Chapter 12
Plasmonics with a Twist: Taming Optical
Tornadoes on the Nanoscale
Svetlana V. Boriskina
Abstract This chapter discusses a hydrodynamics-inspired approach to trap and
manipulate light in plasmonic nanostructures, which is based on steering optical
powerflow around nano-obstacles. New insights into plasmonic nanofocusing mechanisms are obtained by invoking an analogy of the ‘photon fluid’ (PF). By proper
nanostructure design, PF kinetic energy can be locally increased via convective
acceleration and then converted into ‘pressure’ energy to generate localized areas of
high field intensity. In particular, trapped light can be molded into optical vortices–
tornado-like areas of circular motion of power flux–connected into transmission-like
sequences. In the electromagnetic theory terms, this approach is based on radiationless electromagnetic interference of evanescent fields rather than on interference of
propagating waves radiated by the dipoles induced in nanoparticles. The resulting
ability to manipulate optical powerflow well beyond the diffraction limit helps to
reduce dissipative losses, to increase the amount of energy accumulated within a
nanoscale volume, and to activate magnetic response in non-magnetic nanostructures. It also forms a basis for long-range on-chip energy transfer/routing as well as
for active nanoscale field modulation and switching.
Keywords Plasmon · Optical tornado · Light scattering
12.1 Introduction
Noble-metal nanostructures known for their unique ability to squeeze light into subwavelength volumes enable a broad range of fascinating applications in optoelectronics, biomedical research, energy harvesting and conversion [1–5]. Most of these
S. V. Boriskina (B)
Mechanical Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA
e-mail: sboriskina@gmail.com
T. V. Shahbazyan and M. I. Stockman (eds.), Plasmonics: Theory and Applications,
431
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7805-4_12, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Plasmonics with a Twist: Taming Optical
Tornadoes on the Nanoscale
Svetlana V. Boriskina
Abstract This chapter discusses a hydrodynamics-inspired approach to trap and
manipulate light in plasmonic nanostructures, which is based on steering optical
powerflow around nano-obstacles. New insights into plasmonic nanofocusing mechanisms are obtained by invoking an analogy of the ‘photon fluid’ (PF). By proper
nanostructure design, PF kinetic energy can be locally increased via convective
acceleration and then converted into ‘pressure’ energy to generate localized areas of
high field intensity. In particular, trapped light can be molded into optical vortices–
tornado-like areas of circular motion of power flux–connected into transmission-like
sequences. In the electromagnetic theory terms, this approach is based on radiationless electromagnetic interference of evanescent fields rather than on interference of
propagating waves radiated by the dipoles induced in nanoparticles. The resulting
ability to manipulate optical powerflow well beyond the diffraction limit helps to
reduce dissipative losses, to increase the amount of energy accumulated within a
nanoscale volume, and to activate magnetic response in non-magnetic nanostructures. It also forms a basis for long-range on-chip energy transfer/routing as well as
for active nanoscale field modulation and switching.
Keywords Plasmon · Optical tornado · Light scattering
12.1 Introduction
Noble-metal nanostructures known for their unique ability to squeeze light into subwavelength volumes enable a broad range of fascinating applications in optoelectronics, biomedical research, energy harvesting and conversion [1–5]. Most of these
S. V. Boriskina (B)
Mechanical Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA
e-mail: sboriskina@gmail.com
T. V. Shahbazyan and M. I. Stockman (eds.), Plasmonics: Theory and Applications,
431
Challenges and Advances in Computational Chemistry and Physics 15,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7805-4_12, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013