Controlling light by matrix of nanoparticles

Light can be led and manipulated on the nanometer scale using the effects of plasmonics physics, according to the latest calculations published by a team of researchers from Northwestern University (USA).

Maxim Sukharev and Tamar Seideman also pointed out that they can create nanometer-sized light sources that can control the combined properties as well as polarization properties. This light source is extremely important to create many different nanoparticle components from sensors, open and close locks to super lenses as well as optical information storage components.

Using arithmetic algorithms and parallelization codes to solve Maxwell's equations in classical electrodynamics, Sukharev and Seideman have shown that the combined nature of collective vibrations of conductive electrons in particles Nano metal (called plasmon) can be used to control the transmission of light.

They used a prototype that is a T-shaped contact layer created by spherical nanoparticles to demonstrate that the polarization of light can be used to manipulate the transmittance of light through a sphere. This simple principle can be used in nano-optical open-close circuits, inverters that can operate beyond the diffraction limit.

Figure 1. Electromagnetic energy distribution in the xy plane for 4 nanoparticles
(According to J. Phys. B. 40 (2007) S283-S298).

Researchers have also shown that incident light can be trapped by plasmonic crystals (cyclic structures created by nanoparticles). Moreover, depending on the geometry of the crystal, light can be focused and conduction in wavelength sensitive structures.

"Another result we hope can bring interesting possibilities to some other areas is the opportunity to create nanometer-sized light sources with a combination of polarity and polarity. can be controlled, " - Seideman said - " Such a light source can be extended to a great extent, the combined field of light control has been growing from the macro-scale world. tissue ".

Figure 2. Time average of the ratio of energy transmitted on energy
transmitted at 345 nm through silver nanoparticles
(According to J. Phys. B. 40 (2007) S283-S298).

At the same time, the ability to design nanoscale components with the desired functions of researchers can also create very practical applications."Not only is the ability to quantitatively calculate optical feedback, but also designing nanostructures so that they have the expected properties are essential to developing nanoparticle components, possibly from sensors or openers, to super lenses or optical information storage devices, " - Seideman said. " We are fascinated by the ability to control the path of light waves at the nodes of Plasmonic crystals, trapping and tunneling light in plasmonic crystals and designing functionalized concepts based on the concept of wave interference ".

The team is hoping to develop ultra-fast components based on plasmonic nanoparticles. Other topics include the creation of large-scale nanoscale light sources with controllable polarization, studying the single atomic and molecular dynamics in an electromagnetic field controlled by plasmonic and design hybrid nanostructured structures by metals and semiconductors with the desired optical properties being carried out. See more details in Atomic and Molecular Physics Journal of Physics B.

The team is led by Seideman
(University of Northwestern, US)

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