Nonlinear Quantum Plasmonics: A Quantum Hydrodynamic Approach
Abstract
The ability to carry out ultra-strong nonlinear light-matter interactions in integrated systems could revolutionize a vast portion of the market today dominated by the electronics. The difficulty in designing all-optical integrated devices comes from the fact that nonlinear optical interactions are generally very weak, limiting the possibility to control the photon flows. Latest developments in fabrication techniques have made possible to fabricate structures with a precise control over the distance between two metallic elements. Such systems have demonstrated the breakdown of the classical electron response model in the extreme coupling limit (sub-nm gaps). Scattering properties can be in fact strongly affected by nonlocal and quantum effects occurring in the gap regions.This project aims at taking advantage of quantum interactions in deeply confined light modes to enable a novel and efficient nonlinear process that can only exist in the plasmonic extreme coupling regime and that can be triggered at very low input power. A nonlinear quantum hydrodynamic theory (NL-QHT) will be developed and applied to plasmonic systems. The NL-QHT approach is twofold: on the one hand, it offers the possibility to describe nonlinear interactions that up to date could have not been investigated; on the other hand, the possibility to handle big enough structures whose response can be easily measured in the far-field. The ultimate goal is to engineer meso-plasmonic devices such that the mutual interaction between microscopic nonlinear effects and far-field properties is maximized.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 02, 2017
- Source ID
- FA95501710177
Entities
People
- Cristian Ciracì
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
- United States Air Force