Centre for Nanostructured Media

IRCEP, Queen's University of Belfast,
University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, U.K.

http://www.nano-optics.org.uk/

The project will be carried out at the Nano-optics and Near-field Spectroscopy Group at QUB. Main research directions of the Group include scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), nano-spectroscopy and novel nanoscale imaging techniques for material characterization, nonlinear nano-optics and surface-plasmon nano-optics. Group research is funded by EPSRC (UK), The Royal Society, EC FP6, industry and local government. Group participates in FP6 NoEs Plasmo-Nano-devices and PHOREMOST: Photonics to realize molecular scale technology.

Recent research achievements of the Group include: - pioneering near-field studies of surface plasmon polariton behaviour on rough and nanostructured surfaces, two-dimensional surface polariton optics and optical properties of surface polaritonic crystals; - development of scanning near-field microscopy of second-harmonic generation, near-field second-harmonic imaging of domain structures in ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials, development of apertureless second-harmonic scanning near-field microscopy; - pioneering studies of nonlinear optical effects at low light intensities mediated by localised surface plasmons and surface plasmon polaritons in metallo-dielectric nanostructures for applications in active elements of all-optical integrated circuits; - development of a new concept of far-field optical microscopy with the subwavelength resolution using surface plasmon polaritons.

Description of resources

Cleanrooms (class 10,000, with class 10 areas), standard photolithography (0.8 micron on 4 wafer), metal deposition, spin coaters, multi-target UHV sputter deposition, argon ion milling and chemical etching, FEI Tecnai F20 TEM, Jeol 6500F FEGSEM with EDX + WDS chemical analysis, FEI FIB200 focused ion beam microscope & machining system, SNOM, AFM, STM scanning probe microscopy. Optical laboratories equipped with the state-of-the-art linear and nonlinear spectroscopic facilities in visible and IR (including telecommunication wavelength) range.

Relevant Publications

A. V. Zayats, I. I. Smolyaninov, A. A. Maradudin, "Nano-optics of surface plasmon polaritons," Phys. Rep., vol. 408, 2005, pp. 131-314 (review article).

A. V. Zayats, I. I. Smolyaninov, "Near-field photonics: surface plasmon polaritons and localised surface plasmons," J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt., vol. 5, 2003, pp. S16-S50 (review article).

D. Gerard, L. Salomon, F. de Fornel, A. V. Zayats, "Ridge-enhanced optical transmission through a continuous metal film," Phys. Rev. B, vol. 69, 2004, 113405.

J. Elliott, I. I. Smolyaninov, N. I. Zheludev, A. V. Zayats, "Polarization control of optical transmission of a periodic array of elliptical nanoholes in a metal film," Opt. Lett., vol. 29, 2004, pp. 1414-1416.

L. Salomon, F. Grillot, F. de Fornel, A. V. Zayats, "Near-field distribution of optical transmission of periodic subwavelength holes in a metal film," Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 86, 2001, pp. 1110-1113.

© 2006 Plasmon Enhanced Photonics