线性偏振光激发的错位表面等离子体激元纳米结构聚焦

利用扫描近场光学显微镜观测并分析了两种表面等离子体激元纳米结构对表面等离子体激元(SPP)的激发和聚焦现象.用线偏振光照射有半个周期相位差的环状沟槽结构与有半个周期位相差的环状狭缝结构,得到了单点的SPP聚焦.有限时域差分法的模拟结果验证了实验中观测的现象.这两种相位错位的表面等离子体激元纳米结构,突破了由于干涉导致的线偏振光不能得到单个聚焦点的限制.与采用径向偏振光激发而得到单个聚焦点的方法相比,线偏振光不需要聚焦,也不需要将光束中心对准纳米结构的几何中心即可得到单点聚焦。     

Surface plasmon polaritons on square-lattice arrays of three-fold symmetric nanostructures

The influence of the geometry of three-fold symmetric rotor shaped nanostructures arranged as a two-dimensional square-lattice on the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is studied numerically. We consider SPP-related extrema of the far-field reflectivity R(α) as a function of the polarization angle α of the incident light. In agreement with recent experimental work, it is observed that these extrema shift away from α=0° and α=90°, where they are found for rotationally invariant nanostructures. The polarization angle corresponding to the most efficient SPP excitation is found to be independent of the shape of the individual nanostructures. We further investigate the influence of the shape and size of the nanostructures and discuss consequences for optical near- and far-field properties.     

Optical bulk and surface waves with negative refraction

In materials with negative refraction, the direction of wave propagation is opposite to the direction of the wave vector. Using an approach that characterizes the optical response of a medium totally by a generalized dielectric permittivity, , we discuss the possibility of seeing negative refraction for optical waves in a number of nonmagnetic media. These include bulk waves in organic materials and in gyrotropic materials where additional exciton–polariton waves can have a negative group velocity. It is known that dispersion of surface waves can be engineered by tailoring a surface transition layer. We show how this effect can be used to obtain surface waves with negative refraction.     

Multilayer Structure Photovoltaic Cells

The optical and electrical characteristics of heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells consisting of tin–phthalocyanine as a p-type semiconductor and fullerene as an n-type semiconductor were studied using multiple-layer structures incorporating two hetero-junctions. In order to prevent formation of a reverse heterojunction, an ultra-thin layer of Au clusters was set between dual heterojunctions. The power conversion efficiencies of the cells were evaluated and the efficiency of the cell with two incorporated heterojunctions was found to be 4.5 times greater than that of a single hetero-junction. By using surface plasmon polaritons, the power conversion efficiency of an Al/C⋐70/SnPc/Au cell was enhanced and increased by a factor of 3.     

Unidirectional manipulation of surface plasmon polariton by dual-nanocavity in a T-shaped waveguide

A structure of two dimensional T-shaped metal-insulator-metal waveguide with dual-nanocavity is proposed. The two nanocavities located at each side of the slit on the lower metallic surface, act as band rejection filters and are capable of stopping the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at the resonant wavelengths. The Fabry-Perot interferometry theory and the Finite-Difference-Time-Domain method are utilized to investigate the proposed waveguide. The numerical results demonstrate the realization of miniaturized photonic devices for effectively switching the SPPs propagation between the left and right waveguides in one direction.     

Transmission through metallic array slits curved with perpendicular waveguides

The transmission of normally incident plane wave through an array of subwavelength metallic slits curved with perpendicular waveguides has been explored. Two-dimensional electromagnetic fields inside and near the metal film are simulated by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The perpendicular waveguides in the middle of slits affect the modes of slits in two different manners: commonly, the extended length of the waveguides leads to the increase of the resonant wavelength; shifting the waveguides location along the vertical slits, red or blue shift of resonant wavelengths can be achieved, however to some confirmed length of the perpendicular waveguides, there is the only one resonant wavelength. In addition, a new explanation model is proposed in which the resonance is ascribed to three reasons: the Fabry-Perot cavity theory, the surface current flow, and the surface charges. All the calculated results are well explained by our proposed model.     

1D Bessel-like beam generation by highly directive transmission through a sub-wavelength slit embedded in periodic metallic grooves

A new method to generate a quasi-one dimensional (1D) Bessel-like beam whose non-diffracting length extends to macroscopic scale is proposed by utilizing highly directive transmission through a sub-wavelength single slit embedded in periodic metallic grooves. We employed finite-difference time-domain methods for full-vectorial diffraction and spectral analysis. In optimal conditions, unique quasi-1D Bessel-like beams were generated in transmission for the incident p-polarized plane wave such that highly asymmetric far-field distribution was achieved; Bessel-like beam along the slit axis and a flat-top super-Gaussian beam along the other perpendicular axis. Detailed parametric studies for the proposed structure are reported in terms of the operating spectral range and a general window of optimal conditions.     

Optical transmission through metal/dielectric multilayer films perforated with periodic subwavelength slits

The transmission of p-polarized plane wave through Ag/SiO₂ multilayer films perforated with periodic subwavelength air slits is investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results show that the optical transmission property is mediated by the interference among the propagating coupled-SPP modes along the lateral direction inside the SiO₂ layers and the conditions of Fabry-Pérot-like resonance along the longitudinal direction together. When some geometric parameters are suitably initialized, the high transmission peaks can split into more peaks as the functional layer (metal/dielectric/metal sandwich stack) number increases, and the wavelength of the same-order transmission peak exhibits a red shift as the grating period increases.     

Analysis of coupling in the semi-cylindrical surface plasmonic couplers

In this paper, we have investigated the performance of a nano-optical directional coupler based on gap plasmon waveguides. The coupler consists of two waveguides having a localized coupled plasmon propagating between two semi-cylindrical surfaces. It is clear that the wave number and correspondingly light confinement in the waveguides are the most effective parameters in coupling strength and coupling length. Some expected and unexpected dependencies of the coupling length on the structure parameters are shown. Simulation results of the coupler obtained by the compact-2D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method comply with those derived by an analytic method with the aid of the finite-element frequency-domain (FEFD) software package of COMSOL. The considered structures, because of their small coupling length and dimensions are appropriate for use in optical integrated circuits.     

Mode splitting and multiple-wavelength managements of surface plasmon polaritons in coupled cavities

Resonance cavity is a basic element in optics,which has wide applications in optical devices.Coupled cavities(CCs)designed in metal-insulator-metal(MIM)bus waveguide are investigated through the finite difference time domain method and coupled-mode theory.In the CCs,the resonant modes of the surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs)split with the thickness decreasing of the middle baffle.Through the coupled-mode theory analysis,it is found that the phase differences introduced in opposite and positive couplings between two cavities lead to mode splitting.The resonant wavelength of positive coupling mode can be tuned in a large range(about 644 nm)through adjusting the coupling strength,which is quite different from the classical adjustment of the optical path in a single cavity.Based on the resonances of the CCs in the MIM waveguide,more compact devices can be designed to manipulate SPPs propagation.A device is designed to realize flexible multiple-wavelength SPPs routing.The coupling in CC structures can be applied to the design of easy-integrated laser cavities,filters,multiple-wavelength management devices in SPPs circuits,nanosensors,etc.