Anomalous Absorption in Arrays of Metallic Nanoparticles: A Powerful Tool for Quantum Dot Optoelectronics.

Periodic arrays of noble metal nanoparticles are emblematic nanostructures in photonics. Their ability to sustain localized surface plasmon resonances has been used throughout the years to demonstrate a variety of passive and active functionalities such as enhanced luminescence in dipolar media and LEDs as well as higher responsivities in photoconductive detectors. Here, we show that additional magnetic resonances, associated with inductive current loops between the nanoparticles and accessible with transverse electric waves, emerge in the limit of dense arrays with subwavelength periods. Moreover, their interplay with the plasmons of the system results in spectrally sharp analogues of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA). We use these metasurfaces to induce changes and enhancements in the emission, absorption, photoconduction, and polarization properties of active layers of PbS nanocrystals, illustrating the potential of EIA beyond the passive functionalities demonstrated so far in literature.

Enhancement and tuning of the defect-induced electroluminescence of ZnO mesoporous layers in the visible range.

We show a way to pattern the visible electroluminescence of solution-processed mesoporous ZnO layers. Our approach consists in locally changing the nanoscale morphology of the coated ZnO layers by patterning the underlying surface with thin metallic patches. Above the metal, the ZnO film is organized in clusters that enhance its defect-induced electroluminescence. The resulting emission occurs over a large continuum of wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared range. This broad emission continuum is filtered by thin film interferences that develop within the device, making it possible to fabricate LEDs with different colours by adjusting the thickness of their transparent electrode. When the metallic patterns used to change the morphology of the ZnO layer reach sub-micron dimensions, additional plasmonic effects arise, providing extra degrees of freedom to tune the colour and polarization of the emitted photons.

Pushing Absorption of Perovskite Nanocrystals into the Infrared.

To date, defect-tolerance electronic structure of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals is limited to an optical feature in the visible range. Here, we demonstrate that IR sensitization of formamidinium lead iodine (FAPI) nanocrystal array can be obtained by its doping with PbS nanocrystals. In this hybrid array, absorption comes from the PbS nanocrystals while transport is driven by the perovskite which reduces the dark current compared to pristine PbS. In addition, we fabricate a field-effect transistor using a high capacitance ionic glass made of hybrid FAPI/PbS nanocrystal arrays. We show that the hybrid material has an n-type nature with an electron mobility of 2 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1. However, the dark current reduction is mostly balanced by a loss of absorption. To overcome this limitation, we couple the FAPI/PbS hybrid to a guided mode resonator that can enhance the infrared light absorption.

Efficient finite element resolution of gyromagnetic and gyroelectric nonreciprocal electromagnetic problems.

We present a rigorous derivation of the weak-form formulation of the Helmholtz equation for electromagnetic structures incorporating general nonreciprocal, dispersive materials such as magnetized ferrites or magnetized free-carrier plasmas. This formulation allows an efficient self-consistent treatment using finite elements of a variety of problems involving magnetic or magneto-optical materials biased by an external DC field where the eigenmodes become nonreciprocal or even unidirectional. The possibilities of this method are illustrated with several examples of TE-polarized modes at microwave frequencies and TM-polarized modes at optical and infrared wavelengths.

Nonlinear spin-orbit coupling in optical thin films.

Tunable generation of vortex beams holds relevance in various fields, including communications and sensing. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of nonlinear spin-orbit interactions in thin films of materials with second-order nonlinear susceptibility. Remarkably, the nonlinear tensor can mix the longitudinal and transverse components of the pump field. We observe experimentally our theoretical predictions in the process of second-harmonic generation from a thin film of aluminum gallium arsenide, a material platform widely spread for its role in the advancement of active, nonlinear, and quantum photonic devices. In particular, we prove that a nonlinear thin film can be used to produce vector vortex beams of second-harmonic light when excited by circularly-polarized Gaussian beams.

Switching using PT symmetry in plasmonic systems: positive role of the losses.

We analyze the operation of 2 × 2 switches composed of two coupled waveguides operating on the basis of parity-time (PT) symmetry: the two waveguides differ through their gain or loss factors and not through the real part of their propagation constant. Plasmonics constitutes a preferred application for such systems, since combination of plasmonics with gain is increasingly mastered. The exact PT-symmetric case (gain and loss of identical absolute value) is considered as well as various unbalanced cases, thanks to their respective switching diagrams. Although perfect signal-conserving cross and bar states are not always possible in the latter cases, they can nevertheless form the basis of very good switches if precise design rules are followed. We draw from the analysis what the optimal configurations are in terms of, e.g., guide gain or gain-length product to operate the switch. Many analytical or semi-analytical results are pointed out. A practical example based on the coupling of a long-range surface-plasmon-polariton and a polymeric waveguide having gain is provided.

Simulation of complex plasmonic circuits including bends.

Using a finite-element, full-wave modeling approach, we present a flexible method of analyzing and simulating dielectric and plasmonic waveguide structures as well as their mode coupling. This method is applied to an integrated plasmonic circuit where a straight dielectric waveguide couples through a straight hybrid long-range plasmon waveguide to a uniformly bent hybrid one. The hybrid waveguide comprises a thin metal core embedded in a two-dimensional dielectric waveguide. The performance of such plasmonic circuits in terms of insertion losses is discussed.

Implementation of PT symmetric devices using plasmonics: principle and applications.

The so-called PT symmetric devices, which feature ε((-x)) = ε((x))* associated with parity-time symmetry, incorporate both gain and loss and can present a singular eigenvalue behaviour around a critical transition point. The scheme, typically based on co-directional coupled waveguides, is here transposed to the case of variable gain on one arm with fixed losses on the other arm. In this configuration, the scheme exploits the full potential of plasmonics by making a beneficial use of their losses to attain a critical regime that makes switching possible with much lowered gain excursions. Practical implementations are discussed based on existing attempts to elaborate coupled waveguide in plasmonics, and based also on the recently proposed hybrid plasmonics waveguide structure with a small low-index gap, the PIROW (Plasmonic Inverse-Rib Optical Waveguide).

Identification of Two Regimes of Carrier Thermalization in PbS Nanocrystal Assemblies.

We bring fresh insight into the ensemble properties of PbS colloidal quantum dots with a critical review of the literature on semiconductors followed by systematic comparisons between steady-state photocurrent and photoluminescence measurements. Our experiments, performed with sufficiently low powers to neglect nonlinear effects, indicate that the photoluminescence spectra have no other noticeable contribution beside the radiative recombination of thermalized photocarriers (i.e., photocarriers in thermodynamic quasi-equilibrium). A phenomenological model based on the local Kirchhoff law is proposed that makes it possible to identify the nature of the thermalized photocarriers and to extract their temperatures from the measurements. Two regimes are observed: For highly compact assemblies of PbS quantum dots stripped from organic ligands, the thermalization concerns photocarriers distributed over a wide energy range. With PbS quantum dots cross-linked with 1,2-ethanedithiol or longer organic ligand chains, the thermalization concerns solely the fundamental exciton and can quantitatively explain all the observations, including the precise Stokes shift between the absorbance and luminescence maxima.

Bright CdSe/CdS Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes with Modulated Carrier Dynamics via the Local Kirchhoff Law.

Addressing the interactions between optical antennas and ensembles of emitters is particularly challenging. Charge transfer and Coulomb interactions complicate the understanding of the carrier dynamics coupled by antennas. Here, we show how Au antennas enhance the luminescence of CdSe/CdS quantum dot assemblies through carrier dynamics control within the framework of the local Kirchhoff law. The Au antennas inject hot electrons into quantum dot assemblies via plasmon-induced hot electron transfer that increases the carrier concentration. Also, the localized surface plasmon resonances of Au antennas favorably tilt the balance between nonradiative Auger processes and radiative recombination in the CdSe core. Eventually, a high bright (125,091.6 cd/m2) deep-red quantum dot light-emitting diode is obtained by combining with Au antennas. Our findings suggest a new understanding of light emission of assembled emitters coupled by antennas, which is of essential interest for the description of light-matter interaction in advanced optoelectronics.

Plasmonic multi-mode interference couplers.

Plasmonic multi-mode interference (MMI) couplers have been investigated both numerically and experimentally at the telecommunication wavelength of 1.55 mum. In this study, the couplers are implemented using thin Au stripes that support long-range surface plasmons. We first detail the operation principle of these devices with numerical simulations and show that useful effects can be obtained despite the high material losses inherent to metallic structures. A series of MMI couplers is subsequently fabricated and experimentally characterized, showing a quantitative agreement with our numerical predictions. We conclude by discussing some of the possible applications for these structures.

High permittivity processed SrTiO3 for metamaterials applications at terahertz frequencies.

High permittivity SrTiO3 for the realization of all-dielectric metamaterials operating at terahertz frequencies was fabricated. A comparison of different processing methods demonstrates that Spark Plasma Sintering is the most effective sintering process to yield high density ceramic with high permittivity. We compare this sintering process with two other processes. The fabricated samples are characterized in the low frequency and in the terahertz frequency ranges. Their relative permittivities are compared with that of a reference SrTiO3 single crystal. The permittivity of the sample fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering is as high as that of the single crystal. The role of the signal-to-noise ratio in the measurements at terahertz frequency is detailed.

Modulating and tuning the response of metamaterials at the unit cell level.

We perform a series of simulations and experiments at microwave frequencies where we dynamically alter the magnetic resonance of one individual split ring resonator by photodoping a piece of low-doped semiconductor positioned within the gap of the resonator. We predict and experimentally achieve a complete suppression of the resonance amplitude using an 815 nm laser source and then briefly consider the problem of tuning the frequency of an SRR by the same method. We also illustrate the metamaterial approach to active electromagnetic devices by implementing a simple yet efficient optical modulator and a three channel dynamical filter.

Numerical simulations of long-range plasmons.

We present simulations of plasmonic transmission lines consisting of planar metal strips embedded in isotropic dielectric media, with a particular emphasis on the long-range surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes that can be supported in such structures. Our computational method is based on analyzing the eigenfrequencies corresponding to the wave equation subject to a mixture of periodic, electric and magnetic boundary conditions. We demonstrate the accuracy of our approach through comparisons with previously reported simulations based on the semi-analytical method-of-lines. We apply our method to study a variety of aspects of long-range SPPs, including tradeoffs between mode confinement and propagation distance, the modeling of bent waveguides and the effect of disorder and periodicity on the long-ranging modes.

Spatial mapping of the internal and external electromagnetic fields of negative index metamaterials.

We perform an experimental study of the phase and amplitude of microwaves interacting with and scattered by two-dimensional negative index metamaterials. The measurements are performed in a parallel plate waveguide apparatus at X-band frequencies (8-12 GHz), thus constraining the electromagnetic fields to two dimensions. A detection antenna is fixed to one of the plates, while a second plate with a fixed source antenna or waveguide is translated relative to the first plate. The detection antenna is inserted into, but not protruding below, the stationary plate so that fields internal to the metamaterial samples can be mapped. From the measured mappings of the electric field, the interplay between the microstructure of the metamaterial lattice and the macroscopic averaged response is revealed. For example, the mapped phase fronts within a metamaterial having a negative refractive index are consistent with a macroscopic phase-in accordance with the effective medium predictions-which travels in a direction opposite to the direction of propagation. The field maps are in excellent agreement with finite element numerical simulations performed assuming homogeneous metamaterial structures.

Electrically driven optical metamaterials.

The advent of metamaterials more than 15 years ago has offered extraordinary new ways of manipulating electromagnetic waves. Yet, progress in this field has been unequal across the electromagnetic spectrum, especially when it comes to finding applications for such artificial media. Optical metamaterials, in particular, are less compatible with active functionalities than their counterparts developed at lower frequencies. One crucial roadblock in the path to devices is the fact that active optical metamaterials are so far controlled by light rather than electricity, preventing them from being integrated in larger electronic systems. Here we introduce electroluminescent metamaterials based on metal nano-inclusions hybridized with colloidal quantum dots. We show that each of these miniature blocks can be individually tuned to exhibit independent optoelectronic properties (both in terms of electrical characteristics, polarization, colour and brightness), illustrate their capabilities by weaving complex light-emitting surfaces and finally discuss their potential for displays and sensors.

Distance-dependent plasmon resonant coupling between a gold nanoparticle and gold film.

We present an experimental analysis of the plasmonic scattering properties of gold nanoparticles controllably placed nanometers away from a gold metal film. We show that the spectral response of this system results from the interplay between the localized plasmon resonance of the nanoparticle and the surface plasmon polaritons of the gold film, as previously predicted by theoretical studies. In addition, we report that the metal film induces a polarization to the single nanoparticle light scattering, resulting in a doughnut-shaped point spread function when imaged in the far-field. Both the spectral response and the polarization effects are highly sensitive to the nanoparticle-film separation distance. Such a system shows promise in potential biometrology and diagnostic devices.

Simulations of hybrid long-range plasmon modes with application to 90 degree bends.

We perform rigorous simulations of hybrid long-range modes guided by a central metal core and a two-dimensional dielectric slab. We show that these modes are subject to fewer limitations than conventional long-range plasmon modes in terms of field confinement and guiding performance. These hybrid modes may offer substantial improvements for integrated plasmonic components, as illustrated here by the consideration of 90 degrees bends.