Near-field imaging of plasmonic nanopatch antennas with integrated semiconductor quantum dots

Abstract

Plasmonic nanopatch antennas that incorporate dielectric gaps hundreds of picometers to several nanometers thick have drawn increasing attention over the past decade because they confine electromagnetic fields to grossly sub-diffraction-limited volumes. Substantial control over the optical properties of excitons and color centers confined within these plasmonic cavities has already been demonstrated with far-field optical spectroscopies, but near-field optical spectroscopies are essential for an improved understanding of the plasmon–emitter interaction at the nanoscale. Here, we characterize the intensity and phase-resolved plasmonic response of isolated nanopatch antennas by cathodoluminescence microscopy. Furthermore, we explore the distinction between optical and electron beam spectroscopies of coupled plasmon–exciton heterostructures to identify constraints and opportunities for future nanoscale characterization and control of hybrid nanophotonic structures. While we observe substantial Purcell enhancement in time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopies, negligible Purcell enhancement is observed in cathodoluminescence spectroscopies of hybrid nanophotonic structures. The substantial differences in measured Purcell enhancement for electron beam and laser excitation can be understood as a result of the different selection rules for these complementary experiments. These results provide a fundamentally new understanding of near-field plasmon–exciton interactions in nanopatch antennas, which is essential for myriad emerging quantum photonic devices.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2021
Source ID
10.1063/5.0065524

Entities

People

  • Andrew Butler
  • Ben Lawrie
  • Brian E. Lerner
  • Christos Argyropoulos
  • Jiyang Chen
  • Thang B. Hoang
  • Vasudevan Iyer
  • Yoong Sheng Phang

Organizations

  • Duke University
  • National Science Foundation
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Office of Basic Energy Sciences
  • Office of Naval Research
  • Quantum Science Center
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Memphis
  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computer Programming and Software Development.
  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics
  • Quantum Computing