New nano- or micro-patterned metal nonlinear metasurfaces, robust against temperature and more sustainable than current IR materials, could respond across the LWIR-to-SWIR spectrum (no band gap) for long-distance data/power transfer, thermal management, sensing, navigation, and detection. In this presentation, we discuss our recent discovery of longitudinal and transverse optical rectification (OR) in an asymmetric plasmonic grating that is inherently linear. A periodic Au stripe array breaks inversion symmetry perpendicular to the stripes, so that direct (zero frequency) electronic, rectified current, due to selective excitation of only one SPP mode, flows with incident photons polarized perpendicular to the stripes. We also measured the influence of the photon helicity on the OR current, from coupling of the spin of propagating surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) to their linear momentum and to the angular momentum of incident photons. It is interesting that bosonic SPPs generate this electrical current. Simple ‘photon drag’ and other models of electronic current do not completely explain the experiment. We discuss scientific advances to better understand these phenomena.
Optical Rectification (OR), where photon frequencies subtract to give a zero-frequency direct current (d.c.), is an interesting nonlinear optical effect. Rectifying antenna-coupled diodes have produced the highest-efficiency microwave power conversion > 80%. Most IR detectors are expensive unsustainable semiconductors with a band gap, built n specialized clean rooms with trained staff, dangerous chemicals. Recently OR, not band gap limited, did not require an insulator or semiconductor; plasmonic metals are sufficient. We have observed a near-IR OR longitudinal current along the surface of a resonant 1-D metasurface (no photon drag), and coupling of incident photon helicity to plasmon transverse spin (“spin-momentum locking”). Future OR may be tuned. Here, we report experimental observations of OR voltages from off-center laser beam illumination and a transverse OR current (an ‘OR Hall Effect’), present in the same simple plasmonic gold film patterned into a 1-D grating; left-right patterning breaks symmetry. The strong stripe optical nonlinearity and field enhancement cross-couple higher order polarization terms generating a transverse OR current. We discuss applications.
Nonlinear optical effects like Optical Rectification are needed to achieve signals and provide feedback and active control of photonic platforms. Simpler materials having tunable nonlinear optical effects that respond across much of the spectrum, instead of semiconductors. Building on our earlier results, we report a new experimental observation with theoretical analysis of a transverse, or ‘Hall Effect’ optical rectification current from surface plasmons in a simple 1-D gold metasurface, without photon drag effects. Due to the strong nanoscale resonant enhancement of the electromagnetic field, higher order polarization terms cross-couple the orthogonal planes of incidence and transverse rectified current.
Active, dynamic, and reconfigurable control of photons and absorption is an important goal for many technologies. The ability to respond to, and be designed for, a wide range of wavelengths is critical and difficult for semiconductors. We discuss our recent discovery of optical ratchet rectification in an asymmetric plasmonic grating with no intrinsic chi(2) or nonlinearity, where direct (zero frequency) electrical current flows from incident photons ~4x larger than previous results. We report optoelectronic results on a metal-insulator-metal rectifier, reconfigured by rotating ferromagnetic moments in the top metal (Co), on Au/NbOx on Nb, Al. A magnetically-reconfigurable rectifier could be switched on and off with little energy, while retaining broadband response.
Xanthommatin (Xa) is a small-molecule bio-pigment that can serve as a reconfigurable less-toxic photonic material.; we discuss actively controlling it using electromagnetic fields etc., presenting a model of the combined chromatophores and iridophores, a dynamically tunable photonic device in Nature.
We present a design and detailed fabrication of periodic and quasi-periodic plasmonic arrays including infrared scattering, patterning stripe, particle, and hole arrays with large periodicities for longwave IR scattering, and experimental reflectivity and backwards scattering from these metamaterials. We experimentally verify LWIR and other infrared diffraction from sparser arrays and arrays of holes in plasmonic metals. We simulate, using critical coupling analytical models and numerical algorithms, the reflectivity, scattering, etc. of these metamaterial arrays, and compare to the laser-based measurements. We also investigate a hole array in a plasmonic material (Ag).We find plasmonic resonances at both the air-Ag and Ag-substrate interfaces to be present, increasing transmission via the Extraordinary Optical Transmission effect, which may be tuned by an electromagnetic field to shift the resonance position, and in the future may enable novel tunable rectification.
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