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The evolution of intensive surface plasmon polariton waves in a dielectric-metal-dielectric structure is investigated taking into account absorption properties of metal. It is shown that for real materials spatial redistribution and longitudinal localization of surface wave energy due to modulation instability effect is possible by absorption compensation in active dielectric with gain.

We propose a highly sensitive hybrid-plasmonic sensor based on thin-gold nanoslit arrays. The transmission characteristics of gold nanoslit arrays are analyzed as changing the thickness of gold layer. The surface plasmon polariton mode excited on the sensing medium, which is sensitive to refractive index change of the sensing medium, is strengthened by reducing the thickness of the gold layer. A design rule is suggested that steeper dispersion curve of the surface plasmon polariton mode leads to higher sensitivity. For the dispersion engineering, hybrid-plasmonic structure, which consists of thin-gold nanoslit arrays, sensing region and high refractive index dielectric space is introduced. The proposed sensor structure with period of 700 nm shows the improved sensitivity up to 1080 nm/RIU (refractive index unit), and the surface sensitivity is extremely enhanced.

We investigate the wavelength dependence of localized plasmonic field distributions in a gold nanodimer structure under total internal reflection condition. Although a gold dimer structure is well known to induce strong localized mode at a nanogap, we find that the higher-order plasmonic modes are excited by the oblique light incidence and their interference effect enables us to observe the modification of localized filed distributions at the nano-scale even in a simple gold nanodimer structure depending on the detection wavelength. This change in the plasmonic field distribution would provide important knowledge for their potential applications such as plasmonic trapping, spectroscopy, and sensing.

We present a novel manipulation technique for living cyanobacteria on a plasmonic substrate. Upon plasmon excitation, a local temperature around the excitation area was elevated, leading to a microbubble formation in water. Subsequently, living cyanobacteria were transported to the microbubble by a thermal convection. The cyanobacteria were permanently fixed on the area even after switching off the plasmon excitation. We found that about a half of the fixed cyanobacteria were alive. We succeeded in a micro-ring pattern of living cyanobacteria by the technique.

The mechanisms of super-resolution imaging by contact microspherical or microcylindrical nanoscopy remain an enigmatic question since these lenses neither have an ability to amplify the near-fields like in the case of far-field superlens, nor they have a hyperbolic dispersion similar to hyperlenses. In this work, we present results along two lines. First, we performed numerical modeling of super-resolution properties of two-dimensional (2-D) circular lens in the limit of wavelength-scale diameters, λ ≤ D ≤ 2λ, and relatively high indices of refraction, n=2. Our preliminary results on imaging point dipoles indicate that the resolution is generally close to λ/4; however on resonance with whispering gallery modes it may be slightly higher. Second, experimentally, we used actin protein filaments for the resolution quantification in microspherical nanoscopy. The critical feature of our approach is based on using arrayed cladding layer with strong localized surface plasmon resonances. This layer is used for enhancing plasmonic near-field illumination of our objects. In combination with the magnification of virtual image, this technique resulted in the lateral resolution of actin protein filaments on the order of λ/7.

The surface plasmon erupted by bare metallic film has limitation of localizing high intensity field. Thus, nanostructures on the metallic film (such as nanowire, nanopost) have been used to enhance the Plasmon field by antenna effect. In the case of nanowire, field is highly localized at the sharpened edge of the nanowire. If there is an additional enhancing factor such as a gap between the edges of the nanostructures, area of highly localized field is formed. By adopting reversed trapezoidal structure, we expected to control area and intensity of highly localized plasmon field from both the nano-antenna effect and the gap plasmonic effect. So, we simulated trapezoidal nanowire structure changing the ratio of bottom length and top length of nanostructure. Then we can observe the variation of Plasmon field and intensity. In addition, we can obtain unusual result that the intensity of Plasmon field is highly reduced at specific ratio of bottom length and top length.

Real-time surface plasmon signal modulation was achieved by electrically varying the pitch of a nanoscale surface relief diffraction grating inscribed on an azobenzene thin film covered with a layer of silver. The azobenzene film was spin coated on an electrostrictive Lead Lanthanum Zirconate Titanate (PLZT) ceramic substrate and AC electric fields were applied longitudinally on the PLZT ceramic causing a change in the grating pitch as well as the surface plasmon resonance wavelength. This method permits extremely accurate control of the surface plasmon wavelength for tunable optics applications.

A fiber based plasmonic sensor design is proposed. In principle, both the top surface insulator/metal interface and bottom surface can support SPP decoupled modes. The combination of sensitive interferometric techniques and the optimization process of the design and the material yields to enhanced sensitivities in range of 11000 nm/RIU.

Surface plasmon represents oscillations of electrons at the interface between metal and dielectric layers. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is influenced by the environment near the surface, which has been the basis for label-free biosensor structure for various applications of molecular detection. An important aspect of SPR biosensing is that its characteristics are affected by the geometrical structure. Yet most research has focused largely on a structure using flat surface. Although flat structure is suitable for typical sensor applications, it may not be appropriate for wearable or in vivo applications. In this study, we analyzed the effects of surface curvature on flexible SPR biosensors. Curved surface was approximated using a segmented model in which each segment is treated as a flat surface with a different incident angle and then optical characteristics of the overall model were calculated by rigorous coupled wave analysis in two different configurations of light incidence. We calculated curvature effects on SPR with curvature radius larger than 255 μm. It was found that regardless of the incident configurations, resonance curves tend to broaden with increased curvature due to larger momentum dispersion. Resonance shifts as a result of DNA immobilization and hybridization decrease with curvature. The analysis was extended to multi-curvature structure and finds significant fluctuation of resonance shift for parallel light incidence. The study can be of profound importance for plasmonic devices using flexible substrates.

We have studied fluorescence cellular imaging with randomly distributed localized near-field induced by silver nano-islands. For the fabrication of nano-islands, a 10-nm silver thin film evaporated on a BK7 glass substrate with an adhesion layer of 2-nm thick chromium. Micrometer sized silver square pattern was defined using e-beam lithography and then the film was annealed at ~ 200°C. Raw images were restored using electric field distribution produced on the surface of random nano-islands. Nano-islands were modeled from SEM images. 488-nm p-polarized light source was set to be incident at 60°. Simulation results show that localized electric fields were created among nano-islands and that their average size was found to be ~135 nm. The feasibility was tested using conventional total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy while the angle of incidence was adjusted to maximize field enhancement. Mouse microphage cells were cultured on nano-islands, and actin filaments were selectively stained with FITC-conjugated phalloidin. Acquired images were deconvolved based on linear imaging theory, in which molecular distribution was sampled by randomly distributed localized near-field and blurred by point spread function of far-field optics. The optimum fluorophore distribution was probabilistically estimated by repetitively matching a raw image. The deconvolved images are estimated to have a resolution in the range of 100-150 nm largely determined by the size of localized near-fields. We also discuss and compare the results with images acquired with periodic nano-aperture arrays in various optical configurations to excite localized plasmonic fields and to produce super-resolved molecular images.

In this paper, a surface plasmon resonance sensor for the detection of refractive index variation is presented. A novel waveguide type surface plasmon resonance sensing configuration with focal length variable liquid lens is introduced. The method of surface plasmon resonance sensor is based on the waveguide type with incident angle variation. The incident angle is varied by using an electrowetting liquid lens which is possible to actively change focal length as applying voltage. The optical system, which is adapted to electrowetting lens can continuously change the incident angle of light from 73 to 78 degrees with compact size. The surface plasmon waves are excited between metal and dielectric interface. The sensing surfaces are prepared by a coating of gold metal above high refractive index glass substrate. The incident light which is 532nm monochromatic light source passes through a noble metal coated substrate to detect intensity with incident angle variation. An analysis to distinguish the contribution of light with various incident angle is focused on the angular characteristics of the surface plasmon sensor under wavelength interrogation. The resonance angle is determined corresponding to sensing material refractive index with high sensitivity. The result suggests that the performance of surface plasmon resonance sensor can be improved by real time varying incident angle. From this presented study, it provides a different approach for angular interrogation surface plasmon resonance sensor and can be miniaturized for a portable device.

With the invention of phosphorescent emitter material, organic light emitting diodes with internal quantum yields of up to 100% can be realized. Still, the extraction of the light from the OLED stack is a bottleneck, which hampers the availability of OLEDs with large external quantum efficiencies. In this contribution, we highlight the advantages of integrating aluminum nanodisc arrays into the OLED stack. By this, not only the out-coupling of light can be enhanced, but also the emission color can be tailored and controlled. By means of extinction- and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements we are able to show how the sharp features observed in the extinction measurements correlate with a very selective fluorescence enhancement of the organic emitter materials used in these studies. At the same time, localized surface plasmon resonances of the individual nanodiscs further modify the emission spectrum, e.g., by filtering the green emission tail. A combination of these factors leads to a modification of the emission color in between CIE1931 (x,y) chromaticity coordinates of (0.149, 0.225) and (0.152, 0.352). After accounting for the sensitivity of the human eye, we are able to demonstrate that this adjustment of the chromaticity coordinates goes is accompanied by an increase in device efficiency.

Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiodes are commonly used in ultrafast photoelectronic devices. Recently it was shown that localized surface plasmons can sufficiently enhance photodetector capabilities at both infrared and visible wavelengths. Such structures are of great interest since they can be used for fast, broadband detection. By utilizing the properties of plasmonic structures it is possible to design photodetectors that are sensitive to the polarization state of the incident wave. The direct electrical readout of the polarization state of an incident optical beam has many important applications, especially in telecommunications, bio-imaging and photonic computing. Furthermore, the fact that surface plasmon polaritons can circumvent the diffraction limit, opens up significant opportunities to use them to guide signals between logic gates in modern integrated circuits where small dimensions are highly desirable. Here we demonstrate two MSM photodetectors integrated with aluminum nanoantennas capable of distinguishing orthogonal states of either linearly or circularly polarized light with no additional filters. The localized plasmon resonances of the antennas lead to selective screening of the underlying silicon from light with a particular polarization state. The non-null response of the devices to each of the basis states expands the potential utility of the photodetectors while improving precision. We also demonstrate a design of waveguide-coupled MSM photodetector suitable for planar detection of surface plasmons.

An approach to image the single virus by using Surface Plasmon Polariton Scattering was presented, which is potential for application in the fast, in-situ virus detection in water environment. Polarized by Surface Plasmon Polaritons, the nanoparaticle emits Surface Plasmon Polariton Scattering and interferes with the incident Surface Plasmon Polaritons, which is easy to be detected. The imaging to Surface Plasmon Polariton excitation was implemented. Meanwhile, the imaging to single 39 nm polystyrene nanoparticle and single T4 phage virus by using the Surface Plasmon Polariton Scattering was obtained. Both the imaging and the accurate counting of single virus can be obtained by using this method.

Noble metallic nanoparticle exhibits unique optical properties in visible to near infrared band when its localized surface plasmon resonance is excited. For example a sharp absorption peak at 509nm for a gold nanoparticle at the diameter of 60nm. The plasmonic properties heavily depend on its geometrical structure. In this paper, we theoretically calculate the optical properties of a single nanoparticle with different structure such as solid and core-shell. The simulation results show that the core-shell structure can reach a much broader tunable band and in which the shell thickness plays a dominant role. Further by employing a core-shell pair, more flexible properties can be reached.

A fiber-optic refractive index sensor assisted surface Plasmon resonance of metal dielectric layer around a longperiod fiber-optic grating with hollow fiber core has been proposed and comprehensively analyzed. Its operation principle is based on the efficient energy transfer between the fiber waveguide mode and the co-directional surface Plasmon waves excited with a long-period fiber-optic grating properly designed by the light refracted through the interface between the waveguide area and the metal dielectric film. The long-period fiber-optic grating is fabricated on a waveguide area of a specially designed fiber-optic with hollow fiber core. Simulations have been carried out in coupled mode theory of fiber-optic gratings in the wavelength ranges from 1500 to 1600nm, and for sensing characteristics of refractive index. Unlike a previous proposed fiber Bragg grating fabricated on this kind of fiber, t the sensitivity of the long-period fiber-optic grating SPR refractive index sensor is much higher than that of a FBG in the same structure. The proposed long-period fiber-optic refractive index sensor assisted surface Plasmon resonance is compact, light weight, and highly sensitive with a large sensing range

In this letter, surface plasmon resonance sensors based on grapefruit-type photonic crystal fiber with different silver nano-film structure have been analyzed and compared though the finite element method (FEM). Numerical results show that excellent sensor resolution of 7.143×10-5RIU can be achieved as the thickness of the filling silver film is 30nm by spectrum detection method.

The hybrid rib-slot-rib surface plasmon waveguide where a combined rib-slot-rib structure is added on the metal substrate within a low-index gap region with asymmetric structures is proposed using finite element method. Two types of asymmetric structures are introduced and their modal properties are discussed and compared to their traditional long range surface plasmon waveguide. Our designed structures can provide enhanced confinement energy within the gap region at proper parameters. Our simulation result is a guide for turning properties of plasmonic waveguide and providing ways for improved electromagnetic energy confinement in surface plasmon waveguide.

We report the direct imaging of plasmon on the tips of nano-prisms in a bowtie structure excited by 7 fs laser pulses and probing of ultrafast plasmon dynamics by combining the pump-probe technology with three-photon photoemission electron microscopy. A series of images of the evolution of local surface plasmon modes on different tips of the bowtie are obtained by the time-resolved three-photon photoemission electron microscopy, and the result discloses that plasmon excitation is dominated by the interference of the pump and probe pulses within the first 13 fs of the delay time, and thereafter the individual plasmon starts to oscillate on its own characteristic resonant frequencies. On the other hand, control of the near-field distribution was realized by variation of the phase delay of two orthogonally polarized 200fs laser pulses. The experimental results of the optical near-field distribution control are well reproduced by finite-difference time-domain simulations and understood by linear combination of electric charge distribution of the bowtie by s- and p- polarized light illumination. In addition, an independent shift of the excitation position or the phase of the near-field can be realized by coherent control of two orthogonally polarized fs laser pulses.

It is well known that when total internal reflection occurs at the interface between high to low refractive index, evanescent field will go into the media with low refractive index. This field can be scattered by a small dielectric particle on the surface. In this paper, with the aim to enhance the scattering field we introduced a thin gold film, the filed modified by the metallic film was theoretically calculated by FDTD solver. Further a polystyrene bead at the diameter of 200nm and 800nm was employed to test the model. Theoretical and experimental results agree well with each other that the locally excitated surface plasmon play a dominant role in the field enhancement scattered by the sphere.

In this paper, superlens imaging with surface plasmon polariton cavities in both object and image space is proposed and investigated. A silver layer is added to an object mask to form a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) cavity in object space, which helps to greatly enhance evanescent waves generated by objects. As a result, better object imaging contrast can be obtained when compared with the single surface plasmon polariton cavity in image space only by amplifying the higher frequency componments while suppressing the long range plasmon mode. This is confirmed by the electric field distributions and optical transfer function of the system. The physical mechanism of the imaging quality improvements based on surface-plasmon polaritons is discussed. Finite-difference time-domain analysis method is used in the simulation.

Au/ZnO/Ag sandwich structure films were fabricated by DC magnetron sputter at room temperature. The tunability of the surface plasmon resonance wavelength was realized by varying the thickness of ZnO thin film. The effects of ZnO layer on the optical properties of Au/ZnO/Au thin films were investigated by optical absorption and Raman scattering measurements. It has been found that both the surface plasmon resonance frequency and SERS can be controlled by adjusting the thickness of ZnO layer due to the coupling of metal and semiconductor.

A series of silver films with various thicknesses were deposited on TiO 2 covered silica substrates by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The effects of TiO 2 phase on the structure, optical properties and surface plasmon resonance of silver thin films were investigated by x-ray diffraction, optical absorption and Raman scattering measurements, respectively. By adjusting the silver layer thickness, the resonance wavelength shows a redshift, which is due to a change in the electromagnetic field coupling strength from the localized surface plasmons excited between the silver thin film and TiO 2 layer. Raman scattering measurement results showed that optical absorption plays an important role in surface plasmon enhancement, which is also related to different crystal phase.

We discuss asymmetric reflectance in surface plasmon Bragg gratings incorporating optical gain, referred to as active asymmetric surface plasmon Bragg gratings. It is shown that balanced modulation of index and gain/loss with quarter pitch spatial shift causes unidirectional coupling between contra-propagating modes in long-range surface plasmon polariton Bragg gratings. Such gratings operate at the breaking threshold of parity-time symmetry (exceptional point). Two active asymmetric surface plasmon Bragg gratings designs are proposed and their performance is examined through modal and transfer matrix method computations.

Improved fundamental understanding of resonant optical and electric interactions between noble metal nanoparticles and 2D materials, such as semiconductive molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), could benefit characterization of optoelectronic light harvesting schemes. Energy and damping of plasmon resonances of noble metal nanoparticle-decorated MoS2 were examined via parallel synthesis of (a) approximate discrete dipole (DDA) simulations and (b) near-field electron energy loss (EELS) and far-field optical transmission spectroscopies. Energy of localized surface plasmon resonance altered by MoS2 interactions was studied for gold nanospheres and silver nanoprisms. Augmented plasmon damping by injection of plasmon-excited electrons into the MoS2 was measured in EELS and represented by DDA. These techniques support rapid improvements in nanoparticle-2D material prototypes for photocatalysis and photodetection, for example.

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) has become an experimental method of choice for the investigation of localized surface plasmon resonances, allowing the simultaneous mapping of the associated field distributions and their resonant energies with a nanoscale spatial resolution. The experimental observations have been well-supported by numerical models based on the computation of the Lorentz force acting on the impinging electrons by the scattered field. However, in this framework, the influence of the intrinsic properties of the plasmonic nanostructures studied with the electron energy-loss (EEL) measurements is somehow hidden in the global response. To overcome this limitation, we propose to go beyond this standard, and well-established, electron perspective and instead to interpret the EELS data using directly the intrinsic properties of the nanostructures, without regard to the force acting on the electron. The proposed method is particularly well-suited for the description of coupled plasmonic systems, because the role played by each individual nanoparticle in the observed EEL spectrum can be clearly disentangled, enabling a more subtle understanding of the underlying physical processes. As examples, we consider different plasmonic geometries in order to emphasize the benefits of this new conceptual approach for interpreting experimental EELS data. In particular, we use it to describe results from samples made by traditional thin film patterning and by arranging colloidal nanostructures.

In this work, we demonstrate the effect of detuning the resonant coupling between a long period grating and the plasmonic band of gold nanoparticles on the device sensitivity. In an intensity coded configuration, the sensitivity was measured at 568.12 nm and 598.62 nm, for surroundings refractive indexes ranging from 1.3629 to 1.4184. A comparison between the responses of the two dips centered at these wavelengths resulted in a sensitivity enhancement of about 17 times for the dip localized close to the center of the localized surface plasmon resonance.

Here, we report on the enhancement of molecular vibrational transitions overtones due to the excitation of surface plasmon polariton waves. We show that, assuming a modified Kretschmann-Reather configuration with ultra-thin dielectric over-layer, the effective absorption cross section of higher harmonics of molecular vibrations is boosted by at least two orders of magnitude. Based on the experimental observations reported by Karabchevsky and Kavokin [1] on photonic waveguides, we calculate the differential absorption which appears to exhibit a Fano-like line shape. This manifests the interaction between a narrow molecular resonance and a broad plasmonic mode. In fact, the interaction occurs due to the highest enhancement of the vibrational transitions overtones when the vibration mode and plasmonic mode are detuned. The enhancement factor reported in this study points on feasibility of vibrational overtones detection using conventional spectrometers. In addition, having high signal-to-noise ratio opens a new route for molecular detection and sensing.

Scattering cross-section of metal nanoparticles is enhanced due to Localized Surface Plasmons Resonance (LSPR) permitting the observation of single metal nanoparticles as small as 40 nm using dark-field microscopy. Single particle resolved measurements allow the study of reactions happening on the nanoparticle surface involving an ultra-low number of reactant molecules to understand stochastic effects in reactive systems. Here we report a method to enhance the intensity of resonantly scattered light by using appropriately designed substrates. Specifically, we show that by using a multi-layer dielectric substrate with its high reflectance window spanning the LSPR resonance position, one can increase the intensity of scattered light by nearly an order of magnitude. We took three substrates namely Silicon, glass and the multilayer dielectric mirror. Disk shaped gold nanostructures with sizes ranging from 80 nm – 300 nm were fabricated using electron beam lithography on all three substrates. Sizes of individual nanostructures were determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the dark-field image of each nanostructure was taken with an optical microscope. It was observed that the intensity of light scattered by single nanparticles was roughly an order magnitude larger than that from Silicon and glass substrates. We used a numerical scheme based on Discrete Dipole Approximation to computationally validate our results. The numerical results matched the experiments quite well. The substrate enhanced scattering signal will useful to improve the signal to noise ratio in single particle resolved measurements.

We propose a novel type of dual surface plasmon polariton (SPP) gap nano-antennas which can excite SPPs directionally and switch the direction according to the device temperature. The device consists of a vanadium dioxide (VO2)- insulator-metal resonator and a metal-insulator-metal resonator with slightly different antenna width. Phase of SPPs generated by the VO2 gap antenna changes as the temperature increases, so that interference between SPPs generated from two separated gap antennas makes its launching direction switched. In case of 624 nm wavelength, directional intensity distinction ratios of coupled SPPs are about 1:5 and 7:1 when VO2 is in insulator phase and metallic phase, respectively.

We report the development of a versatile, cheap and reusable plasmonic sensor able to detect glucose in the physiological concentration range by means of a simple label-free optical detection scheme. In order to achieve the aforementioned goal we applied a self-assembly deposition technique for the large-scale arraying of mesoscale gold nanoshell particles. Different from metallic nanospheres arrays, the localized surface plasmon resonances of gold nanoshells arrays extend in both the visible and near-infrared range, making them extremely promising for their use in biological media. Furthermore, the optical response of mesoscale gold nanoshells arrays showed another remarkable characteristic, which is the presence of various Fano resonances that have the advantage of enhancing the sensitivity of the plasmonic substrate to the external media thanks to their sharp features and increased spectral contrast. The plasmonic sensor was shown to have an extended working range with a good linear response for large refractive index shifts, where a bulk refractive index sensitivity of 0.93 RIU -1 (RIU, refractive index units) was achieved experimentally. In addition, the plasmonic sensor could detect aqueous glucose solutions in the blood concentration range (0-25 mM), with a sensitivity of 0.24 M -1 .

The optical properties of nanostructures control the performance of applications that are based on localized surface plasmon resonances. Here we use finite-difference time-domain calculations to explore the effect of geometry and material-of-construction on the transmission and near-field optical intensity of arrays of closely-spaced five-pointed nano-star shapes. We compared isolated solid star shapes to star-shaped nano-gaps set within a surrounding square metal shape. The materials investigated were silver, gold, copper and aluminum. The study showed that both the geometry and material chosen had a significant effect on the resulting transmittance spectra. Transmittance spectra of arrays of solid five-pointed nano-stars did not show any strong absorption peaks in the visible region whereas, in contrast, the arrays of star-shaped nano-gaps set within the metal squares did show strong absorption peaks. However, on closer examination it became obvious that the enhanced electric field of the latter was mostly on the corners of the square metal domains and not actually in or on the star-shaped nano-gaps. Therefore we deduce that arrays of simple metal squares will be more suitable as substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy than arrays of stars or star-shaped nano-gaps. Gold, silver and copper were suitable choices for the latter type of array. Aluminum was unsuitable, at least for applications in the visible part of the spectrum, because it was associated with relatively weak electric fields.

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is very sensitive, and so is the optical technique used in chemical sensing. The angle of incident of light at which a resonant effect is observed, as well as the dip of a resonant are very sensitive to variations of the optical parameters of the medium on a surface-active plasmon metal layer. In this work a novel combcopolimer of regioregular poly-3-hexylothiophene (rr-P3HT) and is studied as a gas (NO2) sensing material. Gas sensing properties of this material is examined using SPR technique at room temperature.

We propose a tunable unidirectional long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LRSPP) launcher based on subwavelength metallic nanoslits in the visible range. The direction of the generated LRSPPs could be tuned simply by varying the incident angles. The extinction ratio reaches up to 28 dB with a wide angular width of 30 degrees. The influences of the launcher geometry on its performance are investigated in this study as well. The broadband property of the launcher is also demonstrated.

We investigate the influence of profile of one-dimensional (1D) Ag gratings on the enhancement factor (EF) of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). An optimized duty ratio of 1D Ag grating is found, and the SERS EF is experimentally obtained on the order of ~ 10 4 , while the finite-difference time-domain simulation shows that the SERS EF can be as high as ~ 10 6 . We ascribe the discrepancy between the simulated and the experimental results mainly to the fluctuation of Ag grating structure, which is confirmed by the topography measurement using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the effects of Ag-grating electrode on the performance of polymer:fullerene based bulk heterojunction organic solar cells. First, an integrated numerical model has been developed, which is capable of describing both the optical and the electrical properties simultaneously. The Ag-grating patterned back electrode was then designed to enhance the absorption in sub-bandgap region of P3HT:PCBM binary devices. Laser interference lithography and metal lift-off technique were adopted to realize highly-uniform and large-area nanograting patterns. We measured almost 5 times enhancement of the external quantum efficiency at the surface plasmon resonance wavelength. However, the overall improvement in power conversion efficiency was not significant due to the low intrinsic absorption of active layer in this sub-bandgap region. We, then, investigated about the effect of surface plasmon on the ternary device of P3HT:Si-PCPDTBT:ICBA. It was demonstrated that the infrared absorption by the Si-PCPDTBT sensitizer can be substantially enhanced by matching the surface plasmon resonance to the sensitizer absorption band. Besides, we also observed an additional enhancement in the visible range which is due to the scattering effect of the gratings. An overall short-circuit current enhancement of up to 40% was predicted numerically. We have then fabricated the device by the lamination technique and observed a 30% increase in the short circuit current. Plasmon enhancement of sensitized organic solar cell presents a promising pathway to high-efficiency, broadband-absorbing polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction organic solar cells.

An ultra-thin silver-coated tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) sensor with clear surface plasmon resonance (SPR) together with strong evanescent wave in transmission for "surface" and "bulk" surrounding refractive index (SRI) measurement is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The thickness of the silver coating over the fiber surface is precisely controlled at 12~16 nm (much thinner than 40~50 nm for traditional SPR excitation). The transmission spectrum of the sensor provides a fine comb of narrowband resonances that overlap with the broader absorption of the surface plasmon and thus provide a unique tool to measure small shifts of the plasmon and identify the "surface" SRI changes with high accuracy. Meanwhile, the ultra-thin nanometric-coating permits part of high-order cladding modes to become leaky modes which have a large sensitivity to variations in the background solution for "bulk" SRI measurement. Experimental results show that above two resonances have an inverse amplitude responses to the SRI changing. Biological solutions (urine of rats with different concentration of Aquaporin) with different RI ranging from 1.3400 to 1.3408 were clearly discriminated in-situ by using the differential amplitude monitoring between “cut-off” cladding resonance and plasmonic resonance, with an amplitude variation sensitivity of ~8100 dB/RIU and a limit of detection of ~10-5 RIU.

The design of a plastic optical fiber-based surface plasmon resonance biochip has been developed and their theoretical and experimental aspects are presented here. Multilayer Fresnel equations combined with an available experimental database are used to verify the SPR effect over different metal thin film and substrate materials, considering the sensor immersed in an aqueous solution. Also, the optical substrate preparation with the cladding removing and experimental aspects are presented and discussed. Only angular interrogation mode has been observed and finally an experimental setup has been proposed.

Plasmon nanolasers, also known as SPASERs, were suggested by Bergman and Stockman in 2003. Quantum plasmonics attract much attention in recent years due to the numerous potential applications in the plasmonics. We consider thermal effects in the metal nanoresonator immersed in the active, laser medium. The size of the resonator is much less than the wavelength. The plasmon field inside the nanoresonator operates as a quantum object. Due to the nanosize of the resonator, the internal plasmon electric field is about the atomic field even for few plasmon quants. The coupling between the plasmon field and plasmon resonator is anomalous strong. We develop the quantum dynamics of the plasmon field and show that the SPASER may be the subject of thermal instability. The loss in SPASER increases with increasing the temperature when the average number of the plasmons is maintained at the stationary level. Therefore, the heat generation increases with increasing the temperature. This positive feedback results in the thermal instability. When the energy, accumulated in the plasmon nanoresonator, exceeds the instability threshold the temperature increases exponentially. We find the increment of the temperature growth and lifetime as function of the loss in metal and the structure of the plasmon resonator. We consider how the thermal instability influences the luminescence and find how the lasing threshold is changed. The coherence of the light emitted by the plasmon laser is also considered. The thermal stability of the nanolaser is crucial for any practical application.

The excitation of surface plasmon polariton at the interface of left-handed metamaterial with cylindrical anisotropy and dielectric medium in THz frequency range was considered. The impact of wave polarization and incidence angle was considered.

Light emission from metal nanoparticles has potential appications as a highly sensitive refractive index detector. In order for this protential to be realized the mechanics of plasmon enhanced photoluminescence (PL) in planar nanoparticle arrays must be understude. We present an experimental exploreation of emission spectra and realitive efficiency of gold PL in nanoplasmonic arrays. We demonstrate tunability of metal PL by nanoparticle size and discover the critical role of near-field interparticle coupling on emission efficiency. We show that direct excition of plasmon resonances by photoexcited electron-hole pairs is the primary contributer to the metalic nanoparticle emission spectrum. We additionally show that emission is quenched by near-field interactions between nanoparticles leading to spectral broading by increased non-radiative plasmon decay. Finally, we show a correlation between plasmon life-time and PL efficiency. We explore this phenominan for both linear and nonlinear PL. Experimental results are supported by numerical simulations of plasmon life-time.

We will present the experimental and theoretical studies of the photonic spin-orbit coupling effects facilitated by a nanoparticle near a planar surface. Due to spin-orbit coupling, circularly polarized light of opposite handedness may take different trajectories when interacting with such a system, e.g. impinging on a polarizable particle placed above a metallic surface supporting surface plasmon polaritons or other guided modes. The transverse spin carried by surface plasmons is intimately linked to the polarisation of light after their scattering on nanostructures. Circular polarizations of opposite handedness are radiated into mirror-symmetric directions, dependent on the surface plasmon propagation direction. This spin-orbit coupling effect is an optical analogue of the inverse spin Hall effect and has important implications for optical forces, optical information processing, quantum optical technology and topological surface metrology.

Understanding light-matter interactions such as the dynamic response of a metal to incident light is essential for advancing fundamental research and technological applications e.g. designing plasmonic devices such as nanoantenna directional emitters. The near-field response is determined on a length scale that is intrinsically smaller than the optical diffraction limit and so we use electrons to image the near-field distribution. We combine photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) with a variable wavelength laser light source, an optical parametric oscillator (OPO), to perform near-field imaging and spectroscopy of whispering gallery resonator (WGR)1 arrays. These ultrahigh spatially and spectrally resolved measurements show characteristic spectral peaks and near-field mode distributions due to the excitation of different plasmon resonances. Controlling the interference between dipole and quadrupole modes allows us to direct the emission from the nanoantenna. Additionally we perform femtosecond 2-dimensional coherence spectroscopy2 on a microcavity system containing two well separated WGR nanoantennas. Hybridization of a propagating surface plasmon polariton and the localized surface plasmon in a cavity enables energy transfer between the two coupled nanoantennas. [1] E. J. R. Vessseur, F. J. Garcia de Abajo and A. Polman Nano Letters 9 3147 (2009) [2] M. Aeschlimann et al, Science 333, 1723 (2011)

In this paper we present optical properties of thin metal films deposited on the glass substrates by the physical vapor deposition. Localized surface plasmon polaritons of different film thicknesses have been spectrally characterized by optical methods. Evidence of the Au nanoparticles in deposited thin films have been demonstrated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and their dimensions as well as separations have been evaluated. As a first approximation, the simulation model of deposited nanoparticles without assuming their dimension and separation distributions has been created. Simulation model defines relation between the nanoparticle dimensions and their separations. Model of deposited nanoparticles has been simulated by the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulation method. The pulsed excitation has been used and transmission of optical radiation has been calculated from the spectral response by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyses. Plasmonic extinctions have been calculated from measured spectral characteristics as well as simulated characteristics and compared with each other. The nanoparticle dimensions and separations have been evaluated from the agreement between the simulation and experimental spectral characteristics. Surface morphology of thin metal film has been used as an input for the detail simulation study based on the experimental observation of metal nanoparticle distribution. Hence, this simulation method includes appropriate coupling effects between nanoparticles and provides more reliable results. Obtained results are helpful for further deep understanding of thin metal films plasmonic properties and simulation method is demonstrated as a powerful tool for the deposition technology optimizations.

Dark plasmon modes in metal nanoparticle systems are usually excited by non-optical means. We show that strongly focused illumination can lead to excitation of dark modes. We first use rigorous vectorial diffraction theory to compute the distribution of light at the focus and then numerically calculate the response of single particles and particle dimers. Controlling the distribution of light arriving at the focusing lens by pupil filters enables enhancing the excitation of dark modes. Overall, these results present guidelines for the excitation of dark plasmon modes using standard optical instrumentation.

Nanoporous TiO2 anatase film has been investigated as sensitive layer in Surface Plasmon Resonance sensors for the detection of hydrogen and Volatile Organic Compounds, specifically methanol and isopropanol. The sensors consist of a TiO2 nanoporous matrix deposited above a metallic plasmonic grating, which can support propagating Surface Plasmon Polaritons. The spectral position of the plasmonic resonance dip in the reflectance spectra was monitored and correlated to the interaction with the target gases. Reversible blue-shifts of the resonance frequency, up to more than 2 THz, were recorded in response to the exposure to 10000 ppm of H2 in N2 at 300°C. This shift cannot be explained by the mere refractive index variation due to the target gas filling the pores, that is negligible. Reversible red-shifts were instead recorded in response to the exposure to 3000 ppm of methanol or isopropanol at room temperature, of magnitudes up to 14 THz and 9 THz, respectively. In contrast, if the only sensing mechanism was the mere pores filling, the shifts should have been larger during the isopropanol detection. We therefore suggest that other mechanisms intervene in the analyte/matrix interaction, capable to produce an injection of electrons into the sensitive matrix, which in turn induces a decrease of the refractive index.

We study plasmonic nanostructures in single-crystal gold with scanning electron and femtosecond photoemission electron microscopies. We design an integrated laser coupling and nanowire waveguide structure by focused ion beam lithography in single-crystal gold flakes. The photoemission results show that the laser field is efficiently coupled into a propagating surface plasmon by a simple hole structure and propagates efficiently in an adjacent nano-bar waveguide. A strong local field is created by the propagating surface plasmon at the nano-bar tip. A similar structure, with a decreased waveguide width and thickness, displayed significantly more intense photoemission indicating enhanced local electric field at the sharper tip.

In recent years, optical local heating in the nanoscale has attracted great attention due to its unique features of small hot spot size and high energy density. Plasmonic local heating can provide solutions to several challenges in data storage and cancer treatment. Research conducted in this field to achieve plasmonic local heating has mainly utilized the excitation of localized surface plasmon (LSP) or surface plasmon resonance (SPR). However, achieving plasmonic local heating by the excitation of magnetic polariton (MP) has not been researched extensively yet. We numerically investigate the optical response of a nanostructure composed of a gold nanowire on a gold surface separated by a polymer spacer using the ANSYS High Frequency Structural Simulator (HFSS). The structure exhibits a strong absorption peak at the wavelength of 750 nm, and the underlying physical mechanism is verified by the local electromagnetic field distribution to be the magnetic resonance excitation. By incorporating the volume loss density due to the strong local optical energy confinement as the heat generation, nanoscale temperature distribution within the structure is numerically obtained with a thermal solver after assigning proper boundary conditions. The results show a maximum temperature of 158.5°C confined in a local area on the order of 35 nm within the ultrathin polymer layer, which clearly demonstrates the plasmonic local heating effect beyond diffraction limit by excitation of MP.

We study the radiation-induced motive force (radiation force) on a nanoscale particle (NP) nearby metallic nanostructures with considering the optical nonlinear response in the NP. In order to calculate the radiation force, we develop a new method in which one simultaneously solves Maxwell equation for an arbitrary-shaped metallic structure within discrete dipole approximation (DDA), and Liouville equation for a three-level NP. This method enables us to take into account the nonlinear polarization and geometrical information of metallic structure and the NP. It should be noted that the interplay between the metal structure and NP is automatically included because our method self-consistently treats the total electric field and the NP polarization. In addition to the strong enhancement of the radiation force by using the electric field due to the localized surface plasmons (LSPs), it is found that, because of the strong excitation by the LSPs, including nonlinear effect is crucial for some metal structure due to the strong absorption saturation of the NP.

Lattice plasmon resonances (LPRs), which originate from the plasmonic-photonic coupling in gold or silver nanoparticle arrays, possess ultra-narrow linewidth by suppressing the radiative damping and provide the possibility to develop the plasmonic sensors with high figure of merit (FOM). However, the plasmonic-photonic coupling is greatly suppressed when the nanoparticles are immobilized on substrates because the diffraction orders are cut off at the nanoparticle-substrate interfaces. Here, we develop the rational design of LPR structures for the high-performance, on-chip plasmonic sensors based on both orthogonal and parallel coupling. Our finite-difference time-domain simulations in the core/shell SiO2/Au nanocylinder arrays (NCAs) reveal that new modes of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) show up when the aspect ratio of the NCAs is increased. The height-induced LSPRs couple with the superstrate diffraction orders to generate the robust LPRs in asymmetric environment. The high wavelength sensitivity and narrow linewidth in these LPRs lead to the plasmonic sensors with high FOM and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Wide working wavelengths from visible to near-infrared are also achieved by tuning the parameters of the NCAs. Moreover, the wide detection range of refractive index is obtained in the parallel LPR structure. The electromagnetic field distributions in the NCAs demonstrate the height-enabled tunability of the plasmonic “hot spots” at the sub-nanoparticles resolution and the coupling between these “hot spots” with the superstrate diffraction waves, which are responsible for the high performance LPRs-based on-chip refractive index sensors.