Recent years have seen a rapid expansion of research into nanophotonics based on surface plasmon–polaritons. These electromagnetic waves propagate along metal–dielectric interfaces and can be guided by metallic nanostructures beyond the diffraction limit. This remarkable capability has unique prospects for the design of highly integrated photonic signal-processing systems, nanoresolution optical imaging techniques and sensors. This Review summarizes the basic principles and major achievements of plasmon guiding, and details the current state-of-the-art in subwavelength plasmonic waveguides, passive and active nanoplasmonic components for the generation, manipulation and detection of radiation, and configurations for the nanofocusing of light. Potential future developments and applications of nanophotonic devices and circuits are also discussed, such as in optical signals processing, nanoscale optical devices and near-field microscopy with nanoscale resolution.

Plasmonics beyond the diffraction limit

In 1873, Ernst Abbe discovered what was to become a well-known paradigm: the inability of a lens-based optical microscope to discern details that are closer together than half of the wavelength of light. However, for its most popular imaging mode, fluorescence microscopy, the diffraction barrier is crumbling. Here, I discuss the physical concepts that have pushed fluorescence microscopy to the nanoscale, once the prerogative of electron and scanning probe microscopes. Initial applications indicate that emergent far-field optical nanoscopy will have a strong impact in the life sciences and in other areas benefiting from nanoscale visualization.

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Far-Field Optical Nanoscopy

Artificially engineered metamaterials are now demonstrating unprecedented electromagnetic properties that cannot be obtained with naturally occurring materials. In particular, they provide a route to creating materials that possess a negative refractive index and offer exciting new prospects for manipulating light. This review describes the recent progress made in creating nanostructured metamaterials with a negative index at optical wavelengths, and discusses some of the devices that could result from these new materials.

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Optical negative-index metamaterials

Metamaterials, or engineered materials with rationally designed, subwavelength-scale building blocks, allow us to control the behavior of physical fields in optical, microwave, radio, acoustic, heat transfer, and other applications with flexibility and performance that are unattainable with naturally available materials. In turn, metasurfaces-planar, ultrathin metamaterials-extend these capabilities even further. Optical metasurfaces offer the fascinating possibility of controlling light with surface-confined, flat components. In the planar photonics concept, it is the reduced dimensionality of the optical metasurfaces that enables new physics and, therefore, leads to functionalities and applications that are distinctly different from those achievable with bulk, multilayer metamaterials. Here, we review the progress in developing optical metasurfaces that has occurred over the past few years with an eye toward the promising future directions in the field.

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Planar Photonics with Metasurfaces

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

Thin films of randomly distributed silver nanoparticles are studied experimentally using photon scanning tunneling microscopy and theoretically using real-space renormalization group method. The studies reveal large variations of local optical intensity at sub-wavelength scales. In addition, irradiation of the film by nanosecond laser pulses is observed to yield substantial changes in the local optical response. The threshold for the photomodification is less than 10 mJ/cm2. It is believed that particles within some areas of nanometer scales are restructured during nanosecond laser irradiation. The geometric changes in turn result in modification of the local optical intensity.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Study of local photomodification of nanomaterials using near-field optics

We study perspectives of nanowire metamaterials for negative-refraction waveguides, high-performance polarizers, and polarization-sensitive biosensors. We demonstrate that the behavior of these composites is strongly influenced by the concentration, distribution, and geometry of the nanowires, derive an analytical description of electromagnetism in anisotropic nanowire-based metamaterials, and explore the limitations of our approach via three-dimensional numerical simulations. Finally, we illustrate the developed approach on the examples of nanowire-based high energy-density waveguides and non-magnetic negative index imaging systems with far-field resolution of one-sixth of vacuum wavelength.

Nanowire metamaterials with extreme optical anisotropy

Broad-bandwidth, low-dispersion, optical metamaterials are desired. Reflection measurements show that, by using multiple-metamaterial semiconductor stacks of varying thickness and doping, bandwidth is improved by 47% over a single-stack mid-infrared metamaterial, and dispersion appears reduced.

Broadband, low-dispersion, mid-infrared metamaterials

We develop a quantitative description of giant asymmetry in reflectance, recently observed in semicontinuous metal films. The developed scaling-theory based technique reproduces the spectral properties of semicontinuous composites, as well as provides insight into the origin of experimentally observed loss, reflectance, and transmittance anomalies in the vicinity of the percolation threshold.

Asymmetric reflectance and cluster size effects in silver percolation films

We present an optical sensor based on plasmonic nanorod metamaterials. The sensor operates similar to well-established surface plasmon polariton sensors, but offers order-of-magnitude improvement over existing technology. Optical and biological applications are discussed.

Viktor A. Podolskiy

Papers

Study of local photomodification of nanomaterials using near-field optics

Nanowire metamaterials with extreme optical anisotropy

Broadband, low-dispersion, mid-infrared metamaterials

Asymmetric reflectance and cluster size effects in silver percolation films

High-performance sensing with plasmonic nanorod metamaterials