237 research outputs found
99% beta factor and directional coupling of quantum dots to fast light in photonic crystal waveguides determined by spectral imaging
© 2019 American Physical Society. Spontaneous emission from excitonic transitions in InAs/GaAs quantum dots embedded in photonic crystal waveguides at 5 K into nonguided and guided modes is determined by direct spectral imaging. This enables measurement of the absolute coupling efficiency into the guided modes, the beta factor, directly, without assumptions on decay rates used previously. Notably, we found beta factors above 90% over a wide spectral range of 40 meV in the fast light regime, reaching a maximum of (99±1)%. We measure the directional emission of the circularly polarized transitions in a magnetic field into counterpropagating guided modes, to deduce the mode circularity at the quantum dot sites. We find that points of high directionality, up to 97%, correlate with a reduced beta factor, consistent with their positions away from the mode field antinode. By comparison with calibrated finite-difference time-domain simulations, we use the emission energy, mode circularity, and beta factor to estimate the quantum dot position inside the photonic crystal waveguide unit cell
Efficient Excitation of Channel Plasmons in Tailored, UV-Lithography-Defined V-Grooves
[Image: see text] We demonstrate the highly efficient (>50%) conversion of freely propagating light to channel plasmon-polaritons (CPPs) in gold V-groove waveguides using compact 1.6 μm long waveguide-termination coupling mirrors. Our straightforward fabrication process, involving UV-lithography and crystallographic silicon etching, forms the coupling mirrors innately and ensures exceptional-quality, wafer-scale device production. We tailor the V-shaped profiles by thermal silicon oxidation in order to shift initially wedge-located modes downward into the V-grooves, resulting in well-confined CPPs suitable for nanophotonic applications
Resonances On-Demand for Plasmonic Nano-Particles
A method for designing plasmonic particles with desired resonance spectra is
presented. The method is based on repetitive perturbations of an initial
particle shape while calculating the eigenvalues of the various quasistatic
resonances. The method is rigorously proved, assuring a solution exists for any
required spectral resonance location. Resonances spanning the visible and the
near-infrared regimes, as designed by our method, are verified using
finite-difference time-domain simulations. A novel family of particles with
collocated dipole-quadrupole resonances is designed, demonstrating the unique
power of the method. Such on-demand engineering enables strict realization of
nano-antennas and metamaterials for various applications requiring specific
spectral functions
Maskless Plasmonic Lithography at 22 nm Resolution
Optical imaging and photolithography promise broad applications in nano-electronics, metrologies, and single-molecule biology. Light diffraction however sets a fundamental limit on optical resolution, and it poses a critical challenge to the down-scaling of nano-scale manufacturing. Surface plasmons have been used to circumvent the diffraction limit as they have shorter wavelengths. However, this approach has a trade-off between resolution and energy efficiency that arises from the substantial momentum mismatch. Here we report a novel multi-stage scheme that is capable of efficiently compressing the optical energy at deep sub-wavelength scales through the progressive coupling of propagating surface plasmons (PSPs) and localized surface plasmons (LSPs). Combining this with airbearing surface technology, we demonstrate a plasmonic lithography with 22 nm half-pitch resolution at scanning speeds up to 10 m/s. This low-cost scheme has the potential of higher throughput than current photolithography, and it opens a new approach towards the next generation semiconductor manufacturing
Plasmonic Luneburg and Eaton Lenses
Plasmonics is an interdisciplinary field focusing on the unique properties of
both localized and propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) -
quasiparticles in which photons are coupled to the quasi-free electrons of
metals. In particular, it allows for confining light in dimensions smaller than
the wavelength of photons in free space, and makes it possible to match the
different length scales associated with photonics and electronics in a single
nanoscale device. Broad applications of plasmonics have been realized including
biological sensing, sub-diffraction-limit imaging, focusing and lithography,
and nano optical circuitry. Plasmonics-based optical elements such as
waveguides, lenses, beam splitters and reflectors have been implemented by
structuring metal surfaces or placing dielectric structures on metals, aiming
to manipulate the two-dimensional surface plasmon waves. However, the abrupt
discontinuities in the material properties or geometries of these elements lead
to increased scattering of SPPs, which significantly reduces the efficiency of
these components. Transformation optics provides an unprecedented approach to
route light at will by spatially varying the optical properties of a material.
Here, motivated by this approach, we use grey-scale lithography to
adiabatically tailor the topology of a dielectric layer adjacent to a metal
surface to demonstrate a plasmonic Luneburg lens that can focus SPPs. We also
realize a plasmonic Eaton lens that can bend SPPs. Since the optical properties
are changed gradually rather than abruptly in these lenses, losses due to
scattering can be significantly reduced in comparison with previously reported
plasmonic elements.Comment: Accepted for publication in Nature Nanotechnolog
Enhanced Lifetime Of Excitons In Nonepitaxial Au/cds Core/shell Nanocrystals
The ability of metal nanoparticles to capture light through plasmon excitations offers an opportunity for enhancing the optical absorption of plasmon-coupled semiconductor materials via energy transfer. This process, however, requires that the semiconductor component is electrically insulated to prevent a backward charge flow into metal and interfacial states, which causes a premature dissociation of excitons. Here we demonstrate that such an energy exchange can be achieved on the nanoscale by using nonepitaxial Au/CdS core/shell nanocomposites. These materials are fabricated via a multistep cation exchange reaction, which decouples metal and semiconductor phases leading to fewer interfacial defects. Ultrafast transient absorption measurements confirm that the lifetime of excitons in the CdS shell (tau approximate to 300 ps) is much longer than lifetimes of excitons in conventional, reduction-grown Au/CdS heteronanostructures. As a result, the energy of metal nanoparticles can be efficiently utilized by the semiconductor component without undergoing significant nonradiative energy losses, an important property for catalytic or photovoltaic applications. The reduced rate of exciton dissociation in the CdS domain of Au/CdS nanocomposites was attributed to the nonepitaxial nature of Au/CdS interfaces associated with low defect density and a high potential barrier of the interstitial phase
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