Low-loss, extreme subdiffraction photon confinement via silicon carbide localized surface phonon polariton resonators.

Plasmonics provides great promise for nanophotonic applications. However, the high optical losses inherent in metal-based plasmonic systems have limited progress. Thus, it is critical to identify alternative low-loss materials. One alternative is polar dielectrics that support surface phonon polariton (SPhP) modes, where the confinement of infrared light is aided by optical phonons. Using fabricated 6H-silicon carbide nanopillar antenna arrays, we report on the observation of subdiffraction, localized SPhP resonances. They exhibit a dipolar resonance transverse to the nanopillar axis and a monopolar resonance associated with the longitudinal axis dependent upon the SiC substrate. Both exhibit exceptionally narrow linewidths (7-24 cm(-1)), with quality factors of 40-135, which exceed the theoretical limit of plasmonic systems, with extreme subwavelength confinement of (λ(res)3/V(eff))1/3 = 50-200. Under certain conditions, the modes are Raman-active, enabling their study in the visible spectral range. These observations promise to reinvigorate research in SPhP phenomena and their use for nanophotonic applications.

Mie resonance-enhanced light absorption in periodic silicon nanopillar arrays.

Mie-resonances in vertical, small aspect-ratio and subwavelength silicon nanopillars are investigated using visible bright-field µ-reflection measurements and Raman scattering. Pillar-to-pillar interactions were examined by comparing randomly to periodically arranged arrays with systematic variations in nanopillar diameter and array pitch. First- and second-order Mie resonances are observed in reflectance spectra as pronounced dips with minimum reflectances of several percent, suggesting an alternative approach to fabricating a perfect absorber. The resonant wavelengths shift approximately linearly with nanopillar diameter, which enables a simple empirical description of the resonance condition. In addition, resonances are also significantly affected by array density, with an overall oscillating blue shift as the pitch is reduced. Finite-element method and finite-difference time-domain simulations agree closely with experimental results and provide valuable insight into the nature of the dielectric resonance modes, including a surprisingly small influence of the substrate on resonance wavelength. To probe local fields within the Si nanopillars, µ-Raman scattering measurements were also conducted that confirm enhanced optical fields in the pillars when excited on-resonance.

Aspect-ratio driven evolution of high-order resonant modes and near-field distributions in localized surface phonon polariton nanostructures.

Polar dielectrics have garnered much attention as an alternative to plasmonic metals in the mid- to long-wave infrared spectral regime due to their low optical losses. As such, nanoscale resonators composed of these materials demonstrate figures of merit beyond those achievable in plasmonic equivalents. However, until now, only low-order, phonon-mediated, localized polariton resonances, known as surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs), have been observed in polar dielectric optical resonators. In the present work, we investigate the excitation of 16 distinct high-order, multipolar, localized surface phonon polariton resonances that are optically excited in rectangular pillars etched into a semi-insulating silicon carbide substrate. By elongating a single pillar axis we are able to significantly modify the far- and near-field properties of localized SPhP resonances, opening the door to realizing narrow-band infrared sources with tailored radiation patterns. Such control of the near-field behavior of resonances can also impact surface enhanced infrared optical sensing, which is mediated by polarization selection rules, as well as the morphology and strength of resonator hot spots. Furthermore, through the careful choice of polar dielectric material, these results can also serve as the guiding principles for the generalized design of optical devices that operate from the mid- to far-infrared.

Plasmonic nanopillar arrays for large-area, high-enhancement surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors.

Efforts to create reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based chemical and biological sensors has been hindered by difficulties in fabricating large-area SERS-active substrates with a uniform, reproducible SERS response that still provides sufficient enhancement for easy detection. Here we report on periodic arrays of Au-capped, vertically aligned silicon nanopillars that are embedded in a Au plane upon a Si substrate. We illustrate that these arrays are ideal for use as SERS sensor templates, in that they provide large, uniform and reproducible average enhancement factors up to ∼1.2 × 10(8) over the structure surface area. We discuss the impact of the overall geometry of the structures upon the SERS response at 532, 633, and 785 nm incident laser wavelengths. Calculations of the electromagnetic field distributions and intensities within such structures were performed and both the wavelength dependence of the predicted SERS response and the field distribution within the nanopillar structure are discussed and support the experimental results we report.