Control of radiative processes using periodic arrays of plasmonic nanostructures

The radiative processes of a quantum emitter can be profoundly altered by its surrounding photonic environment. In this report we explore fundamentals of the light-matter interactions between quantum emitters (such as semiconductor quantum dots or organic molecules) and periodic lattices of plasmonic nanostructures. A lattice of metallic nanostructures provide high photonic density of states via local and lattice plasmon resonances. Via computational and experimental studies, we demonstrate the emission rate enhancement of quantum emitters by integrating them with arrays of plasmonic nanostructures. A set of parameters including size, shape, and lattice constant will be discussed. In particular, an array of plasmonic nanostructures operating near their cut-off frequency can exhibit effective epsilon-near-zero which is expected to trigger both enhanced spontaneous emission and superradiance.[1] Control of radiative processes using local and lattice plasmon resonances also benefits from possibilities of leveraging multiple energy bands.
[1] Y. Li and C. Argyropoulos, Optics Express, vol. 24, No. 23, pp. 26696-26708, 2016