Giant transmission Goos–Hnchen shift in surface plasmon polaritons excitation and its physical origin

Excitation of surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) propagating at the interface between a dielectric medium and a silver thin film by a focused Gaussian beam in a classical Kretschmann prism setup is studied theoretically. We find that the center of the transmitted Gaussian evanescent wave has a giant lateral shift relative to the incident Gaussian beam center for a wide range of incident angle and Gaussian beam wavelength to excite SPPs, which can be more than two orders of magnitude larger than the silver film thickness. The phenomenon is closely related with the conventional Goos–Hnchen effect for total internal reflection of light beam, and it is called the transmission Goos–Hnchen shift. We find that this lateral shift depends heavily on the excitation wavelength, incident angle, and the silver layer thickness. Finite-difference time-domain simulations show that this transmission Goos–Hnchen shift is induced by a unique dynamical process of excitation, transport, and leakage of SPPs.     

Angle-deviation optical profilometer

We propose a new optical profilometer for three-dimensional(3D) surface profile measurement in real time.The deviation angle is based on geometrical optics and is proportional to the apex angle of a test plate.Measuring the reflectivity of a parallelogram prism allows detection of the deviation angle when the beam is incident at the nearby critical angle.The reflectivity is inversely proportional to the deviation angle and proportional to the apex angle and surface height.We use a charge-coupled device(CCD) camera at the image plane to capture the reflectivity profile and obtain the 3D surface profile directly.     

Polarization dependence of the light coupling to surface plasmons in an Ag nanoparticle & Ag nanowire system

Polarization dependence of the coupling of excitation light to surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) was investigated in a Ag nanoparticle–nanowire waveguide system(a Ag nanoparticle attached to a Ag nanowire). It was found that under the illumination of excitation light on the nanoparticle–nanowire junction, the coupling efficiency of light to SPPs depends on the polarization of the excitation light. Theoretical simulations revealed that it is the local near-field coupling between the nanoparticle and the nanowire that enhances the incident light to excite the nanowire SPPs. Because the shapes of the Ag nanoparticles differ, the local field intensity, and thus the excitement of the nanowire SPPs, vary with the polarization of the excitation light.     

Photoluminescence of a ZnO/GaN Heterostructure Interface

Growth of a ZnO/GaN heterostructure is carried out using pulsed laser deposition. By etching the ZnO layer from the ZnO/GaN structure, the photoluminescence （PL） of the associated GaN layer shows that the donor- acceptor luminescence of CaN shifts to about 3.27eV, which is consistent with the electroluminescence （EL） of n-ZnO/p-GaN already reported. XPS shows that oxygen diffuses into the CaN crystal lattice from the surface to 20nm depth. The PL spectra at different temperatures and excitation densities show that oxygen plays the role of potential fluctuation. The associated PL results of the interface in these LEDs could be helpful to understand the mechanism of EL spectra for ZnO/CaN p-n junctions.     

Complex Modulation in Plasmon-Assisted Transmission Spectra of a Two-Slit Structure

We study the plasmon-assisted transmission of two kinds of slit structures in a 290-nm-thick silver film on a glass substrate. For the two-slit structure, the total transmission intensity spectra displays a complex modulation, which is attributed to different propagation constants of the surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） on the silver-air and silver-glass interfaces. Replacing one of the two slits by a shallow corrugation results in a simple sinusoidal intensity modulation because of the only effective SPP excitation and propagation on the silver-air interface. These confirm the role of different SPP propagations and interference in the transmission properties of metal nanoslits.     

Electromagnetic interaction between local surface plasmon polaritons and an atmospheric surface wave plasma jet

We analyze the electromagnetic interaction between local surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） and an atmospheric surface wave plasma jet （ASWPJ） in combination with our designed discharge device. Before discharge, the excitation of the SPPs and the spatial distribution of the enhanced electric field are analyzed. During discharge, the critical breakdown electric field of the gases at atmospheric gas pressure and the surface wave of the SPPs converted into electron plasma waves at resonant points are studied. After discharge, the ionization development process of the ASWPJ is simulated using a two- dimensional fluid model. Our results suggest that the local enhanced electric field of SPPs is merely the precondition of gas breakdown, and the key mechanism in maintaining the discharge development of a low-power ASWPJ is the wave-mode conversion of the local enhanced electric field at the resonant point.     

Plasmon-Assisted Phase-Matched Second- and Third-Harmonic Generation in Single-Negative Heterostructures

Dispersion relations of surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） in sandwiched optical systems are studied. The system is actually a kind of SPP waveguides, with two kinds of single negative material （SNG） as core and cladding layers, respectively. Since both TM and TE polarized SPPs can be excited in the structure, the dispersion of SPPs becomes more abundant and leads to colorful nonlinear opticM properties. The authors demonstrate the effective phase-matched second and third-harmonic generation （SHG, THG） assisted by the coupled SPPs. A cascaded second-order nonlinear process can Mso be achieved in the structure when the thickness of the core layer is properly selected, leading to the simultaneous SHG and THG. Further investigations show that much easier phase-matching can be fulfilled in the SNG waveguide array. Our results would be of potential use for surface-enhanced frequency conversion device such as light emitters or lasers.     

Design of Highly Sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors Using Planar Metallic Films Closely Coupled to Nanogratings

We investigate the sensitivity enhancement of surface plasmon resonance （SPR） sensors using planar metallic films closely coupled to nanogratings. The strong coupling between localized surface plasmon resonances （LSPRs） presenting in metallic nanostructures and surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） propagating at the metallic film surface leads to changes of resonance reflection properties, resulting in enhanced sensitivity of SPR sensors. The effects of thickness of the metallic films, grating period and metal materials on the refractive index sensitivity of the device are investigated. The refractive index sensitivity of nanograting-based SPR sensors is predicted to be about 543 nm/RIU （refractive index unit） using optimized structure parameters. Our study on SPR sensors using planar metallic films closely coupled to nanogratings demonstrates the potential for significant improvement in refractive index sensitivity.     

Electromagnetically induced transparency in novel dual-band metamaterial excited by toroidal dipolar response

We demonstrated a novel metamaterial with dual-band electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT)via simulation,experiment and numerical analysis,with resonance frequencies of the trans-parency peaks of 7.60 and 10.27 GHz.The E-εmetamaterial unit cells were composed of E-shaped and e-shaped patterns.By analyzing the surface current distribution and the magnetic field,we qualitatively verified the toroidal dipole response in the E-εmetamaterial at 10.27 GHz.Meanwhile,by calculating the multipole's radiated power,we found that the two transparency peaks were due to the excitation of the electric and toroidal dipole responses.By changing the incident angle from 0°to 60°,we observed changes in transmission spectra,and the quality factors(Q-factors)of the two transparency peaks increased.In addition,the proposed E-εmetamaterial can be designed to act as a refractive index sensor or other electronic equipment for the control of electromagnetic waves.     

High sensitivity refractive index gas sensing enhanced by surface plasmon resonance with nano-cavity antenna array

The surface plasmon resonance gas sensor is presented for refractive index detection using nano-cavity antenna array.The gas sensor monitors the changes of the refractive index by measuring the spectral shift of the resonance dip,for modulating the wavelength of incident light.It is demonstrated that minute changes in the refractive index of a medium close to the surface of a metal film,owing to a shift in the resonance dip of the wavelength,can be detected.The average detection sensitivity is about 3200 nm/RIU(refractive index units),which is more than twice that of a metal grating-based gas sensor.The reflectivity of the surface plasmon resonance dip is only ～ 0.03%,and the full widths at half maximum(FWHMs) of bandwidth of the angle and wavelength are ～ 0.20° and 4.71nm,respectively.     

Surface Wave Analysis of Planar-Type Overdense Plasma with Surface Plasmon Polariton Resonance

Surface waves （SWs） in planar-type overdense plasmas are analyzed and the invariable SW mode caused by the resonant excitation of surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） is presented. It is found that the electric field peaks at the location where the plasma density equals the cut-off density while the plasma density gradient and the collision rate have different influences on the field amplitude and the peak＇s width. Moreover, the mode conversion between SW of SPPs and electron plasma waves play a significant role in production of overdense plasma.     

The stereodynamic properties of the F+HO(v,j) → HF+O reaction on~1 A' and ~3A' potential energy surfaces by quasi-classical trajectory calculations:Initial excitation effect(v=1-3, j=0 and v= 0, j=1-3)

The stereodynamic properties of the F ＋ HO （v, j） reaction are explored by quasi-classical trajectory （QCT） calculations performed on the 1At and 3At potential energy surfaces （PESs）. Based on the polarization-dependent differential cross sections （PDDCSs） and the angular distributions of the product angular momentum with the reactant at different values of initial v or j, the results show that the product scattering and product polarization have strong links with initial vibrationalrotational numbers of v and j. The significant manifestation of the normal DCSs is that the forward scattering gradually becomes predominant with the initial vibrational excitation increasing, and the scattering angle of the HF product taking place on the 3At potential energy surface is found to be more sensitive to the initial value of v. The product orientation and alignment are strongly dependent on the initial rovibrational excitation effect. With enhancement in the initial rovibrational excitation effect, there is an overall decrease in the product orientation as well as in the product alignment either perpendicular to the reagent relative velocity vector k or along the direction of the y axis, for which the initial rotational excitation effect is much more noticeable than the vibrational excitation effect. Moreover, the initial rovibrational excitation effect on the product polarization is more pronounced for the 3At potential energy surface than for the 1At potential energy surface.     

Terahertz Radiation from Graphite Excited by Femtosecond Laser Pulses

We experimentally investigate the terahertz （THz） generation from a graphite surface induced by femtosecond laser pulses, and systematically study the dependence on the excitation power, the crystal orientation of graphite, polarization state and incident angle of optical beam. New evidence related to excitation and detection geometry is found and presented, which supports the THz generation mechanism of transient photocarrier transporting along the basal plane normal. Our observation also suggests other probable contributions by in-plane charge oscillations. The results may be helpful to explore and understand the photoelectric properties of graphite and other allotropes of carbon.     

Growth of a Novel Periodic Structure of SiC/AIN Multilayers by Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition

A novel lO-period SiC/A1N multilayered structure with a SiC cap layer is prepared by low pressure chemical vapour deposition （LPCVD）. The structure with total film thickness of about 1.45~m is deposited on a Si （111） substrate and shows good surface morphology with a smaller rms surface roughness of f.3 nm. According to the secondary ion mass spectroscopy results, good interface of the 10 period SiC/A1N structure and periodic changes of depth profiles of C, Si, A1, N components are obtained by controlling the growth procedure. The structure exhibits the peak reflectivity close to 30% near the wavelength of 322 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of growth of the SiC/AIN periodic structure using the home-made LPCVD system.     

The Influence of Au-Doping on Morphology and Visible-Light Reflectivity of TiN Thin Films Deposited by Direct-Current Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

Ti, TiN and Au-TiN （Au content： from 0.5%to 7.7%） thin films were deposited on stainless steel substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering with a metal Ti target. The crystal structure, surface morphology and visiblelight reflectivity of the films for different film compositions are studied in detail. Distinctly different surface morphologies appear for the Ti, TiN and Au-TiN thin films. It can be observed that the surface morphology of the TiN film is affected by the Au-doping, when the Au content increases from 0% to 7.7%, surface roughness enlarges from 62.4 to 82.8 nm. Moreover, visible-light reflectivity varies significantly with increasing A u contents in the TiN films. However, the rettectivity of the TiN thin film at 550-800 nm is higher than that of the Au-TiN thin film. The present work illustrates the dependence of metal elements on the surface morphology and on the reflectivity of Au-TiN thin films. It is speculated that the addition of Au can suppress the formation and growth of TiN grains so that it changes the surface morphology and the Au-TiN thin film has potential applications in spectral selective coating.     

Coupled THz Waveguide Utilizing Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Thin Dielectric Slab Sandwiched between Two Corrugated Metallic Claddings

We present a comprehensive experimental study of terahertz （THz） wave propagation utilizing surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） on the interfaces of a thin dielectric core layer sandwiched between two corrugated metallic claddings. THz wave impinges on the structured surfaces at normal incidence. Long-lasting oscillation propagation features are observed in the temporal waveform after traveling through the periodic arrays. The enhanced THz transmission can be achieved due to the coupling between incident waves to SPPs at the bottom and top interfaces. The finite element method is used to simulate the field distribution and the transmission mode in the waveguide. The hybrid waveguide with low absorption has great potential applications in THz integrated devices.     

Multiband Terahertz Photonic Band Gaps of Subwavelength Planar Fractals

Optical transmission properties of subwavelength planar fractals in terahertz （THz） frequency regime are studied by means of time-domain spectroscopy. The transmission spectra with multiple pass bands and stop bands are observed. The tunable photonic band gaps are realized by changing the angle between the principle axis of planar fractal and the polarization of THz wave. The possible application of the subwavelength optical component is discussed. We attribute the detected transmittance from subwavelength fractals to localized resonances.     

Interface roughness, surface roughness and soft X-ray reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayers with different layer number

A series of Mo/Si multilayers with the same periodic length and different periodic number were prepared by magnetron sputtering, whose top layers were respectively Mo layer and Si layer. Periodic length and interface roughness of Mo/Si multilayers were determined by small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXRD). Surface roughness change curve of Mo/Si multilayer with increasing layer number was studied by atomic force microscope (AFM). Soft X-ray reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayers was measured in National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). Theoretical and experimental results show that the soft X-ray reflectivity of Mo/Si multilayer is mainly determined by periodic number and interface roughness, surface roughness has little effect on reflectivity.     

Resonance Absorption of Metallic Plate with Subwavelength Hole Array

The optical reflectance by a metallic plate arranged with array consisting of subwavelength periodic square hole is investigated by using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method （3D-FDTD）. There are dips in the reflectivity spectra, which indicate the absorption peaks. The absorption peaks behave differently according to the ratio of hole width and the period of the hole array. Combined with the near fields of the absorption peaks, it is found that the surface plasmon （SP） resonance on the surface of plate and localized SP in the hole play a major role for the two absorptions.     

Exciton States and Linear Optical Spectra of Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes under Uniaxial Strain

Considering the exciton effect, the linear optical spectra of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWNTs） under uniaxial strain are theoretically studied by using the standard formulae of Orr and Ward [Mol. Phys. 20（1971）513]. It is found that due to the wrapping effect existing in the semiconducting zigzag tubes, the excitation energies of the linear optical spectra show two different kinds of variations with increasing uniaxial strain, among which one decreases such as tube （11,0）, and the other increases firstly and then decreases such as tube （10,0）. These variations of the linear optical spectra are consistent with the changes of the exciton binding energies or the （quasi）continuum edge of these SWNTs calculated in our previous work, which can be used as a supplemented tool to detect the deformation degree of an SWNT under uniaxial strain.