The role of virtual photons in nanoscale photonics

The fundamental theory of processes and properties associated with nanoscale photonics should properly account for the quantum nature of both the matter and the radiation field. A familiar example is the Casimir force, whose significant role in nanoelectromechanical systems is widely recognised; the correct representation invokes the creation of short‐lived virtual photons from the vacuum. In fact, there is an extensive range of nanophotonic interactions in which virtual photon exchange plays a vital role, mediating the coupling between particles. This review surveys recent theory and applications, also exhibiting novel insights into key electrodynamic mechanisms. Examples are numerous and include: laser‐induced inter‐particle forces known as optical binding; non‐parametric frequency‐conversion processes especially in rare‐earth doped materials; light‐harvesting polymer materials that involve electronic energy transfer between their constituent chromophores. An assessment of these and the latest prospective applications concludes with a view on future directions of research.     

Synthesis and optoelectrical properties of SnO2 nanospheres derived by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method

SnO₂ nanospheres have been synthesized by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method from the starting materials of citric acid and tin metallic particles. From the results of SEM and TEM images, it can be found that the SnO₂ nanospheres are uniform with diameter of ~100 nm and aggregated by SnO₂ nanocrystals with size of 8–10 nm. The photoluminescence spectrum of the nanospheres shows a peak at ~330 nm and a cutoff wavelength of around 400 nm. The pronounced photocurrent was recoded from the as-prepared SnO₂ nanospheres assembled on a Mo thin sheet under the UV illumination, which is suggested for the potential application of UV photodetector.     

Ag-Al纳米球二聚体的光学性质研究

金属纳米材料因其表面等离子体共振特性而备受关注。异质结构的金属纳米材料的光学特性相比于同质结构因其材料的不同破坏了原有结构的对称性,对称性的破坏将引起光学性质的改变,相邻两个颗粒之间的相互作用会产生Fano共振。Fano共振是由异质纳米结构的表面等离子体共振耦合引起的,通过合理地调控表面等离子体共振的耦合,将进一步调控Fano共振的强度同时促使异质结构的电场增强特性和辐射特性得到进一步优化。受金银等贵金属的带间跃迁影响,金属铝纳米材料成为研究紫外-近紫外光区的表面等离子体共振研究最佳选择。采用有限时域差分方法研究了Ag-Al纳米球二聚体的光学特性。研究了Ag和Al纳米球组成的二聚体的吸收光谱与入射光偏振方向、纳米球半径、颗粒间距和介质折射率等几何结构及物理参数的关系,并深入讨论了二聚体的局域场分布规律;讨论了获取更高效的Fano共振光谱的方法。由于材料的对称性被破坏,异质二聚体的光学性质与同质二聚体明显不同,Ag-Al异质纳米球二聚体呈现出在紫外和可见光区的双Fano共振现象。Ag-Al二聚体表面等离子体互相耦合引起Fano共振从而导致表面等离子体的共振抑制和增强。研究结果对在紫外-可见光区的表面等离子体应用、纳米光学器件的设计与开发及基于表面等离子体共振的表面增强光谱、生物传感和检测研究等有一定参考价值。     

Metal‐nanoparticle‐coating‐induced enhancement and weakening of resonant Raman scattering in ZnO: effect of surface electric field

Effects of Ag and Ti nanoparticle coatings on resonant Raman scattering in various ZnO thin films are presented. The longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, irrespective of the ZnO quality, exhibit an enhancement and a weakening by the Ag and Ti nanoparticle coatings, respectively. The enhancement (weakening) is always accompanied by a reduced (an increased) intensity ratio of the second to first‐order LO phonons, which can be associated with changes in the electron‐phonon coupling strength in the probed area of ZnO. Angle‐resolved X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides evidence for the bending of the surface energy bands and their changes induced by the metal coatings. The effect of metal nanoparticle coatings on the Raman scattering of ZnO is thus attributed to the changes in the surface electric field. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A computational study of the optical response of strongly coupled metal nanoparticle chains

We study the optical response of strongly coupled metal nanoparticle chains using rigorous multiple scattering calculations. The collective resonant frequency of silver nanosphere chains and the coupling between chains are considered. The coupling between silver nanoparticle chains are understood by the transmission and reflection calculations of 2D periodic arrays of nanospheres. The results are in agreement with recent experiments. The splitting of plasmon resonance modes for different polarizations of the incident light are explored. Our results show that the transverse mode resonant wavelength is very sensitive to the inter-chain distance. Results on the effect of disorder are also presented.     

Light‐Induced Tuning and Reconfiguration of Nanophotonic Structures

Interaction of light pulses of various durations and intensities with nanoscale photonic structures plays an important role in many applications of nanophotonics for high‐density data storage, ultra‐fast data processing, surface coloring and sensing. A design of optically tunable and reconfigurable structures made from different materials is based on many important physical effects and advances in material science, and it employs the resonant character of light interaction with nanostructures and strong field confinement at the nanoscale. Here we review the recent progress in physics of tunable and reconfigurable nanophotonic structures of different types. We start from low laser intensities that produce weak reversible changes in nanostructures, and then move to the discussion of non‐reversible changes in photonic structures. We focus on three platforms based on metallic, dielectric and hybrid resonant photonic structures such as nanoantennas, nanoparticle oligomers and nanostructured metasurfaces. Main challenges and key advantages of each of the approaches focusing on applications in advanced photonic technologies are also discussed.     

Metal Nanoparticle Coating of Oxide Nanospheres for Core‐Shell Structures

A low‐temperature route for coating oxide nanospheres with metal nanoparticles to achieve core‐shell structures is introduced. First results indicating a dense coverage of silica nanospheres of about 300 nm size with regularly arranged Ag and Au nanoparticles deposited by a modified incipient wetness impregnation procedure are presented. This synthesis works completely without external reducing agents or media, adhesive aids or functionalizing agents. Metal particles of only a few nanometers in size may serve as seeds for continuous metal coating of the oxide spheres by complementary processes. Structural characterization of the materials by transmission electron microscopy reveals a nearly spherical shape of the metal particles, the structure of which ranges from single crystalline to single twinned and multiply twinned configurations.     

单畴Ni球观测及NicoreNiOshell的铁磁/反铁磁耦合研究

 使用微波辅助聚合方法制备了单分散单畴Ni纳米球，由MFM发现，尺度分布在100～180 nm的Ni球的一个相关特征是条型磁畴结构。用XRD、TEM、XPS以及EDAX测量了由Ni球进一步制备的Ni_coreNiO_shell高度球型纳米结构。用VSM 和SQUID进一步讨论了其铁磁/反铁磁界面耦合效应，估算了交换耦合场与粒子尺寸的关系。     

Mg micro/nanoscale materials with sphere-like morphologies: Size-controlled synthesis and characterization

Mg micro/nanoscale materials with sphere-like morphologies are prepared via a vapor-transport deposition process. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared products are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of Mg micro/nanospheres on the basis of the experimental results. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2005CB623607)     

Triple‐resonant two‐phonon Raman scattering in graphene

The triple‐resonant (TR) second‐order Raman scattering mechanism in graphene is re‐examined. It is shown that the magnitude of the TR contribution to the photon‐G′ mode coupling function in graphene is one order of magnitude larger than the widely accepted two‐resonant coupling. Enhancement of the order of 100 in the Raman intensity, with respect to the usual double‐resonant model, is found for the G′ band in graphene, and is expected in the related sp²‐based carbon materials, as well. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of Ni-doped carbon nanospheres with different surface chemistry and controlled pore structure

In classic carbon supports is very difficult to control pore size, pore size distribution, and surface chemical properties at the same time. In this work microporous carbons derived from furfuryl alcohol are used as support to prepare Ni-doped carbon materials. The N₂ flow rate used during the carbonisation process of the precursor influences on the size of the nanospheres obtained but not in their textural properties. Microporous carbon nanospheres have been synthesised with a narrow pore size distribution centred in 5.5 Å. The surface chemistry of these materials can be easily modified by different treatments without detriment of the pore structure of the doped carbon nanospheres.     

Resonant infrared laser deposition of polymer-nanocomposite materials for optoelectronic applications

Polymers find a number of potentially useful applications in optoelectronic devices. These include both active layers, such as light-emitting polymers and hole-transport layers, and passive layers, such as polymer barrier coatings and light-management films. This paper reports the experimental results for polymer films deposited by resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) and resonant infrared pulsed laser deposition (RIR-PLD) for commercial optoelectronic device applications. In particular, light-management films, such as anti-reflection coatings, require refractive-index engineering of a material. However, refractive indices of polymers fall within a relatively narrow range, leading to major efforts to develop both low- and high-refractive-index polymers. Polymer nanocomposites can expand the range of refractive indices by incorporating low- or high-refractive-index nanoscale materials. RIR-MAPLE is an excellent technique for depositing polymer-nanocomposite films in multilayer structures, which are essential to light-management coatings. In this paper, we report our efforts to engineer the refractive index of a barrier polymer by combining RIR-MAPLE of nanomaterials (for example, high refractive-index TiO₂ nanoparticles) and RIR-PLD of host polymer. In addition, we report on the properties of organic and polymer films deposited by RIR-MAPLE and/or RIR-PLD, such as Alq₃ [tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum] and PEDOT:PSS [poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate)]. Finally, the challenges and potential for commercializing RIR-MAPLE/PLD, such as industrial scale-up issues, are discussed.     

Phonon coupling effect upon transport in nanoscale polymers

In an environmental coupled polymer, a variation of the conductivity is evaluated, which results from the external electron–phonon interaction coupling with the internal one. A quantized current appears under the external phonon coupling. The resonant tunnelling in the nanoscale polymer driven by the internal electron–phonon interaction is enhanced by the external phonon coupling. In addition, the external electron–phonon interaction softens the stiffness of the polymer.     

Resonant modes and inter-well coupling in photonic quantum well with negative index materials

The transfer matrix method was used to study the resonant modes in photonic quantum well by stacking different photonic crystals consisting of positive index materials and negative index materials. The eigenfrequency equation for the resonant modes is derived. It is found that these resonant modes are omnidirectional, and the number of resonant modes is equal to the period number of photonic quantum wells. Moreover, the resonant modes become N-fold splitting in the N photonic quantum wells. The splitting intervals increase with the deceasing of photonic barrier thickness due to the coupling among the wells.     

Photocurrents in nanotube junctions

Photocurrents in nanotube p-n junctions are calculated using a nonequilibrium Green function quantum transport formalism. The short-circuit photocurrent displays band-to-band transitions and photon-assisted tunneling, and has multiple sharp peaks in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet. The operation of such devices in the nanoscale regime leads to unusual size effects, where the photocurrent scales linearly and oscillates with device length. The oscillations can be related to the density of states in the valence band, a factor that also determines the relative magnitude of the photoresponse for different bands.     

二维电子气等离激元太赫兹波器件

固态等离激元太赫兹波器件正成为微波毫米波电子器件技术和半导体激光器技术向太赫兹波段发展和融合的重要方向之一。本综述介绍AlGaN/GaN异质结高浓度和高迁移率二维电子气中的等离激元调控、激发及其在太赫兹波探测器、调制器和光源中应用的近期研究进展。通过光栅和太赫兹天线实现自由空间太赫兹波与二维电子气等离激元的耦合,通过太赫兹法布里-珀罗谐振腔进一步调制太赫兹波模式,增强太赫兹波与等离激元的耦合强度。在光栅-谐振腔耦合的二维电子气中验证了场效应栅控的等离激元色散关系,实现了等离激元模式与太赫兹波腔模强耦合产生的等离极化激元模式,演示了太赫兹波的调制和发射。在太赫兹天线耦合二维电子气中实现了等离激元共振与非共振的太赫兹波探测,建立了太赫兹场效应混频探测的物理模型,指导了室温高灵敏度自混频探测器的设计与优化。研究表明,基于非共振等离激元激发可发展形成室温高速高灵敏度的太赫兹探测器及其焦平面阵列技术。然而,固态等离激元的高损耗特性仍是制约基于等离激元共振的高效太赫兹光源和调制器的主要瓶颈。未来的研究重点将围绕高品质因子等离激元谐振腔的构筑,包括固态等离激元物理、等离激元谐振腔边界的调控、新型室温高迁移率二维电子材料的运用和高品质太赫兹谐振腔与等离激元器件的集成等。     

左手介质对谐振腔谐振频率的影响

在谐振腔设计过程中, 谐振腔的品质因数以及谐振频率都是需要考虑的关键因素. 传统的方法是通过减小谐振腔的尺寸或者利用高次模来提高谐振腔的谐振频率, 但是由于两种方法都有其局限性, 导致设计结果并不理想. 通过理论计算与模拟仿真相结合的方法, 对影响谐振腔谐振频率的因素进行分析, 得出了填充介质的材料属性与谐振腔谐振频率的关系. 理论计算显示: 当用“左手介质”作为谐振腔的填充物质时, 可以在不改变谐振腔尺寸的基础上提高谐振频率. 高频结构仿真器(high frequency structure simulator)的仿真数据也证明了以上结果, 从而得出谐振腔的谐振频率可以不受谐振腔尺寸的限制. 相较于传统理论而言, 研究结论有进一步的发展, 为探索和设计新颖的谐振腔提供了理论依据.     

ZnS Nanospheres for Optical Modulator in an Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser

Zinc sulfide (ZnS), which belongs to transition metal monochalcogenides, is a semiconductor material with wide direct band gap. It can potentially show some special applications (such as luminescence, phosphor, sensors, infrared window materials, photocatalysis) by changing the morphology, size, and crystal structure of semiconductor materials. However, ZnS nanospheres have not been studied as optical modulators until now. Herein, ZnS nanospheres are synthesized by the hydrothermal method and are used to realize optical modulators in an Er-doped fiber laser. The evanescent field effect is utilized to incorporate the ZnS nanospheres on a tapered fiber. Furthermore, with the increase in pump power, the modulation interval gradually decreases to a minimum of 34.36 ns corresponding to the modulation frequency of 29.1 MHz, which is the highest modulation frequency to our knowledge in a ring cavity all-fiber laser. These results demonstrate ZnS nanospheres together with the interaction of dispersion and nonlinearity in optical fibers can modulate the proposed lasers. This not only provides a new method for controlling the power and frequency of all optical modulators, but also marks an important step for ZnS materials in optics research and device applications.     

长周期光纤光栅包层模特性及其对传输谱的影响

从模式耦合理论出发,用数值计算的方法分析了长周期光纤光栅的包层模中各不同阶次模式的有效折射率及其交/直流耦合系数随波长以及阶次的变化规律.研究发现包层膜有效折射率、直流耦合系数及奇数阶次的交流耦合系数都随着波长的增加而减小.而阶次高的模式对应的有效折射率以及奇数阶交流耦合系数随波长的变化速率较之低阶次的来说要大.进一步分析了直流耦合系数对谐振峰值位置的影响,并且揭示了相邻谐振波长的峰值位置之差随波长而逐渐增大的原因.     

Optical properties of nanostructured 2D metal-dielectric photonic crystals with a lattice defect

Optical properties of 2D nanocomposite-based photonic crystals with a lattice defect are studied. The nanocomposite comprises metallic nanospheres dispersed in a transparent matrix and is characterized by an effective resonant permittivity. Transmission spectrum for s-polarized waves at oblique incidence is calculated. Spectral manifestation of the splitting of the defect mode when its frequency coincides with the resonant frequency of the nanocomposite is studied. The essential dependence of the splitting on the angle of incidence and concentration of metallic nanospheres in the nanocomposite matrix is established. Specific features of spatial distribution of the electric field intensity in defect modes of crystals are analyzed.