Enhanced nonlinear optical conversion from a periodically nanostructured metal film

We demonstrate an approximately10(4) increase in conversion efficiency for optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) from a periodically nanostructured metal structure consisting of a single subwavelength aperture in a thin silver film surrounded by a set of concentric surface grooves. The forward-transmitted second-harmonic radiation from this structure is measured relative to that from an identical aperture with no surrounding surface periodicity. We explain the observed SHG enhancement quantitatively in terms of a measured 120x increase in the strength of the fundamental radiation in the vicinity of the aperture resulting from the periodic nanostructuring.     

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.     

Super-resolution scanning laser microscopy with a third-order optical nonlinear thin film

In a configuration of optical far-field scanning microscopy, super-resolution achieved by inserting a third-order optical nonlinear thin film is demonstrated and analyzed in terms of the frequency response function. Without the thin film the microscopy is diffraction limited; thus, subwavelength features cannot be resolved. With the nonlinear thin film inserted, the resolution is dramatically improved and thus the microscopy resolves features significantly smaller than the smallest spacing allowed by the diffraction limit. A theoretical model is established and the device is analyzed for the frequency response function. The results show that the frequency response function exceeds the cutoff spatial frequency of the microscopy defined by the laser wavelength and the numerical aperture of the convergent lens. The main contribution to the improvement of the cutoff spatial frequency is from the phase change induced by the complex transmission of the nonlinear thin film. Experimental results are presented and are shown to be consistent with the results of theoretical simulations. PACS 42.25.Bs; 42.50.St; 42.65.Hw; 42.65.Jx     

High-optical-throughput individual nanoscale aperture in a multilayered metallic film

The optical transmission of an individual subwavelength aperture in a multilayered metal film is shown to be enhanced compared with that of a homogeneous metal film. The enhancement effect is due to the light coupling to surface plasmon excitation facilitated by a film periodicity. The sensitivity of the transmission to the dielectric filling of the aperture is also shown. The latter effect can be used to switch and control the transmittance. Devices based on enhanced transmission through nanosized apertures can find applications in high-density optical and magneto-optical data storage, high-resolution microscopy, and photolithography, where nanoscale light sources with high-optical-power throughput are required, as well as in sensor applications.     

Structured lens formed by a 2D square hole array in a metallic film

A method is proposed to modulate phase using variant square holes in a metallic film based on a fundamental mode approximation model. Phase retardation through square holes in a subwavelength scale in a thin metal film has been analyzed and calculated. Based on the model, a structured lens with a numerical aperture of 0.583 and a focal length of 240 microm formed by a 2D square hole array in a metallic film is designed. Numerical simulation using the finite-difference time-domain method is carried out, and the results agree with the theoretical analysis. A focal spot close to the diffraction limit can be obtained.     

Highly directional emission from photonic crystal waveguides of subwavelength width

Recently it has been shown that it is possible to achieve directional emission out of a subwavelength aperture in a periodically corrugated metallic thin film. We report on theoretical and experimental studies of a related phenomenon concerning light emitted from photonic crystal waveguides that are less than a wavelength wide. We find that the termination of the photonic crystal end facets and an appropriate choice of the wavelength are instrumental in achieving very low numerical apertures. Our results hold promise for the combination of photonic crystal waveguides with conventional optical systems such as fibers, waveguides, and freely propagating light beams.     

Mapping electromagnetic fields near a subwavelength hole

We study, both experimentally and theoretically, the scattering of electromagnetic waves by a subwavelength hole fabricated in a thin metallic film. We employ the scanning near-field optical microscopy in order to reconstruct experimentally the full three-dimensional structure of the electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the hole. We observe an interference of all excited waves with an incident laser beam which allows us to gain the information about the wave phases. Along with the well-known surface plasmon polaritons propagating primarily in the direction of the incident beam polarization, we observe the free-space radiation diffracted by the hole. We compare the experimental results with the fields of pure electric and pure magnetic dipoles as well as with direct numerical simulations. We confirm that a single hole in a thin metallic film excited at the normal incidence manifests itself as an effective magnetic dipole in the visible spectral range.     

Surface-plasmon-assisted resonant tunneling of light through a periodically corrugated thin metal film

We present experimental results and a numerical model confirming that surface plasmons can resonantly enhance light transmission through a corrugated metal film. A new interpretation in terms of plasmon-assisted light tunneling is given to recent experiments on light penetration through periodic subwavelength holes in a thin metal film. We designed a narrow-band filter suitable for applications in optical communication by optimizing the film and the grating parameters.     

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.     

Tuning the extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength hole array by applying a magnetic field

The transmission of light through a thin Ag film with a periodic subwavelength hole array can be influenced by the presence of the externally applied magnetic field H. Using a three-dimensional finite element method, we show that the spectral locations of the transmission peak resonances can be shifted by varying the magnitude and direction of the H. The transmission peaks have blueshift, and the higher the magnitude of H the larger the blueshift. The shift is due to the change of cavity resonance condition as a result of the magneto-induced anisotropy in the optical properties of the Ag film. Hence, high transmittance for any desired wavelength can be achieved by applying an appropriate H to the metallic film of optimized material and hole parameters.     

Optical transmission enhancement by a sub-wavelength film lens

A new sub-wavelength metallic film lens configuration is proposed, which is embedded in a thin ideal metal film, and its near field optical properties are investigated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD)method. It is found that the optical transmission is greatly enhanced, and the spot size can be reduced by the sub-wavelength metallic film lens in comparison with the bare aperture. This kind of lens is expected to have practical applications in the very small aperture laser (VSAL), a promising nanosource for near-field optical storage and lithography.     

Extraordinary acoustic transmission through a 1D grating with very narrow apertures

Recently, there has been an increased interest in studying extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through subwavelength aperture arrays perforated in a metallic film. In this Letter, we report that the transmission of an incident acoustic wave through a one-dimensional acoustic grating can also be drastically enhanced. This extraordinary acoustic transmission (EAT) has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally, showing that the coupling between the diffractive wave and the wave-guide mode plays an important role in EAT. This phenomenon can have potential applications in acoustics and also might provide a better understanding of EOT in optical subwavelength systems.     

单一亚波长孔径增强透射效应的传输线模型

为了研究亚波长孔径的增强透射效应,把传输线理论引入到了单一亚波长金属孔径的增强光学透射效应中。把金属孔径看成传输线,将电流在传输线上的传输和类Fabry-Pérot腔联系起来;把孔径的出射面看成是传输线的输出端,将出射面的电流看成是一种局域的衰逝电流,电流经传输线在传输线的输出端以天线辐射的形式辐射电磁波。解释了孔径透射的近场分布问题、孔径增强透射峰的位置问题和透射峰位置随金属板厚度的红移问题,得到了与其它理论和实验一致的结果,对开发基于增强透射的亚波长元件具有重要的参考价值。     

Transmission property for a one-dimensional photonic crystal containing a subwavelength layer and a nonlinear layer

Using the transfer matrix method, we investigate the transmission property of a one-dimensional photonic crystal doped with a linear subwavelength layer and a Kerr-type nonlinear layer. We find that a thin film of subwavelength layer can significantly modify the characteristic of optical bistability. We also find that the sequence of the thin film and the nonlinear layer has a major impact on the hysteretic behavior. With the investigations to the linear defect mode and the electric field distribution in the nonlinear material, we explain these phenomena. PACS 42.65.Pc; 42.25.Bs; 42.70.Qs; 42.65.-k; 78.66.-w     

金属薄膜亚波长近场成像特性研究

采用基于等离子体物理模型的时域有限差分方法模拟了金属薄膜近场成像特性;采用薄膜传输矩阵方法计算了金属薄膜对倏逝波分量的放大作用.实现了周期为1μm的Cr光栅的成像实验,验证了平板金属薄膜的模拟成像特性. 关键词： 时域有限差分 金属薄膜 近场亚波长成像 传输矩阵方法     

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。     

Metallic subwavelength structures for a broadband infrared absorption control

We present a method to control the absorption of a resonator by using a subwavelength structure consisting of thin metallic plates that behaves as a metamaterial film. We demonstrate the ability to tailor the conductivity of such a metallic subwavelength structure to achieve a resonator with the desired impedance matching for the mid-infrared range. This approach provides for broadband, as well as broad-angle, enhanced absorption. Theoretical analyses, as well as experimental results of the optical properties of a metallic NiCr structure at 8-12 microm spectral range are introduced.     

Absorption enhancement of 980 nm MSM photodetector with a plasmonic grating structure

We present finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation to analyze the optical absorption enhancement of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors employing plasmonic grating structures. Simulation results show that the combination of a subwavelength aperture and a nano-structured metal grating results in up to 16 times enhancement in optical absorption, in comparison to conventional MSM photodetector structures employing only a subwavelength aperture.     

Anomalous transmission of electromagnetic wave through periodic arrays of subwavelength slits arranged on thin metal films

We study the optical properties of periodic structures, each of which consists of arrays of subwavelength slits in thick films that are placed directly against a continuous thin film. We find that the transmittance of the entire system including the thin film is higher than the transmittance of the isolated thin film alone. Our investigations are performed through numerical simulations with the Fourier modal method.     

Mie谐振耦合的亚波长金属孔宽带高透射传输

表面等离激元共振激发的亚波长金属孔透射较Bethe理论有大幅度的提高,然而,由于共振对频率的敏感性以及金属在光频的高损耗特性,表面等离激元共振难以实现亚波长金属孔的宽带高透射传输.本文采用放置在金属孔两边的硅纳米颗粒的Mie谐振耦合取代表面等离激元共振,实现亚波长金属孔的宽带高透射传输.全波仿真结果表明,采用Mie谐振耦合的亚波长金属孔(r/λ=0.1)光传输,透射系数超过90%的带宽达到65 nm,与表面等离激元共振诱导的透射增强相比,峰值增高了1.5倍,3 dB带宽拓宽了17倍.根据耦合模理论,建立了Mie谐振耦合亚波长金属孔透射的等效电路模型,并在临界耦合状态下反演出电路模型中的元件参数值.进一步研究发现,仅通过改变等效电路模型中的耦合系数,就可全面揭示Mie谐振耦合亚波长金属孔透射的传输规律,并得到与全波电磁仿真完全一致的结果,从而找到光与放置硅纳米颗粒的亚波长金属孔相互作用的数学表达,也给予人们在光学领域按照电路设计方法构建相应功能模块的启示.