Padmnabh Rai

Silencing and enhancement of second-harmonic generation in optical gap antennas

Amplifying local electromagnetic fields by engineering optical interactions between individual constituents of an optical antenna is considered fundamental for efficient nonlinear wavelength conversion in nanometer-scale devices. In contrast to this general statement we show that high field enhancement does not necessarily lead to an optimized nonlinear activity. In particular, we demonstrate that second-harmonic responses generated at strongly interacting optical gap antennas can be significantly suppressed. Numerical simulations are confirming silencing of second-harmonic in these coupled systems despite the existence of local field amplification. We then propose a simple approach to restore and amplify the second-harmonic signal by changing the manner in which electrically-connected optical antennas are interacting in the charge-transfer plasmon regime. Our observations provide critical design rules for realizing optimal structures that are essential for a broad variety of nonlinear surface-enhanced characterizations and for realizing the next generation of electrically-driven optical antennas.

Improved electron field emission from morphologically disordered monolayer graphene

Graphene was synthesized on copper foil by thermal chemical vapor deposition technique. To investigate the field electron emission property, planar graphene (PG) and morphologically disordered graphene (MDG) were fabricated on the doped silicon substrate by transfer of as-grown graphene. Incorporation of morphological disorder in graphene creates more emission sites due to the additional defects, edges, and atomic scale ripples. This resulted in (1) a dramatic increase in the maximum current density by a factor of 500, (2) considerable increase in the enhancement factor, and (3) decrease in the turn-on field of MDG compared to PG.

Dramatic enhancement of the emission current density from carbon nanotube based nanosize tips with extremely low onset fields.

Nanostructures based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are fabricated using plasma of the mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen gases. The plasma-sharpened tips of nanotubes contain only a few tubes at the apex of the structure and lead to the dramatic enhancement in the emission current density by a factor >10(6) with the onset field as low as 0.16 V/microm. We propose that the nature of the tunneling barrier changes significantly for a nanosize tip at very high local electric field and may lead to the saturation in the emission current density.

Electrical excitation of surface plasmons by an individual carbon nanotube transistor.

We demonstrate the realization of an electrically-driven integrated source of surface plasmon polaritons. Light-emitting individual single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors were fabricated in a plasmonic-ready platform. The devices were operated at ambient condition to act as an electroluminescence source localized near the contacting gold electrodes. We show that photon emission from the semiconducting channel can couple to propagating surface plasmons developing in the electrical terminals. Momentum-space spectroscopy suggests that excited plasmon modes are bound to the metal-glass interface. Our results underline the high degree of compatibility between state-of-the art nano-optoelectronic devices and plasmonic architectures. PACS numbers: 73.20.Mf, 73.63.-b, 73.63.Fg, 85.35.Kt

Hexagonal diamond synthesis on h-GaN strained films

Chemical vapor deposited diamond films grown on strained gallium nitride-coated quartz substrate are found to display a dominantly hexagonal diamond phase. The phase identification is done using Raman spectroscopy and orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The presence of a 1324.4cm−1 band in the Raman spectra is attributed to a hexagonal diamond symmetry, but the unambiguous signature of the hexagonal phase is confirmed by OIM. A phase map of the sample clearly shows that 88% of the scanned sample area is hexagonal diamond.

Nanotip formation on a carbon nanotube pillar array for field emission application

The field emission of a carbon nanotube (CNT) pillar array has been improved significantly by plasma treatment in a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen gases. The plasma treatment for 30s on a pillar array decreased the turn-on electric field from 0.48to0.37V∕μm and increased the field enhancement factor from 6200 to 6900. The emission current density increased by a factor of ≈40. We report in this letter the technique of generating nanotips on CNT pillars with an enormous potential to become a tool for the control and manipulation of CNTs and nanostructures.

Determinant role of the edges in defining surface plasmon propagation in stripe waveguides and tapered concentrators

In this paper, we experimentally show the effect of waveguide discontinuity on the propagation of the surface plasmon in metal stripes and tapered terminations. Dual-plane leakage microscopy and near-field microscopy were performed on Au stripes with varied widths to image the surface plasmon intensity distribution in real and reciprocal spaces. We unambiguously demonstrate that edge diffraction is the limiting process determining the cutoff conditions of the surface plasmon mode. Finally, we determine the optimal tapered geometry leading to the highest transmission.

Reorientation of the crystalline planes in confined single crystal nickel nanorods induced by heavy ion irradiation

In a recent letter Tyagi et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 253110 (2005)] have reported the special orientation of nickel planes inside multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with respect to the tube axis. Heavy ion irradiation has been performed with 1.5MeV Au2+ and 100MeV Au7+ ions on these nickel filled MWCNTs at fluences ranging from 1012to1015ions∕cm2 at room temperature. Ion-induced modifications have been studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The diffraction pattern and the lattice imaging showed the presence of ion-induced planar defects on the tube walls and completely amorphized encapsulated nickel nanorods. The results are discussed in terms of thermal spike model.

In-plane remote photoluminescence excitation of carbon nanotube by propagating surface plasmon

In this work, we demonstrate propagating surface plasmon polariton (SPP) coupled photoluminescence (PL) excitation of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT). SPPs were launched at a few micrometers from individually marked SWNT, and plasmon-coupled PL was recorded to determine the efficiency of this remote in-plane addressing scheme. The efficiency depends upon the following factors: (i) longitudinal and transverse distances between the SPP launching site and the location of the SWNT and (ii) orientation of the SWNT with respect to the plasmon propagation wave vector (k(SPP)). Our experiment explores the possible integration of carbon nanotubes as a plasmon sensor in plasmonic and nanophotonic devices.

Momentum angular mapping of enhanced Raman scattering of single-walled carbon nanotube

We perform momentum mapping of the Raman scattering of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) or thin ropes of SWNTs enhanced by surface plasmons sustained by either a linear chain of nanoantennas or flower-shaped nanoparticles. The momentum spectroscopy of Raman scattering of the carbon nanotube (CNT) demonstrates the direct verification of momentum selection rules and identifies the characteristic bands of the molecules or the nanomaterials under scrutiny. The characteristic vibrational signatures of the D, G−, and G bands provide an isotropic response in k-space irrespective of the arrangement of the enhancing platform. However, other dispersive or double resonance bands, such as D−, D+, D′, M, and iTOLA bands appear as a dipolar emission oriented towards the long axis of the CNT regardless of the CNT orientation but strongly depend on the patterning of enhancement of the electromagnetic field.