Ultrafast control of third-order optical nonlinearities in fishnet metamaterials

Alexander S Shorokhov,Maxim R Shcherbakov,Thomas Pertsch,Andrey A Fedyanin,Kirill I Okhlopkov,Christian Helgert,Jörg Reinhold

doi:10.1038/srep28440

Alexander S Shorokhov, Maxim R Shcherbakov + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep28440

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Abstract

Nonlinear photonic nanostructures that allow efficient all-optical switching are considered to be a prospective platform for novel building blocks in photonics. We performed time-resolved measurements of the photoinduced transient third-order nonlinear optical response of a fishnet metamaterial. The mutual influence of two non-collinear pulses exciting the magnetic resonance of the metamaterial was probed by detecting the third-harmonic radiation as a function of the time delay between pulses. Subpicosecond-scale dynamics of the metamaterial’s χ(3) was observed; the all-optical χ(3) modulation depth was found to be approximately 70% at a pump fluence of only 20 μJ/cm2.

Highlights

Nanostructured materials with novel electromagnetic properties, currently referred to as metamaterials, were originally introduced to enable the on-demand tailoring of their constitutive parameters
We report an experimental demonstration of the ultrafast modulation of the third-order optical nonlinearities of a fishnet metamaterial excited at its magnetic resonance by femtosecond laser pulses
By observing the third-harmonic radiation generated as a function of the time delay between two consecutive pulses, we probed the photoinduced third-order nonlinear susceptibility dynamics

Summary

Introduction

Nanostructured materials with novel electromagnetic properties, currently referred to as metamaterials, were originally introduced to enable the on-demand tailoring of their constitutive parameters. We report an experimental demonstration of the ultrafast modulation of the third-order optical nonlinearities of a fishnet metamaterial excited at its magnetic resonance by femtosecond laser pulses. By observing the third-harmonic radiation generated as a function of the time delay between two consecutive pulses, we probed the photoinduced third-order nonlinear susceptibility dynamics.

Results

Conclusion