Off-Angle Amplified Spontaneous Emission of Upconversion Nanoparticles by Propagating Lattice Plasmons

Abstract

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are appealing for light emitting applications because their high internal conversion efficiency facilitates the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) under low pumping. In addition, the integration of photonic crystals and microcavities with optical quantum emitters provides a unique opportunity to manipulate their light emissions and generate coherent light sources for quantum photonics. Here, this work describes a two-dimensional (2D) plasmonic lattice of Al nanocone array (Al NCA), which can confine the light at the tip. Light confinement by the enhancement effect supports narrow linewidth resonances as optical feedback for the ASE of UCNPs doped with sensitizer Yb 3+ ions/emitter Ho 3+ ions/relaxator Ce 3+ ions. An off-angle ASE with an enhancement of 19-fold from UCNPs is achieved by propagating lattice plasmons from the Al NCA. Moreover, this upconverting ASE can be switched on or off by adjusting the polarization state of the incident pump light, and photonic band engineering can be used to manipulate it intentionally. This composite plasmonic system opens prospective applications for the ASE as directional emission, real-time tunable wavelengths, controlled multimode lasing, and optical switches.

Modulating Polarization in Second Harmonic Generation through Symmetry Evolution in Plasmonic Lattices

“…The quality of SHG signals can be enhanced by constructing photonic lattices with plasmonic metals . On the one hand, surface plasmons (SPs) from metal particles can confine EM field within a subwavelength range to achieve a small mode volume ( V mode ) that surpasses the diffraction limit of light, significantly enhancing the nonlinear signals. − On the other hand, the in-plane oscillations of electrons and interactions between adjacent units can induce a collective resonance mode, known as the Bloch-surface plasmon polariton (Bloch-SPP) mode, in the plasmonic lattice. This mode is particularly effective in reducing the radiative loss in metals, outperforming the equivalent disordered unit distribution in improving nonlinear processes. , The incident angle sensitivity of the Bloch-SPP mode to the fundamental frequency light enables control over harmonic generation with multiple degrees of freedom.…”

Upconverting Nanoparticle-Based Photoactive Probes for Highly Efficient Labeling and Isolation of Target Proteins

“…Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are capable of converting near-infrared (NIR) light into UV light under the excitation of continuous-wave NIR laser diodes, and UCNP-based photochemistry has been widely used in bioimaging, biocatalysis, and drug delivery. − Aside from its minimal photodamage to biomolecular targets, NIR light can penetrate deeply into the tissue compared with UV light. This feature, together with the solid phase, suggests UCNP-based photoactive probes as a new generation of protein-labeling tools.…”

Surface lattice resonances enhanced directional amplified spontaneous emission on plasmonic honeycomb nanocone array

“…11,12 In particular, the surface electromagnetic waves modulated by the plasmonic lattice and the dipole interaction between adjacent particles may cause an additional collective resonance. 13 This resonant mode is called surface lattice resonance (SLR) and results in a reduction of the dissipation partially and stronger near-field enhancement compared to that of single nanoparticles. 14 Such superior advantages can promote photonic applications, such as nanolasing and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE).…”

“…12,[27][28][29] With the exploration and application of AAO membranes, the residual aluminum substrate is found to be an excellent candidate for constructing tip-feature nanostructures. 13 In this work, a directional and polarized ASE is realized on the tip-featured nanocone array and analyzed from the momentum-space energy band of the honeycomb lattice. An extrusion method derived from the hexagonal nanopore structure of AAO membrane is adapted to generate the Al nanocone structure of a honeycomb lattice with low-loss SLR mode in the visible range.…”

“…12,27–29 With the exploration and application of AAO membranes, the residual aluminum substrate is found to be an excellent candidate for constructing tip-feature nanostructures. 13…”