Kinetics of lipid raft formation at lipid monolayer-bilayer junction probed by surface plasmon resonance.

A label-free, non-dispruptive, and real-time analytical device to monitor the dynamic features of biomolecules and their interactions with neighboring molecules is an essential prerequisite for biochip- and diagonostic assays. To explore one of the central questions on the lipid-lipid interactions in the course of the liquid-ordered (lo) domain formation, called rafts, we developed a method of reconstituting continuous but spatially heterogeneous lipid membrane platforms with molayer-bilayer juntions (MBJs) that enable to form the lo domains in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. This allows us to detect the time-lapse dynamics of the lipid-lipid interactions during raft formation and resultant membrane phase changes together with the raft-associated receptor-ligand binding through the surface plasmon resonance (SPR). For cross-validation, using epifluorescence microscopy, we demonstrated the underlying mechanisms for raft formations that the infiltration of cholesterols into the sphingolipid-enriched domains plays a crucial roles in the membrane phase-separation. Our membrane platform, being capable of monitoring dynamic interactions among lipids and performing the systematic optical analysis, will unveil physiological roles of cholesterols in a variety of biological events.

Complete amplitude and phase control of light using broadband holographic metasurfaces.

Reconstruction of light profiles with amplitude and phase information, called holography, is an attractive optical technology with various significant applications such as three-dimensional imaging and optical data storage. Subwavelength spatial control of both amplitude and phase of light is an essential requirement for an ideal hologram. However, traditional holographic devices suffer from their restricted capabilities of incomplete modulation in both amplitude and phase of visible light; this results in sacrifice of optical information and undesirable occurrences of critical noises in holographic images. Herein, we have proposed a novel metasurface that is capable of completely controlling both the amplitude and phase profiles of visible light independently with subwavelength spatial resolution. The full, continuous, and broadband control of both amplitude and phase was achieved using X-shaped meta-atoms based on the expanded concept of the Pancharatnam-Berry phase. The first experimental demonstrations of the complete complex-amplitude holograms with subwavelength definition at visible wavelengths were achieved, and excellent performances with a remarkable signal-to-noise ratio as compared to those of traditional phase-only holograms were obtained. Extraordinary control capability with versatile advantages of our metasurface paves a way to an ideal holography, which is expected to be a significant advancement in the field of optical holography and metasurfaces.

Critical nanofocusing of magnetic dipole moment using a closed plasmonic tip.

Squeezing magnetic dipole (MD) moment into a deep subwavelegnth apex of a tapered tip has not been achieved so far owing to a specific mode volume of a MD resonance which is dependent on an operating wavelength and back reflection of nanofocused waves. We propose a novel strategy for efficient delivery and nanofocusing of optical MD at an apex of a closed resonant plasmonic tip. Due to the ultracompact area (~λ2/900) of the nanocavity and resonances assisted by partial mirrors in a plasmonic waveguide, the enhancement factor of magnetic energy density is improved over 5 times. We expect that our scheme can help to investigate strong magnetic phenomena, including enhanced magnetic transition, artificial optical magnetism, multipole nonlinear optics, biomolecular sensing, magnetic near-field imaging, and spectroscopy.

Broadband ultrathin circular polarizer at visible and near-infrared wavelengths using a non-resonant characteristic in helically stacked nano-gratings.

Modern imaging and spectroscopy systems require to implement diverse functionalities with thin thickness and wide wavelength ranges. In order to meet this demand, polarization-resolved imaging has been widely investigated with integrated circular polarizers. However, the circular polarizers which operate at the entire visible wavelengths and have a thickness of several tens of nanometers have not been developed yet. Here, a circular polarizer, operating at the entire visible wavelength range, is demonstrated using helically stacked aluminum nano-grating layers. High extinction ratio and broad operation bandwidth are simultaneously achieved by using non-resonant anisotropic characteristics of the nano-grating. It is theoretically verified that the averaged extinction ratio becomes up to 8 over the entire visible wavelength range while having a thickness of 390 nm. Also, the feasibility of the proposed structure and circular polarization selectivity at the visible wavelength range are experimentally verified. It is expected that the proposed structure will lead to extreme miniaturization of a circular polarizer and contribute greatly to the development of mobile/wearable imaging systems such as virtual reality and augmented reality displays.

Active directional switching of surface plasmon polaritons using a phase transition material.

Active switching of near-field directivity, which is an essential functionality for compact integrated photonics and small optoelectronic elements, has been challenging due to small modulation depth and complicated fabrication methods for devices including active optical materials. Here, we theoretically and experimentally realize a nanoscale active directional switching of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) using a phase transition material for the first time. The SPP switching device with noticeable distinction is demonstrated based on the phase transition of vanadium dioxide (VO2) at the telecom wavelength. As the insulator-to-metal phase transition (IMT) of VO2 induces the large change of VO2 permittivity at telecom wavelengths, the plasmonic response of a nanoantenna made of VO2 can be largely tuned by external thermal stimuli. The VO2-insulator-metal (VIM) nanoantenna and its periodic array, the VIM metagrating, are suggested as optical switches. The directional power distinction ratio is designed to change from 8.13:1 to 1:10.56 by the IMT and it is experimentally verified that the ratio changes from 3.725:1 to 1:3.132 as the VIM metagratings are heated up to 90 °C. With an electro-thermally controllable configuration and an optimized resonant design, we expect potential applications of the active switching mechanism for integrable active plasmonic elements and reconfigurable imaging.

Interferometric control of plasmonic resonator based on polarization-sensitive excitation of surface plasmon polaritons.

A plasmonic resonator is proposed whose electromagnetic energy density can be tuned by the polarization state of the incident light. Counter-propagating surface plasmon polaritons, which are excited by polarization-sensitive subwavelength apertures, give tunability. Stored energy density in the resonator varies from the minimum to the maximum when the orientation angle of the incoming electric field rotates by 90 degrees. After optimizing a rectangular cavity and periodic gratings, the on/off ratio is calculated as 430 and measured as 1.55. Based on our scheme, interferometric control is executed simply by rotation of a polarizer. The proposed plasmonic resonator can be utilized in all-optically controlled active plasmonic devices, coherent network elements, particle trapping systems, and polarimeters.

Near-field focus steering along arbitrary trajectory via multi-lined distributed nanoslits.

The modulation of near-field signals has recently attracted considerable interest because of demands for the development of nano-scale optical devices that are capable of overcoming the diffraction limit of light. In this paper, we propose a new type of tuneable plasmonic lens that permits the foci of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) signals to be continuously steered by adjusting the input polarization state. The proposed structure consists of multi-lined nanoslit arrays, in which each array is tilted at a different angle to provide polarization sensitivity and the nanoslit size is adjusted to balance the relative amplitudes of the excited SPPs from each line. The nanoslits of each line are designed to focus SPPs at different positions; hence, the SPP focal length can be tuned by modifying the incident polarization state. Unlike in previously reported studies, our method enables plasmonic foci to be continuously varied with a smooth change in the incident linear polarization state. The proposed structures provide a novel degree of freedom in the multiplexing of near fields. Such characteristics are expected to enable the realization of active SPP modulation that can be applied in near-field imaging, optical tweezing systems, and integrated nano-devices.

Reflectionless compact plasmonic waveguide mode converter by using a mode-selective cavity.

A compact transmissive plasmonic waveguide mode converter which aims for the elimination of reflection and transmission of unconverted mode is proposed. The proposed scheme exploits a cavity formed by mode selective mirrors, which only allows two output modes: the transmission of the target mode and the reflection of the input mode. By appropriately tuning cavity lengths, the reflection of the input mode can also be suppressed to near zero by destructive interference, thereby all the residual outgoing modes are suppressed. The proposed device might be useful in the design of integrated photonic system since it relaxes the problem of unwanted reflection.

Plasmonic achromatic doublet lens.

An achromatic doublet lens (ADL) for surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is designed. Similar to the conventional ADL, the proposed plasmonic ADL is composed of two lens layers with different dispersion relations. Considering these layers as effective media, their refractive indices with respect to the free-space wavelength are calculated. Geometric parameters of the lens are initially set according to the geometrical optic theory, and then optimized by reduced dimensional calculations. The performance of proposed device is verified by using full-wave simulations and compared with a double-convex plasmonic lens to verify its achromatic characteristics. It is shown that the standard deviation of the focal length shift is reduced from 668 nm to 168 nm, after introducing the ADL.

Generation of finite power Airy beams via initial field modulation.

We investigate the finite power Airy beams generated by finite extent input beams such as a Gaussian beam, a uniform beam of finite extent, and an inverse Gaussian beam. Each has different propagation behavior: A finite Airy beam generated by a uniform input beam keeps its Airy profile much longer than the conventional finite Airy beam. Also, an inverse Gaussian beam generates a finite Airy beam with a good bent focusing in free space. In this paper, the analysis and experimental results of finite Airy beams are presented.