Infrared Perfect Absorber and Its Application As Plasmonic Sensor
TL;DR: A perfect plasmonic absorber is experimentally demonstrated at lambda = 1.6 microm, its polarization-independent absorbance is 99% at normal incidence and remains very high over a wide angular range of incidence around +/-80 degrees.
Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate a perfect plasmonic absorber at λ = 1.6 μm. Its polarization-independent absorbance is 99% at normal incidence and remains very high over a wide angular range of incidence around ±80°. We introduce a novel concept to utilize this perfect absorber as plasmonic sensor for refractive index sensing. This sensing strategy offers great potential to maintain the performance of localized surface plasmon sensors even in nonlaboratory environments due to its simple and robust measurement scheme.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe recent progress in the fabrication of three-dimensional metamaterial structures and discuss some of the remaining challenges, including ultra-high-resolution imaging systems, compact polarization optics and cloaking devices.
Abstract: Photonic metamaterials are man-made structures composed of tailored micro- or nanostructured metallodielectric subwavelength building blocks. This deceptively simple yet powerful concept allows the realization of many new and unusual optical properties, such as magnetism at optical frequencies, negative refractive index, large positive refractive index, zero reflection through impedance matching, perfect absorption, giant circular dichroism and enhanced nonlinear optical properties. Possible applications of metamaterials include ultrahigh-resolution imaging systems, compact polarization optics and cloaking devices. This Review describes recent progress in the fabrication of three-dimensional metamaterial structures and discusses some of the remaining challenges.
1,594 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a plasmon-enhanced solar desalination device, fabricated by the self-assembly of aluminium nanoparticles into a three-dimensional porous membrane, is demonstrated.
Abstract: Self-assembling aluminium nanoparticles are used to make a plasmon-enhanced device for desalination. Plasmonics has generated tremendous excitement because of its unique capability to focus light into subwavelength volumes1, beneficial for various applications such as light harvesting2,3, photodetection4, sensing5, catalysis6 and so on. Here we demonstrate a plasmon-enhanced solar desalination device, fabricated by the self–assembly of aluminium nanoparticles into a three-dimensional porous membrane. The formed porous plasmonic absorber can float naturally on water surface, efficiently absorb a broad solar spectrum (>96%) and focus the absorbed energy at the surface of the water to enable efficient (∼90%) and effective desalination (a decrease of four orders of magnitude). The durability of the devices has also been examined, indicating a stable performance over 25 cycles under various illumination conditions. The combination of the significant desalination effect, the abundance and low cost of the materials, and the scalable production processes suggest that this type of plasmon-enhanced solar desalination device could provide a portable desalination solution.
1,567 citations
TL;DR: An ultrathin (260 nm) plasmonic super absorber consisting of a metal-insulator-metal stack with a nanostructured top silver film composed of crossed trapezoidal arrays yields broadband and polarization-independent resonant light absorption over the entire visible spectrum.
Abstract: Resonant plasmonic and metamaterial structures allow for control of fundamental optical processes such as absorption, emission and refraction at the nanoscale. Considerable recent research has focused on energy absorption processes, and plasmonic nanostructures have been shown to enhance the performance of photovoltaic and thermophotovoltaic cells. Although reducing metallic losses is a widely sought goal in nanophotonics, the design of nanostructured 'black' super absorbers from materials comprising only lossless dielectric materials and highly reflective noble metals represents a new research direction. Here we demonstrate an ultrathin (260 nm) plasmonic super absorber consisting of a metal–insulator–metal stack with a nanostructured top silver film composed of crossed trapezoidal arrays. Our super absorber yields broadband and polarization-independent resonant light absorption over the entire visible spectrum (400–700 nm) with an average measured absorption of 0.71 and simulated absorption of 0.85. Proposed nanostructured absorbers open a path to realize ultrathin black metamaterials based on resonant absorption.
1,532 citations
TL;DR: The ability of the MPA to exhibit extreme performance flexibility will be discussed and the theory underlying their operation and limitations will be established and Insight is given into what the authors can expect from this rapidly expanding field and future challenges will be addressed.
Abstract: The advent of negative index materials has spawned extensive research into metamaterials over the past decade. Metamaterials are attractive not only for their exotic electromagnetic properties, but also their promise for applications. A particular branch–the metamaterial perfect absorber (MPA)–has garnered interest due to the fact that it can achieve unity absorptivity of electromagnetic waves. Since its first experimental demonstration in 2008, the MPA has progressed significantly with designs shown across the electromagnetic spectrum, from microwave to optical. In this Progress Report we give an overview of the field and discuss a selection of examples and related applications. The ability of the MPA to exhibit extreme performance flexibility will be discussed and the theory underlying their operation and limitations will be established. Insight is given into what we can expect from this rapidly expanding field and future challenges will be addressed.
1,419 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the basic physics and applications of planar metamaterials, often called metasurfaces, which are composed of optically thin and densely packed planar arrays of resonant or nearly resonant subwavelength elements, are reviewed.
1,047 citations
References
More filters
Book•
05 Oct 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a survey of optical spectra of Elemental Metal Clusters and Chain Aggregates and discuss experimental results and experimental methods for metal clustering experiments.
Abstract: 1. Introduction.- 2. Theoretical Considerations.- 3. Experimental Methods.- 4. Experimental Results and Discussion.- A.1 Tables: Optical Spectroscopy Experiments with Metal Clusters.- A.2 Survey of Optical Spectra of Elemental Metal Clusters and Chain-Aggregates.- A.3 Mie Computer Program.- References.
6,405 citations
TL;DR: This work fabricate, characterize, and analyze a MM absorber with a slightly lower predicted A(omega) of 96%.
Abstract: We present the design for an absorbing metamaterial (MM) with near unity absorbance A(omega). Our structure consists of two MM resonators that couple separately to electric and magnetic fields so as to absorb all incident radiation within a single unit cell layer. We fabricate, characterize, and analyze a MM absorber with a slightly lower predicted A(omega) of 96%. Unlike conventional absorbers, our MM consists solely of metallic elements. The substrate can therefore be optimized for other parameters of interest. We experimentally demonstrate a peak A(omega) greater than 88% at 11.5 GHz.
5,550 citations
TL;DR: The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect was first discovered by Fleischmann, Van Duyne, Creighton, and Creighton as discussed by the authors, who showed that molecules adsorbed on specially prepared silver surfaces produce a Raman spectrum that is at times a millionfold more intense than expected.
Abstract: In 1978 it was discovered, largely through the work of Fleischmann, Van Duyne, Creighton, and their coworkers that molecules adsorbed on specially prepared silver surfaces produce a Raman spectrum that is at times a millionfold more intense than expected. This effect was dubbed surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Since then the effect has been demonstrated with many molecules and with a number of metals, including Cu, Ag, Au, Li, Na, K, In, Pt, and Rh. In addition, related phenomena such as surface-enhanced second-harmonic generation, four-wave mixing, absorption, and fluorescence have been observed. Although not all fine points of the enhancement mechanism have been clarified, the majority view is that the largest contributor to the intensity amplification results from the electric field enhancement that occurs in the vicinity of small, interacting metal particles that are illuminated with light resonant or near resonant with the localized surface-plasmon frequency of the metal structure. Small in this context is gauged in relation to the wavelength of light. The special preparations required to produce the effect, which include among other techniques electrochemical oxidation-reduction cycling, deposition of metal on very cold substrates, and the generation of metal-island films and colloids, is now understood to be necessary as a means of producing surfaces with appropriate electromagnetic resonances that may couple to electromagnetic fields either by generating rough films (as in the case of the former two examples) or by placing small metal particles in close proximity to one another (as in the case of the latter two). For molecules chemisorbed on SERS-active surface there exists a "chemical enhancement" in addition to the electromagnetic effect. Although difficult to measure accurately, the magnitude of this effect rarely exceeds a factor of 10 and is best thought to arise from the modification of the Raman polarizability tensor of the adsorbate resulting from the formation of a complex between the adsorbate and the metal. Rather than an enhancement mechanism, the chemical effect is more logically to be regarded as a change in the nature and identity of the adsorbate.
5,005 citations
TL;DR: Recent advances in metamaterials research are described and the potential that these materials may hold for realizing new and seemingly exotic electromagnetic phenomena is discussed.
Abstract: Recently, artificially constructed metamaterials have become of considerable interest, because these materials can exhibit electromagnetic characteristics unlike those of any conventional materials. Artificial magnetism and negative refractive index are two specific types of behavior that have been demonstrated over the past few years, illustrating the new physics and new applications possible when we expand our view as to what constitutes a material. In this review, we describe recent advances in metamaterials research and discuss the potential that these materials may hold for realizing new and seemingly exotic electromagnetic phenomena.
3,893 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a 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.
Abstract: 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.
2,654 citations