Denis Garoli

Bilayer holey plasmonic vortex lenses for the far field transmission of pure orbital angular momentum light states

We report the design of a holey plasmonic vortex lens (PVL) structure able to couple circularly polarized impinging light to a plasmonic vortex in the form of the fundamental TM mode of a metal-insulator-metal plasmonic waveguide. The field transmitted through the hole milled at the center of the second metal layer of the structure is characterized by a well-defined spiral harmonic, entirely determined by the spin of impinging light and by the chirality of the PVL structure. Scattering finite elements simulations are presented for single layer standard PVLs and for bilayer ones, comparing the spiral spectra of the transmitted field and the efficiencies of the architectures.

Focusing dynamics on circular distributed tapered metallic waveguides by means of plasmonic vortex lenses

We investigate the focusing effect on circularly distributed planar tapered plasmonic waveguides by means of three-dimensional (3D) finite elements simulations. The proposed configuration allows nanofocusing on four faced planar nanotips, showing efficient condensation of surface plasmons polaritons (SPPs) at the silver/air interface toward the endpoint of the tips. By means of a plasmonic vortex lens it is possible to illuminate the tips with SPP waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), namely plasmonic vortices. Our 3D simulations show that by acting on the topological charge of the plasmonic vortex the electric field charge distribution at the tips apex can be controlled accordingly to the input electric field phase distribution. The results for three particular OAM values are shown, along with a generalization for arbitrary plasmonic vortex angular momentum values.

Transmittance and optical constants of Ce films in the 6–1200eV spectral range

The optical constants of Ce films were obtained in the 6–1200eV range from transmittance measurements obtained at room temperature. Thin films of Ce were deposited by evaporation in ultrahigh vacuum conditions and their transmittance was measured in situ. Ce films were deposited onto grid-supported, thin C films. Transmittance measurements of various film thicknesses were used to obtain the extinction coefficient k of Ce films at each individual photon energy investigated. The refractive index n of Ce was calculated with the Kramers–Kronig analysis using the current k data, which were extended toward smaller and larger energies with available data from literature and extrapolations. Ce has a low-absorption band right below O2,3 edge, with lowest absorption at 16.1eV. This makes Ce a promising material for the development of new filters and multilayer coatings below Ce O2,3 edge, in which few developments have been performed due to the lack of low-absorption materials. A good consistency of the data was ev...

Optical constants of Yb films in the 23-1700 eV range

The optical constants of Yb films have been determined in the 23-1700 eV spectral range from transmittance measurements performed in situ on Yb films deposited by evaporation in ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Yb films were deposited over grids coated with a thin carbon film. Transmittance measurements were used to obtain the extinction coefficient of Yb films at each individual photon energy investigated. The energy range investigated encompasses Yb edges from M(4,5) to O(2,3). The current results, along with data in the literature, show that Yb has an interesting low-absorption band in the approximately 12-24 eV range, which may be useful for the development of transmittance filters and multilayer coatings. The current data along with literature data and extrapolations were used to obtain n, the real part of the complex refractive index, using a Kramers-Krönig analysis. The application of the sum rules showed a good consistency of the results.

Transmittance and optical constants of Pr films in the 4–1600eV spectral range

The optical constants of Pr films were obtained in the 4–1600eV range from transmittance measurements performed at room temperature. Thin films of polycrystalline Pr were deposited by evaporation in ultrahigh vacuum conditions and their transmittance was measured in situ. Pr films were deposited onto grids coated with a thin, C support film. Transmittance measurements were used to obtain the optical extinction coefficient k of Pr films in the 4–1600 investigated photon energy range. The refractive index n of Pr was calculated using the Kramers–Kronig analysis. Data were extrapolated both on the high and low-energy sides by using experimental and calculated extinction coefficient data available from the literature. Pr, similar to other lanthanides, has a low-absorption band right below the O2,3 edge onset; the lowest absorption was measured at about 17eV. Therefore, Pr is a promising material for filters and multilayer coatings in the energy range below O2,3 edge in which most materials have a strong absor...

Optical vortex beam generator at nanoscale level

Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) can find tremendous applications in several fields. In order to apply these particular beams in photonic integrated devices innovative optical elements have been proposed. Here we are interested in the generation of OAM-carrying beams at the nanoscale level. We design and experimentally demonstrate a plasmonic optical vortex emitter, based on a metal-insulator-metal holey plasmonic vortex lens. Our plasmonic element is shown to convert impinging circularly polarized light to an orbital angular momentum state capable of propagating to the far-field. Moreover, the emerging OAM can be externally adjusted by switching the handedness of the incident light polarization. The device has a radius of few micrometers and the OAM beam is generated from subwavelength aperture. The fabrication of integrated arrays of PVLs and the possible simultaneous emission of multiple optical vortices provide an easy way to the large-scale integration of optical vortex emitters for wide-ranging applications.

Beaming of Helical Light from Plasmonic Vortices via Adiabatically Tapered Nanotip

We demonstrate the generation of far-field propagating optical beams with a desired orbital angular momentum by using a smooth optical-mode transformation between a plasmonic vortex and free-space Laguerre–Gaussian modes. This is obtained by means of an adiabatically tapered gold tip surrounded by a spiral slit. The proposed physical model, backed up by the numerical study, brings about an optimized structure that is fabricated by using a highly reproducible secondary electron lithography technique. Optical measurements of the structure excellently agree with the theoretically predicted far-field distributions. This architecture provides a unique platform for a localized excitation of plasmonic vortices followed by its beaming.

Transmittance and optical constants of Eu films from 8.3 to 1400 eV

The optical constants of Eu films were obtained in the 8.3–1400 eV range from transmittance measurements performed at room temperature. Thin films of Eu were deposited by evaporation in ultrahigh vacuum conditions and their transmittance was measured in situ. Eu films were deposited onto grids coated with a thin C support film. The refractive index n of Eu was calculated using the Kramers-Kronig analysis. Data were extrapolated both on the high- and low-energy sides by using experimental and calculated extinction coefficient values available in the literature. Eu, similar to other lanthanides, has a low-absorption band just below the O2,3 edge onset; the lowest absorption was measured at about 16.7 eV. Therefore, Eu is a promising material for filters and multilayer coatings in the energy range below the O2,3 edge in which materials typically have a strong absorption. The consistency of the composite optical constants was tested with the f and inertial sum rules and found to be good.

Nanoporous gold—Application to extraordinary optical transmission of light

The authors present their work in the preparation of nanoporous gold layers and their patterning with an original procedure preserving the porosity, to obtain the phenomenon of extraordinary transmission of light with a porous material. The design, fabrication, and characterization of nanoslit arrays made with bulk gold and nanoporous gold films are presented and their sensing performances are compared after coating with thiolated organic molecules. Thanks to a greatly enhanced surface-to-volume ratio, nanoporous gold reveals benefits for better reaction efficiency and detection sensitivity. Moreover, plasmonic properties in the near-IR range assure employment in plasmonic devices.

Nanoporous gold leaves: preparation, optical characterization and plasmonic behavior in the visible and mid-infrared spectral regions

A robust and reproducible preparation of self-standing nanoporous gold leaves (NPGL) is presented, with optical characterization and plasmonic behaviour analysis. Nanoporous gold (NPG) layers are tipically prepared as thin films on a bulk substrate. Here we present an alternative approach consisting in the preparation of NPGL in the form of a self-standing film. This solution leads to a perfectly symmetric configuration where the metal is immersed in a homogeneous medium and in addition can support the propagation of symmetric and antisymmetric plasmonic modes. With respect to bulk gold, NPG shows metallic behaviour at higher wavelengths, suggesting possible plasmonic applications in the near / medium infrared range. In this work the plasmonic properties in the wide wavelength range from the ultraviolet up to the mid-infrared range have been investigated. References and links 1. R. Zhang and H. 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Phot. 1 (3), 484-588 (2009). 43. J. A. Dionne, L. A. Sweatlock, A. Atwater, and A. Polman, “Planar metal plasmon waveguides: frequencydependent dispersion, propagation, localization and loss beyond the free electron model,” Phys. Rev. B 72, 075405-1-10 (2005).A robust and reproducible preparation of self-standing nanoporous gold leaves (NPGL) is presented, with optical characterization and plasmonic behaviour analysis. Nanoporous gold (NPG) layers are tipically prepared as thin films on a bulk substrate. Here we present an alternative approach consisting in the preparation of NPGL in the form of a self-standing film. This solution leads to a perfectly symmetric configuration where the metal is immersed in a homogeneous medium and in addition can support the propagation of symmetric and antisymmetric plasmonic modes. With respect to bulk gold, NPG shows metallic behaviour at higher wavelengths, suggesting possible plasmonic applications in the near / medium infrared range. In this work the plasmonic properties in the wide wavelength range from the ultraviolet up to the mid-infrared range have been investigated.