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de Gaay Fortman N, Kolkowski R, Pal D, Rodriguez SRK, Schall P, Koenderink AF. Spontaneous symmetry breaking in plasmon lattice lasers. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn2723. [PMID: 38968356 PMCID: PMC11225787 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn2723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous symmetry breaking (SSB) is key for our understanding of phase transitions and the spontaneous emergence of order. In this work, we report that, for a two-dimensional (2D) periodic metasurface with gain, SSB occurs in the lasing transition. We study diffractive hexagonal plasmon nanoparticle lattices, where the K-points in momentum space provide two modes that are degenerate in frequency and identically distributed in space. Using femtosecond pulses to energize the gain medium, we simultaneously capture single-shot real-space and Fourier-space images of laser emission. By combining Fourier and real space, we resolve the two order parameters for which symmetry breaking simultaneously occurs: spatial parity and U(1) (rotational) symmetry breaking, evident respectively as random relative mode amplitude and phase. The methodology reported in this work is generally applicable to 2D plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces and opens numerous opportunities for the study of SSB and the emergence of spatial coherence in metaphotonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson de Gaay Fortman
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, NL1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics of Information in Matter and Center for Nanophotonics, NWO-I Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, NL1098XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Radoslaw Kolkowski
- Department of Physics of Information in Matter and Center for Nanophotonics, NWO-I Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, NL1098XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 13500, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Debapriya Pal
- Department of Physics of Information in Matter and Center for Nanophotonics, NWO-I Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, NL1098XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Said R. K. Rodriguez
- Department of Physics of Information in Matter and Center for Nanophotonics, NWO-I Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, NL1098XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Schall
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, NL1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A. Femius Koenderink
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, NL1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics of Information in Matter and Center for Nanophotonics, NWO-I Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, NL1098XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Rossi AW, Bourgeois MR, Walton C, Masiello DJ. Probing the Polarization of Low-Energy Excitations in 2D Materials from Atomic Crystals to Nanophotonic Arrays Using Momentum-Resolved Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:7748-7756. [PMID: 38874581 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Spectroscopies utilizing free electron beams as probes offer detailed information on the reciprocal-space excitations of 2D materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. Yet, despite the attention paid to such quantum materials, less consideration has been given to the electron-beam characterization of 2D periodic nanostructures such as photonic crystals, metasurfaces, and plasmon arrays, which can exhibit the same lattice and excitation symmetries as their atomic analogues albeit at drastically different length, momentum, and energy scales. Because of their lack of covalent bonding and influence of retarded electromagnetic interactions, important physical distinctions arise that complicate interpretation of scattering signals. Here we present a fully-retarded theoretical framework for describing the inelastic scattering of wide-field electron beams from 2D materials and apply it to investigate the complementarity in sample excitation information gained in the measurement of a honeycomb plasmon array versus angle-resolved optical spectroscopy in comparison to single monolayer graphene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Rossi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Marc R Bourgeois
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Caleb Walton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - David J Masiello
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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3
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Matsukata T, Ogura S, García de Abajo FJ, Sannomiya T. Simultaneous Nanoscale Excitation and Emission Mapping by Cathodoluminescence. ACS NANO 2022; 16:21462-21470. [PMID: 36414014 PMCID: PMC9799067 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c09973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Free-electron-based spectroscopies can reveal the nanoscale optical properties of semiconductor materials and nanophotonic devices with a spatial resolution far beyond the diffraction limit of light. However, the retrieved spatial information is constrained to the excitation space defined by the electron beam position, while information on the delocalization associated with the spatial extension of the probed optical modes in the specimen has so far been missing, despite its relevance in ruling the optical properties of nanostructures. In this study, we demonstrate a cathodoluminescence method that can access both excitation and emission spaces at the nanoscale, illustrating the power of such a simultaneous excitation and emission mapping technique by revealing a subwavelength emission position modulation as well as by visualizing electromagnetic energy transport in nanoplasmonic systems. Besides the fundamental interest of these results, our technique grants us access into previously inaccessible nanoscale optical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeko Matsukata
- Department
of Materials Science and Technology, School of Materials and Chemical
Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
| | - Shintaro Ogura
- Department
of Materials Science and Technology, School of Materials and Chemical
Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
| | - F. Javier García de Abajo
- ICFO-Institut
de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science
and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA-Institució
Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Takumi Sannomiya
- Department
of Materials Science and Technology, School of Materials and Chemical
Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta Midoriku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
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Rider M, Buendía Á, Abujetas DR, Huidobro PA, Sánchez-Gil JA, Giannini V. Advances and Prospects in Topological Nanoparticle Photonics. ACS PHOTONICS 2022; 9:1483-1499. [PMID: 35607643 PMCID: PMC9121393 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c01874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Topological nanophotonics is a new avenue for exploring nanoscale systems from visible to THz frequencies, with unprecedented control. By embracing their complexity and fully utilizing the properties that make them distinct from electronic systems, we aim to study new topological phenomena. In this Perspective, we summarize the current state of the field and highlight the use of nanoparticle systems for exploring topological phases beyond electronic analogues. We provide an overview of the tools needed to capture the radiative, retardative, and long-range properties of these systems. We discuss the application of dielectric and metallic nanoparticles in nonlinear systems and also provide an overview of the newly developed topic of topological insulator nanoparticles. We hope that a comprehensive understanding of topological nanoparticle photonic systems will allow us to exploit them to their full potential and explore new topological phenomena at very reduced dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie
S. Rider
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Exeter, Stocker Road, EX4 4QL, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Álvaro Buendía
- Instituto
de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior
de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego R. Abujetas
- Physics
Department, Fribourg University, Chemin de Musée 3, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Paloma A. Huidobro
- Instituto
de Telecomunicações, Instituto
Superior Tecnico-University of Lisbon, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, Lisboa, 1049-001, Portugal
| | - José A. Sánchez-Gil
- Instituto
de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior
de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Giannini
- Instituto
de Estructura de la Materia, Consejo Superior
de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Centre
of Excellence ENSEMBLE3 sp. z o.o., Wolczynska 133, Warsaw, 01-919, Poland
- Technology
Innovation Institute, Masdar City 9639, Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates
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