© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:1903.11888 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Refraction enhancement in plasmonics by coherent control of plasmon resonances

Ali Panahpour, Abolfazl Mahmoodpoor, Andrei V. Lavrinenko

Published Aug 20, 2019• 11 citations

Abstract

Optical materials exhibit significant losses over the resonance frequency of their constituent atoms and so they are practically implemented at frequencies far from resonances. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) provides a method for effective suppression of optical loss in a narrow window over the resonance, where the medium exhibits significant dispersion but at the expense of zero susceptibility. The classical or plasmonic analogs of the EIT effect are introduced and widely used in the context of electromagnetic or optical metamaterials (MMs). In another interesting phenomenon in quantum optics known as enhancement of index of refraction (EIR), the optical loss of the medium can be zero or even negative at the region of maximal susceptibility and negligible dispersion. This condition is interesting for applications where a strong electromagnetic response of the medium with negligible loss is required, such as zero- or negative-index metamaterials (MMs). Here we introduce a plasmonic analog of the EIR which allows for coherent control over the polarizability and absorption of plasmonic nanoantennas. It can open up the way for loss-compensated propagation of optical waves in zero-index to high-refractive-index plasmonic MMs. The scheme also offers an approach to all-optical switching and coherent control of transmission, diffraction, and polarization conversion properties of plasmonic nanostructures, as well as propagation properties of surface plasmon polaritons on metasurfaces.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.100.075427

Related papers

All-optical switching based on plasmon-induced Enhancement of Index of Refraction

Rakesh Dhama, Ali Panahpour, Tuomas Pihlava +2 more

In quantum optical Enhancement of Index of Refraction (EIR), coherence and quantum interference render the atomic systems to exhibit orders of magnitude higher susceptibilities with vanishing or even negative absorption at their resonances. Here we show the plasmonic analogue of the quantum optical EIR effect in an optical system and further implement this in a linear all-optical switching mechanism. We realize plasmon-induced EIR using a particular plasmonic metasurface consisting of a square array of L-shaped meta-molecules. In contrast to the conventional methods, this approach provides a scheme to modulate the amplitude of incident signals by coherent control of absorption without implementing gain materials or nonlinear processes. Therefore, light is controlled by applying ultra-low intensity at the extreme levels of spatiotemporal localization. In the pursuit of potential applications of linear all-optical switching devices, this scheme may introduce an effective tool for improving the modulation strength of optical modulators and switches through the amplification of input signals at ultra-low power.

Nature Communications•Jun 3, 2022•46 citations

Plasmonic metamaterial for electromagnetically induced transparency analogue and ultra-high figure of merit sensor

Dong Wu, Yumin Liu, Li Yu +7 more

In this work, using finite-difference time-domain method, we propose and numerically demonstrate a novel way to achieve electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon in the reflection spectrum by stacking two different types of coupling effect among different elements of the designed metamaterial. Compared with the conventional EIT-like analogues coming from only one type of coupling effect between bright and dark meta-atoms on the same plane, to our knowledge the novel approach is the first to realize the optically active and precise control of the wavelength position of EIT-like phenomenon using optical metamaterials. An on-to-off dynamic control of the EIT-like phenomenon also can be achieved by changing the refractive index of the dielectric substrate via adjusting an optical pump pulse. Furthermore, in near infrared region, the metamaterial structure can be operated as an ultra-high resolution refractive index sensor with an ultra-high figure of merit (FOM) reaching 3200, which remarkably improve the FOM value of plasmonic refractive index sensors. The novel approach realizing EIT-like spectral shape with easy adjustment to the working wavelengths will open up new avenues for future research and practical application of active plasmonic switch, ultra-high resolution sensors and active slow-light devices.

Scientific Reports•Mar 23, 2017•63 citations

Tunable narrowband plasmonic resonances in electromagnetically induced transparency media

David Ziemkiewicz, Karolina Słowik, Sylwia Zielińska‐Raczyńska

The spectral response of a plasmonic nanostructure may heavily depend on the refractive index of its surroundings. The key idea of this paper is to control this response by coherent optical means, i.e., with an optically controlled electromagnetically induced transparency medium. In such an environment, an external laser provides a knob to shift the position of plasmonic resonances without the need to change the geometry of the nanostructure. Additionally, the setup can be exploited to excite narrowband surface plasmon polaritons.

arXiv:1612.02533•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Aug 25, 2017•4 citations

Coherent nonlinear optics and quantum control in negative-index metamaterials

A K Popov, S A Myslivets, Vladimir M. Shalaev

The extraordinary properties of laser-induced transparency of a negative-index slab and parametric amplification for a backward-wave signal are investigated. The effects of the idler absorption and phase mismatch on the amplification of the signal are studied, and the feasibility of ensuring robust transparency for a broad range of control field intensities and slab thicknesses is shown. A particular option consisting of the independent engineering of a strong four-wave mixing response and the negative refractive index is proposed and its specific features are investigated. The feasibility of quantum control over the slab transparency in such a scheme is confirmed through numerical experiments. We thus show opportunities and conditions for the compensation of the strong absorption inherent to plasmonic negative-index metamaterials, and we further show achievable transparency through coherent energy transfer from the control optical field to the negative-index signal.

arXiv:0906.0276•Journal of Optics A Pure and Applied Optics•Sep 17, 2009•16 citations

Coherent amplification and inversion less lasing of surface plasmon polaritons in a negative index metamaterial with a resonant atomic medium

Saeid Asgarnezhad-Zorgabad

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) lasing requires population inversion, it is inefficient and possesses poor spectral properties. We develop an inversion-less concept for a quantum plasmonic waveguide that exploits unidirectional superradiant SPP (SSPP) emission of radiation to produce intense coherent surface plasmon beams. Our scheme includes a resonantly driven cold atomic medium in a lossless dielectric situated above an ultra-low loss negative index metamaterial (NIMM) layer. We propose generating unidirectional superradiant radiation of the plasmonic field within an atomic medium and a NIMM layer interface and achieve amplified SPPs by introducing phase-match between the superradiant SPP wave and coupled laser fields. We also establish a parametric resonance between the weak modulated plasmonic field and the collective oscillations of the atomic ensemble, thereby suppressing decoherence of the stably amplified directional polaritonic mode. Our method incorporates the quantum gain of the atomic medium to obtain sufficient conditions for coherent amplification of superradiant SPP waves, and we explore this method to quantum dynamics of the atomic medium being coupled with the weak polaritonic waves. Our waveguide configuration acts as a surface plasmon laser and quantum plasmonic transistor and opens prospects for designing controllable nano-scale lasers for quantum and nano-photonic applications.

arXiv:2010.07567•Scientific Reports•Feb 10, 2021•4 citations

Coherent Control of Low Loss Surface Polaritons

Ali A. Kamli, Sergey A. Moiseev, Barry C. Sanders

We propose fast all-optical control of surface polaritons by placing an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium at an interface between two materials. EIT provides longitudinal compression and a slow group velocity, while matching properties of the two materials at the interface provides strong transverse confinement. In particular, we show that an EIT medium near the interface between a dielectric and a negative-index metamaterial can establish tight longitudinal and transverse confinement plus extreme slowing of surface polaritons, in both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations, while simultaneously avoiding losses.

arXiv:0805.1739•Physical Review Letters•Dec 22, 2008•64 citations

Optical materials exhibit significant losses over the resonance frequency of their constituent atoms and so they are practically implemented at frequencies far from resonances. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) provides a method for effective suppression of optical loss in a narrow window over the resonance, where the medium exhibits significant dispersion but at the expense of zero susceptibility. The classical or plasmonic analogs of the EIT effect are introduced and widely used in the context of electromagnetic or optical metamaterials (MMs). In another interesting phenomenon in quantum optics known as enhancement of index of refraction (EIR), the optical loss of the medium can be zero or even negative at the region of maximal susceptibility and negligible dispersion. This condition is interesting for applications where a strong electromagnetic response of the medium with negligible loss is required, such as zero- or negative-index metamaterials (MMs). Here we introduce a plasmonic analog of the EIR which allows for coherent control over the polarizability and absorption of plasmonic nanoantennas. It can open up the way for loss-compensated propagation of optical waves in zero-index to high-refractive-index plasmonic MMs. The scheme also offers an approach to all-optical switching and coherent control of transmission, diffraction, and polarization conversion properties of plasmonic nanostructures, as well as propagation properties of surface plasmon polaritons on metasurfaces.

In quantum optical Enhancement of Index of Refraction (EIR), coherence and quantum interference render the atomic systems to exhibit orders of magnitude higher susceptibilities with vanishing or even negative absorption at their resonances. Here we show the plasmonic analogue of the quantum optical EIR effect in an optical system and further implement this in a linear all-optical switching mechanism. We realize plasmon-induced EIR using a particular plasmonic metasurface consisting of a square array of L-shaped meta-molecules. In contrast to the conventional methods, this approach provides a scheme to modulate the amplitude of incident signals by coherent control of absorption without implementing gain materials or nonlinear processes. Therefore, light is controlled by applying ultra-low intensity at the extreme levels of spatiotemporal localization. In the pursuit of potential applications of linear all-optical switching devices, this scheme may introduce an effective tool for improving the modulation strength of optical modulators and switches through the amplification of input signals at ultra-low power.

In this work, using finite-difference time-domain method, we propose and numerically demonstrate a novel way to achieve electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon in the reflection spectrum by stacking two different types of coupling effect among different elements of the designed metamaterial. Compared with the conventional EIT-like analogues coming from only one type of coupling effect between bright and dark meta-atoms on the same plane, to our knowledge the novel approach is the first to realize the optically active and precise control of the wavelength position of EIT-like phenomenon using optical metamaterials. An on-to-off dynamic control of the EIT-like phenomenon also can be achieved by changing the refractive index of the dielectric substrate via adjusting an optical pump pulse. Furthermore, in near infrared region, the metamaterial structure can be operated as an ultra-high resolution refractive index sensor with an ultra-high figure of merit (FOM) reaching 3200, which remarkably improve the FOM value of plasmonic refractive index sensors. The novel approach realizing EIT-like spectral shape with easy adjustment to the working wavelengths will open up new avenues for future research and practical application of active plasmonic switch, ultra-high resolution sensors and active slow-light devices.

The spectral response of a plasmonic nanostructure may heavily depend on the refractive index of its surroundings. The key idea of this paper is to control this response by coherent optical means, i.e., with an optically controlled electromagnetically induced transparency medium. In such an environment, an external laser provides a knob to shift the position of plasmonic resonances without the need to change the geometry of the nanostructure. Additionally, the setup can be exploited to excite narrowband surface plasmon polaritons.

The extraordinary properties of laser-induced transparency of a negative-index slab and parametric amplification for a backward-wave signal are investigated. The effects of the idler absorption and phase mismatch on the amplification of the signal are studied, and the feasibility of ensuring robust transparency for a broad range of control field intensities and slab thicknesses is shown. A particular option consisting of the independent engineering of a strong four-wave mixing response and the negative refractive index is proposed and its specific features are investigated. The feasibility of quantum control over the slab transparency in such a scheme is confirmed through numerical experiments. We thus show opportunities and conditions for the compensation of the strong absorption inherent to plasmonic negative-index metamaterials, and we further show achievable transparency through coherent energy transfer from the control optical field to the negative-index signal.

Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) lasing requires population inversion, it is inefficient and possesses poor spectral properties. We develop an inversion-less concept for a quantum plasmonic waveguide that exploits unidirectional superradiant SPP (SSPP) emission of radiation to produce intense coherent surface plasmon beams. Our scheme includes a resonantly driven cold atomic medium in a lossless dielectric situated above an ultra-low loss negative index metamaterial (NIMM) layer. We propose generating unidirectional superradiant radiation of the plasmonic field within an atomic medium and a NIMM layer interface and achieve amplified SPPs by introducing phase-match between the superradiant SPP wave and coupled laser fields. We also establish a parametric resonance between the weak modulated plasmonic field and the collective oscillations of the atomic ensemble, thereby suppressing decoherence of the stably amplified directional polaritonic mode. Our method incorporates the quantum gain of the atomic medium to obtain sufficient conditions for coherent amplification of superradiant SPP waves, and we explore this method to quantum dynamics of the atomic medium being coupled with the weak polaritonic waves. Our waveguide configuration acts as a surface plasmon laser and quantum plasmonic transistor and opens prospects for designing controllable nano-scale lasers for quantum and nano-photonic applications.

We propose fast all-optical control of surface polaritons by placing an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium at an interface between two materials. EIT provides longitudinal compression and a slow group velocity, while matching properties of the two materials at the interface provides strong transverse confinement. In particular, we show that an EIT medium near the interface between a dielectric and a negative-index metamaterial can establish tight longitudinal and transverse confinement plus extreme slowing of surface polaritons, in both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations, while simultaneously avoiding losses.