Controlling electric fields spatially by graded metamaterials: Implication on enhanced nonlinear optical responses

The local electric field of a graded metal-dielectric cylinder, with complex permittivity given by a spatially dependent Drude model, has been derived analytically in terms of hypergeometric functions. Our results show that the electric field inside the cylinder can be confined in desired positions. Thus one can achieve the control of electric fields by fabricating graded metamaterials with specific material parameters. The enhanced nonlinear optical responses are also examined. The results suggest that the gradation-controlled field distribution may be a consequence of a combination of surface plasmon resonance and microgeometry in graded metamaterials.     

A hybrid model for the acoustic response of a two-dimensional rough surface to an impulse incident from a refracting medium

A numerical model to calculate the impulse response of a two-dimensional, impenetrable, rough surface directly in the time domain has been recently introduced [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (2000) 107, 27]. This model is based on wedge diffraction theory and assumes that the half-space containing the source and receiver is homogeneous. In this work, the model is extended to handle media where the index of refraction varies with the distance to the surface by merging the scattering model with a ray-based propagation model. The resulting hybrid model is tested against a Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method for the problem of backscattering from a corrugated surface in the presence of a refractive layer. This new model can be applied, for example, to calculate acoustic reverberation from the sea surface in cases where the water mass is inhomogeneous and in the presence of a subsurface bubble layer at low frequencies where dispersion is negligible. It can also be used for atmospheric propagation problems where there is a sound speed gradient overlying rough terrain.     

SPM of nonlinear surface plasmon waveguides

Pulse propagation equation of nonlinear dispersion surface plasmon waveguide is educed strictly from wave equation. The nonlinear coefficient is defined and then used to assess and compare the nonlinear characteristic of three popular 1-D surface plasmon waveguides: the single metal–dielectric interface, the metal slab bounded by dielectric and the dielectric slab bounded by metal. SPM (self-phase modulation) of the typical surface plasmon waveguide is predicted and discussed.     

Hybrid vertical directional coupling between a long range surface plasmon polariton waveguide and a dielectric waveguide

To investigate light coupling between a long range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) waveguide and a conventional integrated optical component, a hybrid vertical directional coupler consisting of a LRSPP waveguides and a dielectric waveguide is investigated and fabricated. In the proposed coupler the dielectric waveguide and LRSPP waveguide are vertically configured for dense integration and strong coupling. The characteristics of the even and odd super-modes of the coupler are also analyzed to design the device. The fabricated device exhibits damped sinusoidal behavior along the coupling length due to propagation loss of the LRSPP waveguide. The maximum power transfer of 86% from the LRSPP waveguide to the dielectric waveguide is achieved at the coupling length of 600 μm. The measured characteristics of the device are in relatively good agreement with a theoretical analysis.     

Dual mode near-field scanning optical microscopy for near-field imaging of surface plasmon polariton

In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that metal coated apertured probes are efficient near-field probes on surfaces with high reflectivity for the scattering as well as for the collection mode near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). We show that a blunt apertured metal coated tip is very effective in suppressing image dipoles which affect strongly the signals scattered from frequently used sharp metal tips or gold nanoparticle attached probes. By using a simultaneous collection and scattering mode (dual mode) NSOM we measure the near-field images of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) launched from a slit. The collection mode measures propagating SPP along lateral distance in a long scan range with high signal-to-noise ratio, and the scattering mode measures the polarization resolved near-field of SPP. Comparisons of the measured data obtained in the dual mode enable to easily characterize SPP and to separate the measured near-field into the propagating SPP and the directly transmitted light.     

A time convolution less density matrix approach to the nonlinear optical response of a coupled system-bath complex

Time convolution less density matrix theory (TCL) is a powerful and well established tool to investigate strong system-bath coupling for linear optical spectra. We show that TCL equations can be generalised to the nonlinear optical response up to a chosen order in the optical field. This goal is achieved via an time convolution less perturbation scheme for the reduced density matrices of the electronic system. In our approach, the most important results are the inclusion of a electron-phonon coupling non-diagonal in the electronic states and memory effects of the bath: First, the considered model system is introduced. Second, the time evolution of the statistical operator is expanded with respect to the external optical field. This expansion is the starting point to explain how a TCL theory can treat the response up to in a certain order in the external field. Third, new TCL equations, including bath memory effects, are derived and the problem of information loss in the reduced density matrix is analysed. For this purpose, new dimensions are added to the reduced statistical operator to compensate lack of information in comparison with the full statistical operator. The theory is benchmarked with a two level system and applied to a three level system including non-diagonal phonon coupling. In our analysis of pump-probe experiments, the bath memory is influenced by the system state occupied between pump and probe pulse. In particular, the memory of the bath influences the dephasing process of electronic coherences developing during the time interval between pump and probe pulses.     

The optical transmission characteristics through gold nanoslit arrays embedded in nonlinear medium

We present the numerical investigation of the optical transmission through a periodic gold nanoslit array embedded in the Kerr type nonlinear medium by using a developed two-dimensional Finite Different Time Domain (FDTD) method. The enhanced transmission in the nonlinear structure is attributed to the collaboration of the surface plasmon resonance and the localized waveguide resonance. We show that, in a certain intensity range, with the increase of the incident intensity, the transmission resonance peaks redshift obviously, and peak values decrease firstly and then increase; with the gold film thickness and the embedded depth becoming larger, transmission resonance peaks of both types redshift significantly, and the peak number, peak value and the half peak width change obviously. The electric fields distributions for different embedded depths of the gold slits at various resonance wavelengths are simulated to illuminate the underlying physical mechanisms. It is expected that these results obtained here will help to design nonlinear subwavelength metallic grating devices.     

Bistable switching using an optical Tamm cavity with a Kerr medium

All-optical bistable switching is proposed to realize by using an optical Tamm cavity in which a Kerr medium is sandwiched between a metal layer and a Bragg mirror. Results show that the excitation of clockwise and counterclockwise bistable switching under the control of external optical injection is due to the presence of optical Tamm states. In addition, the bistable characteristics of optical Tamm cavities are found to be sensitive to the polarization of external optical injection.     

Investigation of the propagation properties of terahertz waves through a semiconductor subwavelength slit

The propagation properties of terahertz (THz) waves through semiconductor conductor-dielectric-conductor (CDC) structure have been investigated. The influence of geometrical parameters, radiation frequencies and temperatures on the propagation properties have been shown and discussed. The contour results demonstrate that as the length of the dielectric filling materials increase, the effective indices of the propagation modes increase. Compared with the results of the metal structure, the effective indices of surface modes through semiconductor InSb slits increase, the propagation length decrease. The effective indices of the surface modes decrease, the propagation lengths increase with the increasing of the carrier concentration. It is expected that the numerical results may be very helpful to have better understand the propagation mechanism of THz waves through semiconductor subwavelength slit.     

Surface solitons at the interface between semi-infinite linear and thermal nonlinear optical media

We investigate numerically surface-wave solitons occurring at the interface between semi-infinite linear and thermal nonlinear optical media, with the refractive index of the linear medium being greater than that of the nonlinear medium (in the absence of light). We find that the threshold energy flows of the existence of the surface solitons depend on the linear refractive index difference of the two media. Their fitting empirical formula has been obtained. Furthermore, we elucidate that the optical beams propagating in thermal nonlinear optical media, either as a single surface soliton or as a dipole surface soliton, can be attracted to the surface, even when launched from far away.     

Silver and gold films and fibers several nanometers thick: Very slow optical surface plasmons

On films and fibers of well-reflecting metals (silver, gold) several nanometers thick, surface plasmons could be slowed down by 10 to 40 times. The plasmons are additionally slowed down when the nanofilms (nanofibers) are placed into a medium with a dielectric constant that is approximately equal to but still smaller than the modulus of the negative dielectric constant of the metal. As the result, the optical frequency waves prove to have wavelengths of ∼4 nm, i.e., as in soft x-ray. The propagation losses of these waves are moderately high. We propose to develop the optics (the optical transformations — deviation, focusing, photonic crystals, etc.) of these waves on thin metal layers integrated into nanodevices. In particular, we calculated the probability of spontaneous emission of a photon by an atom (molecule) into the surface plasmon of a nanoparticle. This probability proved to be increased by many orders of magnitude. This work interprets experiments that show a higher (14 orders of magnitude and more) probability of spontaneous Raman scattering of a molecule on the surface of a silver nanoparticle. The molecule is in the field of a surface plasmon, owing to which the local field and density of states of the field prove to be increased to such an extent as to give a rise of 12 or 13 orders of magnitude. An additional increase by one or two orders of magnitude is due to the antenna effect of a pair of nanoparticles, one of which is extremely small and the other is sufficiently large to serve as an efficient transceiver antenna. The possibility of developing sources of light pulses of exceptionally short duration arises.     

Fundamentals of nonlinear optical materials

In this article, we briefly review the fundamental aspects of nonlinear optical materials and their role in modern communication.     

Enhanced optical transmission through a silver plate with a slit array

The near- and far-field properties of a large-scale silver plate with a slit array are studied by applying the FDTD method. The far region scattering properties with different incident angles are also discussed. We find out that the silver plate with a suitable placed narrow slit array can excite the enhanced optical transmission (EOT) by the excitation of the surface plasmon polarition (SPP) and the Fabry-Perot resonance, and the cutoff angle is much larger than the ordinary LEDs. These unique properties suggest possible applications to the light-transparent metal contact.     

Third-order nonlinear optical response in double-walled carbon nanotubes

Resonant behavior and magnitudes of third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities in double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) have been investigated by means of femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy with different pump-photon energies. With the selective excitation of the E₂₂ exciton transition of the inner tubes labeled by the chiral vector indices (7,5) and (7,6), the imaginary part of nonlinear susceptibility Imχ⁽³⁾ has shown the resonant enhancement compared with the case of the nonresonant excitation of the specific tube. The nonlinear response signal at the E₂₂ transition energy of the (8,7) tube has been also enhanced for the excitation of the G-band phonon sideband of its E₂₂ transition. This result is consistent with the phonon-mediated nonlinear optical process observed for the E₂₂ transitions in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). It has been also found that the values of the figure of merit Im χ⁽³⁾/α (α: absorption coefficient) of the inner tubes in DWNTs are smaller than those of the corresponding SWNTs, which is interpreted in terms of decay time shortening due to the energy relaxation between the inner and outer tubes.     

Resonances of sandwiched optical antenna

We calculate the resonant properties of the sandwiched triangle and bowtie antennas using finite difference time domain technique and compare with one-layer structures. The sandwiched antennas possess two tunable resonances corresponding to the symmetric and antisymmetric modes for dipole excitation, which can be understood by the hybridization of the plasmons supported by the two golden layers of the antennas. We obtain a giant field enhancement and a full width at half maximum as larger as 385 nm for the sandwiched bowtie antenna.     

Study of interference in a double-slit without walls by plasmon tomography techniques

We investigate the free propagation of two parallel surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) beams using plasmon tomography. In the Fourier-plane images, we observed interference features that are not in correspondence with the images of SPPs on the sample's surface. We clearly observed that the interference maxima and minima are distributed over an arc of a circle. We explain the characteristics of the observed interference patterns assuming that each SPP beam can be considered as a “slit without walls”. We discuss important implications of this work for SPP tomography and interferometric plasmonic sensors.     

带光纤环的分布式光纤拉曼温度系统

 为了抑制分布式光纤拉曼温度系统的温漂和瑞利散射光窜扰反斯托克斯散射光,在传感光纤前端盲区后放置光纤取样环,用瑞利散射光解调反斯托克斯散射光及用光纤取样环的温度计算光纤线上其它点的温度,提高了系统的测温精度和稳定性。采用功率100 mW,波长1.55 μm,脉宽10 ns脉冲激光器和15 dB前置光纤放大器,100M14bitA/D转换卡及DSP作数字平均构建光纤拉曼温度系统的实验,实现了测温误差在±0.03 ℃内。     

Nanosilver surface plasmon response enhanced the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells

Nanosilver island thin films with different thickness were synthesized by vacuum vapor deposition between ITO and PEDOT:PSS for organic solar cells, forming the structure of ITO/AgNPs layer/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/LiF/Al. Surface morphology and UV–vis absorption spectrum were investigated by AFM and UV–vis scanning spectrophotometer. It was found that after adding the nanosilver film, the optical properties of the device were enhanced with increasing the thickness of nanosilver island films. When the thickness of nanosilver thin films is 3.0 nm, the most significant surface plasmon response and red-shift of the resonance absorption peak appeared. Meanwhile, short circuit current density of the device increased from 9.93 mA/cm² to 12.98 mA/cm², the fill factor increased from 49.35% to 52.79% and the power conversion efficiency increased from 3.05% to 4.01%. These results provided a theoretical guidance to optimize the design and increase the performance of solar cells.     

Coupling interaction between a single emitter and the propagating surface plasmon polaritons in a graphene microribbon waveguide

The coupling interaction between an individual optical emitter and the propagating surface plasmon polaritons in a graphene microribbon （GMR） waveguide is investigated by numerical calculations, where the emitter is situated above the GMR or in the same plane of the GMR, The results reveal a multimode coupling mechanism for the strong interaction between the emitter and the propagating plasmonic waves in graphene. When the emitter is situated in the same plane of the GMR, the decay rate from the emitter to the surface plasmon polaritons increases more than 10 times compared with that in the case with the emitter above the GMR.