Ultrafast Nonlinear Pulse Propagation Dynamics in Metal–Dielectric Periodic Photonic Architectures

Abstract

Abstract1D metal–dielectric (MD) periodic structures take advantage of large refractive index contrast between metal and dielectrics to invoke extremely high nonlinear ultrafast responses of metal. These structures are also special due to their extremely high laser damage threshold. The Bragg‐like 1D MD structure (Ag/SiO2)4 enables strong optical field confinement with much enhanced nonlinear features as compared to simple metal or single (Ag/SiO2)1 structure. In the present work, the ultrafast nonlinear optical responses of the above structures are investigated via femtosecond broadband optical pump–probe technique. The enhanced nonlinear optical absorption is of reverse saturation of absorption nature, resulted due to free‐carrier absorption and excited‐state absorption processes. The spectral nonlinearities are closely related to the pump‐induced modification of the metal's dielectric functions, which are qualitatively visualized by transfer matrix and two‐temperature models. The ultrafast temporal evolution of nonlinear absorption clearly demonstrates enhanced optical nonlinearity, disentangled by the electron–electron and electron–phonon dynamic interactions at picosecond time scales. A phenomenological pulse propagation model is employed that incorporates the experimentally obtained nonlinear absorption coefficients and different nonlinear effects exhibited by the system. The findings of these new optical materials can possibly pave the way for promising applications in ultrafast photonics.