Near-field control of optical bistability in a nanocavity

Micro- and nanocavities allow for strong light confinement in very small volume [1]. They give opportunities for new experiments such as cavity quantum electrodynamics, waveguiding, light slowing or trapping…[2] The increase of the electromagnetic (EM) field in the cavity enhances the interaction between light and matter, resulting in the possible observation of nonlinear effects [3]. Several studies have recently been published on the observation and characterisation of nonlinear silicon cavities [4]. As a step further, we propose and demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative way to mechanically control the bistable operating regime of a nanovavity. Using a near-field tip, we switch the…

Interface engineering for improved light transmittance through photonic crystal flat lenses

In this paper, we present photonic crystal flat lenses with interfaces engineered to improve the light transmittance thanks to a broad angles impedance matching. The interface engineering consists in the realization of antireflection gratings on the edges of the lenses which are designed to reduce the propagative waves reflectivity over a wide range of incident angles. The fabricated structures were measured in optical near-field and a four times enhancement of the light transmission efficiency is reported.

Real space observation of two-dimensional Bloch wave interferences in a negative index photonic crystal cavity

We report here the direct observation of two-dimensional (2D) Bloch wave interferences in a negative index photonic crystal by using optical near-field microscopy techniques. The photonic crystal is formed by a defectless honeycomb lattice of air holes etched in III-V semiconductor slab. A scanning near-field optical microscope is used to visualize spatially, as well as spectrally, the light distribution inside the photonic crystal. The recorded near-field spectra and maps presented here unambiguously demonstrate the Bloch wave interferences within the photonic crystal. Then, the spectral and spatial evolution of these interferences allows us to recover experimentally the 2D band diagram of…

From Measurement to Control of Electromagnetic Waves using a Near‐field Scanning Optical Microscope

Discontinuity induced angular distribution of photon plasmon coupling

Metal-dielectric transitions are important structures that can display a host of optical characteristics including excitation of plasmons. Metal-dielectric discontinuities can furthermore support plasmon excitation without a severe condition on the incident angle of the exciting photons. Using a semi-infinite thin gold film, we study surface plasmon (SP) excitation and the associated electromagnetic near-field distribution by recording the resulting plasmon interference patterns. In particular, we measure interference periods involving SPs at the scanable metal/air interface and the buried metal/glass one. Supported by optical near-field simulations and experiments, we demonstrate that the …