No Arabic abstract
Mostly forsaken, but revived after the emergence of all-dielectric nanophotonics, the Kerker effect can be observed in a variety of nanostructures from high-index constituents with strong electric and magnetic Mie resonances. Necessary requirement for the existence of a magnetic response limits the use of generally non-magnetic conventional plasmonic nanostructures for the Kerker effect. In spite of this, we demonstrate here for the first time the emergence of the lattice Kerker effect in regular plasmonic Al nanostructures. Collective lattice oscillations emerging from delicate interplay between Rayleigh anomalies and localized surface plasmon resonances both of electric and magnetic dipoles, and electric and magnetic quadrupoles result in suppression of the backscattering in a broad spectral range. Variation of geometrical parameters of Al arrays allows for tailoring lattice Kerker effect throughout UV and visible wavelength ranges, which is close to impossible to achieve using other plasmonic or all-dielectric materials. It is argued that our results set the ground for wide ramifications in the plasmonics and further application of the Kerker effect.
We present the review of some new problems in cosmology and physics of stars in connection with future launching of WSO. We discuss three problems. UV observations of distant z > 6 quasars allow to obtain information on the soft < 1 KeV X-ray radiation of the accretion disk around a supermassive black hole because of its cosmological redshift. Really the region of X-ray radiation is insufficiently investigated because of high galactic absorption. In a result one will get important information on the reionization zone of the Universe. Astronomers from ESO revealed the effect of alignment of electric vectors of polarized QSOs. One of the probable mechanism of such alignment is the conversion of QSO radiation into low mass pseudoscalar particles (axions) in the extragalactic magnetic field. These boson like particles have been predicted by new SUSY particle physics theory. Since the probability of such conversion is increasing namely in UV spectral range one can expect the strong correlation between UV spectral energy distribution of QSO radiation and polarimetric data in the optical range. In the stellar physics one of the interesting problems is the origin of the X-ray sources with super Eddington luminosities. The results of UV observations of these X-ray sources will allow to find the origin of these sources as accreting intermediate mass black holes.
The measured experimental results of optical diffraction of 10, 5 and 3.4 micrometer period plasmonic surface relief grating are presented for the application of band-pass filter in visible spectral range. Conventional scanning electron microscopic (SEM) is used to fabricate the grating structures on the silver halide based film (substrate) by exposing the electron beam in raster scan fashion. Morphological characterization of the gratings is performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that the period, height and profile depends on the line per frame, beam spot, single line dwell time, beam current, and accelerating voltage of the electron beam. Optical transmission spectra of 10 micrometer period grating shows a well-defined localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) dip at ~366 nm wavelength corresponding to gelatin embedded silver nanoparticles of the grating structure. As the period of the grating reduces LSPR dip becomes prominent. The maximum first order diffraction efficiency (DE) and bandwidth for 10 micrometer period grating are observed as 4% and 400 nm in 350 nm to 800 nm wavelength range respectively. The DE and bandwidth are reduced up to 0.03% and 100 nm for 3.4 micrometer period grating. The profile of DE is significantly flat within the diffraction bandwidth for each of the gratings. An assessment of the particular role of LSPR absorption and varied grating period in the development of the profile of first order DE v/s wavelength are studied. Fabrication of such nano-scale structures in a large area using conventional SEM and silver halide based films may provide the simple and efficient technique for various optical devices applications.
Plasmonic nanostructures and devices are rapidly transforming light manipulation technology by allowing to modify and enhance optical fields on sub-wavelength scales. Advances in this field rely heavily on the development of new characterization methods for the fundamental nanoscale interactions. However, the direct and quantitative mapping of transient electric and magnetic fields characterizing the plasmonic coupling has been proven elusive to date. Here we demonstrate how to directly measure the inelastic momentum transfer of surface plasmon modes via the energy-loss filtered deflection of a focused electron beam in a transmission electron microscope. By scanning the beam over the sample we obtain a spatially and spectrally resolved deflection map and we further show how this deflection is related quantitatively to the spectral component of the induced electric and magnetic fields pertaining to the mode. In some regards this technique is an extension to the established differential phase contrast into the dynamic regime.
Single molecule detection provides detailed information about molecular structures and functions, but it generally requires the presence of a fluorescent marker which can interfere with the activity of the target molecule or complicate the sample production. Detecting a single protein with its natural UV autofluorescence is an attractive approach to avoid all the issues related to fluorescence labelling. However, the UV autofluorescence signal from a single protein is generally extremely weak. Here, we use aluminum plasmonics to enhance the tryptophan autofluorescence emission of single proteins in the UV range. Zero-mode waveguides nanoapertures enable observing the UV fluorescence of single label-free beta-galactosidase proteins with increased brightness, microsecond transit times and operation at micromolar concentrations. We demonstrate quantitative measurements of the local concentration, diffusion coefficient and hydrodynamic radius of the label-free protein over a broad range of zero-mode waveguide diameters. While the plasmonic fluorescence enhancement has generated a tremendous interest in the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum, this work pushes further the limits of plasmonic-enhanced single molecule detection into the UV range and constitutes a major step forward in our ability to interrogate single proteins in their native state at physiological concentrations.
Transverse Kerker effect is known by the directional scattering of an electromagnetic plane wave perpendicular to the propagation direction with nearly suppression of both forward and backward scattering. Compared with plane waves, localized electromagnetic emitters are more general sources in modern nanophotonics. As a typical example, manipulating the emission direction of a quantum dot is of virtue importance for the investigation of on-chip quantum optics and quantum information processing. Herein, we introduce the concept of transverse Kerker effect of localized electromagnetic sources utilizing a subwavelength dielectric antenna, where the radiative power of magnetic, electric and more general chiral dipole emitters can be dominantly directed along its dipole moment with nearly suppression of radiation perpendicular to the dipole moments. Such transverse Kerker effect is also associated with Purcell enhancement mediated by electromagnetic multipolar resonances induced in the dielectric antenna. Analytical conditions of transverse Kerker effect are derived for the magnetic dipole, electric dipole and chiral dipole emitters. We further provide microwave experiment validation for the magnetic dipole emitter. Our results provide new physical mechanisms to manipulate the emission properties of localized electromagnetic source which might facilitate the on-chip quantum optics and beyond.