Low-Loss, Extreme Subdiffraction Photon Confinement via Silicon Carbide Localized Surface Phonon Polariton Resonators

• DOI: 10.1021/nl401590g
• Publication Date: 2013-07-01T19:56:17Z
• Authors: Joshua D. Caldwell; Orest J. Glembocki; Yan Francescato; Nicholas Sharac; Vincenzo Giannini; Francisco J. Bezares; James P. Long; Jeffrey C. Owrutsky; Igor Vurgaftman; Joseph G. Tischler; Virginia D. Wheeler; Nabil D. Bassim; Loretta M. Shirey; Richard Kasica; Stefan A. Maier
• Keywords: Nanophotonics; Nanopillar; Surface phonon

Plasmonics provides great promise for nanophotonic applications. However, the high optical losses inherent in metal-based plasmonic systems have limited progress. Thus, it is critical to identify alternative low-loss materials. One polar dielectrics that support surface phonon polariton (SPhP) modes, where confinement of infrared light aided by phonons. Using fabricated 6H-silicon carbide nanopillar antenna arrays, we report on observation subdiffraction, localized SPhP resonances. They exhibit a dipolar resonance transverse axis and monopolar associated with longitudinal dependent upon SiC substrate. Both exceptionally narrow linewidths (7-24 cm(-1)), quality factors 40-135, which exceed theoretical limit systems, extreme subwavelength (λ(res)3/V(eff))1/3 = 50-200. Under certain conditions, modes are Raman-active, enabling their study visible spectral range. These observations reinvigorate research phenomena use