Femtosecond Laser Direct-Write Plasmonic Nanolithography in Dielectrics

Plasmon-based devices have founded numerous applications in photonics based on optically excited strong near-field effect at nanoscale. So far, the large-area fabrication of periodic plasmonic nanostructures is still challenging due to a small write-field limitation of lithography-based techniques, especially for metallic substrates. A novel strategy is proposed to fabricate millimeter-sized patterns of periodic plasmonic nanostructures inside dielectric materials (glass) through a femtosecond laser direct-write plasmonic nanolithography approach. Noble metal nanoparticles are formed by the ion implantation in glass and reshaped into a nanowire-like nanoparticles' assembly by direct writing with femtosecond laser harnessing plasmonic interaction. As-designed patterns at nanoscale are inscribed by this type of plasmonic lithography to form wires composed of nanoparticles. Examples for applications, the linear dichroism response, and structural color have been achieved by the plasmonic nanogratings buried inside glass (i.e., at subsurface regions). The work opens a new avenue to manipulate metallic nanoparticles in solids by direct plasmonic nanolithography and offers a reliable implementation of large-area fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures for diverse range of photonic applications.