Ultraslow long-living plasmons with electromagnetically induced transparency.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are crucial for nanoscale optical phenomena.
• Controlling SPP propagation is essential for developing advanced plasmonic devices.
• Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) offers precise control over light-matter interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analytically investigate SPP propagation at a thin metallic film.
• To explore the influence of an EIT medium on SPP characteristics.
• To demonstrate significant reduction in plasmonic group velocity and enhancement of SPP lifetime.

Main Methods:

• Analytical examination of SPP propagation.
• Modeling SPPs at a thin metallic film interface.
• Incorporating an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium.

Main Results:

• Achieved a reduction in plasmonic group velocities by up to four orders of magnitude.
• Observed an enhancement in the lifetime of SPPs, reaching up to microseconds.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of EIT in controlling SPP dynamics.

Conclusions:

• EIT provides high precision and resolution for manipulating SPPs.
• This method offers a pathway to significantly slow down light at the nanoscale.
• The enhanced SPP lifetime opens possibilities for novel plasmonic applications.