Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Line Jelver, Joel D. Cox
Summary: Phosphorene, an atomically thin material, has garnered significant attention in the fields of optoelectronics and nanophotonics due to its exceptional optical properties and the ability to actively control light-matter interactions through electrical doping. Researchers have discovered that localized plasmons supported by phosphorene nanoribbons exhibit high tunability in relation to edge termination and doping charge polarity, leading to intense nonlinear optical responses at moderate doping levels. The tunability of plasmons in doped phosphorene nanoribbons at near-infrared frequencies can facilitate efficient high-harmonic generation by combining the electronic band structure and plasmonic field confinement.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
P. A. D. Goncalves, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo
Summary: A rigorous scheme for retrieving the quantum surface response of metals from electron energy-loss spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence measurements is presented. It is demonstrated that quantum nonlocal effects have a dramatic impact on the spectra when the system size or the inverse wavevector approaches the nanometer scale. The concept takes advantage of the ability of free electrons to probe the optical response of metals at length scales where quantum-mechanical effects are apparent.
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jolly Xavier, Deshui Yu, Callum Jones, Ekaterina Zossimova, Frank Vollmer
Summary: Quantum-enhanced sensing and metrology offer promising pathways to meet the current demands for integrated chips by utilizing quantum optical measurement schemes for precise measurements of optical properties. These non-classical measurement techniques, based on phenomena like entanglement and squeezing of optical probe states, can also revolutionize biosensing applications and pave the way for integrated quantum optical bioscience laboratories.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peng Mao, Changxu Liu, Yubiao Niu, Yuyuan Qin, Fengqi Song, Min Han, Richard E. Palmer, Stefan A. Maier, Shuang Zhang
Summary: Materials exhibit diverse responses to incident light based on their unique dielectric functions, with the optical response in nanotechnology being influenced by both material properties and geometric structures. The advancement of nanotechnology has led to significant progress in optical structures with feature sizes smaller than the optical wavelength, resulting in flourishing developments in plasmonics and photonic crystals. A counterintuitive system consisting of plasmonic nanostructures composed of different materials but exhibiting almost identical reflection has been proposed, highlighting the insensitivity of the optical response to different plasmonic materials.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Mikkel Have Eriksen, Jakob E. Olsen, Christian Wolff, Joel D. Cox
Summary: This paper investigates the emergence and active control of optical bistability in a two-level atom near a graphene sheet. It is found that by adjusting the electrically tunable interband transition threshold in graphene, the emitted light from the atom exhibits electro-optical bistability and hysteresis in terms of intensity, spectrum, and quantum statistics.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nikolai B. Chichkov, Andrey B. Evlyukhin, Boris N. Chichkov
Summary: The letter evaluates the rest mass of light-induced surface-plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and discusses the idea of collisions between two massive SPP quasiparticles resulting in frequency changes according to energy and momentum conservation laws.
Article
Physics, Applied
Nikos Iliopoulos, Ioannis Thanopulos, Vasilios Karanikolas, Emmanuel Paspalakis
Summary: We investigate the entanglement dynamics between two qubits and a graphene nanodisk using the macroscopic quantum electrodynamics method. Our findings show that as the free-space decay rate increases, the decaying Rabi oscillations in the qubit population dynamics change to complex non-Markovian dynamical population evolution. This is also reflected in the concurrence, which can reach values up to 0.5 under weak or moderate light-matter coupling conditions and transiently higher values under stronger coupling conditions. These results demonstrate the potential of graphene nanostructures for realizing high degrees of entanglement at the nanoscale, which is crucial for quantum technology applications.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vinicius T. Alvarenga, Dario A. Bahamon, Nuno M. R. Peres, Christiano J. S. de Matos
Summary: Graphene plasmons have tunability, long propagation lengths and ultracompact wavelengths, but light-plasmon coupling in practical applications is challenging. We propose a method to alleviate this by using a practical substrate, silicon carbide (SiC), which naturally enlarges the graphene polariton wavelength. Through calculations, we show that SiC substrate increases the polariton wavelength by an order of magnitude and also increases the propagation length.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liam Collard, Filippo Pisano, Di Zheng, Antonio Balena, Muhammad Fayyaz Kashif, Marco Pisanello, Antonella D'Orazio, Liset M. de la Prida, Cristian Ciraci, Marco Grande, Massimo De Vittorio, Ferruccio Pisanello
Summary: This paper discusses the integration of plasmonic structures on optical fibers and its potential applications. The turbidity of light propagation in multimode fibers hinders dynamic control of the coupling between guided light fields and plasmonic resonances. Utilizing the information of guided modes, the authors demonstrate the spatiotemporal control of plasmonic resonances by employing dynamic phase modulation.
Review
Quantum Science & Technology
Shailesh Kumar, Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi
Summary: This review discusses recent developments in coupling single photon emitters to plasmonic waveguides, comparing different configurations and experimental methods to achieve high figure-of-merit (FOM) values. It also explores enhancing coupling efficiency and scalability potential of various waveguide platforms. The discussion includes an experiment demonstrating non-linearity at the single emitter level utilizing enhanced light-matter interaction in a plasmonic waveguide.
ADVANCED QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sihai Luo, Bard H. Hoff, Stefan A. Maier, John C. de Mello
Summary: This study evaluates some of the most promising techniques for nanogap fabrication, including traditional methods like photolithography, electron-beam lithography, and focused ion beam milling, as well as newer methods using novel electrochemical and mechanical means for patterning. The physical principles behind each method are reviewed, and their strengths and limitations for nanogap patterning are discussed in terms of resolution, fidelity, speed, ease of implementation, versatility, and scalability to large substrate sizes.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rituraj, Meir Orenstein, Shanhui Fan
Summary: The study explores the interaction of a single photon with multiple atoms, achieving tunable scattering by changing the angle of the incident photon. Perfect electromagnetically-induced transparency is demonstrated using two atoms with two-level structures, with scalability to large systems for novel optical device design. An atomically thin parabolic mirror is designed to focus single photons and create a quantum mirage in a cavity constructed from atoms.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Mohammed Alaloul, Jacob B. Khurgin
Summary: The study presents a design of a plasmon-enhanced photovoltaic double-graphene detector, showing high responsivity and ultra-high-speed characteristics, which can meet the needs of next-generation optical interconnects.
IEEE PHOTONICS JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dimitrios Papas, Jun-Yu Ou, Eric Plum, Nikolay I. Zheludev
Summary: Metastable optically controlled devices (optical flip-flops) are important in various applications. However, the weak optical nonlinearities have hindered the development of low-power bistable devices. This work introduces a new type of volatile optical bistability in a hybrid nano-optomechanical device, which can be switched between bistable optical states with microwatts of optical power and its volatile memory can be erased by removing the acoustic signal.
Article
Optics
Lukas Ohnoutek, Hyeon-Ho Jeong, Robin Raffe Jones, Johannes Sachs, Ben J. Olohan, Dora-Maria Rasadean, Gheorghe Dan Pantos, David L. Andrews, Peer Fischer, Ventsislav K. Valev
Summary: This study reveals the hidden third-harmonic optical properties upon CPL illumination, referred to as THRS OA, by demonstrating a new effect in hyper-Rayleigh scattering, where the intensity depends on the chirality of the scatterers.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiangdong Guo, Wei Lyu, Tinghan Chen, Yang Luo, Chenchen Wu, Bei Yang, Zhipei Sun, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Xiaoxia Yang, Qing Dai
Summary: 2D monolayers can be vertically stacked in van der Waals heterostructures to support a wide range of confined polaritons. This offers advantages in terms of controlling the constituent layers, stacking sequence, and twist angles. These heterostructures have extended the performance and functions of polaritons, and potential applications include nanophotonic integrated circuits.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michael Yannai, Raphael Dahan, Alexey Gorlach, Yuval Adiv, Kangpeng Wang, Ivan Madan, Simone Gargiulo, Francesco Barantani, Eduardo J. C. Dias, Giovanni Maria Vanacore, Nicholas Rivera, Fabrizio Carbone, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Ido Kaminer
Summary: The ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers in solids is crucial for emerging optoelectronics, photonics, energy harvesting, and quantum technology applications. However, investigating and visualizing such nonequilibrium phenomena at nanometer-femtosecond scales has been a longstanding challenge. In this study, we propose and demonstrate a new interaction mechanism called charge dynamics electron microscopy (CDEM), which enables nanoscale imaging of the femtosecond dynamics of charge carriers in solids. By exploiting the strong interaction of free-electron pulses with terahertz (THz) near fields created by moving charges, we can directly retrieve the THz near-field amplitude and phase, reconstruct movies of the generated charges, and investigate previously inaccessible spatiotemporal regimes of charge dynamics in solids.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Luis Cerdan, Alejandro Manjavacas
Summary: Metallic nanostructures with optical gain show enhanced optical responses and can be used to explore phenomena such as parity-time symmetry and nonreciprocity. However, the complexity of these systems often requires simplified gain models. In this study, we analyzed the optical response of a small active metallic nanoparticle using a semianalytical model that accounts for the nonlinear nature of the gain. We found that the optical response of the nanoparticle is greatly enhanced under weak probe fields, but becomes passive when the probe field strength depletes the excited-state population of the gain medium. Our results help to clarify the limits of linear models used to describe gain in plasmonic nanostructures, opening up new possibilities for applications.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ivan Madan, Eduardo J. C. Dias, Simone Gargiulo, Francesco Barantani, Michael Yannai, Gabriele Berruto, Thomas LaGrange, Luca Piazza, Tom T. A. Lummen, Raphael Dahan, Ido Kaminer, Giovanni Maria Vanacore, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Fabrizio Carbone
Summary: Understanding and actively controlling the dynamics of nonequilibrium electron clouds is crucial for various applications. However, these clouds evolve in a complex manner on small scales, making them difficult to study. In this study, we use an ultrafast transmission electron microscope to solve the challenge of characterizing the evolution of electron clouds generated on metallic structures, providing insights into their intricate mechanisms and dynamics. This technique, known as charge dynamics electron microscopy (CDEM), opens up possibilities for studying a wide range of nonequilibrium electrodynamic phenomena on the nanoscale.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
P. A. D. Goncalves, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo
Summary: A rigorous scheme for retrieving the quantum surface response of metals from electron energy-loss spectroscopy and cathodoluminescence measurements is presented. It is demonstrated that quantum nonlocal effects have a dramatic impact on the spectra when the system size or the inverse wavevector approaches the nanometer scale. The concept takes advantage of the ability of free electrons to probe the optical response of metals at length scales where quantum-mechanical effects are apparent.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xiangdong Guo, Ning Li, Xiaoxia Yang, Ruishi Qi, Chenchen Wu, Ruochen Shi, Yuehui Li, Yang Huang, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, En-Ge Wang, Peng Gao, Qing Dai
Summary: Light confinement in nanostructures allows for enhanced light-matter interaction, leading to a wide range of applications. Hexagonal BN nanotubes act as smooth nanocavities that can sustain whispering-gallery modes, with low scattering losses. These nanotubes could potentially enable compact photonic devices with ultrastrong light-matter interactions.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Claus Ropers
Summary: The modulation of free electrons with light has been found to be effective in producing attosecond electron wave packets. However, existing research mainly focuses on manipulating the longitudinal wave function component, with limited attention given to the transverse degrees of freedom for temporal shaping. In this study, by utilizing parallel light-electron interactions in separate zones, we demonstrate the simultaneous spatial and temporal compression of a convergent electron wave function, resulting in the formation of sub-angstrom focal spots of attosecond duration. This approach opens up new possibilities for exploring ultrafast atomic-scale phenomena, particularly in attosecond scanning transmission electron microscopy.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Juan R. Deop-Ruano, Alejandro Manjavacas
Summary: Within the framework of fluctuational electrodynamics, this study investigates the simultaneous transfer of energy and angular momentum in a pair of rotating nanostructures. The results demonstrate that the radiative heat transfer between the nanostructures can be influenced by their rotation, leading to an increase, decrease, or even reversal of the transfer compared to non-rotating conditions. This work uncovers the counterintuitive phenomena resulting from the simultaneous transfer of energy and angular momentum in rotating nanostructures.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hai Hu, Na Chen, Hanchao Teng, Renwen Yu, Mengfei Xue, Ke Chen, Yuchuan Xiao, Yunpeng Qu, Debo Hu, Jianing Chen, Zhipei Sun, Peining Li, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Qing Dai
Summary: Negative refraction is achieved using hybrid topological polaritons in van der Waals heterostructures, allowing for gate-tunable manipulation of mid-infrared radiation. Wide-angle negatively refracted polaritons are observed in partially decorated a-MoO3 films with graphene, demonstrating reversible nanoscale focusing. This technique offers possibilities for electrically tunable super-resolution imaging, nanoscale thermal manipulation, enhanced molecular sensing, and on-chip optical circuitry.
Article
Optics
Xihang Shi, Yaniv Kurman, Michael Shentcis, Liang Jie Wong, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Ido Kaminer
Summary: The science and technology of X-ray optics have made significant progress, allowing for the focusing of X-rays in various applications. However, certain forms of tailoring waves that are common in the optical regime have been challenging to achieve in the X-ray regime. We propose a novel concept of X-ray focusing by inducing a curved wavefront during the X-ray generation process, enabling the creation of nanobeams with precise focal spots. This concept bypasses the limitations of traditional X-ray optical components and allows for tunable parameters of the focused hotspot.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Luis Cerdan, Lauren Zundel, Alejandro Manjavacas
Summary: Lattice resonances are collective electromagnetic modes supported by periodic arrays of metallic nanostructures. Recent studies have shown that arrays with chiral unit cells can exhibit lattice resonances with different responses to right- and left-handed circularly polarized light. In this study, we investigate lattice resonances supported by square bipartite arrays that function as 2.5-dimensional arrays. We find that despite the achirality of the unit cell, these systems can support lattice resonances with almost perfect chiral responses and very large quality factors.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Izzah Machfuudzoh, Tatsuki Hinamoto, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Minoru Fujii, Takumi Sannomiya
Summary: This study fills the research gap in direct imaging of optical modes by demonstrating nanoscale optical-field visualization of self-interference of light extracted from excited modes through experimentally obtained photon maps that directly portray the field distributions of the excited eigenmodes. By selectively choosing specific modes using cathodoluminescence-based scanning transmission electron microscopy with angle-, polarization-, and wavelength-resolved capabilities, the internal field distributions of the whispering-gallery modes reveal the interference between multiple modes and the resulting complex patterns dependent on the detection angle and polarization. The direct visualization of internal fields enables a comprehensive understanding of WGMs and can provide insights for the design of nanophotonic applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lujun Wang, Sotirios Papadopoulos, Fadil Iyikanat, Jian Zhang, Jing Huang, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Michel Calame, Mickael L. Perrin, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Lukas Novotny
Summary: The authors demonstrate exciton-assisted resonant electron tunnelling in van der Waals heterostructure tunnel junctions. They reveal tunnelling mechanisms involving indirect or direct excitons and optical emission driven by inelastic electron tunnelling. The study highlights the importance of materials with well-defined interfaces and the potential for van der Waals material-based optoelectronic devices.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
John H. Gaida, Hugo Lourenco-Martins, Sergey V. Yalunin, Armin Feist, Murat Sivis, Thorsten Hohage, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo, Claus Ropers
Summary: The paper introduces Lorentz-PINEM for full-field, non-invasive imaging of complex optical near fields at high spatial resolution. The authors use energy-filtered defocus phase-contrast imaging and iterative phase retrieval to reconstruct the phase distribution of interfering surface-bound modes on a plasmonic nanotip. Their approach is applicable for retrieving the spatially varying phase of nanoscale fields and topological modes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Alejandro Manjavacas, F. Javier Garcia de Abajo
Summary: Single-photon emitters are essential for quantum technologies, but generating single photons along specific directions usually requires complex configurations. In this study, we propose a photon source that can efficiently generate single photons along guided modes. By placing a quantum emitter in a periodically patterned linear waveguide, the emission of photons is preferentially directed along the waveguide in a region close to the period, resulting in a significant reduction in temporal uncertainty. Our research opens up a new approach for producing highly directional single photons with reduced temporal uncertainty.