Self-sifting of chain plasmons: the complex optics of Au nanoparticle clusters.

The strong enhancement of electrical fields in subnanometer gaps of self-assembled gold nanoparticle clusters holds great promise for large scale fabrication of sensitive optical sensing substrates. Due to the large number of involved nanoparticles, however, their optical response is complex and not easily accessible through numerical simulations. Here, we use hyperspectral supercontinuum spectroscopy to demonstrate how confined optical modes of well defined energies are supported by different areas of the cluster. Due to the strong resonant coupling in those regions, the cluster essentially acts as a nanoscale optical sieve which sorts incident light according to its wavelength.

Rendering dark modes bright by using asymmetric split ring resonators.

We have studied both theoretically and experimentally symmetric and asymmetric planar metallic Split Ring Resonators. We demonstrate that introducing structural asymmetry makes it possible to excite several higher order modes of both even (l = 2) and odd (l = 3, 5) order, which are otherwise inaccessible for a normally incident plane wave in symmetric structures. Experimentally we observe that the even mode resonances of asymmetric resonators have a quality factor 5.8 times higher than the higher order odd resonances.

The role of chiral local field enhancements below the resolution limit of Second Harmonic Generation microscopy.

While it has been demonstrated that, above its resolution limit, Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy can map chiral local field enhancements, below that limit, structural defects were found to play a major role. Here we show that, even below the resolution limit, the contributions from chiral local field enhancements to the SHG signal can dominate over those by structural defects. We report highly homogeneous SHG micrographs of star-shaped gold nanostructures, where the SHG circular dichroism effect is clearly visible from virtually every single nanostructure. Most likely, size and geometry determine the dominant contributions to the SHG signal in nanostructured systems.

Chirality in nonlinear-optical response of planar G-shaped nanostructures.

Chirality effects in optical second harmonic generation (SHG) are studied in periodic planar arrays of gold G-shaped nanostructures. We show that G-shaped structures of different handedness demonstrate different SHG efficiency for the left and right circular polarizations, as well as the opposite directions of the SHG polarization plane rotation. The observed effects are interpreted as the appearance of chirality in the SHG response which allows clear distinguishing of two enantiomers.

Characterization of nanostructured plasmonic surfaces with second harmonic generation.

Because of its high surface and interface sensitivity, the nonlinear optical technique of second harmonic generation (SHG) is a designated method for investigating nanostructured metal surfaces. Indeed, the latter present a high surface-to-volume ratio, but even more importantly, they can exhibit strong near-field enhancements or "hot spots". Hot spots often appear as a result of geometric features on the nanoscale or surface plasmon resonances, which are collective electron oscillations on the surface that, on the nanoscale, can readily be excited by light. In the last 10 years, near-field hot spots have been responsible for dramatic developments in the field of nano-optics. In this Feature Article, the influence of hot spots on the SHG response of nanostructured metal surfaces is discussed on both the microscopic and macroscopic levels. On the microscopic level, the nanostructured metal surfaces were characterized by scanning SHG microscopy, complemented by rigorous numerical simulations of the near-field and of the local electric currents at the fundamental frequency. On the macroscopic level, SHG-circular dichroism and magnetization-induced SHG characterization techniques were employed.

Coherent and incoherent second harmonic generation in planar G-shaped nanostructures.

Azimuthal anisotropy of Stokes parameters of the second harmonic generation (SHG) generated and observed in reflection from a periodic planar area of G-shaped gold nanostructures is studied. A strong anisotropy of both coherent and incoherent SHG components is observed. Finite-difference time-domain calculations prove that the observed effects are due to the anisotropic enhancement of the fundamental radiation within the G-shaped structures.

Hotspot decorations map plasmonic patterns with the resolution of scanning probe techniques.

In high definition mapping of the plasmonic patterns on the surfaces of nanostructures, the diffraction limit of light remains an important obstacle. Here we demonstrate that this diffraction limit can be completely circumvented. We show that upon illuminating nanostructures made of nickel and palladium, the resulting surface-plasmon pattern is imprinted on the structures themselves; the hotspots (regions of local field enhancement) are decorated with overgrowths, allowing for their subsequent imaging with scanning-probe techniques. The resulting resolution of plasmon pattern imaging is correspondingly improved.

Linearly polarized second harmonic generation microscopy reveals chirality.

In optics, chirality is typically associated with circularly polarized light. Here we present a novel way to detect the handedness of chiral materials with linearly polarized light. We performed Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy on G-shaped planar chiral nanostructures made of gold. The SHG response originates in distinctive hotspots, whose arrangement is dependent of the handedness. These results uncover new directions for studying chirality in artificial materials.

Asymmetric optical second-harmonic generation from chiral G-shaped gold nanostructures.

We present a new electromagnetic phenomenon-the asymmetric second-harmonic generation from planar chiral structures. The effect consists in distinguishing the handedness of a chiral material by rotating the sample in an experiment involving solely linearly polarized light. This phenomenon originates in the surface plasmon resonance of chiral gold nanostructures, where homodyne interference of anisotropic and chiral electric and/or magnetic multipoles appears to play an important role.

Plasmonic ratchet wheels: switching circular dichroism by arranging chiral nanostructures.

We demonstrate circular dichroism (CD) in the second harmonic generation (SHG) signal from chiral assemblies of G-shaped nanostructures made of gold. The arrangement of the G shapes is crucial since upon reordering them the SHG-CD effect disappears. Microscopy reveals SHG "hotspots" assemblies, which originate in enantiomerically sensitive plasmon modes, having the novel property of exhibiting a chiral geometry themselves in relation with the handedness of the material. These results open new frontiers in studying chirality.

Techniques of CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy).

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death in older adults, which usually involves a long-term progressive change of normal mucosa into adenomatous polyps and then cancer. The detection and treatment of this disease in an early stage can lead to a cure in most cases by simply removing the polyp. Computed tomographic colonography (CTC), also referred to as virtual colonoscopy (VC), is a recent advance that gives an intraluminal visualization of the colon that is similar to endoscopy. VC requires fast 3D display (at least 10 frames/sec) of the colon's mucosal surface on a computer screen. Spiral/helical computer tomography is used to gather 3D volume data prior to display. CTC has been demonstrated to be promising for colorectal cancer screening. Studies on unraveling of the colon are underway to map the convoluted tubular structure into a straightened and flattened image volume for global visualization. In this article, we review the current status of CTC with an emphasis on image processing and visualization algorithms. Clinical assessment results of existing techniques are summarized. Practical issues and future perspectives are also discussed.

ECG recognition by Boolean decision rules.

The classical pattern recognition problem is considered. A model of construction of Boolean decision rules is implemented. Computational procedures for construction of non-reducible descriptors is briefly discussed. Applications of Boolean decision rules to ECG analysis and ECG recognition are suggested.

Nonlinear superchiral meta-surfaces: tuning chirality and disentangling non-reciprocity at the nanoscale.

Circularly polarized light is incident on a nanostructured chiral meta-surface. In the nanostructured unit cells whose chirality matches that of light, superchiral light is forming and strong optical second harmonic generation can be observed.

Direct observation of exchange bias related uncompensated spins at the CoO/Cu interface.

Magnetization-induced optical second harmonic generation (MSHG) from the exchange-biased CoO/Cu-(X)/Fe multilayer shows the presence of pinned uncompensated spins at the CoO/Cu interface. For increasing Cu spacer thickness, the exchange bias measured via the hysteresis loop shift diminishes and disappears at X = 3.5 nm, while the MSHG signal still shows a strong magnetic contribution from the CoO interface. This indicates that the magnetic interaction between Fe and CoO layers is sufficiently strong to induce order in the antiferromagnetic layer even at a spacer thickness for which there is no observable hysteresis loop shift.