11 Plasmonic Functionalities Based on Detuned Electrical Dipoles
427
early polarized incident wave. The quarter-wave plate functionality has been verified numerically for nanocross and nanobrick configurations in the near-infrared.
Additionally, a metasurface of nanobrick unit cells has been fabricated and optically
characterized, revealing quarter-wave plate behavior at ϕ ∼ 780 nm.
Despite the already widespread work on and utilization of the DED concept, there
is still room for improvements and new applications. For example, the EIT-response
of DED metamaterials depends on a large number of parameters such as the frequency detuning, the size and composition of the unit cell. For this reason, it is a
complicated task to find an optimal configuration. The word ‘optimal’ also depends
on the objective; in some cases a large group refractive index might be of more
importance than a large bandwidth-delay product. Similarly, the extrinsic chirality
present for two-nanorod metasurfaces (see Sect. 11.2.1) ought to be investigated in
more detail, possibly opening a new way to create ultrathin polarization rotators.
The sensing capabilities of the DED array can also be improved by a proper optimization of the structural dimensions, which potentially could experimentally verify
FOM exceeding 100. Moreover, as indicated in Sect. 11.3.1, it should be possible
to reliably detect the light scattered from a single DED configuration, opening up
the possibility to detect environmental changes in nanometer-sized volumes with
unforeseen sensitivity. Likewise, we envision a considerable improvement in the
reflection strength of the DED quarter-wave plate [the current configuration shows a
reflection of ∼ 0.15, see Fig. 11.12c] by placing the nanobricks on a nanometer-thin
(∼ 20 nm) dielectric spacer pinned to a thin metal film. The overall thickness of the
structure would still be subwavelength, but the mirror-like properties of the metal
film ensures a predominant scattering in the reflection direction.
References
1. S. Zhang, D.A. Genov, Y. Wang, M. Liu, X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 047401 (2008)
2. N. Papasimakis, V.A. Fedotov, N.I. Zheludev, S.L. Prosvirnin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 253903
(2008)
3. P. Tassin, L. Zhang, T. Koschny, E.N. Economou, C.M. Soukoulis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 053901
(2009)
4. P. Tassin, L. Zhang, T. Koschny, E.N. Economou, C.M. Soukoulis, Opt. Express 17, 5595
(2009)
5. N. Liu, L. Langguth, T. Weiss, J. Kästel, M. Fleischhauer, T. Pfau, H. Giessen, Nat. Mater. 8,
758 (2009)
6. R. Taubert, M. Hentschel, J. Kästel, H. Giessen, Nano Lett. 12, 1367 (2012)
7. K.J. Boller, A. Imamolu, S.E. Harris, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2593 (1991)
8. M. Fleischhauer, A. Imamoglu, J.P. Marangos, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 633 (2005)
9. T.F. Krauss, Nat. Photonics 2, 448 (2008)
10. N. Papasimakis, Y.H. Fu, V.A. Fedotov, S.L. Prosvirnin, D.P. Tsai, N.I. Zheludev, Appl. Phys.
Lett. 94, 211902 (2009)
11. S. Maier, Nat. Mater. 8, 699 (2009)
12. R.D. Kekatpure, E.S. Barnard, W. Cai, M.L. Brongersma, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 243902 (2010)
13. S.I. Bozhevolnyi, A.B. Evlyukhin, A. Pors, M.G. Nielsen, M. Willatzen, O. Albrektsen, New
J. Phys. 13, 023034 (2011)
427
early polarized incident wave. The quarter-wave plate functionality has been verified numerically for nanocross and nanobrick configurations in the near-infrared.
Additionally, a metasurface of nanobrick unit cells has been fabricated and optically
characterized, revealing quarter-wave plate behavior at ϕ ∼ 780 nm.
Despite the already widespread work on and utilization of the DED concept, there
is still room for improvements and new applications. For example, the EIT-response
of DED metamaterials depends on a large number of parameters such as the frequency detuning, the size and composition of the unit cell. For this reason, it is a
complicated task to find an optimal configuration. The word ‘optimal’ also depends
on the objective; in some cases a large group refractive index might be of more
importance than a large bandwidth-delay product. Similarly, the extrinsic chirality
present for two-nanorod metasurfaces (see Sect. 11.2.1) ought to be investigated in
more detail, possibly opening a new way to create ultrathin polarization rotators.
The sensing capabilities of the DED array can also be improved by a proper optimization of the structural dimensions, which potentially could experimentally verify
FOM exceeding 100. Moreover, as indicated in Sect. 11.3.1, it should be possible
to reliably detect the light scattered from a single DED configuration, opening up
the possibility to detect environmental changes in nanometer-sized volumes with
unforeseen sensitivity. Likewise, we envision a considerable improvement in the
reflection strength of the DED quarter-wave plate [the current configuration shows a
reflection of ∼ 0.15, see Fig. 11.12c] by placing the nanobricks on a nanometer-thin
(∼ 20 nm) dielectric spacer pinned to a thin metal film. The overall thickness of the
structure would still be subwavelength, but the mirror-like properties of the metal
film ensures a predominant scattering in the reflection direction.
References
1. S. Zhang, D.A. Genov, Y. Wang, M. Liu, X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 047401 (2008)
2. N. Papasimakis, V.A. Fedotov, N.I. Zheludev, S.L. Prosvirnin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 253903
(2008)
3. P. Tassin, L. Zhang, T. Koschny, E.N. Economou, C.M. Soukoulis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 053901
(2009)
4. P. Tassin, L. Zhang, T. Koschny, E.N. Economou, C.M. Soukoulis, Opt. Express 17, 5595
(2009)
5. N. Liu, L. Langguth, T. Weiss, J. Kästel, M. Fleischhauer, T. Pfau, H. Giessen, Nat. Mater. 8,
758 (2009)
6. R. Taubert, M. Hentschel, J. Kästel, H. Giessen, Nano Lett. 12, 1367 (2012)
7. K.J. Boller, A. Imamolu, S.E. Harris, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2593 (1991)
8. M. Fleischhauer, A. Imamoglu, J.P. Marangos, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 633 (2005)
9. T.F. Krauss, Nat. Photonics 2, 448 (2008)
10. N. Papasimakis, Y.H. Fu, V.A. Fedotov, S.L. Prosvirnin, D.P. Tsai, N.I. Zheludev, Appl. Phys.
Lett. 94, 211902 (2009)
11. S. Maier, Nat. Mater. 8, 699 (2009)
12. R.D. Kekatpure, E.S. Barnard, W. Cai, M.L. Brongersma, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 243902 (2010)
13. S.I. Bozhevolnyi, A.B. Evlyukhin, A. Pors, M.G. Nielsen, M. Willatzen, O. Albrektsen, New
J. Phys. 13, 023034 (2011)