Polarization-dependent extraordinary optical transmission from upconversion nanoparticles.
Peng Hui Wang1, Walter J Salcedo2, Jothirmayanantham Pichaandi1
1University of Victoria, Department of Chemistry P.O. Box 3065, Stn CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6, Canada. agbrolo@uvic.ca.
Nanoscale
|October 22, 2015
Summary
Gold nanoantennas coupled with nanoslits enhance upconversion (UC) emission from nanoparticles. This plasmonic enhancement, particularly for red light, offers tunable optical properties for advanced photonic applications.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanophotonics
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Upconversion (UC) emission involves converting lower-energy photons to higher-energy ones, crucial for various optical technologies.
- Noble metal nanostructures, like gold, can manipulate light at the nanoscale through surface plasmon resonances.
- Coupling plasmonic structures with optical emitters can enhance light-matter interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate enhanced upconversion emission using gold double antenna nanoparticles integrated with gold nanoslits.
- To investigate the influence of polarization-dependent extraordinary optical transmission on UC emission.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of plasmonic enhancement in UC nanoparticles.
Main Methods:
- Experimental fabrication and characterization of gold double antenna nanoparticles and nanoslit arrays.
- Coupling UC nanoparticles (NaYF4:Yb(3+)/Er(3+)) with the gold nanostructures.
- Optical excitation using a 980 nm diode laser and measurement of transmitted UC emission spectra (red at ~665 nm, green at ~550 nm).
- Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations to model plasmonic interactions.
Main Results:
- Significant enhancement of red UC emission (~665 nm) relative to green emission (~550 nm) was observed.
- Maximum UC enhancement of 6-fold was achieved with nanoslit arrays alone.
- Integration of double nanoantennas within nanoslits resulted in 2- to 4-fold UC enhancement.
- Enhancement was tunable via polarization-dependent extraordinary optical transmission modes.
Conclusions:
- Gold double antenna nanoparticles coupled to nanoslits effectively enhance UC emission.
- The enhancement mechanism involves the coupling of surface plasmon modes with cavity Fabry-Perot interactions.
- This plasmonic enhancement strategy offers tunable optical properties for UC nanoparticles.
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