Embedded Files
The ability to control and direct light at nanoscale is an important challenge in nano-optics and nanophotonics. Plasmons can reduce the mismatch between the cross-section of an excitation optical beam and the absorption cross-section of emitters such as atoms, molecules, and quantum dots, thus mediating and enhancing light-matter interaction. A variety of plasmonic geometries have been innovated and studied in the context of enhancing light-matter interactions. One such geometry is chemically prepared silver nanowires (Ag NWs).
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of NW-NP system resting on glass coverslip at (a) lower magnification with the dashed region showing (b) NW-NP junction (scale bar 200 nm). SEM image of a different NW-NP system imaged at (c) lower and (d) higher magnifications.
These Ag NWs have atomically smooth surfaces that facilitate sub-wavelength propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) over a distance of a few microns. They can be used as plasmonic resonators, logic gates, spontaneous emission amplifiers, single photon sources, and photon-to-plasmon convertors, and have opened up new opportunities in quantum plasmonic circuits and nanoscale quantum optics. In the context of NW-based SPP waveguiding, one of the issues to be addressed is to deterministically convert propagating SPPs into directional photons at a desired location on the nanowire. Such directional out-coupling of light from propagating SPPs of NW can be further utilized to influence enhancement and directionality of spontaneous emission from emitter in the close vicinity.
The following details have directly taken from research article titled Directional Out-Coupling of light from Plasmonic Nanowire-Nanoparticle Junction Optics Letters, 40, 1006-1009 (2015).
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse