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Polarisation-selective hotspots in metallic ring stack arrays.


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Authors

Brooks, Laura J 
Mertens, Jan 
Bowman, Richard W 
Sanders, Alan 

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple, scalable fabrication method for producing large-area arrays of vertically stacked metallic micro-rings, embedded in a deformable polymer sheet. Unusual polarisation-dependent hotspots are found to dominate the reflection images. To understand their origin, the arrays are characterized using point-scanning optical spectroscopy and directly compared to numerical simulations. Individual ring stacks act as microlenses, while polarisation-dependent hotspots arise at the connections between neighbouring stacks, which are comprised of parabolically-arranged parallel gold nanowires. The elastomeric properties of the polymer host opens the door to active control of the optics of this photonic material, through dynamic tuning of the nanowire spacings and array geometry.

Description

Keywords

Diffraction Gratings, Three-dimensional Fabrication, Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, Photolithography, Polarization-selective devices, Microstructure Fabrication, Nanophotonics and photonic crystals

Journal Title

Opt Express

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1094-4087
1094-4087

Volume Title

24

Publisher

The Optical Society
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/G060649/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L027151/1)
European Research Council (320503)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L015978/1)
We are grateful for funding from the Cambridge NanoDTC, ERC LINASS 320503, and UK EPSRC grants EP/L027151/1 and EP/L015978/1. JM acknowledges support from the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability, RWB thanks Queen’s College Cambridge for financial support, and RC acknowledges support from the Dr. Manmohan Singh scholarship from St. John’s College.