Optical gain in surface plasmon nanocavity oscillators

Surface Plasmon Optical Modulator

Explosives detection in a lasing plasmon nanocavity.

Perhaps the most successful application of plasmonics to date has been in sensing, where the interaction of a nanoscale localized field with analytes leads to high-sensitivity detection in real time and in a label-free fashion. However, all previous designs have been based on passively excited surface plasmons, in which sensitivity is intrinsically limited by the low quality factors induced by ...

Optical gain, spontaneous and stimulated emission of surface plasmon polaritons in confined plasmonic waveguide.

We develop a theoretical model to compute the local density of states in a confined plasmonic waveguide. Based on this model, we derive a simple formula with a clear physical interpretation for the lifetime modification of emitters embedded in the waveguide. The gain distribution within the active medium is then computed following the formalism developed in a recent work [Phys. Rev. B 78, 16140...

Whispering-gallery nanocavity plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The synergy effect in nature could enable fantastic improvement of functional properties and associated effects. The detection performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) can be highly strengthened under the cooperation with other factors. Here, greatly-enhanced SERS detection is realized based on rolled-up tubular nano-resonators decorated with silver nanoparticles. The synergy eff...

Surface plasmon quantum cascade lasers as terahertz local oscillators.

We characterize a heterodyne receiver based on a surface-plasmon waveguide quantum cascade laser (QCL) emitting at 2.84 THz as a local oscillator, and an NbN hot electron bolometer as a mixer. We find that the envelope of the far-field pattern of the QCL is diffraction-limited and superimposed onto interference fringes, which are similar to those found in narrow double-metal waveguide QCLs. Com...