Abstract
We show the possibility of controlling the optical properties of Nd(3+) laser ions by using different configurations of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on a solid state gain medium. In particular, we analyze the effect of two different silver NP arrangements on the optical properties of Nd(3+) ions in LiNbO(3): a two-dimensional (2D) high density and disordered Ag NP distribution and a one-dimensional (1D) long single chain of Ag NPs. We demonstrate that while the 2D disordered distribution produces a thermal quenching of the Nd(3+) luminescence, the 1D single chain leads to the enhancement of the fluorescence from the (4)F(3/2) metastable state. The experimental data are theoretically interpreted by taking into account the different character, radiative or non-radiative, of the localized surface plasmonic modes supported by the Ag nanoparticle distributions at the excitation wavelength. The results point out the capabilities of rare earth ions as optical tools to probe the local plasmonic fields and are relevant to determine the optimal configuration of metallic arrays to improve the performance of potential rare earth ion based sub-micrometer lasers.
Highlights
A large variety of systems which combine different types of metallic nanostructures, optical emitters, and dielectric media are nowadays the subject of intense activity
The reports studying the influence of localized surface plasmons (LSPs) on the optical response of trivalent rare earth doped solid state lasers are scarce
Some of the authors have demonstrated the possibility of a remarkable intensification of the spontaneous emission of a Nd3+ based solid state laser due to the large local electric fields associated with the LSP from arrays of silver NPs in the proximity of the optically active ions [6]
Summary
A large variety of systems which combine different types of metallic nanostructures, optical emitters, and dielectric media are nowadays the subject of intense activity. The LSP resonances supported by those chains of Ag NPs on the ferroelectric domain walls produced an intensification and a strong polarization dependence of the photoluminescence of Nd3+ emitting ions in the vicinity of the Ag NPs [6] This result is of particular interest when the Ag. NP chains are distributed parallel to the ferroelectric c-axis of the crystal, on a periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) Y-cut crystal, since the Nd3+ laser line at 1.08 μm (4F3/2 (R1)→ 4I11/2(Y2) Stark transition) can be selectively enhanced by exciting with light polarized parallel to the Ag NP chains [9]. The results show the potential of optically active ions as tools to investigate the effects of metallic plasmon resonances In this sense, trivalent rare earth ions provide a great number of crystal field transitions with different character and spectral location suitable to probe the local fields of a variety of metallic configurations
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