Nonlinear Refractory Plasmonics with Titanium Nitride Nanoantennas

Titanium nitride (TiN) is a novel refractory plasmonic material which can sustain high temperatures and exhibits large optical nonlinearities, potentially opening the door for high-power nonlinear plasmonic applications. We fabricate TiN nanoantenna arrays with plasmonic resonances tunable in the range of about 950-1050 nm by changing the antenna length. We present second-harmonic (SH) spectroscopy of TiN nanoantenna arrays, which is analyzed using a nonlinear oscillator model with a wavelength-dependent second-order response from the material itself. Furthermore, characterization of the robustness upon strong laser illumination confirms that the TiN antennas are able to endure laser irradiation with high peak intensity up to 15 GW/cm(2) without changing their optical properties and their physical appearance. They outperform gold antennas by one order of magnitude regarding laser power sustainability. Thus, TiN nanoantennas could serve as promising candidates for high-power/high-temperature applications such as coherent nonlinear converters and local heat sources on the nanoscale.