Evaluation of Fano resonance and phase analysis of plasma induced transparency in photonic nanostructure based on equivalent circuit analysis

Fano resonance and plasma induced transparency (PIT) have been widely observed in various plasmonic nanostructures. Fano resonance takes place in weak coupling regime where coupling constant between two electromagnetic modes is lower than damping constant of system. Hence, extracting coupling and damping coefficients from resonance spectrum is the key to distinguish between Fano resonance and other resonances. In this paper, we propose a simple and realizable coupled LC circuit to analyze Fano resonance and PIT. Weak and strong coupling regime are distinguished by comparing coupling constant with damping constant. Meanwhile, we gain deep insight into Fano resonance and PIT in circuit by analyzing circuit phase and understand their connection with resonance in photonic structure. Furthermore, we extend the equivalent circuit model to the field involved short-range plasmon polarization or multi-orders dark modes. Since there are no specific parameters associated with photonic nanostructure, the proposed equivalent circuit can be used in most plasmonic resonance system as an universal model.

Plasmonic excitations in two-dimensional materials: effects of structural symmetry and material anisotropy

Plasmonics in two-dimensional materials, an emerging direction of nano-optics, has attracted great attention recently, which exhibits unique properties than that in noble metals. Extending its advanced features by different manipulations is very beneficial for its promotion. In this paper, we study plasmonic excitations in graphene and black phosphorus (BP) nanostructures, where the effects of structural symmetry and material anisotropy are discussed. We show that the two factors are crucial to mode excitations, e.g. the extinction can be dominated by higher order modes rather than dipole resonance. The behavior occurs only in the direction hosting larger resonance frequencies, e.g. armchair (AC) direction of BP and shorter side of graphene rectangles. In BP rectangles along AC direction, the two factors are competing, and thus can be applied cooperatively to tune plasmonic resonance, from dipole to higher order excitations. Besides, the manipulation can also be achieved by designing BP square rings, in which the interaction between outer and inner edges show great impact on mode excitations. Our studies further promote the understanding of plasmonics in two-dimensional materials, and will pave the way for particular plasmonic applications.

Optimal trap velocity in a dynamic holographic optical trap using a nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulator

A dynamic holographic optical trap uses a dynamic diffractive optical element such as a liquid crystal spatial light modulator to realize one or more optical traps with independent controls. Such holographic optical traps provide a number of flexibilities and conveniences useful in various applications. One key requirement for such a trap is the ability to move the trapped microscopic object from one point to the other with the optimal velocity. In this paper we develop a nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulator based holographic optical trap and experimentally investigate the optimal velocity feasible for trapped beads of different sizes, in such a trap. Our results show that the achievable velocity of the trapped bead is a function of size of the bead, step size, interval between two steps and power carried by the laser beam. We observe that the refresh rate of a nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulator is sufficient to achieve an optimal velocity approaching the theoretical limit in the respective holographic trap for beads with radius larger than the wavelength of light.

Diffraction grating parameter retrieval using non-paraxial structured beams in coherent Fourier scatterometry

In recent years, a lot of works have been published that use parameter retrieval using Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) beams. Most make use of the OAM of different Laguerre-Gauss modes. However, those specific optical beams are paraxial beams and this limits the regime in which they can be used. In this paper, we report on the first results on retrieving the geometric parameters of a diffraction grating by analysing the corresponding complex-valued (i.e., amplitude and phase) Helmholtz Natural Modes (HNM) spectra containing both the azimuthal (i.e., n) and radial (i.e., m) indices. HNMs are a set of orthogonal, non-paraxial beams with finite energy carrying OAM. We use the coherent Fourier scatterometry (CFS) setup to calculate the field scattered from the diffraction grating. The amplitude and phase contributions of each HNM are then obtained by numerically calculating the overlap integral of the scattered field with the different modes. We show results on the sensitivity of the HNMs to several grating parameters.

Ultranarrow dual-band metamaterial perfect absorber and its sensing application

In this paper, a dual-band metamaterial absorber (MMA) with wide-angle and high absorptivity is proposed. The MMA consists of two silver layers separated by a dielectric layer. Its top resonant element is constituted by two concentric ring resonators connected with four strips. Based on electromagnetic field simulation, the proposed MMA has two narrow absorption peaks with an absorption rate of 99.9% at 711 nm and 99.8% at 830 nm, and the corresponding line width of the two absorption peaks are only 9.7 nm and 9.8 nm. The dual-band MMA shows high absorptivity under wide incident angles. The simulated field pattern shows that dual-band perfect absorption is the combined result of the interaction of two concentric ring resonators and unit cell coupling. In addition, the hexapole plasmon mode can be observed at the outer ring at one absorption peak. The narrow plasmon resonance has a potential application in optical sensing, and can be used to measure the concentration of aqueous glucose with two frequency channels. The proposed MMA with high absorptivity is simple to manufacture, and has other potential applications, such as narrow-band filters, energy storage device, and so on.

A low-profile consolidated metastructure for multispectral signature management

This work pertains to the design, numerical investigation, and experimental demonstration of an optically transparent, lightweight, and conformable metastructure that exhibits multispectral signature management capabilities despite its extremely low-profile configuration. In comparison to the existing hierarchical approaches of designing multispectral stealth solutions, attention has been paid to accommodate the conflicting requirements of radar and infrared stealth using a single metasurface layer configuration, which required a few constraints to be incorporated during the design stage to ensure compatibility. This methodlogy promulgates the desired multispectral response with minimal manufacturing footprint and facilitates an efficient integration with the other existing countermeasure platforms. The resulting design exhibits a polarization-insensitive and incident angle stable broadband microwave absorption with at least 90% absorption ranging from 8.2 to 18.4 GHz. Concomitantly it also exhibits an averaged infrared emissivity of 0.46 in the 8-14µm long-wave infrared regime, along with high optical transparency (71% transmission at 632.8nm). Notably, the total thickness of the metastructure stands at 0.10λ_L (λ_L corresponds to the wavelength at lowest frequency). The metastructure has been fabricated with ITO coated PET sheets, on which the frequency selective pattern is machined using Excimer laser micromachining, and the performances are verified experimentally. Furthermore, a hybrid theoretical model has been developed that not only provides crucial insights into the operation of metastructure but also presents a methodical semi-analytical approach to design.

Multipole Born series approach to light scattering by Mie-resonant nanoparticle structures

Exciting optical effects such as polarization control, imaging, and holography were demonstrated at the nanoscale using the complex and irregular structures of nanoparticles with the multipole Mie-resonances in the optical range. The optical response of such particles can be simulated either by full wave numerical simulations or by the widely used analytical coupled multipole method (CMM), however, an analytical solution in the framework of CMM can be obtained only in a limited number of cases. In this paper, a modification of the CMM in the framework of the Born series and its applicability for simulation of light scattering by finite nanosphere structures, maintaining both dipole and quadrupole resonances, are investigated. The Born approximation simplifies an analytical consideration of various systems and helps shed light on physical processes ongoing in that systems. Using Mie theory and Green’s functions approach, we analytically formulate the rigorous coupled dipole-quadrupole equations and their solution in the different-order Born approximations. We analyze in detail the resonant scattering by dielectric nanosphere structures such as dimer and ring to obtain the convergence conditions of the Born series and investigate how the physical characteristics such as absorption in particles, type of multipole resonance, and geometry of ensemble influence the convergence of Born series and its accuracy.

Surface sum-frequency generation from chiral medium by elliptically polarized light beyond plane-wave approximation and coplanar geometry of incidence

Aiming to study the nonlinear response of the surface of isotropic chiral medium, we obtained analytical expression relating the transverse amplitudes of the spatial Fourier-spectra of two incident arbitrary polarized fundamental beams and one signal reflected beam at the sum-frequency within the first-order approximation by their divergence angles. The calculations, carried out in paraxial approximation, simultaneously take into account the spatial dispersion of the bulk of the medium, its near-surface heterogeneity and the transverse finiteness of the three interacting light beams with arbitrary amplitude profiles and orientation in space. A special compact form for the final formulas was found, which makes use of effective nonlinear transformation tensors, the components of which are solely determined by the geometry of incidence of the beams and the material constants of the medium. A possibility of ``switching off'' the certain mechanisms of nonlinear response by choosing the specific polarization states of the incident beams is discussed.

Generalized Kerker effect in PT-symmetric nanoantenna array

All-dielectric nanophotonics is a rapidly developing and practical alternative to plasmonics for nanoscale optics. The electric and magnetic Mie resonances in high-index low-loss dielectric nanoresonators can be engineered to exhibit unique scattering response. Recently, nanophotonic structures satisfying parity-time (PT) symmetry have been shown to exhibit novel scattering responses beyond what can be achieved from the conventional nanoresonators. The complex interference of the magnetic and electric Mie resonances and lattice modes excited in PT-symmetric nanoantenna arrays give rise to a scattering anomaly called lasing spectral singularity (SS), where the scattering coefficients tend to infinity. In our previous work [1], we demonstrated the existence of lasing spectral singularities in vertically stacked 2D GaInP PT-symmetric metasurface. In this paper, we analyze the direction-sensitive scattering response of the PT-symmetric GaInP metasurface by decomposing the total scattered field into the electric and magnetic multipoles. The far-field scattering response at the singularity is highly asymmetric for incidence from either the gain or loss side and can be tuned by changing the geometry. By analyzing the phase of even- and odd-parity higher order multipoles, we explain the observed scattering response over a broad parameter space in terms of generalized Kerker effect. The interference between the direction-dependent excitation of different order multipoles and the overall 2D-lattice resonance opens a route towards designing a special class of tunable sources exhibiting direction-sensitive emission properties.

Optical image encryption scheme with extended visual cryptography and non-mechanical ptychographic encoding

Non-mechanical ptychographic encoding (NPE) transforms the secret information into a series of diffractive patterns through a spatial light modulator, saving the need to fabricate the secret objects. Conventionally, the shares in extended visual cryptography (EVC) are printed on transparent sheets or fabricated with diffractive optical elements and metasurface, but these methods are expensive and disposable. To solve these problems, we proposed an optical image encryption scheme that combines EVC and NPE. In the encryption process, the secret image is decomposed into multiple shares that are digitally loaded on the spatial light modulator, and the ciphertexts are generated according to the ptychographic encoding scheme. The decryption is performed by superimposing the shares reconstructed from the ciphertexts. We present optical experiments to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.