Nonlinear Imaging and Spectroscopy of Chiral Metamaterials

Abstract

A chiral metamaterial produces both distinguishable linear and non-linear resonant features when probed with left and right circularly polarized light. The material demonstrates a linear transmission contrast of 0.5 between left and right circular polarizations and a 20× contrast between second-harmonic responses from the two incident polarizations. Non-linear and linear response images probed with circularly polarized light show strongly defined contrast.

Triple-helical nanowires by tomographic rotatory growth for chiral photonics

“…However, these structures need oblique incidence of light to discriminate polarizations with opposite handedness and also exhibit weak dichroic selection. To maximize the interaction with light, chiral metamaterials should extrude along the third dimension, that is, by a stacked arrangement of a unit cell (quasi-three-dimensional (3D) objects) [10][11][12][13][14][15] . In particular, fully 3D helix-based metamaterials can be considered as the best candidates for pronounced chiral response integrated in compact devices, as demonstrated by the fully 3D helical metamaterials acting as circular polarizers in the infrared range 2 , and realized by direct laser writing.…”

Helically Twisted Chiral Arrays of Gold Nanoparticles Coated with a Cholesterol Mesogen

“…1,2 A number of methods have been designed to arrange nanoparticles (NPs) in chiral assemblies. 3,4,5,6,7 The amplification of optical effects by the inclusion of metallic NPs in chiral nematic LCs has recently been explored very actively, especially as the chiral organization of gold or silver NPs promises fascinating metamaterial behaviour. 8,9,10,11 Optical metamaterials capable of interacting with circularly polarized (CP) light, based on helical structures, are of considerable interest as CP light can be used e.g.…”

Controlling third harmonic generation with gammadion-shaped chiral metamaterials

“…16 The interplay of nonlinearity and circular dichroism (CD) was highlighted from the observation of strong cross-phase modulation and four-wave mixing in a type of varactor-loaded nonlinear chiral metamaterial. 17 Chirality signatures of individual twisted-cross gold nanodimers via SHG microscopy, 18 nonlinear imaging and spectroscopy of artificial enantiomers of a twisted-arc metamaterial, 19 and harmonic generation of optical activity 22 Furthermore, we also demonstrate that rotating the gammadion around its rotational axis can continuously control the phase of the THG, and thus can be utilized in the FZP design to rotate the polarization of the output THG signals. Fig.…”

“…15 Recently, there is also a growing interest in nonlinear optical signals generated from chiral plasmonic nanostructures, which provide a promising platform to study chiral-selective nonlinear optical interactions. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] For example, asymmetric SHG from chiral G-shaped gold nanostructures upon a reverse of the handedness of the structures was presented. 16 The interplay of nonlinearity and circular dichroism (CD) was highlighted from the observation of strong cross-phase modulation and four-wave mixing in a type of varactor-loaded nonlinear chiral metamaterial.…”