Ali Hatef

Dipole-dipole interaction in a quantum dot and metallic nanorod hybrid system

We have studied quantum coherence and interference phenomena in a quantum dot (QD)-metallic nanorod (MNR) hybrid system. Probe and control laser fields are applied to the hybrid system. Induced dipole moments are created in the QD and the MNR, and they interact with each other via the dipole-dipole interaction. Using the density matrix method, it was found that the power spectrum of MNR has two transparent, states and they can be switched to one transparent state by the control field. Ultrafast switching and sensing nanodevices could be produced using this model.

Plasmonic electromagnetically induced transparency in metallic nanoparticle-quantum dot hybrid systems.

We study the variation of the energy absorption rate in a hybrid semiconductor quantum dot-metallic nanoparticle system doped in a photonic crystal. The quantum dot is taken as a three-level V-configuration system and is driven by two applied fields (probe and control). We consider that one of the excitonic resonance frequencies is near to the plasmonic resonance frequency of the metallic nanoparticle, and is driven by the probe field. The other excitonic resonance frequency is far from both the plasmonic resonance frequency and the photonic bandgap edge, and is driven by the control field. In the absence of the photonic crystal we found that the system supports three excitonic-induced transparencies in the energy absorption spectrum of the metallic nanoparticle. We show that the photonic crystal allows us to manipulate the frequencies of such excitonic-induced transparencies and the amplitude of the energy absorption rate.

Quantum dot-metallic nanorod sensors via exciton-plasmon interaction.

We investigate quantum nanosensors based on hybrid systems consisting of semiconductor quantum dots and metallic nanorods in the near-infrared regime. These sensors can detect biological and chemical substances based on their impact on the coherent exciton-plasmon coupling and molecular resonances supported by such systems when they interact with a laser field. We demonstrate that the ultrahigh sensitivity of such molecular resonances on environmental conditions allows dramatic and nearly instantaneous changes in the total field experienced by the semiconductor quantum dot via minuscule variations of the local refractive indices of the quantum dot or nanorod. The proposed nanosensors can utilize quantum effects to control the sense (or direction) of the changes in the quantum dot emission, allowing us to have bistable switching from dark to bright states or vice versa via adsorption (or detachment) of biomolecules. These sensors can also offer detection of ultra-small variations in the local dielectric constant of the quantum dots or metallic nanorods via coherent induction of time delays in the effective field experienced by the quantum dots when the hybrid systems interact with time-dependent laser fields. This leads to unprecedented bulk refractive index sensitivities. Our results show that one can utilize quantum phase to control the coherent exciton-plasmon dynamics in these sensors such that introduction of a biomolecule can increase or decrease the time delay. These results offer novel ways to detect single biomolecules via application of quantum coherence to convert their impact into spectacular optical events.

Coherent molecular resonances in quantum dot-metallic nanoparticle systems: coherent self-renormalization and structural effects.

It is known that surface-plasmon resonances of metallic nanoparticles can significantly enhance the field experienced by semiconductor quantum dots. In this paper we show that, when quantum dots are in the vicinity of metallic nanoparticles and interact with coherent light sources (laser fields), coherent exciton-plasmon coupling (quantum coherence effects) can increase the amount of the plasmonic field enhancement significantly. We also study how the coherent molecular resonances generated by such a coupling process are influenced by the self-renormalization of the plasmonic fields and the structural parameters of the systems, particularly the size and shape of the metallic nanoparticle. The renormalization process happens via mutual impacts of the radiative decay rate of excitons and the coherent exciton-plasmon coupling on each other. Our results highlight the conditions where the molecular resonances become very sharp, offering optical switching processes with high extinction ratio and wide ranging device applications.

Coherently-enabled environmental control of optics and energy transfer pathways of hybrid quantum dot-metallic nanoparticle systems

It is well-known that optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots can be controlled using optical cavities or near fields of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of metallic nanoparticles. In this paper we study the optics, energy transfer pathways, and exciton states of quantum dots when they are influenced by the near fields associated with plasmonic meta-resonances. Such resonances are formed via coherent coupling of excitons and LSPRs when the quantum dots are close to metallic nanorods and driven by a laser beam. Our results suggest an unprecedented sensitivity to the refractive index of the environment, causing significant spectral changes in the Förster resonance energy transfer from the quantum dots to the nanorods and in exciton transition energies. We demonstrate that when a quantum dot-metallic nanorod system is close to its plasmonic meta-resonance, we can adjust the refractive index to: (i) control the frequency range where the energy transfer from the quantum dot to the metallic nanorod is inhibited, (ii) manipulate the exciton transition energy shift of the quantum dot, and (iii) disengage the quantum dot from the metallic nanoparticle and laser field. Our results show that near meta-resonances the spectral forms of energy transfer and exciton energy shifts are strongly correlated to each other.

Plasma-mediated photothermal effects in ultrafast laser irradiation of gold nanoparticle dimers in water

The intention of this paper is to study the physical mechanism underlying the response of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dimers to a near-infrared off-resonance femtosecond pulse laser in aqueous medium. We show that the strongly localized field enhancement in the gap distance and around nanoparticles significantly reduces the laser fluence threshold to achieve an optical breakdown in comparison with an AuNP monomer. This optical breakdown results from highly localized plasma in surrounding media where the nanoparticles stay intact. Also the impact of the gap distance, field polarization, laser fluence and pulse duration on the energy deposition in plasma is presented. These results can be used to make nanoscale plasmonic devices for variety of absorption-based applications.

Quantum detection and ranging using exciton-plasmon coupling in coherent nanoantennas

We utilize interaction of a laser field with a quantum dot-metallic nanoshell system to investigate nanoscale detection and ranging using quantum coherence. We demonstrate that the nanoshell in this system can act as a coherent nanoantenna capable of designating each position in its range with unique space-time field coordinates. This shows that coherent exciton-plasmon coupling in such a system allows the electric field of this antenna generates position-dependent dynamics in molecules and nanostructures in its vicinity, allowing their remote detection. The results are obtained considering the ultrafast polarization dephasing of the quantum dot at elevated temperatures.

Coherent confinement of plasmonic field in quantum dot–metallic nanoparticle molecules

Interaction of a hybrid system consisting of a semiconductor quantum dot and a metallic nanoparticle (MNP) with a laser beam can replace the intrinsic plasmonic field of the MNP with a coherently normalized field (coherent-plasmonic or CP field). In this paper we show how quantum coherence effects in such a hybrid system can form a coherent barrier (quantum cage) that spatially confines the CP field. This allows us to coherently control the modal volume of this field, making it significantly smaller or larger than that of the intrinsic plasmonic field of the MNP. We investigate the spatial profiles of the CP field and discuss how the field barrier depends on the collective states of the hybrid system.

The Study of Quantum Interference in Metallic Photonic Crystals Doped with Four-Level Quantum Dots

In this work, the absorption coefficient of a metallic photonic crystal doped with nanoparticles has been obtained using numerical simulation techniques. The effects of quantum interference and the concentration of doped particles on the absorption coefficient of the system have been investigated. The nanoparticles have been considered as semiconductor quantum dots which behave as a four-level quantum system and are driven by a single coherent laser field. The results show that changing the position of the photonic band gap about the resonant energy of the two lower levels directly affects the decay rate, and the system can be switched between transparent and opaque states if the probe laser field is tuned to the resonance frequency. These results provide an application for metallic nanostructures in the fabrication of new optical switches and photonic devices.

Computational characterization of plasma effects in ultrafast laser irradiation of spherical gold nanostructures for photothermal therapy

Ultrashort pulsed lasers can provide high peak intensity with low pulse fluence. This makes them an ideal choice in photothermal therapy and applications where damage to the surrounding material needs to be minimized. Depending on the peak intensity, the ultrashort pulsed lasers interaction with matter can lead to plasma formation through nonlinear effects such as multiphoton and impact electron excitation. The capability of the spherical gold nanoparticles, as the most employed nanoparticle so far for photothermal therapy, to enhance and strongly localize the incident laser field leads to plasma formation around the particles at even lower pulse fluences. Under certain circumstances, during the pulse duration, this plasma can absorb more energy than the nanoparticle itself. Consequently, the absorbed energy by the generated plasma can act as an energy source for different phenomena such as the evolution of the temperature distribution, thermoelastic stress generation, and stress-induced bubble formation. In this paper, we study the plasma-mediated interaction of a 45 fs pulsed laser with two types of spherical gold nanoparticles in water: solid nanoparticle and core–shell (silica–gold) nanoparticle. We use a numerical framework based on the finite element method (FEM) to compare energy deposition profiles in these nanoparticles and in their surrounding plasma, by focusing on the impact of the nanoparticle size and the laser fluence. Our calculations show that the maximum energy deposition in plasma occurs in core–shell nanoparticles with a diameter of 130 nm and the ratio of core to shell radius of 0.8 and in solid nanoparticles with a diameter of 170 nm.