Nanoscale guiding for cold atoms based on surface plasmons along the tips of metallic wedges

We propose a novel scheme to guide neutral cold atoms in a nanoscale region based on surface plasmons （SPs） of one pair and two pairs of tips of metallic wedges with locally enhanced light intensity and sub-optical wavelength resolution. We analyze the near-field intensity distribution of the tip of the metallic wedge by the FDTD method, and study the total intensity as well as the total potential of optical potentials and van der Waals potentials for 87 Rb atoms in the light field of one pair and two pairs of tips of metallic wedges. It shows that the total potentials of one pair and two pairs of tips of metallic wedges can generate a gravito-optical trap and a dark closed trap for nanoscale guiding of neutral cold atoms. Guided atoms can be cooled with efficient intensity-gradient Sisyphus cooling by blue-detuned light field. This provides an important step towards the generation of hybrid systems consisting of isolated atoms and solid devices.

Electrical Excitation of Long-Range Surface Plasmons in PC/OLED Structure with Two Metal Nanolayers

A current-driven source of long-range surface plasmons(LRSPs)on a duplex metal nanolayer is reported.Electrical excitation of LRSPs was experimentally observed in a planar structure,where an organic light-emitting film was sandwiched between two metal nanolayers that served as electrodes.To achieve the LRSP propagation in these metal nanolayers at the interface with air,the light-emitting structure was bordered by a one-dimensional photonic crystal(PC)on the other side.The dispersion of the light emitted by such a hybrid PC/organic-light-emitting-diode structure(PC/OLED)comprising two thin metal electrodes was obtained,with a clearly identified LRSP resonance peak.

Spoof surface plasmons resonance effect and tunable electric response of improved metamaterial in the terahertz regime

We propose an improved design and numerical study of an optimized tunable plasmonics artificial material resonator in the terahertz regime. We demonstrate that tunability can be realized with a transmission intensity as much as - 61% in the lower frequency resonance, which is implemented through the effect of photoconductive switching under photoexcitation.In the higher frequency resonance, we show that spoof surface plasmons along the interface of metal/dielectric provide new types of electromagnetic resonances. Our approach opens up possibilities for the interface of metamaterial and plasmonics to be applied to optically tunable THz switching.

Excitation of surface plasmons at the boundary of overdense plasma

The excitation of surface plasmons （SPs） with a strip grating at the boundary of an unmagnetized overdense plasma has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. An incident electromagnetic radiation was p-polarized at the frequency of 5 GHz. Experiments showed that when the plasma density was four times higher than the critical density with the grating present, and the SPs could be excited at the boundary of the overdense plasma. Contribution of the glass layer in the formation of the SP dispersion relation was examined. When the incident electromagnetic radiation was coupled into SPs the coupling order with the effective permittivity was simulated qualitatively. We find that the existence of SPs at the boundary of overdense plasma indicates that the reflection coefficient of the incident electromagnetic radiation reaches its minimum and even becomes total absorption. In this work the plasma density was diagnosed by a Langmuir double probe.

Remote excitation and remote detection of a single quantum dot using propagating surface plasmons on silver nanowire

Using propagating surface plasmons （SPs） on a silver nanowire （NW）, we demonstrate that a focused laser light at the end of the silver NW can excite a single quantum dot （QD） microns away from the excitation spot. The QD-NW interaction allows the excited QD convert part of its energy into propagating SPs, which then can be detected at remote sites. Simultaneous multi-QD remote excitation and remote detection can also be realized. Furthermore, the tight confinement of the propagating SPs around the NW surface enables the selective excitation of QDs very close in space, which cannot be realized under the conventional excitation condition. This remote excitation and remote detection approach may find applications in optical imaging and the sensing of chemical and biological systems.

Resonant surface plasmons of a metal nanosphere treated as propagating surface plasmons

On the assumption that the resonant surface plasmons on a spherical nanoparticle are formed by standing waves of two counter-propagating surface plasmon waves along the surface, by using Mie theory simulation, we find that the dispersions of surface plasmon resonant modes supported by silver nanospheres match with those of the surface plasmons on a semiinfinite medium-silver interface very well. This suggests that the resonant surface plasmons of a metal nanosphere can be treated as a propagating surface plasmon wave.

The Surface Plasmons＇ Frequencies of Two Adjacent Metallic Nanospheres by Bloch-Jensen Hydrodynamical Model

The wave guides and optical fibers have long been known to transmit light and electromagnetic fields in large dimensions. Recently, surface plasmons, which are collective plasma oscillations of valence electrons at metal surfaces, have been introduced as an entity that is able to guide light on the surfaces of the metal and to concentrate light in subwavelength volumes. It has been found that periodic array of metallic nanospheres, could be able to enhance the light transmission, and guiding light at nanoscale. The coupling between two nanoparticles in these devices is very important. The Bloch-Jensen hydrodynamical method has been used for computing surface plasmons＇ frequencies of a single metallic nanosphere. It contains the entire pole spectrum automatically, so it is more exactly than the other computational methods. In this research, we have computed the surface plasmons＇ frequencies of two adjacent nanospheres by Bloch-Jensen hydrodynamical model for the first time. The results show that there are two modes for this system, which depend explicitly on interparticle spacing. In addition, we have shown that the excitation modes yield to a single mode of a nanoparticle as the interparticle spacing increases.

Polarization dependence of the light coupling to surface plasmons in an Ag nanoparticle & Ag nanowire system

Polarization dependence of the coupling of excitation light to surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） was investigated in a Ag nanoparticle-nanowire waveguide system （a Ag nanoparticle attached to a Ag nanowire）. It was found that under the illumination of excitation light on the nanoparticle-nanowire junction, the coupling efficiency of light to SPPs depends on the polarization of the excitation light. Theoretical simulations revealed that it is the local near-field coupling between the nanoparticle and the nanowire that enhances the incident light to excite the nanowire SPPs. Because the shapes of the Ag nanoparticles differ, the local field intensity, and thus the excitement of the nanowire SPPs, vary with the polarization of the excitation light.

Spin-controlled directional launching of surface plasmons at the subwavelength scale

In this paper, we demonstrate a spin-controlled directional launching of surface plasmons at the subwavelength scale.Based on the principle of optical spin＇s effect for the geometric phase of light, the nanostructures were designed. The inclination of the structures decides the spin-related geometric phase and their relative positions decide the distance-related phase. Hence, the propagation direction of the generated surface plasmon polaritons（SPPs） can be controlled by the spin of photons. Numerical simulations by the finite difference time domain（FDTD） method have verified our theoretical prediction. Our structure is fabricated on the Au film by using a focused ion beam etching technique. The total size of the surface plasmon polariton（SPP） launcher is 320 nm by 180 nm. The observation of the SPP launching by using scanning near-field optical microscopy is in agreement with our theory and simulations. This result may provide a new way of spin-controlled directional launching of SPP.

Modified method of surface plasmons in metal superlattices

We present a modified method to solve the surface plasmons （SPs） of semi-infinite metal/dielectric superlattices and predicted new SP modes in physics. We find that four dispersion-equation sets and all possible SP modes are determined by them. Our analysis and numerical calculations indicate that besides the SP mode obtained in the original theory, the other two SP modes are predicted, which have either a positive group velocity or a negative group velocity. We also point out the possible defect in the previous theoretical method in accordance to the linear algebra principle.

Reconfigurable exceptional point-based sensing with 0.001λsensitivity using spoof localized surface plasmons

Recent breakthroughs in the field of non-Hermitian physics present unprecedented opportunities,from fundamental theories to cutting-edge applications such as multimode lasers,unconventional wave transport,and high-performance sensors.The exceptional point,a spectral singularity widely existing in non-Hermitian systems,provides an indispensable route to enhance the sensitivity of optical detection.However,the exceptional point of the forementioned systems is set once the system is built or fabricated,and machining errors make it hard to reach such a state precisely.To this end,we develop a highly tunable and reconfigurable exceptional point system,i.e.,a single spoof plasmonic resonator suspended above a substrate and coupled with two freestanding Rayleigh scatterers.Our design offers great flexibility to control exceptional point states,enabling us to dynamically reconfigure the exceptional point formed by various multipolar modes across a broadband frequency range.Specifically,we experimentally implement five distinct exceptional points by precisely manipulating the positions of two movable Rayleigh scatterers.In addition,the enhanced perturbation strength offers remarkable sensitivity enhancement for detecting deep-subwavelength particles with the minimum dimension down to 0.001λ(withλto be the free-space wavelength).

Numerical Study of Surface Plasmons Nano-Optical Antenna and Its Array

Nano-rod and bow-tie antennas that are gold nano-antennas on dielectric material and the nano-rod antenna arrays are numerically studied by the finite difference time domain method in three dimensions. The light field that project on the antennas can be confined to a spot with subwavelength width （-λ/11）,and the light intensity can be enhanced to 91 times the incident light in the near-field with the bow-tie antenna. The enhancement also exists in the antenna arrays. The highest enhancement of the light intensity at the bow-tie antenna gap can reach about 28000 times,and the localized field can be coupled to a nano-particle near the antenna gap.

Light scattering and surface plasmons on small spherical particles

Light scattering by small particles has a long and interesting history in physics.Nonetheless,it continues to surprise with new insights and applications.This includes new discoveries,such as novel plasmonic effects,as well as exciting theoretical and experimental developments such as optical trapping,anomalous light scattering,optical tweezers,nanospasers,and novel aspects and realizations of Fano resonances.These have led to important new applications,including several ones in the biomedical area and in sensing techniques at the single-molecule level.There are additionally many potential future applications in optical devices and solar energy technologies.Here we review the fundamental aspects of light scattering by small spherical particles,emphasizing the phenomenological treatments and new developments in this field.

Tunable and multichannel terahertz perfect absorber due to Tamm surface plasmons with graphene

In this paper, we have shown that perfect absorption at terahertz frequencies can be achieved by using a composite structure where graphene is coated on one-dimensional photonic crystal(1 DPC) separated by a dielectric. Due to the excitation of optical Tamm states(OTSs) at the interface between the graphene and 1 DPC, a strong absorption phenomenon occurs induced by the coupling of the incident light and OTSs. Although the perfect absorption produced by a metal–distributed Bragg reflector structure has been researched extensively, it is generally at a fixed frequency and not tunable. Here, we show that the perfect absorption at terahertz frequency not only can be tuned to different frequencies but also exhibits a high absorption over a wide angle range. In addition,the absorption of the proposed structure is insensitive to the polarization, and multichannel absorption can berealized by controlling the thickness of the top layer.

Modulation of hot regions in waveguide-based evanescent-field-coupled localized surface plasmons for plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy

Coupling efficiency between the localized surface plasmons(LSPs) of metal nanoparticles(NPs) and incident light dominates the sensitivities of plasmon-based sensing spectroscopies and imaging techniques, e.g., surfaceenhanced Raman scattering(SERS) spectroscopy. Many endogenous features of metal NPs(e.g., size, shape,aggregation form, etc.) that have strong impacts on their LSPs have been discussed in detail in previous studies.Here, the polarization-tuned electromagnetic(EM) field that facilitates the LSP coupling is fully discussed.Numerical analyses on waveguide-based evanescent fields(WEFs) coupled with the LSPs of dispersed silver nanospheres and silver nano-hemispheres are presented and the applicability of the WEF-LSPs to plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy is discussed. Compared with LSPs under direct light excitation that only provide 3–4 times enhancement of the incidence field, the WEF-LSPs can amplify the electric field intensity about 30–90 times(equaling the enhancement factor of 10~6–10~8 in SERS intensity), which is comparable to the EM amplification of the SERS"hot spot" effect. Importantly, the strongest region of EM enhancement around silver nanospheres can be modulated from the gap region to the side surface simply by switching the incident polarization from TM to TE, which widely extends its sensing applications in surface analysis of monolayer of molecule and macromolecule detections. This technique provides us a unique way to achieve remarkable signal gains in many plasmon-enhanced spectroscopic systems in which LSPs are involved.

Multiple resonant excitations of surface plasmons in a graphene stratified slab by Otto configuration and their independent tuning

Multiple resonant excitations of surface plasmons in a graphene stratified slab are realized by Otto configuration at terahertz frequencies. The proposed graphene stratified slab consists of alternating dielectric layers and graphene sheets, and is sandwiched between a prism and another semi-infinite medium. Optical response and field distribution are determined by the transfer matrix method with the surface current density boundary condition.Multiple resonant excitations appear on the angular reflection spectrum, and are analyzed theoretically via the phase-matching condition. Furthermore, the effects of the system parameters are investigated. Among them, the Fermi levels can tune the corresponding resonances independently. The proposed concept can be engineered for promising applications, including angular selective or multiplex filters, multiple channel sensors, and directional delivery of energy.

Phase-controlled propagation of surface plasmons

Directional emission of electromagnetic radiation can be achieved using a properly shaped single antenna or a phased array of individual antennas.Control of the individual phases within an array enables scanning or other manipulations of the emission,and it is this property of phased arrays that makes them attractive in modern systems.Likewise,the propagation of surface plasmons at the interface between metal films and dielectric materials can be determined by shaping the individual surface nanostructures or via the phase control of individual elements in an array of such structures.Here,we demonstrate control of the propagation of surface plasmons within a linear array of nanostructures.The generic situation of plasmonic surface propagation that is different on both sides of a metal film provides a unique opportunity for such control:plasmons propagating on the slower side feed into the side with the faster propagation,creating a phased array of interfering antennas and thus controlling the directionality of the wake fields.We further show that by shaping the individual nanoantennas,we can generate an asymmetric propagation geometry.

Description of squeezed surface plasmons

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are the combined electron oscillations and electromagnetic waves propagating along the interface between a conductor and a dielectric. Recently Huck et al. [Huck A, et al. Phys Rev Lett, 2009, 102: 246802] proved that SPPs can be in a squeezed state, and the squeezed surface plasmons can propagate in a gold waveguide. In this paper, we introduce a quantum mechanical description of the squeezed surface plasmons at first, and discuss the influence of the waveguide losses on the squeezed surface plasmons.

Recent review of surface plasmons and plasmonic hot electron effects in metallic nanostructures

Plasmonic resonators are widely used for the manipulation of light on subwavelength scales through the near-field electromagnetic wave produced by the collective oscillation of free electrons within metallic systems,well known as the surface plasmon(SP).The non-radiative decay of the surface plasmon can excite a plasmonic hot electron.This review article systematically describes the excitation progress and basic properities of SPs and plasmonic hot electrons according to recent publications.The extraction mechanism of plasmonic hot electrons via Schottky conjunction to an adjacent semiconductor is also illustrated.Also,a calculation model of hot electron density is given,where the efficiency of hot-electron excitation,transport and extraction is discussed.We believe that plasmonic hot electrons have a huge potential in the future development of optoelectronic systems and devices.

Theoretical study of photon emission from single quantum dot emitter coupled to surface plasmons

Motivated by the recent pioneering advances on nanoscale plasmonics and also nanophotonics tech- nology based on the surface plasmons （SPs）, in this work, we give a master equation model in the Lindblad form and investigate the quantum optical properties of single quantum dot （QD） emitter coupled to the SPs of a metallic nanowire. Our main results demonstrate the QD luminescence results of photon emission show three distinctive regimes depending on the distance between QD and metallic nanowire, which elucidates a crossover passing from being metallic dissipative for much smaller emitter-nanowire distances to surface plasmon （SP） emission for larger separations at the vicinity of plasmonic metallic nanowire. Besides, our results also indicate that, for both the resonant case and the detuning case, through measuring QD emitter luminescence spectra and second-order correlation functions, the information about the QD emitter coupling to the SPs of the dissipative metallic nanowire can be extracted. This theoretical study will serve as an introduction to un- derstanding the nanoplasmonic imaging spectroscopy and pave a new way to realize the quantum information devices.