Chapter 11
Plasmonic Functionalities Based on Detuned
Electrical Dipoles
Anders Pors, Michael G. Nielsen and Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi
Abstract We introduce and demonstrate the concept of detuned electrical dipoles
(DED) that originates from the plasmonic realization of the dressed-state picture
of electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic physics. Numerically and
experimentally analyzing DED metamaterials consisting of unit cells with two and
three differently sized gold nanorods, we show the possibility of optical transparency
characterized by enhanced transmission, reduced group velocity and propagation
loss. The concept of DED is further applied to plasmonic sensing of the environment,
demonstrating unprecedented sensitivity to refractive index changes by the utilization
of scattering asymmetry. By the similar concept, DED metamaterials are designed
to function as nanometer-thin wave plates in reflection.
11.1 Introduction
In recent years there has been an explosive growth in research activities devoted
to investigating and designing new artificial materials, called metamaterials, with
strikingly new optical properties. Metamaterials are made of conventional (natural)
materials that are structured on a scale considerably smaller than the wavelength of
light used. Consequently, one can introduce effective material parameters reducing
A. Pors (B)
Mads Clausen Institute (MCI), University of Southern Denmark, Alsion 2,
DK-6400 Sønderborg, Denmark
e-mail: pors@mci.sdu.dk
M. G. Nielsen · S. I. Bozhevolnyi
Institute of Technology and Innovation (ITI), University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs Allé
1, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
e-mail: mgni@iti.sdu.dk
S. I. Bozhevolnyi
e-mail: seib@iti.sdu.dk
T. V. Shahbazyan and M. I. Stockman (eds.), Plasmonics: Theory and Applications,
401
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7805-4_11, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Plasmonic Functionalities Based on Detuned
Electrical Dipoles
Anders Pors, Michael G. Nielsen and Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi
Abstract We introduce and demonstrate the concept of detuned electrical dipoles
(DED) that originates from the plasmonic realization of the dressed-state picture
of electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic physics. Numerically and
experimentally analyzing DED metamaterials consisting of unit cells with two and
three differently sized gold nanorods, we show the possibility of optical transparency
characterized by enhanced transmission, reduced group velocity and propagation
loss. The concept of DED is further applied to plasmonic sensing of the environment,
demonstrating unprecedented sensitivity to refractive index changes by the utilization
of scattering asymmetry. By the similar concept, DED metamaterials are designed
to function as nanometer-thin wave plates in reflection.
11.1 Introduction
In recent years there has been an explosive growth in research activities devoted
to investigating and designing new artificial materials, called metamaterials, with
strikingly new optical properties. Metamaterials are made of conventional (natural)
materials that are structured on a scale considerably smaller than the wavelength of
light used. Consequently, one can introduce effective material parameters reducing
A. Pors (B)
Mads Clausen Institute (MCI), University of Southern Denmark, Alsion 2,
DK-6400 Sønderborg, Denmark
e-mail: pors@mci.sdu.dk
M. G. Nielsen · S. I. Bozhevolnyi
Institute of Technology and Innovation (ITI), University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs Allé
1, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
e-mail: mgni@iti.sdu.dk
S. I. Bozhevolnyi
e-mail: seib@iti.sdu.dk
T. V. Shahbazyan and M. I. Stockman (eds.), Plasmonics: Theory and Applications,
401
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7805-4_11, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013