Quantitative and Direct Near-Field Analysis of Plasmonic-Induced Transparency and the Observation of a Plasmonic Breathing Mode.

We investigated experimentally and numerically in the optical near-field a plasmonic model system similar to a dolmen-type structure for phenomena such as plasmon-induced transparency. Through engineering of coupling strength, structure orientation, and incident angle and phase of the excitation source it was possible to control near-field excitation of the dark modes. We showed that quantitative analysis of near-field amplitude and excitation strength provided essential information that allowed identifying the interaction between the bright and the dark mode and how it causes the formation of plasmon-induced transparency features and a Fano resonance. In addition, we introduced a mechanism to excite field distributions in plasmonic structures that cannot be accessed directly using far-field illumination and demonstrated the excitation of a dark mode akin to a symmetry-forbidden plasmonic breathing mode using a linearly polarized far-field source.

Plasmonic oligomers in cylindrical vector light beams.

We investigate the excitation as well as propagation of magnetic modes in plasmonic nanostructures. Such structures are particularly suited for excitation with cylindrical vector beams. We study magneto-inductive coupling between adjacent nanostructures. We utilize high-resolution lithographic techniques for the preparation of complex nanostructures consisting of gold as well as aluminium. These structures are subsequently characterized by linear optical spectroscopy. The well characterized and designed structures are afterwards studied in depth by exciting them with radial and azimuthally polarized light and simultaneously measuring their plasmonic near-field behavior. Additionally, we attempt to model and simulate our results, a project which has, to the best of our knowledge, not been attempted so far.

Magnetic plasmon formation and propagation in artificial aromatic molecules.

The plasmonic properties of coupled metallic nanostructures are understood through the analogy between their collective plasmon modes and the electronic orbitals of corresponding molecules. Here we expand this analogy to planar arrangements of plasmonic nanostructures whose magnetic plasmons directly resemble the delocalized orbitals of aromatic hydrocarbon molecules. The heptamer structure serves as a benzene-like building block for a family of plasmonic artificial aromatic analogs with fused ring structures. Antiphase magnetic plasmons are excited in adjacent fused heptamer units, which for a linear multiheptamer structure is a behavior controlled by the number of units in the structure. This antiphase coupling gives rise to plasmonic "antiferromagnetic" behavior in multiple repeated heptamer structures, supporting the propagation of low-loss magnetic plasmons in this new waveguide geometry.

Long-distance indirect excitation of nanoplasmonic resonances.

In nanoscopic systems, size, geometry, and arrangement are the crucial determinants of the light-matter interaction and resulting nanoparticles excitation. At optical frequencies, one of the most prominent examples is the excitation of localized surface plasmon polaritons, where the electromagnetic radiation is coupled to the confined charge density oscillations. Here, we show that beyond direct near- and far-field excitation, a long-range, indirect mode of particle excitation is available in nanoplasmonic systems. In particular, in amorphous arrays of plasmonic nanodiscs we find strong collective and coherent influence on each particle from its entire active neighborhood. This dependency of the local field response on excitation conditions at distant areas brings exciting possibilities to engineer enhanced electromagnetic fields through controlled, spatially configured illumination.

Near-field dynamics of optical Yagi-Uda nanoantennas.

We present near-field measurements of optical Yagi-Uda nanoantennas that are used in receiving mode. The eigenmode imaging of amplitude and phase by apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopy allows us to investigate the dynamics of the local out-of-plane electric field components and to visualize the temporal evolution of this time-harmonic reception process. The antenna directionality manifests itself by the dependence of the local field enhancement at the feed element on the illumination direction. Simulations taking into account the substrate confirm our observation of the directionality. Our work demonstrates the possibility to characterize multielement nanoantennas by electromagnetic antenna near-field scanners.

3D optical Yagi-Uda nanoantenna array.

Future photonic circuits with the capability of high-speed data processing at optical frequencies will rely on the implementation of efficient emitters and detectors on the nanoscale. Towards this goal, bridging the size mismatch between optical radiation and subwavelength emitters or detectors by optical nanoantennas is a subject of current research in the field of plasmonics. Here we introduce an array of three-dimensional optical Yagi-Uda antennas, fabricated using top-down fabrication techniques combined with layer-by-layer processing. We show that the concepts of radiofrequency antenna arrays can be applied to the optical regime proving superior directional properties compared with a single planar optical antenna, particularly for emission and reception into the third dimension. Measuring the optical properties of the structure reveals that impinging light on the array is efficiently absorbed on the subwavelength scale because of the high directivity. Moreover, we show in simulations that combining the array with suitable feeding circuits gives rise to the prospect of beam steering at optical wavelengths.

Plasmonic nanowire antennas: experiment, simulation, and theory.

Recent advances in nanolithography have allowed shifting of the resonance frequency of antennas into the optical and visible wavelength range with potential applications, for example, in single molecule spectroscopy by fluorescence and directionality enhancement of molecules. Despite such great promise, the analytical means to describe the properties of optical antennas is still lacking. As the phase velocity of currents at optical frequencies in metals is much below the speed of light, standard radio frequency (RF) antenna theory does not apply directly. For the fundamental linear wire antenna, we present an analytical description that overcomes this shortage and reveals profound differences between RF and plasmonic antennas. It is fully supported by apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope measurements and finite-difference time-domain simulations. This theory is a starting point for the development of analytical models of more complex antenna structures.

Plasmonic activity of large-area gold nanodot arrays on arbitrary substrates.

Highly efficient fabrication of well-ordered, embedded gold nanodot matrices using diffraction mask projection laser ablation is demonstrated. These gold nanodot arrays are ideally generated onto sapphire substrates but do also form onto AlO(x) thin films, enabling the application to arbitrary bulk substrates. Well-ordered gold dots become embedded into the Al(2)O(3) substrate during the process, thus improving their mechanical stability, chemical inertness, and technological compliance. Such substrates may be useful, for example, to enhance solar-cell efficiency by surface plasmons or as convenient, biocompatible focusing elements in nearfield optical tweezers.

Fabry-Pérot resonances in one-dimensional plasmonic nanostructures.

We study the near-field optical behavior of Fabry-Pérot resonances in thin metal nanowires, also referred to as quasi one-dimensional plasmonic nanoantennas. From eigenmodes well beyond quadrupolar order we extract both, propagation constant and reflection phase of the guided surface plasmon polariton with superb accuracy. The combined symmetry breaking effects of oblique illumination and retardation allow the excitation of dipole forbidden, even order resonances. All measurements are supported by rigorous simulations of the experimental situation.