Formation of a novel hybrid-vector spatial plasmon-soliton in a Kerr slab embedded in-between metal plates is predicted and analyzed with a modified NLSE, encompassing hybrid vector field characteristics. Assisted by the transverse plasmonic effect, the self trapping dimension of the plasmon-soliton was substantially compressed (compared to the dielectrically cladded slab case) when reducing the slab width. The practical limitation of the Plasmon-soliton size reduction is determined by available nonlinear materials and metal loss. For the extreme reported values of nonlinear index change, we predict soliton with a cross section of 300nm x 30nm (average dimension of 100nm).
A quantum mechanical approach and local response theory are applied to study plasmons propagating in nanometer-thin gold slabs sandwiched between different dielectrics. The metal slab supports two different kinds of modes, classified as long-range and short-range plasmons. Quantum spill-out is found to significantly increase the imaginary part of their mode indices, and, surprisingly, even for slabs wide enough to approach bulk the increase is 20%. This is explained in terms of enhanced plasmonic absorption, which mainly takes place at narrow peaks located near the slab surface.
We numerically study the effect of the quantum spill-out (QSO) on the plasmon mode indices of an ultra-thin metallic slab, using the Fourier modal method (FMM). To improve the convergence of the FMM results, a novel nonlinear coordinate transformation is suggested and employed. Furthermore, we present a perturbative approach for incorporating the effects of QSO on the plasmon mode indices, which agrees very well with the full numerical results. The perturbative approach also provides additional physical insight, and is used to derive analytical expressions for the mode indices using a simple m…
The Dicke superradiance from an optically thin nanocomposite slab represented by metal nanoparticles dispersed in a dielectric matrix is predicted and its theory is developed from first principles. It is shown that the superradiance signal evolution is determined by the eigenvalues of the field susceptibility tensor for the slab. The excitation of the system by a pumping pulse in different polarizations as well as in the attenuated total reflection configuration is considered. It is demonstrated that the relaxation rates are enhanced when surface plasmon polaritons are excited at the interface…
We analyze planar electromagnetic waves confined by a slab waveguide formed by two perfect electrical conductors. Remarkably, 2D Maxwell equations describing transverse electromagnetic modes in such waveguides are exactly mapped onto equations for acoustic waves in fluids or gases. We show that interfaces between two slab waveguides with opposite-sign permeabilities support 1D edge modes, analogous to surface acoustic plasmons at interfaces with opposite-sign mass densities. We analyze this novel type of edge modes for the cases of isotropic media and anisotropic media with tensor permeabiliti…
Controlling low power light beam self-confinement with ultrafast response time opens up opportunities for the development of signal processing in microdevices. The combination of highly nonlinear medium with the tight confinement of plasmonic waves offers a viable but challenging configuration to reach this goal. Here, we report the experimental observation of plasmon-soliton waves propagating in a chalcogenide-based four-layer planar geometry engineered to limit plasmon propagation losses while exhibiting efficient Kerr self-focusing at moderate power. The observations reveal a strongly enhan…
Subdiffraction-limited imaging based on longitudinal modes in a spatially dispersive slab
有人提出，当在其表面等离子体共振频率附近照射时，平坦的银层可以用于形成亚衍射极限图像[J. B. Pendry，Phys. Rev. Lett. 86，3966（2000）]。在本文中，我们研究的可能性，获得亚衍射分辨率使用不同的机制，没有表面等离子体。相反，通过考虑到薄银板的非局部响应，我们表明，纵向模式有助于形成一个子衍射限制图像在等离子体频率以上的频率制度。这两种不同的机制之间的差异进行了研究和解释。
This paper deals with the temporal nonlinear dynamics of plasmon-solitons in a plasmonic waveguide. Duffing equation is recognized as the temporal part of the nonlinear amplitude equation governing the plasmonic waveguide. It is shown that Duffing oscillator waveforms stand for the temporal nonlinear dynamics of plasmon-soliton waves. The exchange of Lorentz-type bright and dark solitons energies gives rise to a Fano resonance. It is thus shown that the interaction of solitons and the formation of plasmon-solitons is inherently nonlinear. It is accordingly indicated that the nonlinear modulati…
We introduce a scheme of a photonic coupler built of two parallel topological-insulator slab waveguides with the intrinsic Kerr nonlinearity, separated by a gap. Josephson oscillations (JO) of a single edge soliton created in one slab, and of a pair of solitons created in two slabs, are considered. The single soliton jumping between the slabs is subject to quick radiative decay. On the other hand, the JO of the copropagating soliton pair may be essentially more robust, as one soliton can absorb dispersive waves emitted by the other. The most robust JO regime is featured by the pair of solitons…
We study the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a metal surface which hosts a thin film of a liquid dielectric. The ohmic losses, that are inherently present due to the coupling of SPPs to conductors' electron plasma, induce temperature gradients and fluid deformation driven by the thermocapillary effect, which lead to a nonlinear and nonlocal change of the effective dielectric constant. The latter extends beyond the regions of highest optical intensity, and constitutes a novel thermally self-induced mechanism that affects the propagation of the SPPs. We derive the nonlinear a…
Time domain Stokes mechanism of pair correlated k gap solitons in nonlinear photonic time crystal slabs
State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, School of Physical Science and Technology and Center for Transformative Science, ShanghaiTech University（上海科技大学物理科学与技术学院量子功能材料国家重点实验室与变革科学中心）
We investigate the ultrafast nonlinear dynamics of light emitted in an active plasmonic waveguide composed of a thin film of gold sandwiched by two silicon layers immersed in externally pumped Al$_2$O$_3$:Er$^{3+}$. We model optical propagation in such a dissipative system through a generalized cubic Ginzburg-Landau equation accounting for the amplification of the active medium and the effect of absorption and thermo-modulational nonlinearity of gold. We find that heating heavily affects the propagation of temporal dissipative solitons in such a plasmonic waveguide by producing a soliton self-…
We propose a scheme for the coupler-free excitation of surface polaritonic solitons and breathers in a planar plasmonic waveguide structure comprising of a transparent layer, a metal layer and a layer of three-level lambda-type atomic medium. In the proposed system, an enhanced Kerr nonlinearity is achieved via electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in the bottom atomic medium, which can be controlled through proper modulation of the frequency detunings and Rabi frequencies of the driving laser fields. This nonlinearity balances the dispersion in the system, thus providing the necessar…
Using the Jacobi Elliptic Functions, an analytical solution is developed for the nonlinear amplitude equation of Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) in a graphene-dielectric waveguide. It is shown that the field localization of SPPs coupled with TM polarized terahertz light can be enhanced if the nonlinearity is increased. On the side, a numerical solution based on Split Step Beam Propagation Method (SSBPM) suggests that spatial Modulation Instabilty (MI) can be dominant. Accordingly, larger nonlinearity leads to the generation of discrete plasmon solitons rather than the diffracted profile resu…
Recently reported large values of exciton-polariton nonlinearity of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers coupled to optically resonant structures approach the values characteristic for GaAs-based systems in the regime of strong light-matter coupling. Contrary to the latter, TMD-based polaritonic devices remain operational at ambient conditions and therefore have greater potential for practical nanophotonic applications. Here we present the study of the nonlinear properties of Ta$_2$O$_5$ slab waveguide coupled to a WSe$_2$ monolayer. We first confirm that the hybridization between …
