Understanding how light interacts with matter at the nanometre scale is a fundamental issue in optoelectronics and nanophotonics. In particular, many applications (such as bio-sensing, cancer therapy and all-optical signal processing) rely on surface-bound optical excitations in metallic nanoparticles. However, so far no experimental technique has been capable of imaging localized optical excitations with sufficient resolution to reveal their dramatic spatial variation over one single nanoparticle. Here, we present a novel method applied on silver nanotriangles, achieving such resolution by recording maps of plasmons in the near-infrared/visible/ultraviolet domain using electron beams instead of photons. This method relies on the detection of plasmons as resonance peaks in the energy-loss spectra of subnanometre electron beams rastered on nanoparticles of well-defined geometrical parameters. This represents a significant improvement in the spatial resolution with which plasmonic modes can be imaged, and provides a powerful tool in the development of nanometre-level optics.

Mapping surface plasmons on a single metallic nanoparticle

This book contains information on atomic, molecular and optical physics. Topics covered include: muon-catalyzed fusion and cooperative effects in atomic physics.

Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

Recently two emerging areas of research, attosecond and nanoscale physics, have started to come together. Attosecond physics deals with phenomena occurring when ultrashort laser pulses, with duration on the femto- and sub-femtosecond time scales, interact with atoms, molecules or solids. The laser-induced electron dynamics occurs natively on a timescale down to a few hundred or even tens of attoseconds, which is comparable with the optical field. On the other hand, the second branch involves the manipulation and engineering of mesoscopic systems, such as solids, metals and dielectrics, with nanometric precision. Although nano-engineering is a vast and well-established research field on its own, the merger with intense laser physics is relatively recent. In this article we present a comprehensive experimental and theoretical overview of physics that takes place when short and intense laser pulses interact with nanosystems, such as metallic and dielectric nanostructures. In particular we elucidate how the spatially inhomogeneous laser induced fields at a nanometer scale modify the laser-driven electron dynamics. Consequently, this has important impact on pivotal processes such as ATI and HHG. The deep understanding of the coupled dynamics between these spatially inhomogeneous fields and matter configures a promising way to new avenues of research and applications. Thanks to the maturity that attosecond physics has reached, together with the tremendous advance in material engineering and manipulation techniques, the age of atto-nano physics has begun, but it is in the initial stage. We present thus some of the open questions, challenges and prospects for experimental confirmation of theoretical predictions, as well as experiments aimed at characterizing the induced fields and the unique electron dynamics initiated by them with high temporal and spatial resolution.

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Attosecond physics at the nanoscale

Recently two emerging areas of research, attosecond and nanoscale physics, have started to come together. Attosecond physics deals with phenomena occurring when ultrashort laser pulses, with duration on the femto-and sub-femtosecondtime scales, interact with atoms, molecules or solids. The laser-induced electron dynamics occurs natively on a timescale down to a few hundred or even tens of attoseconds (1 attosecond = 1 as = 10-(18)s), which is comparable with the optical field. For comparison, the revolution of an electron on a 1s orbital of a hydrogen atom is similar to 152 as. On the other hand, the second branch involves the manipulation and engineering of mesoscopic systems, such as solids, metals and dielectrics, with nanometric precision. Although nano-engineering is a vast and well-established research field on its own, the merger with intense laser physics is relatively recent. In this report on progress we present a comprehensive experimental and theoretical overview of physics that takes place when short and intense laser pulses interact with nanosystems, such as metallic and dielectric nanostructures. In particular we elucidate how the spatially inhomogeneous laser induced fields at a nanometer scale modify the laser- driven electron dynamics. Consequently, this has important impact on pivotal processes such as above-threshold ionization and high-order harmonic generation. The deep understanding of the coupled dynamics between these spatially inhomogeneous fields and matter configures a promising way to new avenues of research and applications. Thanks to the maturity that attosecond physics has reached, together with the tremendous advance in material engineering and manipulation techniques, the age of atto-nanophysics has begun, but it is in the initial stage. We present thus some of the open questions, challenges and prospects for experimental confirmation of theoretical predictions, as well as experiments aimed at characterizing the induced fields and the unique electron dynamics initiated by them with high temporal and spatial resolution.

/pdf/attosecond-physics-at-the-nanoscale-4ta5xxe2cj.pdf

Plasmonics is a rapidly developing field at the boundary of physical optics and condensed matter physics. It studies phenomena induced by and associated with surface plasmons-elementary polar excitations bound to surfaces and interfaces of good nanostructured metals. This Roadmap is written collectively by prominent researchers in the field of plasmonics. It encompasses selected aspects of nanoplasmonics. Among them are fundamental aspects, such as quantum plasmonics based on the quantum-mechanical properties of both the underlying materials and the plasmons themselves (such as their quantum generator, spaser), plasmonics in novel materials, ultrafast (attosecond) nanoplasmonics, etc. Selected applications of nanoplasmonics are also reflected in this Roadmap, in particular, plasmonic waveguiding, practical applications of plasmonics enabled by novel materials, thermo-plasmonics, plasmonic-induced photochemistry and photo-catalysis. This Roadmap is a concise but authoritative overview of modern plasmonics. It will be of interest to a wide audience of both fundamental physicists and chemists, as well as applied scientists and engineers.

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Roadmap on plasmonics

We study high-order harmonic generation (HHG) resulting from the illumination of plasmonic nanostructures with a short laser pulse of long wavelength. We demonstrate that both the confinement of the electron motion and the inhomogeneous character of the laser electric field play an important role in the HHG process and lead to a significant increase of the harmonic cutoff. In particular, in bow-tie nanostructures with small gaps, electron trajectories with large excursion amplitudes experience significant confinement and their contribution is essentially suppressed. In order to understand and characterize this feature, we combine the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation (TDSE) with the electric fields obtained from 3D finite element simulations. We employ time-frequency analysis to extract more detailed information from the TDSE results and classical tools to explain the extended harmonic spectra. The spatial inhomogeneity of the laser electric field modifies substantially the electron trajectories and contributes also to cutoff increase.

Enhancement of high harmonic generation by confining electron motion in plasmonic nanostrutures

We present theoretical studies of above-threshold ionization (ATI) produced by spatially inhomogeneous fields. This kind of field appears as a result of the illumination of plasmonic nanostructures and metal nanoparticles with a short laser pulse. We use the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation in reduced dimensions to understand and characterize the ATI features in these fields. It is demonstrated that the inhomogeneity of the enhanced plasmonic field plays an important role in the ATI process and it produces appreciable modifications to the energy-resolved photoelectron spectra. In fact, our numerical simulations reveal that high-energy electrons can be generated. Specifically, using a linear approximation for the spatial dependence of the enhanced plasmonic field and with a near-infrared laser with intensities in the mid ${10}^{14}$ W/cm${}^{2}$ range, we show it is possible to drive electrons with energies in the near-keV regime. Furthermore, we study how the carrier envelope phase influences the emission of ATI photoelectrons for few-cycle pulses. Our quantum mechanical calculations are supported by their classical counterparts.

Above threshold ionization by few-cycle spatially inhomogeneous fields

We study theoretically the photoelectron emission in noble gases using plasmonic enhanced near-fields. We demonstrate that these fields have a great potential to generate high energy electrons by direct mid-infrared laser pulses of the current femtosecond oscillator. Typically, these fields appear in the surroundings of plasmonic nanostructures, having different geometrical shape such as bow-ties, metallic waveguides, metal nanoparticles and nanotips, when illuminated by a short laser pulse. In here, we consider metal nanospheres, in which the spatial decay of the near-field of the isolated nanoparticle can be approximated by an exponential function according to recent attosecond streaking measurements. We establish that the strong nonhomogeneous character of the enhanced near-field plays an important role in the above threshold ionization (ATI) process and leads to a significant extension in the photoelectron spectra. In this work, we employ the time dependent Schrodinger equation in reduced dimensions to calculate the photoelectron emission of xenon atoms in such enhanced near-field. Our findings are supported by classical calculations.

High energy photoelectron emission from gases using plasmonics enhanced near-fields

In strong field laser physics it is a common practice to use the high-order harmonic cutoff to estimate the laser intensity of the pulse that generates the harmonic radiation. Based on the semiclassical arguments it is possible to find a direct relationship between the maximum value of the photon energy and the laser intensity. This approach is only valid if the electric field driving HHG is spatially homogenous. In laser-matter processes driven by plasmonics fields, the enhanced fields present a spatial dependence that strongly modifies the electron motion and consequently the laser driven phenomena. As a result, this method should be revised in order to more realistically estimate the field. In this work, we demonstrate how the inhomogeneity of the fields will effect this estimation. Furthermore, by employing both quantum mechanical and classical calculations, we show how one can obtain a better estimation for the intensity of the enhanced field in plasmonic nanostructure.

M. Lewenstein

Papers

Attosecond physics at the nanoscale

Enhancement of high harmonic generation by confining electron motion in plasmonic nanostrutures

Above threshold ionization by few-cycle spatially inhomogeneous fields

High energy photoelectron emission from gases using plasmonics enhanced near-fields

Estimating the plasmonic field enhancement using high-order harmonic generation: The role of inhomogeneity of the fields