Active Mode Switching in Plasmonic Microlasers by Spatial Control of Optical Gain.

The pursuit of miniaturized optical sources for on-chip applications has led to the development of surface plasmon polariton lasers (plasmonic lasers). While applications in spectroscopy and information technology would greatly benefit from the facile and active tuning of the output wavelength from such devices, this topic remains underexplored. Here, we demonstrate optically controlled switching between predefined wavelengths within a plasmonic microlaser. After fabricating Fabry-Pérot plasmonic cavities that consist of two curved block reflectors on an ultrasmooth flat Ag surface, we deposit a thin film of CdSe/CdxZn1-xS/ZnS colloidal core/shell/shell nanoplatelets (NPLs) as the gain medium. Our cavity geometry allows the spatial and energetic separation of transverse modes. By spatially modulating the gain profile within this device, we demonstrate active selection and switching between four transverse modes within a single plasmonic laser. The fast buildup and decay of the plasmonic modes promises picosecond switching times, given sufficiently rapid changes in the structured illumination.

Biexciton Binding Energy and Line width of Single Quantum Dots at Room Temperature.

Broadening of multiexciton emission from colloidal quantum dots (QDs) at room temperature is important for their use in high-power applications, but an in-depth characterization has not been possible until now. We present and apply a novel spectroscopic method to quantify the biexciton line width and biexciton binding energy of single CdSe/CdS/ZnS colloidal QDs at room temperature. In our method, which we term "cascade spectroscopy", we select emission events from the biexciton cascade and reconstruct their spectrum. The biexciton has an average emission line width of 86 meV on the single-QD scale, similar to that of the exciton. Variations in the biexciton repulsion (Eb = 4.0 ± 3.1 meV; mean ± standard deviation of 15 QDs) are correlated with but are more narrowly distributed than variations in the exciton energy (10.0 meV standard deviation). Using a simple quantum-mechanical model, we conclude that inhomogeneous broadening in our sample is primarily due to variations in the CdS shell thickness.

Measurement of Raman Optical Activity with High-Frequency Polarization Modulation.

Many chiroptical spectroscopic techniques have been developed to detect chirality in molecular species and probe its role in biological processes. Raman optical activity (ROA) should be one of the most powerful methods, as ROA yields vibrational and chirality information simultaneously and can measure analytes in aqueous and biologically relevant solvents. However, despite its promise, the use of ROA has been limited, largely due to challenges in instrumentation. Here, we report a new approach to ROA that exploits high-frequency polarization modulation. High-frequency polarization modulation, usually implemented with a photoelastic modulator (PEM), has long been the standard technique in other chiroptical spectroscopies. Unfortunately, the need for simultaneous spectral and polarization resolution has precluded the use of PEMs in ROA instruments. We combine a specialized camera system (the Zurich imaging polarimeter, or ZIMPOL) with PEM modulation to perform ROA measurements. We demonstrate performance similar to the current standard in ROA instrumentation while reducing complexity and polarization artifacts. This development should aid researchers in exploiting the full potential of ROA for chemical and biological analysis.

Trion Emission Dominates the Low-Temperature Photoluminescence of CdSe Nanoplatelets.

Colloidal nanoplatelets (NPLs) are atomically flat, quasi-two-dimensional particles of a semiconductor. Despite intense interest in their optical properties, several observations concerning the emission of CdSe NPLs remain puzzling. While their ensemble photoluminescence spectrum consists of a single narrow peak at room temperature, two distinct emission features appear at temperatures below ∼160 K. Several competing explanations for the origin of this two-color emission have been proposed. Here, we present temperature- and time-dependent experiments demonstrating that the two emission colors are due to two subpopulations of uncharged and charged NPLs. We study dilute films of isolated NPLs, thus excluding any explanation relying on collective effects due to NPL stacking. Temperature-dependent measurements explain that trion emission from charged NPLs is bright at cryogenic temperatures, while temperature activation of nonradiative Auger recombination quenches the trion emission above 160 K. Our findings clarify many of the questions surrounding the photoluminescence of CdSe NPLs.

Fluctuations in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectra of Individual Semiconductor Nanocrystals.

Most single quantum emitters display non-steady emission properties. Models that explain this effect have primarily relied on photoluminescence measurements that reveal variations in intensity, wavelength, and excited-state lifetime. While photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy could provide complementary information, existing experimental methods cannot collect spectra before individual emitters change in intensity (blink) or wavelength (spectrally diffuse). Here, we present an experimental approach that circumvents such issues, allowing the collection of excitation spectra from individual emitters. Using rapid modulation of the excitation wavelength, we collect and classify excitation spectra from individual CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell quantum dots. The spectra, along with simultaneous time-correlated single-photon counting, reveal two separate emission-reduction mechanisms caused by charging and trapping, respectively. During bright emission periods, we also observe a correlation between emission red-shifts and the increased oscillator strength of higher excited states. Quantum-mechanical modeling indicates that diffusion of charges in the vicinity of an emitter polarizes the exciton and transfers the oscillator strength to higher-energy transitions.

Single-Pulse Measurement of Orbital Angular Momentum Generated by Microring Lasers.

Optical beams with helical phase fronts carry orbital angular momentum (OAM). To exploit this property in integrated photonics, micrometer-scale devices that generate beams with well-defined OAM are needed. Consequently, lasers based on microring resonators decorated with azimuthal grating elements have been investigated. However, future development of such devices requires better methods to determine their OAM, as current approaches are challenging to implement and interpret. If a simple and more sensitive technique were available, OAM microring lasers could be better understood and further improved. In particular, despite most devices being pulsed, their OAM output has been assumed to be constant. OAM fluctuations, which are detrimental for applications, need to be quantified. Here, we fabricate quantum-dot microring lasers and demonstrate a simple measurement method that can straightforwardly determine the magnitude and sign of the OAM down to the level of individual laser pulses. We exploit a Fourier microscope with a cylindrical lens and then investigate three types of microring lasers: with circular symmetry, with "blazed" grating elements, and with unidirectional rotational modes. Our results confirm that previous measurement techniques obscured key details about the OAM generation. For example, while time-averaged OAM from our unidirectional laser is very similar to our blazed grating device, single-pulse measurements show that detrimental effects of mode competition are almost entirely suppressed in the former. Nevertheless, even in this case, the OAM output exhibits shot-to-shot fluctuations. Thus, our approach reveals important details in the underlying device operation that can aid in the improvement of micrometer-scale sources with pure OAM output.

Compact Plasmonic Distributed-Feedback Lasers as Dark Sources of Surface Plasmon Polaritons.

Plasmonic modes in optical cavities can be amplified through stimulated emission. Using this effect, plasmonic lasers can potentially provide chip-integrated sources of coherent surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). However, while plasmonic lasers have been experimentally demonstrated, they have not generated propagating plasmons as their primary output signal. Instead, plasmonic lasers typically involve significant emission of free-space photons that are intentionally outcoupled from the cavity by Bragg diffraction or that leak from reflector edges due to uncontrolled scattering. Here, we report a simple cavity design that allows for straightforward extraction of the lasing mode as SPPs while minimizing photon leakage. We achieve plasmonic lasing in 10-µm-long distributed-feedback cavities consisting of a Ag surface periodically patterned with ridges coated by a thin layer of colloidal semiconductor nanoplatelets as the gain material. The diffraction to free-space photons from cavities designed with second-order feedback allows a direct experimental examination of the lasing-mode profile in real- and momentum-space, in good agreement with coupled-wave theory. In contrast, we demonstrate that first-order-feedback cavities remain "dark" above the lasing threshold and the output signal leaves the cavity as propagating SPPs, highlighting the potential of such lasers as on-chip sources of plasmons.

Dual-Wavelength Lasing in Quantum-Dot Plasmonic Lattice Lasers.

Arrays of metallic particles patterned on a substrate have emerged as a promising design for on-chip plasmonic lasers. In past examples of such devices, the periodic particles provided feedback at a single resonance wavelength, and organic dye molecules were used as the gain material. Here, we introduce a flexible template-based fabrication method that allows a broader design space for Ag particle-array lasers. Instead of dye molecules, we integrate colloidal quantum dots (QDs), which offer better photostability and wavelength tunability. Our fabrication approach also allows us to easily adjust the refractive index of the substrate and the QD-film thickness. Exploiting these capabilities, we demonstrate not only single-wavelength lasing but dual-wavelength lasing via two distinct strategies. First, by using particle arrays with rectangular lattice symmetries, we obtain feedback from two orthogonal directions. The two output wavelengths from this laser can be selected individually using a linear polarizer. Second, by adjusting the QD-film thickness, we use higher-order transverse waveguide modes in the QD film to obtain dual-wavelength lasing at normal and off-normal angles from a symmetric square array. We thus show that our approach offers various design possibilities to tune the laser output.

Nd3+-Doped BiVO4 luminescent nanothermometers of high sensitivity.

Neodymium-doped BiVO4 nanoparticles are explored for luminescent nanothermometry in the first and second biological windows. The nanothermometer sensitivity can be increased by an order of magnitude through careful selection of excitation wavelength and emission peaks, leading to sub-degree resolution and penetration depth up to 6 mm in biological tissues.

Defect-Tolerant Plasmonic Elliptical Resonators for Long-Range Energy Transfer.

Energy transfer allows energy to be moved from one quantum emitter to another. If this process follows the Förster mechanism, efficient transfer requires the emitters to be extremely close (<10 nm). To increase the transfer range, nanophotonic structures have been explored for photon- or plasmon-mediated energy transfer. Here, we fabricate high-quality silver plasmonic resonators to examine long-distance plasmon-mediated energy transfer. Specifically, we design elliptical resonators that allow energy transfer between the foci, which are separated by up to 10 µm. The geometry of the ellipse guarantees that all plasmons emitted from one focus are collected and channeled through different paths to the other focus. Thus, energy can be transferred even if a micrometer-sized defect obstructs the direct path between the focal points. We characterize the spectral and spatial profiles of the resonator modes and show that these can be used to transfer energy between green- and red-emitting colloidal quantum dots printed with subwavelength accuracy using electrohydrodynamic nanodripping. Rate-equation modeling of the time-resolved fluorescence from the quantum dots further confirms the long-distance energy transfer.