Coherent Surface Plasmon Hole Burning via Spontaneously Generated Coherence

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Plasmonics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Surface plasmon (SP) phenomena are crucial for light-matter interactions at interfaces.
• Spectral hole burning (SHB) is a technique used to study optical properties of materials.
• Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are electromagnetic waves propagating at metal-dielectric interfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate SP-induced SHB at the silver-dielectric interface.
• To explore the effect of spontaneous generated coherence (SGC) on SHB and SPP propagation.
• To demonstrate enhanced SPP propagation length for potential applications.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical investigation of SP-induced SHB.
• Modeling the influence of spontaneous generated coherence (SGC) on SPP dispersion and absorption.
• Analyzing the spectral hole burning dip and SPP propagation length.

Main Results:

• Observed a lamb dip in the absorption spectrum of SPPs, reducing absorption at selective frequencies.
• Demonstrated that SGC normalizes dispersion slope and enables slow SPP propagation.
• Showcased enhanced SHB dip and significantly increased SPP propagation length (up to 600 µm) under SGC.

Conclusions:

• SGC significantly enhances plasmon hole burning.
• Controlled modification of SHB is achievable via driving fields.
• Enhanced plasmon hole burning and slow SPP propagation offer promising applications in sensing, optical communication, and nano-photonics.