Third-harmonic-upconversion enhancement from a single semiconductor nanoparticle coupled to a plasmonic antenna
Author(s)
Aouani, H
Rahmani, M
Navarro-Cia, M
Maier, SA
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The ability to convert low-energy quanta into a quantum of higher energy is of great interest for a variety of applications, including bioimaging1, drug delivery2 and photovoltaics3. Although high conversion efficiencies can be achieved using macroscopic nonlinear crystals, upconverting light at the nanometre scale remains challenging because the subwavelength scale of materials prevents the exploitation of phase-matching processes4. Light–plasmon interactions that occur in nanostructured noble metals have offered alternative opportunities for nonlinear upconversion of infrared light, but conversion efficiency rates remain extremely low due to the weak penetration of the exciting fields into the metal5. Here, we show that third-harmonic generation from an individual semiconductor indium tin oxide nanoparticle is significantly enhanced when coupled within a plasmonic gold dimer. The plasmonic dimer acts as a receiving optical antenna6, confining the incident far-field radiation into a near field localized at its gap; the indium tin oxide nanoparticle located at the plasmonic dimer gap acts as a localized nonlinear transmitter upconverting three incident photons at frequency ω into a photon at frequency 3ω. This hybrid nanodevice provides third-harmonic-generation enhancements of up to 106-fold compared with an isolated indium tin oxide nanoparticle, with an effective third-order susceptibility up to 3.5 × 103 nm2 V−2 and conversion efficiency of 0.0007%. We also show that the upconverted third-harmonic emission can be exploited to probe the near-field intensity at the plasmonic dimer gap.
Date Issued
2014-04-01
Online Publication Date
2015-09-09T06:00:18Z
Date Acceptance
2014-01-22
ISSN
1748-3387
Publisher
Nature Research
Start Page
290
End Page
294
Journal / Book Title
Nature Nanotechnology
Volume
9
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2014, Rights Managed by Nature Publishing Group
Source Database
web-of-science
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000334068800015&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
EP/D063329/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Materials Science
UP-CONVERSION
3RD-HARMONIC GENERATION
HARMONIC-GENERATION
NANOANTENNAS
LIGHT
CELLS
Science & Technology
Technology
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Materials Science
UP-CONVERSION
3RD-HARMONIC GENERATION
HARMONIC-GENERATION
NANOANTENNAS
LIGHT
CELLS
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2014-03-09