Fano-Doppler laser cooling of hybrid nanostructures

Near-field imaging of surface-plasmon vortex-modes around a single elliptical nanohole in a gold film

We present scanning near-field images of surface plasmon modes around a single elliptical nanohole in 88 nm thick Au film. We find that rotating surface plasmon vortex modes carrying extrinsic orbital angular momentum can be induced under linearly polarized illumination. The vortex modes are obtained only when the incident polarization direction differs from one of the ellipse axes. Such a direct observation of the vortex modes is possible thanks to the ability of the SNOM technique to obtain information on both the amplitude and the phase of the near-field. The presence of the vortex mode is determined by the rotational symmetry breaking of the system. Finite element method calculations show that such a vorticity originates from the presence of nodal points where the phase of the field is undefined, leading to a circulation of the energy flow. The configuration producing vortex modes corresponds to a nonzero total topological charge (+1).

Fano resonance-induced negative optical scattering force on plasmonic nanoparticles

We demonstrate theoretically that Fano resonance can induce a negative optical scattering force acting on plasmonic nanoparticles in the visible light spectrum when an appropriate manipulating laser beam is adopted. Under the illumination of a zeroth-order Bessel beam, the plasmonic nanoparticle at its Fano resonance exhibits a much stronger forward scattering than backward scattering and consequently leads to a net longitudinal backward optical scattering force, termed Fano resonance-induced negative optical scattering force. The extinction spectra obtained based on the Mie theory show that the Fano resonance arises from the interference of simultaneously excited multipoles, which can be either a broad electric dipole mode and a narrow electric quadrupole mode, or a quadrupole and an octupole mode mediated by the broad electric dipole. Such Fano resonance-induced negative optical scattering force is demonstrated to occur for core-shell, homogeneous, and hollow metallic particles and can therefore be expected to be universal for many other nanostructures exhibiting Fano resonance, adding considerably to the flexibility of optical micromanipulation on the plasmonic nanoparticles. More interestingly, the flexible tunability of the Fano resonance by particle morphology opens up the possibility of tailoring the optical scattering force accordingly, offering an additional degree of freedom to optical selection and sorting of plasmonic nanoparticles.

Scaling of optical forces on Au–PEG core–shell nanoparticles

Optical trapping of hybrid core–shell gold–polymer particles is studied.

Ultrastrong coupling of plasmons and excitons in a nanoshell

The strong coupling regime of hybrid plasmonic-molecular systems is a subject of great interest for its potential to control and engineer light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Recently, the so-called ultrastrong coupling regime, which is achieved when the light-matter coupling rate reaches a considerable fraction of the emitter transition frequency, has been realized in semiconductor and superconducting systems and in organic molecules embedded in planar microcavities or coupled to surface plasmons. Here we explore the possibility to achieve this regime of light-matter interaction at nanoscale dimensions. We demonstrate by accurate scattering calculations that this regime can be reached in nanoshells constituted by a core of organic molecules surrounded by a silver or gold shell. These hybrid nanoparticles can be exploited for the design of all-optical ultrafast plasmonic nanocircuits and -devices.

Ultrasensitive size-selection of plasmonic nanoparticles by Fano interference optical force

In this paper, we propose a solution for the ultrasensitive optical selection of plasmonic nanoparticles using Fano interference-induced scattering forces. Under a Gaussian beam excitation, the scattering of a plasmonic nanoparticle at its Fano resonance becomes strongly asymmetric in the lateral direction and consequently results in a net transverse scattering force, that is, Fano interference-induced force. The magnitude of this transverse scattering force is comparable with the gradient force in conventional optical manipulation experiments. More interestingly, the Fano scattering force is ultrasensitive to the particle size and excitation frequency due to the phase sensitivity of the interference between adjacent plasmon modes in the particle. Utilizing this distinct feature, we show the possibility of size-selective sorting of silver and gold nanoparticles with an accuracy of about ±10 nm and silica-gold core-shell nanoparticles with shell thickness down to several nanometers. These results would add to the toolbox of optical manipulation and fabrication.

Optical trapping and manipulation of nanostructures

Optical trapping and manipulation of micrometre-sized particles was first reported in 1970. Since then, it has been successfully implemented in two size ranges: the subnanometre scale, where light-matter mechanical coupling enables cooling of atoms, ions and molecules, and the micrometre scale, where the momentum transfer resulting from light scattering allows manipulation of microscopic objects such as cells. But it has been difficult to apply these techniques to the intermediate - nanoscale - range that includes structures such as quantum dots, nanowires, nanotubes, graphene and two-dimensional crystals, all of crucial importance for nanomaterials-based applications. Recently, however, several new approaches have been developed and demonstrated for trapping plasmonic nanoparticles, semiconductor nanowires and carbon nanostructures. Here we review the state-of-the-art in optical trapping at the nanoscale, with an emphasis on some of the most promising advances, such as controlled manipulation and assembly of individual and multiple nanostructures, force measurement with femtonewton resolution, and biosensors.

Size-scaling in optical trapping of silicon nanowires

We investigate size-scaling in optical trapping of ultrathin silicon nanowires showing how length regulates their Brownian dynamics, optical forces, and torques. Force and torque constants are measured on nanowires of different lengths through correlation function analysis of their tracking signals. Results are compared with a full electromagnetic theory of optical trapping developed in the transition matrix framework, finding good agreement.