Effect of picosecond strain pulses on thin layers of the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)(As,P)

The effect of picosecond acoustic strain pulses (ps-ASP) on a thin layer of (Ga,Mn)As co-doped with phosphorus was probed using magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). A transient MOKE signal followed by low amplitude oscillations was evidenced, with a strong dependence on applied magnetic field, temperature and ps-ASP amplitude. Careful interferometric measurement of the layer's thickness variation induced by the ps-ASP allowed us to model very accurately the resulting signal, and interpret it as the strain modulated reflectivity (differing for $\sigma_{\pm}$ probe polarizations), independently from dynamic magnetization effects.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Crossover from spin accumulation into interface states to spin injection in the germanium conduction band

Electrical spin injection into semiconductors paves the way for exploring new phenomena in the area of spin physics and new generations of spintronic devices. However the exact role of interface states in spin injection mechanism from a magnetic tunnel junction into a semiconductor is still under debate. In this letter, we demonstrate a clear transition from spin accumulation into interface states to spin injection in the conduction band of $n$-Ge. We observe spin signal amplification at low temperature due to spin accumulation into interface states followed by a clear transition towards spin injection in the conduction band from 200 K up to room temperature. In this regime, the spin signal is reduced down to a value compatible with spin diffusion model. More interestingly, we demonstrate in this regime a significant modulation of the spin signal by spin pumping generated by ferromagnetic resonance and also by applying a back-gate voltage which are clear manifestations of spin current and accumulation in the germanium conduction band.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Symmetry breaking and strong coupling in planar optical metamaterials

We demonstrate narrow transmission resonances at near-infrared wavelengths utilizing coupled asymmetric split-ring resonators (SRRs). By breaking the symmetry of the coupled SRR system, one can excite dark (subradiant) resonant modes that are not readily accessible to symmetric SRR structures. We also show that the quality factor of metamaterial resonant elements can be controlled by tailoring the degree of asymmetry. Changing the distance between asymmetric resonators changes the coupling strength and results in resonant frequency tuning due to resonance hybridization

Green's function for metamaterial superlens: Evanescent wave in the image

We develop a new method to calculate the evanescent wave, the subdivided evanescent waves (SEWs), and the radiative wave, which can be obtained by separating the global field of the image of metamaterial superlens. The method is based on Green's function, and it can be applied in other linear systems. This study could help us to investigate the effect of evanescent wave on metamaterial superlens directly, and give us a new way to design new devices.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Emergent Phenomena Induced by Spin-Orbit Coupling at Surfaces and Interfaces

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) describes the relativistic interaction between the spin and momentum degrees of freedom of electrons, and is central to the rich phenomena observed in condensed matter systems. In recent years, new phases of matter have emerged from the interplay between SOC and low dimensionality, such as chiral spin textures and spin-polarized surface and interface states. These low-dimensional SOC-based realizations are typically robust and can be exploited at room temperature. Here we discuss SOC as a means of producing such fundamentally new physical phenomena in thin films and heterostructures. We put into context the technological promise of these material classes for developing spin-based device applications at room temperature

Absorption Enhancement in Lossy Transition Metal Elements of Plasmonic Nanosandwiches

Combination of catalytically active transition metals and surface plasmons offers a promising way to drive chemical reactions by converting incident visible light into energetic electron-hole pairs acting as a mediator. In such a reaction enhancement scheme, the conversion efficiency is dependent on light absorption in the metal. Hence, increasing absorption in the plasmonic structure is expected to increase generation of electron-hole pairs and, consequently, the reaction rate. Furthermore, the abundance of energetic electrons might facilitate new reaction pathways. In this work we discuss optical properties of homo- and heterometallic plasmonic nanosandwiches consisting of two parallel disks made of gold and palladium. We show how near-field coupling between the sandwich elements can be used to enhance absorption in one of them. The limits of this enhancement are investigated using finite-difference time-domain simulations. Physical insight is gained through a simple coupled dipole analysis of the nanostructure. For small palladium disks (compared to the gold disk), total absorption enhancement integrated over the near visible solar AM 1.5 spectrum is 8-fold, while for large palladium disks, similar in size to the gold one, it exceeds three

Negative refraction of a three-dimensional metallic photonic crystal

A metamaterial with a negative effective index of refraction is made from a three-dimensional hexagonal lattice photonic crystal with a metallic basis embedded in foam. It has been simulated with Ansoft HFSSTM in a frequency range from 7.0 to 12.0 GHz. Simulated results tested experimentally and negative refraction verified in some frequencies. Experimental results are in excellent agreement with simulations