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arXiv · 2003.08463

Probing Mid-Infrared Phonon Polaritons in the Aqueous Phase

Haomin Wang·Eli Janzen·Le Wang·James H. Edgar·Xiaoji G. Xu
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Abstract

Phonon polaritons (PhPs), the collective phonon oscillations with hybridized electromagnetic fields, concentrate optical fields in the mid-infrared frequency range that matches the vibrational modes of molecules. The utilization of PhPs holds the promise for chemical sensing tools and polariton-enhanced nanospectroscopy. However, investigations and innovations on PhPs in the aqueous phase remains stagnant, because of the lack of in situ mid-infrared nano-imaging methods in water. Strong infrared absorption from water prohibits optical delivery and detection in the mid-infrared for scattering-type near-field microscopy. Here, we present our solution: the detection of photothermal responses caused by the excitation of PhPs by liquid phase peak force infrared (LiPFIR) microscopy. Characteristic interference fringes of PhPs in 10B isotope-enriched h-BN were measured in the aqueous phase and their dispersion relationship extracted. LiPFIR enables the measurement of mid-infrared PhPs in the fluid phase, opening possibilities, and facilitating the development of mid-IR phonon polaritonics in water.

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Haomin Wang, Eli Janzen, Le Wang, James H. Edgar, Xiaoji G. Xu. 2020-03-18. Probing Mid-Infrared Phonon Polaritons in the Aqueous Phase. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01199

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