Nanophotonics with subwavelength apertures: theories and applications.

dc.contributor.authorPang, Yuanjie
dc.contributor.supervisorGordon, Reuven
dc.date.accessioned2012-05-08T21:24:08Z
dc.date.available2012-05-08T21:24:08Z
dc.date.copyright2012en_US
dc.date.issued2012-05-08
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering
dc.degree.levelDoctor of Philosophy Ph.D.en_US
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation presents subwavelength optics with focus on the theory and applications of subwavelength apertures in a metal film. Two main issues regarding the optics with subwavelength apertures are investigated. As the first issue, the extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through a single hole in a metallic waveguide is presented. A total transmission through a single subwavelength aperture is theoretically predicted for a perfect electric conductor regardless of the aperture size, without relying on aperture arrays and surface corrugations as presented in previous works. The waveguide EOT is then applied to boost the optical throughput of an apertured near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) probe. Using a new structure for the apertured NSOM probe which allows for waveguide EOT, the optical throughput and the damage threshold are boosted by 100× and 40× as compared to a conventional structure, and the experimental findings are backed-up by comprehensive finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. Single fluorescent molecules are scanned using the EOT apertured NSOM probe, and a spatial resolution of 62 nm is achieved. As the second issue, subwavelength apertures are found useful for optical trapping. A small dielectric particle can significantly change the optical transmission through an aperture by dielectric loading, and subsequently, a large optical force is induced which favors trapping. A self-induced back-action (SIBA) optical trap is designed using a circular nanohole in a gold film. Trapping of 50 nm polystyrene particle is experimentally achieved, which is not possible using a conventional single beam optical tweezers. The circular nanohole SIBA trap works beyond the perturbative regime, as proven by FDTD simulations and a Maxwell stress tensor analysis. We further improve the nanohole trapping using a double-nanohole, which is more sensitive for small dielectric changes due to the intense local field enhancement between its two sharp tips. A single 12 nm silica sphere is experimentally trapped using the double-nanohole, as the smallest trapped dielectric particle reported. We also achieve the trapping of a single protein – a bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein with a hydrodynamic radius of 3.4 nm in the folded form. The trapped BSA is also unfolded by the large optical force, as confirmed by experiments with changing optical power and changing pH. The high signal-to-noise ratio of 33 in monitoring single protein trapping and unfolding shows a tremendous potential for using the double-nanohole as a sensor for protein binding events at a single molecule level.en_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationA. Ahmed, Y. Pang, G. Hajisalem, and R.Gordon, "Antenna Design for Directivity Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy," International Journal of Optics 2012, 729138, (2012).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationY. Pang, and R. Gordon, "Optical Trapping of a Single Protein," Nano Letters, 12(1), 402–406, (2012).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationY. Pang, and R. Gordon, "Optical Trapping of 12 nm Dielectric Spheres Using Double-Nanoholes in a Gold Film," Nano Letters 11(9), 3763¨C3767, (2011).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationA. Weber-Bargioni, A. Schwartzberg, M. Cornaglia, A. Ismach, J. J. Urban, Y. Pang, R. Gordon, J. Bokor, M. B. Salmeron, D. F. Ogletree, P. Ashby, S. Cabrini, and P. J. Schuck, "Hyperspectral Nanoscale Imaging on Dielectric Substrates with Coaxial Optical Antenna Scan Probes," Nano Letters 11(3), 1201-1207, (2011).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationQ. Min, Y. Pang, D. J. Collins, N. A. Kuklev, K. Gottselig, D. W. Steuerman, and R. Gordon, "Substrate-based platform for boosting the surface-enhanced Raman of plasmonic nanoparticles," Optics Express 19(2), 1648-1655 (2011).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationL. Neumann., Y. Pang, A. Houyou., M. L. Juan., R. Gordon, and N. F. van Hulst, "Extraordinary Optical Transmission Brightens Near-Field Fiber Probe," Nano Letters 11(2), 355-360 (2011).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationM. L. Juan, R.Gordon, Y. Pang, F. Eftekhari, and R. Quidant, "Self-Induced Back-Action Optical Trapping of Dielectric Nanoparticles," Nature Physics 5, 915-919 (2009).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationY. Pang, A. N. Hone, P. P. M. So, and R. Gordon, "Total Optical Transmission Through a Small Hole in a Metal Waveguide Screen," Optics Express 17(6), 4433-4441, (2009).en_US
dc.identifier.bibliographicCitationY. Pang, and R. Gordon, "Metal Nano-Grid Reflective Wave Plate," Optics Express 17(4), 2871-2879, (2009).en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/3986
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rights.tempAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.subjectNanophotonicsen_US
dc.subjectAperture Theoriesen_US
dc.subjectSurface Plasmonen_US
dc.subjectExtraordinary Optical Transmissionen_US
dc.subjectNear-Field Opticsen_US
dc.subjectOptical Trappingen_US
dc.subjectSurface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopyen_US
dc.subjectNovel Optical Deviceen_US
dc.titleNanophotonics with subwavelength apertures: theories and applications.en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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