Radek Kalousek

Control and near-field detection of surface plasmon interference patterns.

The tailoring of electromagnetic near-field properties is the central task in the field of nanophotonics. In addition to 2D optics for optical nanocircuits, confined and enhanced electric fields are utilized in detection and sensing, photovoltaics, spatially localized spectroscopy (nanoimaging), as well as in nanolithography and nanomanipulation. For practical purposes, it is necessary to develop easy-to-use methods for controlling the electromagnetic near-field distribution. By imaging optical near-fields using a scanning near-field optical microscope, we demonstrate that surface plasmon polaritons propagating from slits along the metal-dielectric interface form tunable interference patterns. We present a simple way how to control the resulting interference patterns both by variation of the angle between two slits and, for a fixed slit geometry, by a proper combination of laser beam polarization and inhomogeneous far-field illumination of the structure. Thus the modulation period of interference patterns has become adjustable and new variable patterns consisting of stripelike and dotlike motifs have been achieved, respectively.

Response of plasmonic resonant nanorods: an analytical approach to optical antennas.

An analytical model of the response of a free-electron gas within the nanorod to the incident electromagnetic wave is developed to investigate the optical antenna problem. Examining longitudinal oscillations of the free-electron gas along the antenna nanorod a simple formula for antenna resonance wavelengths proving a linear scaling is derived. Then the nanorod polarizability and scattered fields are evaluated. Particularly, the near-field amplitudes are expressed in a closed analytical form and the shift between near-field and far-field intensity peaks is deduced.

Controlled faceting in 〈110〉 germanium nanowire growth by switching between vapor-liquid-solid and vapor-solid-solid growth

We show that the hexagonal cross-section of germanium nanowires grown in the 〈110〉 direction by physical vapor deposition is a consequence of minimization of surface energy of the collector droplet. If the droplet is lost or solidified, two {001} sidewall facets are quickly overgrown and the nanowire exhibits a rhomboidal cross-section. This process can be controlled by switching between the liquid and solid state of the droplet, enabling the growth of nanowires with segments having different cross-sections. These experiments are supported by in-situ microscopic observations and theoretical model.

The influence of humidity on the kinetics of local anodic oxidation

In this paper the influence of relative humidity on fabrication of nanostructures at GaAs (100) surfaces by local anodic oxidation (LAO) is reported. The attention was paid both to the dimensions of oxide nanolines prepared at different relative humidities for tip-surface voltages of 6 - 9 V and tip speeds of 10 - 200 nm/s, and to the profiles corresponding to line trenches (etched in HCl after the nanoxidation). Contrary to the expectations the height and the half-width of oxide nanolines did not increase with relative humidity in the whole interval from 35% to 90%, but for lower relative humidities (< 50%) the lines were comparable in size to those prepared at 90%. However, this was accompanied with instabilities in the oxidation process resulting most probably from enhanced size variations of the water meniscus between the tip and the surface at these low humidities.

Spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy of crescent-shaped plasmonic antennas

We present a study of the optical properties of gold crescent-shaped antennas by means of electron energy loss spectroscopy. These structures exhibit particularly large field enhancement near their sharp features, support two non-degenerate dipolar (i.e., optically active) localised surface plasmon resonances, and are widely tunable by a choice of their shape and dimensions. Depending on the volume and shape, we resolved up to four plasmon resonances in metallic structures under study in the energy range of 0.8 - 2.4 eV: two dipolar and quadrupolar mode and a multimodal assembly. The boundary-element-method calculations reproduced the observed spectra and helped to identify the character of the resonances. The two lowest modes are of particular importance owing to their dipolar nature. Remarkably, they are both concentrated near the tips of the crescent, spectrally well resolved and their energies can be tuned between 0.8 - 1.5 eV and 1.2 - 2.0 eV, respectively. As the lower spectral range covers the telecommunication wavelengths 1.30 and 1.55 μm, we envisage the possible use of such nanostructures in infrared communication technology.

Nanometer-Sized Water Bridge and Pull-Off Force in AFM at Different Relative Humidities: Reproducibility Measurement and Model Based on Surface Tension Change

This article deals with the analysis of the relationship between the pull-off force measured by atomic force microscopy and the dimensions of water bridge condensed between a hydrophilic silicon oxide tip and a silicon oxide surface under ambient conditions. Our experiments have shown that the pull-off force increases linearly with the radius of the tip and nonmonotonically with the relative humidity (RH). The latter dependence generally consists of an initial constant part changing to a convex-concave-like increase of the pull-off force and finally followed by a concave-like decrease of this force. The reproducibility tests have demonstrated that the precision limits have to be taken into account for comparing these measurements carried out under atmospheric conditions. The results were fitted by a classical thermodynamic model based on water-bridge envelope calculations using the numerical solution of the Kelvin equation in the form of axisymmetric differential equations and consequent calculation of adhesive forces. To describe the measured data more precisely, a decrease of the water surface tension for low RH was incorporated into the calculation. Such a decrease can be expected as a consequence of the high surface curvature in the nanometer-sized water bridge between the tip and the surface.

Design of the charged particle diverter for the ATHENA mission

The large Halo orbit in L2 of the ATHENA mission will expose the spacecraft (SC) to a significant flux of charged particles which is expected to overlap with the energy range of the instruments. This is a source of measurement background that needs to be minimized as much as possible to achieve the strict requirements of the mission. The need to know and mitigate this type of background has been identified as critical, and has led to a number of technology development activities which are progressing in parallel to the Phase A activities. Particularly, this paper details the status of the on-going activities to develop a set of charged particle diverters whose goal is to reduce the background generated by soft-protons which are focused by the Silicon Pore Optics (SPO) mirror modules towards the instrument detectors. This paper explains the considerations leading to an accommodation of the charged particle diverters close to the instruments in the Science Instrument Module (SIM), and details the analytical approach followed to choose the massoptimal location for the case of a uniform magnetic field Halbach design. The case of graded (non-uniform) magnetic fields is also explained in an effort to further decrease the mass. Preliminary magnetic field maps are presented as a proxy to compare the mass from different options. Finally, the first engineering models, manufacturing and test plans are presented which are the focus of a technology development activity aiming at the validation of the technologies involved up to TRL5.

Imaging of near-field interference patterns by aperture-type SNOM – influence of illumination wavelength and polarization state

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) in combination with interference structures is a powerful tool for imaging and analysis of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). However, the correct interpretation of SNOM images requires profound understanding of principles behind their formation. To study fundamental principles of SNOM imaging in detail, we performed spectroscopic measurements by an aperture-type SNOM setup equipped with a supercontinuum laser and a polarizer, which gave us all the degrees of freedom necessary for our investigation. The series of wavelength- and polarization-resolved measurements, together with results of numerical simulations, then allowed us to identify the role of individual near-field components in formation of SNOM images, and to show that the out-of-plane component generally dominates within a broad range of parameters explored in our study. Our results challenge the widespread notion that this component does not couple to the aperture-type SNOM probe and indicate that the issue of SNOM probe sensitivity towards the in-plane and out-of-plane near-field components - one of the most challenging tasks of near field interference SNOM measurements - is not yet fully resolved.

Vibrational analysis of the cantilever in non‐contact scanning force microscopy

In this paper the basic principles of non-contact scanning force microscopy (SFM) are explained. The major long-range forces acting between a tip and a sample, and consequently the changes of vibration characteristics with the tip-sample distance, are discussed. To estimate the resolution limits of the non-contact method, the motion of a vibrating silicon cantilever above testing silicon nanostructure models was simulated numerically. This was done both in the mode of constant height and of constant force. To simulate the real behaviour of the tip in the mode of constant force, we included into our calculations the feedback loop. It was shown that by using long-range van der Waals forces an atomic lattice periodicity and individual adatoms can be recognized by non-contact SFM only when the equilibrium tip-surface distance is ∼1.0 nm.