Broadband bowtie belt nanoantennas

In this article, we study a linear array of bowtie nanoantennas placed between two metallic strips that can work from 800 to 1420 nm (600 nm linewidth), with an electric field enhancement factor close to 20. We study the dynamical change of the position of the electric field enhancement amongst different elements in the array and, at the same time, the effects of dispersion on the scalability of the array elements. A systematic analysis and methodology to produce an array that can operate over a large bandwidth whilst maintaining the electric field enhancement without significant variation is provided.     

Effect of oxygen deficiency (δ) on transition temperature of yttrium cuprate superconductors

The nature of pairing mechanism as well as transition temperature of yttrium cuprates is discussed using the strong coupling theory. An interaction potential has been developed for the layered structure with two conducting CuO₂(a–b) layers in a unit cell. The interaction potential properly takes care of electron-electron, electron-phonon and electron-plasmon interactions. Furthermore, the electron-phonon coupling parameter (λ), the modified Coulomb repulsive parameter (μ*) and the 2D acoustic phonon (plasmon) energy as a function of oxygen deficiency is worked out. Finally, the superconducting transition temperature (T _c) is then evaluated by using these coupling parameters and obtainedT _c = 95(92)K for Y(Yb)Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δ superconductors withδ = 0·0. The model parameters estimated from the layered structure approach are consistent with the strong coupling theory. The result deduced on the variation ofT _c withδ are in fair agreement with the earlier reported data on yttrium cuprates. The analysis of the above results are discussed.     

Three-dimensional subwavelength components utilizing THz surface plasmons

Since surface plasmons(SPs)are not constrained by the diraction limit,they have important potential applications in the optical,terahertz(THz),and microwave components.In this paper,we firstly present a review of three-dimensional(3D) bidirectional and multi-directional THz SP splitters based on the rectangular metallic groove gratings with finite thickness,in which a metallic wire was used to excite the THz SPs.The experimental verifications of such splitters have been implemented in the microwave frequencies,and the measurement results have excellent agreements to the full-wave simulations.To improve the performance,a 3D bidirectional THz SP splitter with the transverse confinement and a 3D bidirectional bending THz SP splitter are then proposed,which have shown very good splitting performance,compact sizes,and better transverse confinement of EM fields.Finally,a broadband slow-wave system of subwavelength thickness is reviewed and a new bending slow-wave system utilizing THz SPs is proposed.Experiments and simulations in microwave frequencies have good agreements,showing the validity of these components.     

飞秒激光制备亚波长周期光栅及其光学特性

使用中心波长800 nm、重复频率1 kHz的飞秒激光,在金属钨表面斜入射下制备了亚波长周期光栅结构,在入射角为0o~80o时,光栅结构的周期为349~620 nm. 利用表面等离子体激元的理论分析了在钨表面制备光栅结构的过程,实验结果与理论符合较好. 利用严格耦合波分析方法计算了实验中得到的光栅结构的反射光谱,其吸收增强波长大小与光栅结构周期相近. 研究结果表明:利用飞秒激光可以在金属表面直接诱导周期可控的光栅结构,此光栅结构具有一定的应用前景.     

Harvesting light with transformation optics

Transformation optics （TO） is a new tool for controlling electromagnetic fields. In the context of metamaterial technology, it provides a direct link between a desired electromagnetic （EM） phenomenon and the material response required for its occurrence. Recently, this powerful framework has been successfully exploited to study surface plasmon assisted phenomena such as light harvesting. Here, we review the general strategy based on TO to design plasmonic devices capable of harvesting light over a broadband spectrum and achieving considerable field confinement and enhancement. The methodology starts with two-dimensional （2D） cases, such as 2D metal edges, crescent-shaped cylinders, nanowire dimers, and rough metal surfaces, and is well extended to fully-fledged three-dimensional （3D） situations. The largely analytic approach gives physical insights into the processes involved and suggests a way forward to study a wide variety of plasmonic nanostructures.     

How Effective is Plasmonic Enhancement of Colloidal Quantum Dots for Color‐Conversion Light‐Emitting Devices?

Enhancing the fluorescence intensity of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in case of color‐conversion type QD light‐emitting devices (LEDs) is very significant due to the large loss of QDs and their quantum yields during fabrication processes, such as patterning and spin‐coating, and can therefore improve cost‐effectiveness. Understanding the enhancement process is crucial for the design of metallic nanostructure substrates for enhancing the fluorescence of colloidal QDs. In this work, improved color conversion of colloidal green and red QDs coupled with aluminum (Al) and silver (Ag) nanodisk (ND) arrays designed by in‐depth systematic finite‐difference time domain simulations of excitation, spontaneous emission, and quantum efficiency enhancement is reported. Calculated results of the overall photoluminescence enhancement factor in the substrate of 500 × 500 µm² size are 2.37‐fold and 2.82‐fold for Al ND‐green QD and Ag ND‐red QD structures, respectively. Experimental results are in good agreement, showing 2.26‐fold and 2.66‐fold enhancements for Al ND and Ag ND structures. Possible uses of plasmonics in cases such as white LED and total color conversion for possible display applications are discussed. The theoretical treatments and experiments shown in this work are a proof of principle for future studies of plasmonic enhancement of various light‐emitting materials.     

Ultraviolet Photoluminescence of Carbon Nanospheres and its Surface Plasmon‐Induced Enhancement

Ultraviolet (UV) light can be used in versatile applications ranging from photoelectronic devices to biomedical imaging. In the development of new UV light sources, in this study, stable UV emission at ≈350 nm is unprecedentedly obtained from carbon nanospheres (CNSs). The origin of the UV fluorescence is comprehensively investigated via various characterization methods, including Raman and Fourier transform infrared analyses, with comparison to the visible emission of carbon nanodots. Based on the density functional calculations, the UV fluorescence is assigned to the carbon nanostructures bonded to bridging O atoms and dangling –OH groups. Moreover, a twofold enhancement in the UV emission is acquired for Au‐carbon core‐shell nanospheres (Au‐CNSs). This remarkable modification of the UV emission is primarily ascribed to charge transfer between the CNSs and the Au surface.     

Polarization control scheme for surface plasmon and optical guided mode control detection

A technique based on what is known as polarizer–compensator–sample–analyzer (PCSA) scheme in ellipsometry, combined with the Kretschmann configuration to excite plasmon and waveguided modes is described. The system allows the control of the polarization state of the reflected light and is shown to have higher sensitivity than the measurement of only the amplitude of the reflected light. We show the response of the system to variations in temperature and small changes in the refractive index of a liquid.