Enhanced Nonlinear Emission from Single Multilayered Metal−Dielectric Nanocavities Resonating in the Near-Infrared

in ACS Photonics (2021), 8(2), 512-520

Harmonic generation mechanisms are of great interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology, since they allow generating visible light by using near-infrared radiation, which is particularly suitable for its ... [more ▼]

Harmonic generation mechanisms are of great interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology, since they allow generating visible light by using near-infrared radiation, which is particularly suitable for its countless applications in bionanophotonics and optoelectronics. In this context, multilayer metal−dielectric nanocavities are widely used for light confinement and waveguiding at the nanoscale. They exhibit intense and localized resonances that can be conveniently tuned in the near-infrared and are therefore ideal for enhancing nonlinear effects in this spectral range. In this work, we experimentally investigate the nonlinear emission properties of multilayer metal−dielectric nanocavities. By engineering their absorption efficiency and exploiting their intrinsic interface-induced symmetry breaking, we achieve an almost 2 orders of magnitude higher second-harmonic generation efficiency compared to gold nanostructures featuring the same geometry and optical resonant behavior. In particular, while both the third-order nonlinear susceptibility and conversion efficiency are comparable with those of the Au nanoresonators, we estimate a second-order nonlinear susceptibility of the order of 1 pm/V, which is comparable with that of typical nonlinear crystals. We envision that our system, which combines the advantages of both plasmonic and dielectric materials, might enable the realization of composite and multifunctional nanosystems for the efficient manipulation of nonlinear optical processes at the nanoscale. [less ▲]

Designer Bloch plasmon polariton dispersion in grating-coupled hyperbolic metamaterials

in APL Photonics (2020), 5

Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) are anisotropic optical materials supporting highly confined propagating electromagnetic modes. How- ever, it is challenging to tailor and excite these modes at optical ... [more ▼]

Hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) are anisotropic optical materials supporting highly confined propagating electromagnetic modes. How- ever, it is challenging to tailor and excite these modes at optical frequencies by prism coupling because of the unavailability of high refractive index prisms for matching the momentum between the incident light and the guided modes. Here, we report on the mechanism of excitation of high-index Bloch plasmon polariton modes with sub-diffraction spatial confinement using a meta-grating, which is a combined structure of a metallic diffraction grating and a type II HMM. We show how a one-dimensional plasmonic grating without any mode in the infrared spectral range, if coupled to an HMM supporting high-index modes, can efficiently enable the excitation of these modes via coupling to far- field radiation. Our theoretical predictions are confirmed by experimental reflection measurements as a function of angle of incidence and excitation wavelength. We introduce design principles to achieve a full control of high-index modes in meta-gratings, thus enabling a better understanding of light–matter interaction in this type of hybrid structure. The exploitation of the spectral response of these modes can find applications in bio-chemical sensing, integrated optics, and optical sub-wavelength imaging. [less ▲]

Hyperbolic Meta-Antennas Enable Full Control of Scattering and Absorption of Light

in Nano Letters (2019), 19(3), 1851-1859

We introduce a novel concept of hybrid metal-dielectric meta-antenna supporting type II hyperbolic dispersion, which enables full control of absorption and scattering of light in the visible/near-infrared ... [more ▼]

We introduce a novel concept of hybrid metal-dielectric meta-antenna supporting type II hyperbolic dispersion, which enables full control of absorption and scattering of light in the visible/near-infrared spectral range. This ability lies in the different nature of the localized hyperbolic Bloch-like modes excited within the meta-antenna. The experimental evidence is corroborated by a comprehensive theoretical study. In particular, we demonstrate that two main modes, one radiative and one non-radiative, can be excited by direct coupling with the free-space radiation. We show that the scattering is the dominating electromagnetic decay channel, when an electric dipolar mode is induced in the system, whereas a strong absorption process occurs when a magnetic dipole is excited. Also, by varying the geometry of the system, the relative ratio of scattering and absorption, as well as their relative enhancement and/or quenching, can be tuned at will over a broad spectral range, thus enabling full control of the two channels. Importantly, both radiative and nonradiative modes supported by our architecture can be excited directly with far-field radiation. This is observed to occur even when the radiative channels (scattering) are almost totally suppressed, thereby making the proposed architecture suitable for practical applications. Finally, the hyperbolic meta-antennas possess both angular and polarization independent structural integrity, unlocking promising applications as hybrid meta-surfaces or as solvable nanostructures. [less ▲]