1,072 research outputs found
Efficient excitation of cavity resonances of subwavelength metallic gratings
One dimensional rectangular metallic gratings enable enhanced transmission of
light for specific resonance frequencies. Two kinds of modes participating to
enhanced transmission have already been demonstrated : (i) waveguide modes and
(ii) surface plasmon polaritons (SPP). Since the original paper of Hessel and
Oliner \cite{hessel} pointing out the existence of (i), no progress was made in
their understanding. We present here a carefull analysis, and show that the
coupling between the light and such resonances can be tremendously improved
using an {\it evanescent} wave. This leads to enhanced localisation of light in
cavities, yielding, in particular, to a very selective light transmission
through these gratings.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Plasmonic Resonances and Electromagnetic Forces Between Coupled Silver Nanowires
We compute the electromagnetic response and corresponding forces between two
silver nanowires. The wires are illuminated by a plane wave which has the
electric field vector perpendicular to the axis of the wires, insuring that
plasmonic resonances can be excited. We consider a nontrivial square cross
section geometry that has dimensions on the order of , where
is the wavelength of the incident electromagnetic field. We find that
due to the plasmonic resonance, there occurs great enhancement of the direct
and mutual electromagnetic forces that are exerted on the nanowires. The
Lippman-Schwinger volume integral equation is implemented to obtain solutions
to Maxwell's equations for various and separation distances between
wires. The forces are computed using Maxwell's stress tensor and numerical
results are shown for both on and off resonant conditions
Mapping local optical densities of states in silicon photonic structures with nanoscale electron spectroscopy
Relativistic electrons in a structured medium generate radiative losses such
as Cherenkov and transition radiation that act as a virtual light source,
coupling to the photonic densities of states. The effect is most pronounced
when the imaginary part of the dielectric function is zero, a regime where in a
non-retarded treatment no loss or coupling can occur. Maps of the resultant
energy losses as a sub-5nm electron probe scans across finite waveguide
structures reveal spatial distributions of optical modes in a spectral domain
ranging from near-infrared to far ultraviolet.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
Influence of random roughness on the Casimir force at small separations
The influence of random surface roughness of Au films on the Casimir force is
explored with atomic force microscopy in the plate-sphere geometry. The
experimental results are compared to theoretical predictions for separations
ranging between 20 and 200 nm. The optical response and roughness of the Au
films were measured and used as input in theoretical predictions. It is found
that at separations below 100 nm, the roughness effect is manifested through a
strong deviation from the normal scaling of the force with separation distance.
Moreover, deviations from theoretical predictions based on perturbation theory
can be larger than 100%.Comment: 18, 5 figure
Extraordinary magnetooptical effects and transmission through the metal-dielectric plasmonic systems
We report on significant enhancement of the magnetooptical effects in
gyrotropic systems of a metallic film perforated by subwavelength hole arrays
and a uniform dielectric film magnetized perpendicular to its plane.
Calculations, based on a rigorous coupled-wave analysis, demonstrate the
Faraday and Kerr effect spectra having several resonance peaks in the near
infrared range, some of them coinciding with transmittance peaks. Qualitative
analysis revealed that magnetic polaritons being coupled magnetic-film
waveguiding modes with surface plasmons play a crucial role in the observed
effect.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
Experimental cross-polarization detection of coupling far-field light to highly confined plasmonic gap modes via nanoantennas
We experimentally demonstrate the coupling of far-field light to highly
confined plasmonic gap modes via connected nanoantennas. The excitation of
plasmonic gap modes is shown to depend on the polarization, position and
wavelength of the incident beam. Far-field measurements performed in crossed
polarization allow for the detection of extremely weak signals re-emitted from
gap waveguides and can increase the signal-to-noise ratio dramatically.Comment: 5 figures; http://apl.aip.org
Thermal Casimir Force between Magnetic Materials
We investigate the Casimir pressure between two parallel plates made of
magnetic materials at nonzero temperature. It is shown that for real
magnetodielectric materials only the magnetic properties of ferromagnets can
influence the Casimir pressure. This influence is accomplished through the
contribution of the zero-frequency term of the Lifshitz formula. The
possibility of the Casimir repulsion through the vacuum gap is analyzed
depending on the model used for the description of the dielectric properties of
the metal plates.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to the Proceedings of QFEXT09,
Norman, OK, September 21-25, 200
Exact microscopic theory of electromagnetic heat transfer between a dielectric sphere and plate
Near-field electromagnetic heat transfer holds great potential for the
advancement of nanotechnology. Whereas far-field electromagnetic heat transfer
is constrained by Planck's blackbody limit, the increased density of states in
the near-field enhances heat transfer rates by orders of magnitude relative to
the conventional limit. Such enhancement opens new possibilities in numerous
applications, including thermal-photo-voltaics, nano-patterning, and imaging.
The advancement in this area, however, has been hampered by the lack of
rigorous theoretical treatment, especially for geometries that are of direct
experimental relevance. Here we introduce an efficient computational strategy,
and present the first rigorous calculation of electromagnetic heat transfer in
a sphere-plate geometry, the only geometry where transfer rate beyond blackbody
limit has been quantitatively probed at room temperature. Our approach results
in a definitive picture unifying various approximations previously used to
treat this problem, and provides new physical insights for designing
experiments aiming to explore enhanced thermal transfer.Comment: 1 page title 8 page content 1 page references 2 page figure captions
4 page figure
Tuning the polarization states of optical spots at the nanoscale on the poincar´e sphere using a plasmonic nanoantenna
It is shown that the polarization states of optical spots at the nanoscale can be manipulated to various points on the Poincar´e sphere using a plasmonic nanoantenna. Linearly, circularly, and elliptically polarized near-field optical spots at the nanoscale are achieved with various polarization states on the Poincar´e sphere using a plasmonic nanoantenna. A novel plasmonic nanoantenna is illuminated with diffraction-limited linearly polarized light. It is demonstrated
that the plasmonic resonances of perpendicular and longitudinal components of the nanoantenna and the angle of incident polarization can be tuned to obtain optical spots beyond the diffraction limit with a desired polarization and handedness
High shock release in ultrafast laser irradiated metals: Scenario for material ejection
We present one-dimensional numerical simulations describing the behavior of
solid matter exposed to subpicosecond near infrared pulsed laser radiation. We
point out to the role of strong isochoric heating as a mechanism for producing
highly non-equilibrium thermodynamic states. In the case of metals, the
conditions of material ejection from the surface are discussed in a
hydrodynamic context, allowing correlation of the thermodynamic features with
ablation mechanisms. A convenient synthetic representation of the thermodynamic
processes is presented, emphasizing different competitive pathways of material
ejection. Based on the study of the relaxation and cooling processes which
constrain the system to follow original thermodynamic paths, we establish that
the metal surface can exhibit several kinds of phase evolution which can result
in phase explosion or fragmentation. An estimation of the amount of material
exceeding the specific energy required for melting is reported for copper and
aluminum and a theoretical value of the limit-size of the recast material after
ultrashort laser irradiation is determined. Ablation by mechanical
fragmentation is also analysed and compared to experimental data for aluminum
subjected to high tensile pressures and ultrafast loading rates. Spallation is
expected to occur at the rear surface of the aluminum foils and a comparison
with simulation results can determine a spall strength value related to high
strain rates
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