Plasmon hybridization in nanorod dimers

Using the plasmon hybridization method we investigate the plasmon modes of nanorod dimers in axial and parallel orientations. We show that the plasmon modes of the system can be viewed as bonding and anti-bonding modes resulting from the hybridization of the plasmon modes of the individual nanorods. The dimer plasmon modes are found to depend sensitively on separation between the nanorods and on their relative spatial orientation. The calculated optical properties agree quantitatively with results from the numerical finite-difference time-domain method. The electric field enhancements are found to depend strongly on aspect ratio defined as the ratio of the major and minor radii, and on the relative orientation of the nanorods. For a nanorod dimer of fixed overall length, the maximum field enhancements are lower than those induced in a solid sphere dimer.     

Deviating from the nanorod shape: Shape-dependent plasmonic properties of silver nanorice and nanocarrot structures

Noble metallic nanostructures exhibit special optical properties resulting from excitation of surface plasmons. Among the various metallic nanostructures, nanorods have attracted particular attention because of their unique and intriguing shape-dependent plasmonic properties. Nanorods can support transverse and longitudinal plasmon modes, the latter ones depending strongly on the aspect ratio of the nanorod. These modes can be routinely tuned from the visible to the near-infrared spectral regions. Although nanorods have been investigated extensively, there are few studies devoted to nanostructures deviating from the nanorod shape. This review provides an overview of recent progress in the development of two kinds of novel quasi-one-dimensional silver nanostructures, nanorice and nanocarrot, including their syntheses, crystalline characterizations, plasmonic property analyses, and performance in plasmonic sensing applications.     

Synthesis of defect-rich, (001) faceted-ZnO nanorod on a FTO substrate as efficient photocatalysts for dehydrogenation of isopropanol to acetone

Highly oriented ZnO nanorod was successfully synthesised on Ag nanoseed coated FTO substrate via a microwave hydrolysis approach. It was found that the morphology and the optical properties of the ZnO nanorod are strongly influenced by the power of the microwave irradiation used during the growth process. The aspect ratio of the nanorods changed from high to low with the increasing of microwave power. It was also found that the optical band gap of the ZnO nanorod red shifted with the increasing of the microwave power, reflecting an excellent tune ability of the optical properties of ZnO nanorods. The photocatalytic activity of these unique nanorod was evaluated by a dehydrogenation process of isopropanol to acetone in the presence of ZnO nanorod. It was found that the ZnO nanorod exhibited an excellent catalytic performance by showing an ability to accelerate the production of 0.031 mol L⁻¹ of acetone within only 35 min or 0.9 mmol L⁻¹ min⁻¹ from isopropyl alcohol dehydrogenation. It was almost no conversion from isopropyl alcohol when ZnO nanorods was absence during the reaction. In this report, a detailed mechanism of ZnO nanorod formation and the relationship between morphology and optical energy band gap are described.     

Neuromorphic Calculations Using Lateral Arrays of Magnetic Microstructures with Broken Translational Symmetry

A possibility to control the characteristics of spin waves in a lateral array of magnetic microstructures with broken translational symmetry is demonstrated. The regimes of spatial and frequency selection of the spinwave signal are studied by Brillouin light scattering and by numerical simulations. The micromagnetic simulation is used to study the effect of geometric parameters on the characteristics of dipole-coupled spin waves. The specific features of the coupling between the transverse modes propagating in the system with broken translational symmetry are revealed. The results can be applied to develop multiplexers, power dividers, couplers, and the ultrahigh frequency signal processing circuits using the neuromorphic principles, which are based on the lateral arrays of magnetic microstructures.     

A coupled Raman-Brillouin study of direct and folded acoustic modes in long-period GaAsAlAs superlattices

The frequency and intensity of direct acoustic modes (Brillouin lines) and folded acoustic modes are investigated in superlattices of period ≅ 500 Å as a function of the scattering wave vector. Both LA and TA polarizations are observed. The existence of folded acoustic modes at frequency lower than the Brillouin line is pointed out for scattering wave vectors larger than the first Brillouin-zone edge. We also emphasize the “anomalous” intensity behaviour of the different modes which is explained by an improved theory which takes into account the modulation of the acoustical and optical layer properties in the superlattice.     

利用电介质柱共振器实现电磁响应模式可转变的电磁超介质

本文利用电磁场数值计算方法研究了横截面具有不同长宽比例的电介质柱的电磁共振模式,发现横截面长宽比例影响电介质柱共振模式的激发顺序.截面长宽比小于2.2时,首先激发磁共振模式;而长宽比大于2.2时,磁共振模式在第二个共振被激发;作为转折点,截面长宽比例约为2.2的电介质柱不能激发磁共振模式.结果还表明改变电磁波入射方向可以调节长方形截面的电介质柱的磁共振发生的频率位置,实现偏振可控的电磁响应,这为新颖的电介质电磁超介质的设计与研究提供有价值的信息. 关键词： 电介质 电磁超介质 共振     

Lasing with guided modes in ZnO nanorods and nanowires

A vertically arranged nearly parallel array of ZnO nanorods and randomly oriented nanowires has been grown by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on silica substrates and on stainless steel gauze woven from a wire with a diameter of 40 μm, respectively. The quality of the produced material is high enough to act as a gain medium for stimulated emission in the ultraviolet spectral region. Multiple sharp lasing peaks were realized from single hexagonal nanorods and arrays of hexagonal ZnO nanorods. The lasing peaks display successive onset and saturation with increasing excitation power density and fit well the expected resonance spectrum of guided modes in hexagonal nanorods. The behavior of lasing spectra from shot to shot of pumping in randomly oriented nanowires along with the independence of the lasing threshold on the excitation spot area suggest that the emission spectrum results from the superposition of lasing modes in individual nanowires, rather than from random lasing due to photon coherent scattering.     

Band diagram of spin waves in a two-dimensional magnonic crystal

The dispersion curves of collective spin-wave excitations in a magnonic crystal consisting of a square array of interacting saturated nanodisks have been measured by Brillouin light scattering along the four principal directions of the first Brillouin zone. The experimental data are successfully compared to calculations of the band diagram and of the Brillouin light scattering cross section, performed through the dynamical matrix method extended to include the dipolar interaction between the disks. We found that the fourfold symmetry of the geometrical lattice is reduced by the application of the external field and therefore equivalent directions of the first Brillouin zone are characterized by different dispersion relations of collective spin waves. The dispersion relations are explained through the introduction of a bidimensional effective wave vector that characterizes each mode in this magnonic metamaterial.     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering properties of highly ordered self-assemblies of gold nanorods with different aspect ratios

Gold nanorods with aspect ratios of from 1 (particles) to 31.6 were synthesized by the seed-mediated method and packed in a highly ordered structure on a large scale on silicon substrates through capillary force induced self-assembly behaviour during solvent evaporation.The gold nanorod surface exhibits a strong enhancing effect on Raman scattering spectroscopy.The enhancement of Raman scattering for two model molecules (2-naphthalenethiol and rhodamine 6G) is about 5-6 orders of magnitude.By changing the aspect ratio of the Au nanorods,we found that the enhancement factors decreased with the increase of aspect ratios.The observed Raman scattering enhancement is strong and should be ascribed to the surface plasmon coupling between closely packed nanorods,which may result in huge local electromagnetic field enhancements in those confined junctions.     

Magnetic properties of cobalt nanowires: Study by polarized SANS

Structural and magnetic properties of two-dimensional spatially ordered system of ferromagnetic cobalt nanowires embedded into Al₂O₃ matrix have been studied using polarized small-angle neutron scattering. A comprehensive analysis of contributions to the scattering intensity was carried out, including nonmagnetic (nuclear) contribution, magnetic contribution depending on the magnetic field, and nuclear-magnetic interference indicating the correlation between the magnetic and nuclear structures. Experiments have revealed an anomalously low value of the magnetic contribution as compared to the nuclear one. This behavior is interpreted in terms of low coherence of the magnetic structure caused by the anisotropy of Co crystallites as compared with the large coherency of nuclear structure of nanowires.     

Self‐assembled CdSe/CdS nanorod micro‐lasers fabricated from solution by capillary jet deposition

Here we show an innovative, simple and reliable method to fabricate micro‐lasers by self‐assembly of rod‐shaped nanocrystals. We use dot/rod core/shell CdSe/CdS nanorods to form optical micro‐resonators by exploiting their self‐organization into well‐defined coffee stain rings. The fabrication process merely consists of capillary jet deposition of a nanorod solution onto a glass substrate, and is scalable, economic, and highly reproducible. Upon optical pumping of the micro‐resonators we obtain laser emission in the red or in the blue‐green spectral region, demonstrating lasing both from core and shell transitions, with low pumping thresholds. Modeling by full‐wave numerical simulations according to generalized (i. e. scattering) formulation of laser theory demonstrates lasing from complex modes of the self‐assembled cavity.     

Imaging contrast under aperture tip–nanoantenna array interaction

Periodic arrays of paired and single gold nanorods were imaged in the near field using reflection and transmission modes of a near-field scanning optical microscope at various wavelengths and polarizations of light in the visible range. The paired nanorods act like nanoantenna, and an array of them was initially designed as a negative-index material for the near infrared. Reverse contrast in reflection and transmission images is observed under illumination from the small aperture of a metal-coated fiber probe. By changing the relative orientation of the rods to the polarization, the reverse contrast switches to the normal contrast of near-field imaging. Coupling between the aperture and the nanorod array makes the contrast higher. Transmission through the aperture is enhanced if the aperture probe is positioned between the nanorods. The average near-field transmission exhibits an opposite sign of anisotropy relative to the far-field case. Aperture probes with larger diameters always show normal imaging contrast. The results demonstrate that the broad angular spectra of small-aperture sources play a crucial role in near-field interactions with nanorod arrays. The results also show that angular redistributions of these spectra after transmission or reflection from the nanorod array are likely due to excitation of localized and propagating plasmons.     

银纳米棒光学性质的离散偶极近似计算

利用离散偶极近似 (Discretedipoleapproximation ,简称DDA)的方法 ,从理论上对粒子的形状、尺寸及周围介质等因素对银纳米粒子 ,特别是银纳米棒的光学性质的影响进行了较系统的研究 .计算表明 ,置于空气中的棒状银纳米粒子的光学性质与其形状密切相关 ,纵向表面等离子体共振吸收峰的位置随纳米棒长径比的增加呈现线性红移关系 .给出了空气中银纳米棒纵向表面等离子体共振吸收峰的位置随长径比变化的DDA拟合公式 .如果将金属纳米粒子置于折射率更高的介电环境中 ,其纵向等离子体共振吸收峰的位置进一步呈现线性红移关系 .合成的银纳米粒子的TEM图像及相关的UV VIS消光光谱显示DDA计算结果与实验值相当一致 .DDA算法与Mie′s理论在计算球状银纳米粒子的消光系数时给出很接近的结果 ,这表明用DDA的方法来分析银的光学性质是准确可靠的 ;而DDA算法对银纳米棒消光特性的成功拟合则表明 ,该算法相对Gans′理论而言 ,在研究纳米粒子的光学性质时具有更广的适用性及更高的准确性 .     

Magnonics: Experiment to prove the concept

An experimental scheme for studying spin wave propagation across thin magnetic film samples is proposed. The scheme is based upon the creation of picosecond pulses of strongly localized effective magnetic field via ultrafast optical irradiation of a specially deposited exchange bias or exchange spring layer. The spin waves are excited near the irradiated surface before propagating across the thickness of the sample. They are then detected near the other surface either within the finite optical skin depth using the linear magneto-optical Kerr effect in metallic samples or by the magnetic second harmonic generation. The experiment can facilitate investigations of propagating spin waves with wavelengths down to several nanometers and frequencies in excess of hundreds of Gigahertz. An experiment upon a periodically layered nanowire (a finite cross-section magnonic crystal) is numerically simulated, although the sample might equally well be a continuous film or an array of elements (e.g. nanowires) that either have uniform composition or are periodically layered as in a magnonic crystal. The experiments could be extended to study domain wall-induced spin wave phase shifts and can be used for the creation of spin wave magnetic logic devices.     

CdS-ZnO composite nanorods: Synthesis, characterization and application for photocatalytic degradation of 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid

Well-aligned arrays of CdS-ZnO composite nanorods were grown on indium tin oxide substrates. ZnO nanorods, deposited by a low temperature aqueous chemical growth technique, were dip coated with CdS. The CdS-ZnO nanorods were polycrystalline as confirmed from the low angle X-rays diffraction study. Photon to current conversion efficiency of CdS-ZnO composite nanorod was observed to be higher than that of CdS. In the micro-Raman spectrum, we observed longitudinal optical modes of CdS and ZnO showing their co-existence. The appealing application of CdS-ZnO nanorod as a visible photocatalyst was demonstrated and the possible mechanism was discussed.     

基于超材料的中波红外宽带偏振转换研究

基于硅纳米块阵列和亚波长金属光栅,硅纳米块长轴与金属光栅夹角为45°,本文设计了一种高效、宽带偏振转换结构.模拟计算表明该结构实现了线偏振光90°旋转,在3.4—4.5μm波段偏振转换率大于60%,在3—5μm光谱范围内的转换对比率大于10~4.由于该结构光学性能优异,制备难度低,可以应用于光传输控制.     

异向介质填充非辐射介质波导和H波导中的高次模及漏波抑制

 通过对加载异向非辐射介质波导(NRD)和H波导的全波分析,研究了此新型导波结构的传输特性。由于开口谐振环所引起的双各向异性效应,在双负参数条件下,纵剖面磁(LSM)波型和纵剖面电(LSE)波型将可能出现传播常数随频率增高而减小的异常高次模式,从而引起漏波。而在其它情况下,利用双各向异性效应却可以有效减少LSM和LSE波型的高次模漏波现象。尤其当异向介质取得单负参数时,此新型导波结构将能够完全抑制高次模漏波的出现。     

Spin-wave quantization in ferromagnetic nickel nanowires

The dynamical properties of uniform two-dimensional arrays of nickel nanowires have been investigated by inelastic light scattering. Multiple spin waves are observed that are in accordance with dipole-exchange theory predictions for the quantization of bulk spin waves. This first study of the spin-wave dynamics in ferromagnetic nanowire arrays reveals strong mode quantization effects and indications of a subtle magnetic interplay between nanowires. The results show that it is important to take proper account of these effects for the fundamental physics and future technological developments of magnetic nanowires.     

Fabrication and magnetic properties of cobalt nanorod arrays containing a number of ultrafine nanowires electrodeposited within an AAO/SBA-15 template

Arrays of cobalt nanorods consisting of a number of nanowires have been fabricated by the electrochemical method using an anodic-aluminum oxide (AAO)/mesoporous-silica (SBA-15) composite. Microscopic studies clearly display that each nanorod (with a diameter of ∼200 nm) of the array was consisting of a number of cobalt nanowires which exhibit an average diameter of 3 nm. The observed hysteresis loops measured at room temperature indicate that the magnetic shape anisotropy of cobalt mesostructures, i.e. the parallel and perpendicular squarenesses of 0.5 and 0.1, respectively have been estimated. The maximum value of the coercivity measured perpendicular to the sample axis shows a value of 330 Oe and it was found that the coercivity decreases by increasing the temperature which is possibly caused by thermal disturbance inside the arrays.     

Direct monitoring of gold nanorod growth

The seed-mediated growth of gold nanorods is shown to be strongly dependent on the reaction time and chemical environment of the reaction solution. The versatile seed-mediated approach in aqueous surfactant solutions has been used in this study for the synthesis of gold nanorods. Changes in the aspect ratio of gold nanorods were reflected in shifts of the plasmon resonance peaks and were monitored using UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis) to follow the different stages of gold nanorod formation as a function of time and varying amounts of silver ion. Unlike the use of strong reducing agents to make spherical gold nanoparticles, the growth of gold nanorods requires weak reducing conditions, leading to an unknown degree of gold reduction. Therefore, cyclic voltammetry was used to electrochemically interrogate the entire reaction from gold seed to gold nanorod as a function of time. Data obtained revealed that time-dependent gold species are involved in gold nanorod formation.