arXiv subjects

Larousse Khosravi Khorashad

Publications and source records attributed to Larousse Khosravi Khorashad.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Unraveling the temperature dynamics and hot electron generation in tunable gap-plasmon metasurface absorbers

Localized plasmons formed in ultrathin metallic nanogaps can lead to robust absorption of incident light. Plasmonic metasurfaces based on this effect can efficiently generate energetic charge carriers, also known as hot electrons, owing to their ability to squeeze and enhance electromagnetic fields in confined subwavelength spaces. However, it is very challenging to accurately identify and quantify the dynamics of hot carriers, mainly due to their ultrafast time decay. Their non-equilibrium temperature response is one of the key factors missing to understand the short time decay and overall transient tunable absorption performance of gap-plasmon metasurfaces. Here, we systematically study the temperature dynamics of hot electrons and their transition into thermal carriers at various timescales from femto to nanoseconds by using the two-temperature model. Additionally, the hot electron temperature and generation rate threshold values are investigated by using a hydrodynamic nonlocal model approach that is more accurate when ultrathin gaps are considered. The derived temperature dependent material properties are used to study the ultrafast transient nonlinear modification in the absorption spectrum before plasmon-induced lattice heating is established leading to efficient tunable nanophotonic absorber designs. We also examine the damage threshold of these plasmonic absorbers under various pulsed laser illuminations, an important quantity to derive the ultimate input intensity limits that can be used in various emerging nonlinear optics and other tunable nanophotonic applications. The presented results elucidate the role of hot electrons in the response of gap-plasmon metasurface absorbers which can be used to design more efficient photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and photodetection devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2021

Near-unity broadband omnidirectional emissivity via femtosecond laser surface processing

It is very challenging to achieve near perfect absorption/emission that is both broadband and omnidirectional while utilizing a scalable fabrication process. Femtosecond laser surface processing is an emerging low-cost and large-scale manufacturing technique used to directly and permanently modify the surface properties of a material. The versatility of this technique to produce tailored surface properties has resulted in a rapidly growing number of applications. Here, we demonstrate near perfect, broadband, omnidirectional emissivity from aluminum surfaces by tuning the laser surface processing parameters including fluence, pulse count, and the ambient gas. Full-wave simulations and experimental results prove that the obtained increase in emissivity is mainly a result of two distinct features produced by femtosecond laser surface processing: the introduction of microscale surface features and the thick oxide layer. This technique leads to functionalized metallic surfaces that are ideal for emerging applications, such as passive radiative cooling and thermal management of spacecraft.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Hot spot-mediated non-dissipative and ultrafast plasmon passage

Plasmonic nanoparticles hold great promise as photon handling elements and as channels for coherent transfer of energy and information in future all-optical computing devices. Coherent energy oscillations between two spatially separated plasmonic entities via a virtual middle state exemplify electron-based population transfer, but their realization requires precise nanoscale positioning of heterogeneous particles. Here, we show the assembly and optical analysis of a triple particle system consisting of two gold nanoparticles with an inter-spaced silver island. We observe strong plasmonic coupling between the spatially separated gold particles mediated by the connecting silver particle with almost no dissipation of energy. As the excitation energy of the silver island exceeds that of the gold particles, only quasi-occupation of the silver transfer channel is possible. We describe this effect both with exact classical electrodynamic modeling and qualitative quantum-mechanical calculations. We identify the formation of strong hot spots between all particles as the main mechanism for the loss-less coupling and thus coherent ultra-fast energy transfer between the remote partners. Our findings could prove useful for quantum gate operations, but also for classical charge and information transfer processes.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Localization of Temperature Using Plasmonic Hot Spots in Metal Nanostructures: The Nano-Optical Antenna Approach and Fano Effect

It is challenging to strongly localize temperature in small volumes because heat transfer is a diffusive process. Here we show how to overcome this limitation using electrodynamic hot spots and interference effects in the regime of continuous-wave (CW) excitation. We introduce a set of figures of merit for the localization of temperature and for the efficiency of the plasmonic photo-thermal effect. Our calculations show that the temperature localization in a trimer nanoparticle assembly is a complex function of the geometry and sizes. Large nanoparticles in the trimer play the role of the nano-optical antenna whereas the small nanoparticle in the plasmonic hot spot acts as a nano-heater. Under the peculiar conditions, the temperature increase inside a nanoparticle trimer can be localized in a hot spot region at the small heater nanoparticle and, in this way, a thermal hot spot can be realized. However, the overall power efficiency of temperature generation in this trimer is much smaller than that of a single nanoparticle. We can overcome the latter disadvantage by using a trimer with a nanorod. In the trimer assembly composed of a nanorod and two spherical nanoparticles, we observe a strong plasmonic Fano effect that leads to the concertation of optical energy dissipation in the small heater nanorod. Therefore, the power-absorption efficiency of temperature generation in the nanorod-based assembly greatly increases due to the strong plasmonic Fano effect. The Fano heater incorporating a small nanorod in the hot spot has obviously the best performance compared to both single nanocrystals and a nanoparticle trimer. The principles of heat localization described here can be potentially used for thermal photo-catalysis, energy conversion and bio-related applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗