Since its discovery, the asymmetric Fano resonance has been a characteristic feature of interacting quantum systems. The shape of this resonance is distinctively different from that of conventional symmetric resonance curves. Recently, the Fano resonance has been found in plasmonic nanoparticles, photonic crystals, and electromagnetic metamaterials. The steep dispersion of the Fano resonance profile promises applications in sensors, lasing, switching, and nonlinear and slow-light devices.

The Fano resonance in plasmonic nanostructures and metamaterials

We present the science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems, targeting an evolution in technology, that might lead to impacts and benefits reaching into most areas of society. This roadmap was developed within the framework of the European Graphene Flagship and outlines the main targets and research areas as best understood at the start of this ambitious project. We provide an overview of the key aspects of graphene and related materials (GRMs), ranging from fundamental research challenges to a variety of applications in a large number of sectors, highlighting the steps necessary to take GRMs from a state of raw potential to a point where they might revolutionize multiple industries. We also define an extensive list of acronyms in an effort to standardize the nomenclature in this emerging field.

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Science and technology roadmap for graphene, related two-dimensional crystals, and hybrid systems

Modern nanotechnology allows one to scale down various important devices (sensors, chips, fibers, etc.) and thus opens up new horizons for their applications. The efficiency of most of them is based on fundamental physical phenomena, such as transport of wave excitations and resonances. Short propagation distances make phase-coherent processes of waves important. Often the scattering of waves involves propagation along different paths and, as a consequence, results in interference phenomena, where constructive interference corresponds to resonant enhancement and destructive interference to resonant suppression of the transmission. Recently, a variety of experimental and theoretical work has revealed such patterns in different physical settings. The purpose of this review is to relate resonant scattering to Fano resonances, known from atomic physics. One of the main features of the Fano resonance is its asymmetric line profile. The asymmetry originates from a close coexistence of resonant transmission and resonant reflection and can be reduced to the interaction of a discrete (localized) state with a continuum of propagation modes. The basic concepts of Fano resonances are introduced, their geometrical and/or dynamical origin are explained, and theoretical and experimental studies of light propagation in photonic devices, charge transport through quantum dots, plasmon scattering in Josephson-junction networks, and matter-wave scattering in ultracold atom systems, among others are reviewed.

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Fano resonances in nanoscale structures

Two rich and vibrant fields of investigation, graphene physics and plasmonics, strongly overlap Not only does graphene possess intrinsic plasmons that are tunable and adjustable, but a combination of graphene with noble-metal nanostructures promises a variety of exciting applications for conventional plasmonics The versatility of graphene means that graphene-based plasmonics may enable the manufacture of novel optical devices working in different frequency ranges, from terahertz to the visible, with extremely high speed, low driving voltage, low power consumption and compact sizes Here we review the field emerging at the intersection of graphene physics and plasmonics

Graphene plasmonics

Metamaterials and transformation optics play substantial roles in various branches of optical science and engineering by providing schemes to tailor electromagnetic fields into desired spatial patterns. We report a theoretical study showing that by designing and manipulating spatially inhomogeneous, nonuniform conductivity patterns across a flake of graphene, one can have this material as a one-atom-thick platform for infrared metamaterials and transformation optical devices. Varying the graphene chemical potential by using static electric field yields a way to tune the graphene conductivity in the terahertz and infrared frequencies. Such degree of freedom provides the prospect of having different "patches" with different conductivities on a single flake of graphene. Numerous photonic functions and metamaterial concepts can be expected to follow from such a platform.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2011/06/08/332.6035.1291.DC1/Vakil-SOM.pdf

Transformation Optics Using Graphene

We report that a resonance response with a very high quality factor can be achieved in a planar metamaterial by introducing symmetry breaking in the shape of its structural elements, which enables excitation of trapped modes, i.e., modes that are weakly coupled to free space.

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Sharp trapped-mode resonances in planar metamaterials with a broken structural symmetry

We demonstrate a classical analog of electromagnetically induced transparency in a planar metamaterial. We show that pulses propagating through such metamaterials experience considerable delay. The thickness of the structure along the direction of wave propagation is much smaller than the wavelength, which allows successive stacking of multiple metamaterial slabs leading to increased transmission and bandwidth.

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Metamaterial analog of electromagnetically induced transparency.

Toroidal multipoles are fundamental electromagnetic excitations different from those associated with the familiar charge and magnetic multipoles. They have been held responsible for parity violation in nuclear and particle physics, but direct evidence of their existence in classical electrodynamics has remained elusive. We report on the observation of a resonant electromagnetic response in an artificially engineered medium, or metamaterial, that cannot be attributed to magnetic or charge multipoles and can only be explained by the existence of a toroidal dipole. Our direct experimental evidence of the toroidal response brings attention to the often ignored electromagnetic interactions involving toroidal multipoles, which could be present in naturally occurring systems, especially at the macromolecule level, where toroidal symmetry is ubiquitous.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/330/6010/1510.full.pdf

Toroidal Dipolar Response in a Metamaterial

In 2003 Bergman and Stockman introduced the spaser, a quantum amplifier of surface plasmons by stimulated emission of radiation. They argued that, by exploiting a metal/dielectric composite medium, it should be possible to construct a nano-device, where a strong coherent field is built up in a spatial region much smaller than the wavelength. It was suggested that V-shaped metallic inclusions, combined with a collection of semiconductor quantum dots could lead to a realization of the spaser. Here we introduce a further development of the spaser concept. We show that by combining the metamaterial and spaser ideas one can create a planar narrow-diversion coherent source of electromagnetic radiation that is fuelled by plasmonic oscillations. We argue that two-dimensional arrays of a certain class of plasmonic resonators supporting high-Q current excitations belong to a new category of coherent metamaterials that provide an intriguing opportunity to create a spatially and temporally coherent laser source, the Lasing Spaser.

Coherent meta-materials and the lasing spaser

The toroidal dipole is a localized electromagnetic excitation, distinct from the magnetic and electric dipoles. While the electric dipole can be understood as a pair of opposite charges and the magnetic dipole as a current loop, the toroidal dipole corresponds to currents flowing on the surface of a torus. Toroidal dipoles provide physically significant contributions to the basic characteristics of matter including absorption, dispersion and optical activity. Toroidal excitations also exist in free space as spatially and temporally localized electromagnetic pulses propagating at the speed of light and interacting with matter. We review recent experimental observations of resonant toroidal dipole excitations in metamaterials and the discovery of anapoles, non-radiating current configurations involving toroidal dipoles. While certain fundamental and practical aspects of toroidal electrodynamics remain open for the moment, we envision that exploitation of toroidal excitations can have important implications for the fields of photonics, sensing, energy and information.

/pdf/electromagnetic-toroidal-excitations-in-matter-and-free-80pgvj1cy7.pdf

Nikitas Papasimakis

Papers

Sharp trapped-mode resonances in planar metamaterials with a broken structural symmetry

Metamaterial analog of electromagnetically induced transparency.

Toroidal Dipolar Response in a Metamaterial

Coherent meta-materials and the lasing spaser

Electromagnetic toroidal excitations in matter and free space