Developing Plasmonics Under the Infrared Microscope: From Ni Nanoparticle Arrays to Infrared Micromesh.

Silver Nanoparticle Monolayers for Plasmonics and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Controlled Growth of Well-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes, Electrochemical Modification and Electrodeposition of Multiple Shapes of Gold Nanostructures

An efficient method has been developed to synthesize well-aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on a conductive Ta substrate by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Free-standing MWCNTs arrays were functionalized through electrochemical oxidation with the formation of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups. Using a new oven drying technique, we demonstrate that the unidirectionally align...

Antenna-coupled Bolometer Arrays for Astrophysics

We are developing arrays of feedhorn-coupled, silicon nitride micromesh (‘spider web’) bolometers for the ESA/NASA Planck Surveyor and Herschel Space Observatory for millimeter to far-infrared wavelengths. These detector systems realize high end-to-end optical efficiency, essentially fill the available focal surface, and achieve background-limited sensitivity. The Planck/HFI detectors in partic...

Performance of Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope Probes with Single Groove and Various Metal Coatings

We investigate the performance of a simple corrugated aperture scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) probe with various cladding metals. The probes have only one corrugation, however, they offer increased transmission over both uncorrugated probes and those with many grooves. Enhancement of light throughput results from excitation of surface plasmons at the corrugation at the core-cladd...

Multi-wavelength mid-infrared plasmonic antennas with single nanoscale focal point.

We propose and demonstrate a novel photonic-plasmonic antenna capable of confining electromagnetic radiation at several mid-infrared wavelengths to a single sub-wavelength spot. The structure relies on the coupling between the localized surface plasmon resonance of a bow-tie nanoantenna with the photonic modes of surrounding multi-periodic particle arrays. Far-field measurements of the transmis...