Gain-assisted plasmonic metamaterials: mimicking nature to go across scales

Abstract

Nature as a source of inspiration for designing and fabricating nanostructured materials with unconventional properties is an unparalleled driving force of this work leading to low-loss metamaterials. Here, we report about a multipronged approach to create optical metamaterials based on plasmonic nanostructures, hierarchical organization and interplay between plasmon elements and excitonic molecules. This work is focused on strategies and approaches to produce gain to metamaterials across scales with the aim of realizing low-loss optical materials and unlocking their unconvetional electromagnetic properties. Finally, we describe how a biomimetic approach based on gain-functionalized bionanoparticle can be harnessed for diagnostics and theranostics.

Thermoplasmonic Effects in Gain-Assisted Nanoparticle Solutions

“…As it can be seen from Figure b–c, the largest NPs (48 nm), instead, show a nonradiative resonant energy transfer process that moves in the direction of a loss compensation effect. Indeed, both the observed static quenching and the birth of a fast decay time in the TCSPC measurement are the symptom of a faster energy dissipation channel, typical of these types of processes. − This is confirmed by the extinction cross section of the gain-assisted sample that shows a σ ext lower than in the case of pure AuNPs sample (see the Supporting Information). This means that, by choosing opportunely the subunits parameters of the gain-assisted system, we can use dye molecules not only to mitigate ohmic losses as seen in previous works but also to enhance the thermoplasmonic response of metallic NPs by obtaining a macroscopic enhanced photothermal effect through a strong exciton–plasmon coupling.…”

“…The first attempt to estimate the light to heat conversion efficiency of AuNP solutions with different sizes has been proposed by Jiang et al However, an analysis of the thermal response of AuNPs solutions as a function of the impinging intensity (power density) in a wide range (from 0.5 to 2.2 × 10 3 W/cm 2 ) and the possibility to take advantage of a gain medium added to the solution have not been yet experimentally investigated. In the past, it has been demonstrated that bringing gain in proximity to metal subunits can reduce the strong radiation damping, in terms of reduction of the imaginary part of the metal dielectric permittivity. − The loss mitigation, in this case, may have a negative impact on the thermal efficiency of the AuNPs, but the proper control of the gain medium properties could enable novel photothermal aspects.…”

Viral‐based nanomaterials for plasmonic and photonic materials and devices

“…Of particular interest to this review are viral-templated photonic and plasmonic materials with applications spanning the fields of sensing (Wang, Sun, Li, Wu, & Wei, 2016), nanomedicine (Young, Willits, Uchida, & Douglas, 2008), energy transfer and conversion (Spillmann & Medintz, 2015;Vilona et al, 2015), metamaterials (De Luca et al, 2015;DuFort & Dragnea, 2010;Wen, Podgornik, Strangi, & Steinmetz, 2015), and nanoparticle (NP) synthesis (Bain & Staniland, 2015;Voet & Tame, 2017). These will be covered in five sections, which will include: (1) biological, chemical, and physical sensors, (2) platforms for cellular imaging, drug delivery, and phototherapy, (3) solar cell devices, light harvesting complexes, and photocatalytic platforms, (4) materials that possess negative index of refraction, artificial magnetism, or field-amplifying properties, and (5) plasmonic and magnetic NPs.…”

Electrodynamic Modeling of Quantum Dot Luminescence in Plasmonic Metamaterials

“…These losses hamper the development of optical cloaking devices and negative index media. Recently, several theoretical − and experimental − studies demonstrated that one promising way to reduce or even compensate for the losses is through combining the metamaterial with a gain medium. The experimentally realized gain materials include organic semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), quantum wells, and dyes .…”