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Published on: December 11, 2013
Launching plasmonic Bloch waves with excited dye molecules
Y K Chen1, D G Zhang, X X Wang
1Institute of Photonics, Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China.
Nanotechnology
|November 1, 2012
Summary
Excited dye molecules can launch plasmonic Bloch waves (PBWs) at metal-dielectric interfaces, offering a novel method for controlling fluorescence emission. This study characterizes PBW properties and their unique optical behaviors compared to traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- * Plasmonics and Nanophotonics
- * Optical Spectroscopy and Microscopy
Background:
- * Plasmonic Bloch waves (PBWs) are crucial for light manipulation at interfaces.
- * Launching PBWs typically requires far-field laser excitation via attenuated total reflection.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To demonstrate excited dye molecules as a novel method for launching PBWs.
- * To characterize PBW properties and compare their optical behavior to conventionally launched PBWs.
- * To explore the manipulation of fluorescence emission through dye-PBW coupling.
Main Methods:
- * Experimental characterization of PBWs using leakage radiation microscopy.
- * Theoretical simulations to analyze PBW properties and optical behaviors.
- * Utilizing excited dye molecules as a near-field source for PBW excitation.
Main Results:
- * Successfully launched PBWs using excited dye molecules at multi-metal-dielectric interfaces.
- * Characterized PBW properties including wavevectors, propagating bands, and interface/grating effects.
- * Observed distinct optical behaviors of dye-launched PBWs compared to those launched by far-field lasers, attributed to near-field/far-field energy conversion.
Conclusions:
- * Excited dye molecules provide a new and effective pathway for launching PBWs.
- * The coupling between dye molecules and PBWs enables controllable manipulation of fluorescence emission.
- * This work opens avenues for novel nanophotonic devices and light-matter interaction studies.
