表面等离激元——机理、应用与展望

等离激元光子学(plasmonics)的研究内容是金属纳米结构独特的光学性质及其应用.随着纳米科技的进步,等离激元光子学已经迅速发展成为一门新兴学科,在生物、化学、能源、信息等领域具有重要的应用前景.文章主要介绍表面等离激元(surface plasmons,SPs)的一些基本物理性质,包括局域的表面等离激元(localized surface plas-mon,LSP)和传导的表面等离激元(propagating surface plasmon polariton,SPP),文章还介绍了表面等离激元的几个重要的应用方向,例如生物/化学传感器、表面等离激元激光、光开关器件以及表面等离激元光逻辑运算,等等.     

表面等离激元的聚焦与波导增强

近年来,表面等离激元学（plasmonics）已经形成一个新的学科热点.电子在金属与介质界面的集体振荡行为形成一种元激发——表面等离激元（surface plasomon polariton,SPP）.由于其具有特殊的耦合与传播性质,与SPP相关的器件设计与应用成为目前纳米光子学领域的国际前沿研究方向.文章介绍了利用微...     

基于双表面等离子激元吸收的纳米光刻

光刻技术(lithography)是微纳结构制备的关键技术之一.受限于光的衍射极限,传统光刻方法进一步缩小特征尺寸变得越来越难.表面等离子激元(surface plasmon polariton,SPP)作为光与金属表面自由电子密度振荡相互耦合形成的一种特殊电磁形式,具有波长短、场密度大、异常色散等特点,在突破传统光学衍射极限的研究和应用中具有重要的学术和实用价值.本文针对SPP在光刻胶中的非线性吸收及其在大视场纳米光刻中的应用进行了理论和实验探索.在回顾SPP概念的基础上,阐述了双SPP吸收的概念及其应用于纳米光刻的优势,明确了该效应具有与传统双光子吸收不同的内涵和特性.在800和400nm飞秒激光的作用下,实现了基于双SPP吸收效应的周期干涉条纹,同时验证了双SPP吸收的闽值效应,通过控制曝光计量实现了图形线宽的调控,最小线宽小于真空光波长的1/10.利用SPP波长短、场增强的特点,并结合非线性吸收的闽值效应,单次曝光区域比纳米图形尺度大4 5个数量级,曝光区域的直径可达1.6 mm.同时制备出较为复杂的同心圆环结构.基于双SPP吸收独有的特性以及SPP丰富的模式,有望进一步在大光刻视场、超小尺度图形光刻技术上获得突破.     

基于金属表面等离子激元控制光束的新进展

表面等离子激元(Surface plasmon polaritons,SPPs)是一种在金属-介质界面上激发并耦合电荷密度起伏的电磁振荡,具有近场增强、表面受限、短波长等特性,在纳米光子学的研究中扮演着重要角色。近年来表面等离子光学和基于SPPs的纳米光子器件的研究引起了国际上科学家们的广泛关注。讨论了SPPs的基本原理和在亚波长结构下的光学特性,介绍了基于亚波长金属结构的表面等离子激元在空间光束准直与聚焦、平面内光束聚焦与传导和在近场纳米光束的控制等方面的研究情况,以及在纳米光子学器件中的潜在应用。     

纳米集成光路中的光源、光波导和光增强

使用近场光学显微术(scanning near-field optical microscopy, SNOM)研究了ZnO亚微米线端面出射性质，不同空间形貌Ⅱ-Ⅵ族半导体荧光器件光波导特性，二维光子晶体、准晶光子晶体对LED的出射增强作用以及表面等离激元(surface plasmon polariton, SPP)与半导体纳米荧光器件的相互作用，对纳米集成光路中的光源、光波导、光增强三个重要问题做了实验和理论上的分析.研究发现半导体微纳米线端面出射光束的质量与样品的直径有密切关系.通过合理地设计其直径和     

纳米集成光路中的光源、光波导和光增强

使用近场光学显微术(scanning near-field optical microscopy, SNOM)研究了ZnO亚微米线端面出射性质,不同空间形貌Ⅱ-Ⅵ族半导体荧光器件光波导特性,二维光子晶体、准晶光子晶体对LED的出射增强作用以及表面等离激元(surface plasmon polariton, SPP)与半导体纳米荧光器件的相互作用,对纳米集成光路中的光源、光波导、光增强三个重要问题做了实验和理论上的分析.研究发现半导体微纳米线端面出射光束的质量与样品的直径有密切关系.通过合理地设计其直径和 关键词： 纳米集成光路 扫描近场光学显微术 光波导 光增强     

基于表面等离子激元波导透射性能的环形滤波器设计

当前对表面等离子体激元(SPP)耦合性能及其传播的研究已成为这一领域急需改进的课题。为了进一步使SPP纳米器件成为可能,利用SPP波导结构设计了一种表面等离子体激元环形滤波器,建立了SPP波导结构传输模型和金属光栅SPP传输模型。透射率仿真分析表明,透射率会随着金属薄膜厚度的变化而变化,当金属薄膜厚度降低时,透射带宽会明显变窄,且透射的峰值也会降低。滤波器结构仿真结果表明,滤波器具有很强的消光效果,在具有有效谐振频率的同时可以更好地实现阻碍非谐振频率。该研究对纳米等离子激元器件的实际应用具有一定的理论和实际意义。     

基于电光聚合物的表面等离激元调制器

基于电光聚合物,提出了一种结构简单,尺寸小,效率高的表面等离激元(SPP)调制器.该调制器采用M-Z干涉仪结构的金属波导,金属周围是均匀极化后的电光聚合物,通过在金属波导两臂间加电压对聚合物折射率进行调制,折射率调制再通过M-Z干涉仪结构转化为对金属波导中SPP强度的调制. 通过求解金属波导附近的电场分布,并结合SPP场分布的特点,在理论上说明了这种结构可以通过外加电压有效地调制金属波导输出端SPP的强度,调制所需的半波电压约为2.8V. 关键词： 表面等离激元 电光调制 电光聚合物     

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.     

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,...     

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.     

Propagation of femtosecond surface plasmon polariton pulses on the surface of a nanostructured metallic film: space-time complex amplitude characterization

Ultrashort surface plasmon polariton (SPP) pulses, propagating on the surface of a nanostructured metallic film, are characterized in space and time using time-resolved spatial-heterodyne imaging. Optical pulses are coupled from free space into various surface modes using a 2D array of circular nanoholes, and spatial amplitude and phase characteristics of the scattered surface field are measured with femtosecond-scale time resolution. Demonstrated in-plane focusing of SPP pulse provides additional electromagnetic field localization with possible applications in SPP nanophotonics, nonlinear surface dynamics, biochemical sensing, and ultrafast surface studies.     

Ultrafast dynamics of surface plasmon polaritons in plasmonic metamaterials

Using near-field scanning optical microscopy and ultrafast laser spectroscopy, we study the linear optical properties of subwavelength nanoslit and nanohole arrays in metal films, which are prototype structures for novel plasmonic metamaterials. Near-field microscopy provides direct evidence for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation and allows for spatial imaging of the corresponding SPP modes. By employing spectral interferometry with ultrashort 11-fs light pulses, we directly reconstruct the temporal structure of the electric field of these pulses as they are transmitted through the metallic nanostructures. The analysis of these data allows for a quantitative extraction of the plasmonic band structure and the radiative damping of the corresponding SPP modes. Clear evidence for plasmonic band gap formation is given. Our results reveal that the coherent coupling between different SPP modes can result in a pronounced suppression of radiative SPP damping, increasing the SPP lifetime from 30 fs to more than 200 fs. These findings are relevant for optimizing and manipulating the optical properties of novel nano-plasmonic devices. PACS 42.70.Qs; 07.79.Fc; 42.25.-p     

Effects of a bar on optical transmission through Z-shaped metallic slit arrays

We investigate the effects of a bar on optical transmission through Z-shaped metallic slit arrays by using the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method. A new hybrid Fabry-Perot (FP) surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode emerges when changing the geometric parameters of the bar, and this mode can be viewed as a coupling between FP mode and SPP mode. In addition, an obvious dip appears in a featured area when the bar deviates from the central line, and a small displacement of the bar leads to tremendous change of the dip. These behaviors can be attributed to the phase resonance. In short, the structure is very sensitive to the metal bar. Furthermore, it combines photonic device miniaturization with sensitivity, which is useful for making optical switches.     

Resonant Effects of FPL and SPP for Light Transmitting through Subwavelength Metallic Gratings

A new model is proposed to explain the physical mechanism of the extraordinary transmission enhancement in subwavelength metallic grating. The extraordinary transmission enhancement is described by the co-operation of Fabry-Perot-like (FPL) resonance and the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonance. The rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) and the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method are employed to illustrate the model by calculating the transmission and the field distributions in the subwavelength metallic grating, respectively. And the numerical calculations show that transmission enhancement is achieved when the coupling resonance of the incident light, the surface plasmon polariton mode and the Fabry-Perot-Like mode is happened, which are in good agreement with the proposed model.     

Engineering optical gradient force from coupled surface plasmon polariton modes in nanoscale plasmonic waveguides

We explore the dispersion properties and optical gradient forces from mutual coupling of surface plasmon polariton(SPP) modes at two interfaces of nanoscale plasmonic waveguides with hyperbolic metamaterial cladding.With Maxwell's equations and Maxwell stress tensor,we calculate and compare the dispersion relation and optical gradient force for symmetric and antisymmetric SPP modes in two kinds of nanoscale plasmonic waveguides.The numerical results show that the optical gradient force between two coupled hyperbolic metamaterial waveguides can be engineered flexibly by adjusting the waveguide structure parameters.Importantly,an alternative way to boost the optical gradient force is provided through engineering the hyperbolic metamaterial cladding of suitable orientation.These special optical properties will open the door for potential optomechanical applications,such as optical tweezers and actuators.     

Classifying the transmission resonances of a subwavelength aperture within a thin metallic film by breaking the symmetry

Here by introducing an I-shape structure to break the symmetry of a thin metallic film, the contributions of Fabry–Perot (FP) resonance-like modes and surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonance-like are determined. The finite difference-time domain (FDTD) simulation is utilized to provide a clear picture of the electromagnetic field distribution and transmission profile. The FP matrix method is employed to specify the contribution of FP resonance. Some of the predicted resonances of the FP matrix method coincide with the simulation result which is labeled as FP resonance-like modes. The remaining resonance modes in transmission profile are considered as SPP resonance-like modes. Our results provide explicit evidence that both FP resonator modes and SPP resonance are responsible for extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through a subwavelength aperture.     

Nonlinear spoof surface plasmon polariton phenomena based on conductor metamaterials

We present nonlinear phenomena produced from spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) modes. Below the THz spectrum, artificially textured conducting metastructures on a subwavelength scale generate surface-bound modes and are called SSPP modes, similar to surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes in the visible spectrum. Even though nonlinear effects in the THz domain are negligible, subwavelength metallic gap structures are ideal candidates to realize nonlinear behavior in the THz domain because of slow light propagation, strong electromagnetic confinement, and a high quality factor Q. In particular, when SSPP structures are combined with Kerr nonlinear materials, nonlinear-bistable curves can be observed below the THz spectrum.     

Dispersion relation for surface plasmon polaritons in metal/nonlinear-dielectric/metal slot waveguides

We present the first (to our knowledge) exact dispersion relation for the transverse-magnetic surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes of a plasmonic slot waveguide, which is formed by a nonlinear Kerr medium sandwiched between two metallic slabs. The obtained relation is then simplified to the case of small field intensities, while retaining nonlinear terms, to derive approximate dispersion equations for the symmetric and antisymmetric SPP modes.     

Optimization of gain-assisted waveguiding in metal-dielectric nanowires

We theoretically demonstrate that, for a given diameter of the core-pumped metal-dielectric nanowire, there is an optimum thickness of the metallic cladding that provides the maximum propagation length of the lowest-order surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes. If the nanowire is fabricated with the optimum cladding thickness, the lowest pumping power is required to fully compensate for the SPP propagation losses. We also show that a strong confinement of SPPs within the nanowire can be achieved, but at the expense of either high optical gains or large nanowire diameters. For example, a gain of 565 cm(-1) would suffice to make up for the decay of SPPs in a 250-nm-thick silver-GaAs nanowire; the confinement of optical power within such nanowires exceeds 90%, which makes them ideal interconnects for nanophotonic circuitry.