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Electrically Tunable Harmonic Generation of Light from Plasmonic Structures in Electrolytes
Shoufeng Lan1, Sean Rodrigues1,2, Yonghao Cui2
1School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
Nano Letters
|July 12, 2016
Summary
Researchers developed an electrically active plasmonic crystal for tunable nonlinear light generation in water. This hybrid system demonstrates voltage-controlled optical signals and potential for biosensing.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nonlinear Optics
- Nanophotonics
Background:
- Nanostructured metals offer combined electrical and optical functionalities, creating electrooptic platforms.
- Nonlinear optics can leverage dual electrical-optical properties for controlled wave mixing in nanometallic systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate tunable nonlinear light generation using an electrically active plasmonic crystal in aqueous solutions.
- To explore the potential of hybrid plasmonic-electrolyte systems for voltage-controlled optical phenomena and sensing.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an electrically active plasmonic crystal.
- Integration of the crystal within an aqueous electrolytic solution.
- Measurement of nonlinear optical signals (second-harmonic generation) under applied voltage.
Main Results:
- Achieved tunable nonlinear light generation.
- Observed a significant modulation depth of ~150%/V in the second-harmonic signal.
- Attributed signal modulation to light concentration by the plasmonic structure and voltage-assisted charge accumulation.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid plasmonic-electrolyte system enables voltage-controlled nonlinear signal generation.
- This approach offers potential for in situ biochemical sensing in aqueous environments using plasmonic nanostructures.
