Surface plasmons are waves that propagate along the surface of a conductor. By altering the structure of a metal's surface, the properties of surface plasmons--in particular their interaction with light--can be tailored, which offers the potential for developing new types of photonic device. This could lead to miniaturized photonic circuits with length scales that are much smaller than those currently achieved. Surface plasmons are being explored for their potential in subwavelength optics, data storage, light generation, microscopy and bio-photonics.

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Surface plasmon subwavelength optics

Spintronics, or spin electronics, involves the study of active control and manipulation of spin degrees of freedom in solid-state systems. This article reviews the current status of this subject, including both recent advances and well-established results. The primary focus is on the basic physical principles underlying the generation of carrier spin polarization, spin dynamics, and spin-polarized transport in semiconductors and metals. Spin transport differs from charge transport in that spin is a nonconserved quantity in solids due to spin-orbit and hyperfine coupling. The authors discuss in detail spin decoherence mechanisms in metals and semiconductors. Various theories of spin injection and spin-polarized transport are applied to hybrid structures relevant to spin-based devices and fundamental studies of materials properties. Experimental work is reviewed with the emphasis on projected applications, in which external electric and magnetic fields and illumination by light will be used to control spin and charge dynamics to create new functionalities not feasible or ineffective with conventional electronics.

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Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications

We present experimental scattering data at microwave frequencies on a structured metamaterial that exhibits a frequency band where the effective index of refraction (n) is negative. The material consists of a two-dimensional array of repeated unit cells of copper strips and split ring resonators on interlocking strips of standard circuit board material. By measuring the scattering angle of the transmitted beam through a prism fabricated from this material, we determine the effective n, appropriate to Snell's law. These experiments directly confirm the predictions of Maxwell's equations that n is given by the negative square root of epsilon.mu for the frequencies where both the permittivity (epsilon) and the permeability (mu) are negative. Configurations of geometrical optical designs are now possible that could not be realized by positive index materials.

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Experimental Verification of a Negative Index of Refraction

The emerging field of plasmonics has yielded methods for guiding and localizing light at the nanoscale, well below the scale of the wavelength of light in free space. Now plasmonics researchers are turning their attention to photovoltaics, where design approaches based on plasmonics can be used to improve absorption in photovoltaic devices, permitting a considerable reduction in the physical thickness of solar photovoltaic absorber layers, and yielding new options for solar-cell design. In this review, we survey recent advances at the intersection of plasmonics and photovoltaics and offer an outlook on the future of solar cells based on these principles.

Plasmonics for improved photovoltaic devices

Using the freedom of design that metamaterials provide, we show how electromagnetic fields can be redirected at will and propose a design strategy. The conserved fields-electric displacement field D, magnetic induction field B, and Poynting vector B-are all displaced in a consistent manner. A simple illustration is given of the cloaking of a proscribed volume of space to exclude completely all electromagnetic fields. Our work has relevance to exotic lens design and to the cloaking of objects from electromagnetic fields.

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Controlling Electromagnetic Fields

We have made measurements of the temperature and field dependence of the dc magnetization of Fe atoms deposited on polycrystalline Ag substrates in the range 0.1–100 monolayers equivalent mass coverage. Our experimental technique is to couple an ultrahigh vacuum sample preparation and transport chamber to a SQUID dc magnetometer. We shall present an analysis of these data and a comparison of the deduced saturation moment and anisotropy constant with the theoretical and experimental results of the companion papers in this symposium.

Direct dc magnetization measurements of Fe on Ag (abstract)

We report the observation of an unusual electron spin resonance (ESR) signal in single crystals of Eu2CuO4. The signal appears to be associated with a resonance mode of the CuO2 planes, similar to the midfield and low‐field absorptions we have reported previously [Phys. Rev. B 41, 1934 (1990)]. However, it is only observed when the projection of the applied dc magnetic field in the CuO2 plane is within a few degrees of the 〈110〉 crystallographic direction. Additionally the sample must be field cooled in the CuO2 plane, but with a component of the cooling field perpendicular to the 〈110〉 ESR observation direction. Both the field for resonance and the linewidth exhibit a 1/cos θ dependence, where θ is the angle of the applied dc field between the c axis and the 〈110〉 observation direction. Additional constraints for observation of the resonance are that the microwave rf magnetic field must have a component in the CuO2 plane, but perpendicular to the dc field. The signal disappears above ∼215 K, which we ass...

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Observation of an unusual ESR signal in antiferromagnetic Eu2CuO4

Direct observation of the triad longitudinal ESR mode in a spin glass.

We have proposed that a new type of microwave resonator, based on photonic band gap (PBG) structures, may be particularly useful for high energy accelerators. We provide an explanation of the PBG concept and present data which illustrate some of the special properties associated with such structures. Further evaluation of the utility of PBG resonators requires laboratory testing of model structures at cryogenic temperatures, and at high fields. We provide a brief discussion of our test program, which is currently in progress. >

Photonic Band Gap Resonators for High Energy Accelerators

A method and apparatus for interrogating a target having a plurality of plasmon resonant particles (PREs) distributed in the target are disclosed. In the method, a field containing the target is illuminated, and one or more spectral emission characteristics of the light-scattering particles in the field are detected. From this data, an image of positions and spectral characteristic values in the field is constructed, allowing PREs with a selected spectral signature to be discriminated from other light-scattering entities, to provide information about the field. Also disclosed are a novel PRE composition for use in practicing the method, and a variety of diagnostic applications of the method.

Sheldon Schultz

Papers

Direct dc magnetization measurements of Fe on Ag (abstract)

Observation of an unusual ESR signal in antiferromagnetic Eu2CuO4

Direct observation of the triad longitudinal ESR mode in a spin glass.

Photonic Band Gap Resonators for High Energy Accelerators

Plasmon resonant particles, methods and apparatus plasmon resonant particles, methods and apparatus