Optical Tweezing Terahertz Probing for a Single Metal Nanoparticle

Recently, extensive research has been reported on the detection of metal nanoparticles using terahertz waves, due to their potential for efficient and nondestructive detection of chemical and biological samples without labeling. Resonant terahertz nanoantennas can be used to detect a small amount of molecules whose vibrational modes are in the terahertz frequency range with high sensitivity. However, the positioning of target molecules is critical to obtaining a reasonable signal because the field distribution is inhomogeneous over the antenna structure. Here, we combine an optical tweezing technique and terahertz spectroscopy based on nanoplasmonics, resulting in extensive controllable tweezing and sensitive detection at the same time. We observed optical tweezing of a gold nanoparticle and detected it with terahertz waves by using a single bowtie nanoantenna. Furthermore, the calculations confirm that molecular fingerprinting is possible by using our technique. This study will be a prestep of biomolecular detection using gold nanoparticles in terahertz spectroscopy.

Topology-Changing Broadband Metamaterials Enabled by Closable Nanotrenches

One of the most straightforward methods to actively control optical functionalities of metamaterials is to apply mechanical strain deforming the geometries. These deformations, however, leave symmetries and topologies largely intact, limiting the multifunctional horizon. Here, we present topology manipulation of metamaterials fabricated on flexible substrates by mechanically closing/opening embedded nanotrenches of various geometries. When an inner bending is applied on the substrate, the nanotrench closes and the accompanying topological change results in abrupt switching of metamaterial functionalities such as resonance, chirality, and polarization selectivity. Closable nanotrenches can be embedded in metamaterials of broadband spectrum, ranging from visible to microwave. The 99.9% extinction performance is robust, enduring more than a thousand bending cycles. Our work provides a wafer-scale platform for active quantum plasmonics and photonic application of subnanometer phenomena.

Sub-10 nm feature chromium photomasks for contact lithography patterning of square metal ring arrays

Advances in photolithographic processes have allowed semiconductor industries to manufacture smaller and denser chips. As the feature size of integrated circuits becomes smaller, there has been a growing need for a photomask embedded with ever narrower patterns. However, it is challenging for electron beam lithography to obtain <10 nm linewidths with wafer scale uniformity and a necessary speed. Here, we introduce a photolithography-based, cost-effective mask fabrication method based on atomic layer deposition and overhang structures for sacrificial layers. Using this method, we obtained sub-10 nm square ring arrays of side length 50 μm, and periodicity 100 μm on chromium film, on 1 cm by 1 cm quartz substrate. These patterns were then used as a contact-lithography photomask using 365 nm I-line, to generate metal ring arrays on silicon substrate.

Terahertz Quantum Plasmonics of Nanoslot Antennas in Nonlinear Regime

Quantum tunneling in plasmonic nanostructures has presented an interesting aspect of incorporating quantum mechanics into classical optics. However, the study has been limited to the subnanometer gap regime. Here, we newly extend quantum plasmonics to gap widths well over 1 nm by taking advantage of the low-frequency terahertz regime. Enhanced electric fields of up to 5 V/nm induce tunneling of electrons in different arrays of ring-shaped nanoslot antennas of gap widths from 1.5 to 10 nm, which lead to a significant nonlinear transmission decrease. These observations are consistent with theoretical calculations considering terahertz-funneling-induced electron tunneling across the gap.

A Vanadium Dioxide Metamaterial Disengaged from Insulator-to-Metal Transition

We report that vanadium dioxide films patterned with λ/100000 nanogaps exhibit an anomalous transition behavior at millimeter wavelengths. Most of the hybrid structure's switching actions occur well below the insulator to metal transition temperature, starting from 25 °C, so that the hysteresis curves completely separate themselves from their bare film counterparts. It is found that thermally excited intrinsic carriers are responsible for this behavior by introducing enough loss in the context of the radically modified electromagnetic environment in the vicinity of the nanogaps. This phenomenon newly extends the versatility of insulator to metal transition devices to encompass their semiconductor properties.

Electromagnetic Saturation of Angstrom-Sized Quantum Barriers at Terahertz Frequencies

Metal-graphene-metal hybrid structures allow angstrom-scale van der Waals gaps, across which electron tunneling occurs. We squeeze terahertz electromagnetic waves through these λ/10 000 000 gaps, accompanied by giant field enhancements. Unprecedented transmission reduction of 97% is achieved with the transient voltage across the gap saturating at 5 V. Electron tunneling facilitated by the transient electric field strongly modifies the gap index, starting a self-limiting process related to the barrier height. Our work enables greater interplay between classical optics and quantum tunneling, and provides optical indices to the van der Waals gaps.

Quantum dots-nanogap metamaterials fabrication by self-assembly lithography and photoluminescence studies

We present a new and versatile technique of self-assembly lithography to fabricate a large scale Cadmium selenide quantum dots-silver nanogap metamaterials. After optical and electron microscopic characterizations of the metamaterials, we performed spatially resolved photoluminescence transmission measurements. We obtained highly quenched photoluminescence spectra compared to those from bare quantum dots film. We then quantified the quenching in terms of an average photoluminescence enhancement factor. A finite difference time domain simulation was performed to understand the role of an electric field enhancement in the nanogap over this quenching. Finally, we interpreted the mechanism of the photoluminescence quenching and proposed fabrication method of new metamaterials using our technique.