时演变。文章作者采用Fano模型对实验结果进行模拟分析，获得了与实验数据一致的理论拟合。     

Excitation of surface plasmons by electrons in a parabolic beam

A theory is presented for the excitation of surface plasmons by an electron beam following a non-touching path above a metal surface in Born approximation. The metal is assumed to possess only surface plasmon excitations. Configurations involving deflection of the electron beam in a parallel plate condensor, and by scattering from a field emission tip are envisaged. The relation between experimental conditions and the validity of the semiclassical approximation is discussed. The region of space above the surface in which scattering occurs is calculated, but the feasability of the experiment depends on electron optical factors which are outlined.     

Broadly tunable one-way terahertz plasmonic waveguide based on nonreciprocal surface magneto plasmons

One-way-propagating broadly tunable terahertz plasmonic waveguide at a subwavelength scale is proposed based on a metal-dielectric-semiconductor structure. Unlike other one-way plasmonic devices that are based on interference effects of surface plasmons, the proposed one-way device is based on nonreciprocal surface magneto plasmons under an external magnetic field. Theoretical and simulation results demonstrate that the one-way-propagating frequency band can be broadly tuned by the external magnetic fields. The proposed concept can be used to realize various high performance tunable plasmonic devices such as isolators, switches and splitters for ultracompact integrated plasmonic circuits.     

Theory of extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole arrays

We present a fully three-dimensional theoretical study of the extraordinary transmission of light through subwavelength hole arrays in optically thick metal films. Good agreement is obtained with experimental data. An analytical minimal model is also developed, which conclusively shows that the enhancement of transmission is due to tunneling through surface plasmons formed on each metal-dielectric interface. Different regimes of tunneling (resonant through a "surface plasmon molecule," or sequential through two isolated surface plasmons) are found depending on the geometrical parameters defining the system.     

Negative role of surface plasmons in the transmission of metallic gratings with very narrow slits

It is generally admitted that the extraordinary transmission of metallic grating with very narrow slits is mainly due to the excitation of surface plasmons on the upper and lower interfaces of the grating. We show that the surface plasmon contribution is not the prime effect and that waveguide mode resonance and diffraction are responsible for the extraordinary transmission. Additionally and surprisingly, we reveal that the transmittance of subwavelength metallic gratings is always nearly zero for frequencies corresponding to surface plasmon excitation. This finding implies that surface plasmons play a negative role in the transmission.     

Total absorption of an electromagnetic wave by an overdense plasma

We show both theoretically and experimentally that an electromagnetic wave can be totally absorbed by an overdense plasma when a subwavelength diffraction grating is placed in front of the plasma surface. The absorption is due to dissipation of surface plasma waves (plasmons polaritons) that have been resonantly excited by the evanescent component of the diffracted electromagnetic wave. The developed theoretical model allows one to determine the conditions for the total absorption.     

Ultraslow surface plasmons in metamaterial waveguides for subwavelength resolution

A modified planar waveguide made of a metamaterial with negative permittivity and permeability has been considered. The modification of the waveguide by the introduction of an air channel qualitatively changes its dispersion characteristics due to the appearance of an ultraslow mode. The fields and properties of this mode have been investigated. The mode has been shown to be similar to a surface plasmon. In addition, it has been shown that the plasmons can propagate in subwavelength waveguides. Such ultraslow plasmons can be used in plasmonics, microwave and accelerator techniques.     

Ultraslow surface plasmons in metamaterial waveguides

A modified planar waveguide made of a metamaterial with negative permittivity and permeability has been considered. The modification of the waveguide by the introduction of an air channel qualitatively changes its dispersion characteristics due to the appearance of an ultraslow mode. The fields and properties of this mode have been investigated. The mode has been shown to be similar to a surface plasmon. In addition, it has been shown that the plasmons can propagate in subwavelength waveguides. Such ultraslow plasmons can be used in plasmonics and microwave and accelerator techniques.     

Tailoring terahertz near-field enhancement via two-dimensional plasmons

We suggest a novel possibility for electrically tunable terahertz near-field enhancement in flatland electronic materials supporting two-dimensional plasmons, including recently discovered graphene. We employ electric-field effect modulation of electron density in such materials and induce a periodic plasmonic lattice with a defect cavity. We demonstrate that the plasmons resonantly excited in such a periodic plasmonic lattice by an incident terahertz radiation can strongly pump the cavity plasmon modes leading to a deep subwavelength concentration of terahertz energy, beyond λ/1000, with giant electric-field enhancement factors up to 10(4), which is 2 orders of magnitude higher than achieved previously in metal-based terahertz field concentrators.     

Nonreciprocal reflection of a subwavelength hole array

We present measurements of the wavelength-dependent reflectivity of a subwavelength metal hole array on a glass substrate. We compare the observed resonant structures with those found in transmission and note a nonreciprocity under illumination from the air versus the glass side. This can be used to verify on which interface the surface plasmons are resonantly excited and to estimate the losses in the subwavelength channels.     

Design of terahertz beam splitter based on surface plasmon resonance transition

According to the resonance transition between propagating surface plasmon and localized surface plasmon, we demonstrate a design of beam splitter that can split terahertz wave beams in a relatively broad frequency range. The transmission properties of the beam splitter are analyzed utilizing the finite element method. The resonance transition between two kinds of plasmons can be explained by a model of coherent electron cloud displacement.     

Near-field double-spot photolithography with subwavelength spacing

We theoretically report a method of the near-field double-spot subwavelength-photolithography by attaching an optical anisotropic metamaterial (OAM) and polymer composite film to a solid immersion lens (SIL). The OAM made up of metallic nanowires embedded in a dielectric matrix can realize all-angle negative refraction for TM waves in the visible regime. When the SIL near-field photolithography system with a nanoscale OAM-polymer composite film is illuminated by a linearly-polarized beam, the longitudinal component of electric field in the focal region of the objective is largely enhanced by surface plasmons and the transverse component is suppressed. Consequently, a spot in the conventional near-field photolithography system with a bare SIL is split into two spots with subwavelength spacing. If the present focusing system with an OAM-polymer film is used to near-field photolithography, a subwavelength-spacing (wavelength/5) and deep photoetching pattern can be achieved and, compared with the conventional single-spot photolithography, the photoetching speed can be doubled.     

Lasing action assisted by long‐range surface plasmons

It is shown that lasing action at subwavelength scales can be achieved in realistic plasmonic systems supporting long‐range surface plasmons (LRSPPs). To this end, a general numerical framework has been developed that is able to accurately account for the full spatio‐temporal lasing dynamics and the vastly different length‐ and time‐scales featured by this class of systems. Starting from a loss compensation regime for propagating LRSPPs, it is shown how the introduction of an optical feedback mechanism induces the formation of a self‐sustained laser oscillation at moderate pump intensities. The simplicity of the proposed subwavelength scale laser offers significant potential as a novel class of planar light sources in complex plasmonic circuits.     

Spin-controlled directional launching of surface plasmons at the subwavelength scale

In this paper, we demonstrate a spin-controlled directional launching of surface plasmons at the subwavelength scale.Based on the principle of optical spin's effect for the geometric phase of light, the nanostructures were designed. The inclination of the structures decides the spin-related geometric phase and their relative positions decide the distance-related phase. Hence, the propagation direction of the generated surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) can be controlled by the spin of photons. Numerical simulations by the finite difference time domain(FDTD) method have verified our theoretical prediction. Our structure is fabricated on the Au film by using a focused ion beam etching technique. The total size of the surface plasmon polariton(SPP) launcher is 320 nm by 180 nm. The observation of the SPP launching by using scanning near-field optical microscopy is in agreement with our theory and simulations. This result may provide a new way of spin-controlled directional launching of SPP.     

Broadband near-field interference spectroscopy of metal nanoparticles using a femtosecond white-light continuum

We demonstrate a new nanoscale spectroscopic technique that combines subwavelength near-field imaging with broadband interference spectroscopy. We apply this technique to study phase spectra of surface plasmons in individual gold nanoparticles and nanoparticle dimers. Collective plasmon oscillations in selected nanostructures are excited by a femtosecond white-light continuum transmitted through a subwavelength aperture. The interference spectra detected in the far field result from the coherent superposition of the aperture field and the secondary field re-emitted by the nanostructure. The analysis of these spectra allows us to accurately measure the positions and damping constants of single-nanostructure plasmon resonances.