Tunable magnetoplasmonics in lattices of Ni/SiO2/Au dimers

in Scientific Reports (2019), 9

We present a systematic study on the optical and magneto-optical properties of Ni/SiO2/Au dimer lattices. By consideringthe excitation of orthogonal dipoles in the Ni and Au nanodisks, we analytically ... [more ▼]

We present a systematic study on the optical and magneto-optical properties of Ni/SiO2/Au dimer lattices. By consideringthe excitation of orthogonal dipoles in the Ni and Au nanodisks, we analytically demonstrate that the magnetoplasmonicresponse of dimer lattices is governed by a complex interplay of near- and far-field interactions. Near-field coupling betweendipoles in Ni and low-loss Au enhances the polarizabilty of single dimers compared to that of isolated Ni nanodisks. Far-fielddiffractive coupling in periodic lattices of these two particle types enlarges the difference in effective polarizability further.This effect is explained by an inverse relationship between the damping of collective surface lattice resonances and theimaginary polarizability of individual scatterers. Optical reflectance measurements, magneto-optical Kerr effect spectra, andfinite-difference time-domain simulations confirm the analytical results. Hybrid dimer arrays supporting intense plasmonexcitations are a promising candidate for active magnetoplasmonic devices. [less ▲]

Hybrid plasmonic lattices with tunable magneto-optical activity

in Optics Express (2016), 24(4), 3652-3662

We report on the optical and magneto-optical response of hybrid plasmonic lattices that consist of pure nickel and gold nanoparticles in a checkerboard arrangement. Diffractive far-field coupling between ... [more ▼]

We report on the optical and magneto-optical response of hybrid plasmonic lattices that consist of pure nickel and gold nanoparticles in a checkerboard arrangement. Diffractive far-field coupling between the individual emitters of the lattices results in the excitation of two orthogonal surface lattice resonance modes. Local analyses of the radiation fields indicate that both the nickel and gold nanoparticles contribute to these collective resonances and, thereby, to the magneto-optical activity of the hybrid arrays. The strong effect of noble metal nanoparticles on the magneto-optical response of hybrid lattices opens up new avenues for the realization of sensitive and tunable magneto-plasmonic nanostructures. [less ▲]

Ultrasensitive and label-free molecular-level detection enabled by light phase control in magnetoplasmonic nanoantennas

in Nature Communications (2015), 6

Systems allowing label-free molecular detection are expected to have enormous impact on biochemical sciences. Research focuses on materials and technologies based on exploiting localized surface plasmon ... [more ▼]

Systems allowing label-free molecular detection are expected to have enormous impact on biochemical sciences. Research focuses on materials and technologies based on exploiting localized surface plasmon resonances in metallic nanostructures. The reason for this focused attention is their suitability for single-molecule sensing, arising from intrinsically nanoscopic sensing volume and the high sensitivity to the local environment. Here we propose an alternative route, which enables radically improved sensitivity compared with recently reported plasmon-based sensors. Such high sensitivity is achieved by exploiting the control of the phase of light in magnetoplasmonic nanoantennas. We demonstrate a manifold improvement of refractometric sensing figure-of-merit. Most remarkably, we show a raw surface sensitivity (that is, without applying fitting procedures) of two orders of magnitude higher than the current values reported for nanoplasmonic sensors. Such sensitivity corresponds to a mass of ~ 0.8 ag per nanoantenna of polyamide-6.6 (n=1.51), which is representative for a large variety of polymers, peptides and proteins. [less ▲]

Polarizability and magnetoplasmonic properties of magnetic general nanoellipsoids.

in Optics Express (2013), 21(8), 9875-9889

An approach to compute the polarizability tensor of magnetic nanoparticles having general ellipsoidal shape is presented. We find a surprisingly excellent quantitative agreement between calculated and ... [more ▼]

An approach to compute the polarizability tensor of magnetic nanoparticles having general ellipsoidal shape is presented. We find a surprisingly excellent quantitative agreement between calculated and experimental magneto-optical spectra measured in the polar Kerr configuration from nickel nanodisks of large size (exceeding 100 nm) with circular and elliptical shape. In spite of its approximations and simplicity, the formalism presented here captures the essential physics of the interplay between magneto-optical activity and the plasmonic resonance of the individual particle. The results highlight the key role of the dynamic depolarization effects to account for the magneto-optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures. [less ▲]