Related papers: Sequential trapping of single nanoparticles using …
Plasmonic metal nanostructures are an integral part of nanophotonic device applications owing to their ability to generate strong localized electromagnetic fields when illuminated from the far-field. These nanostructures can be prepared in…
We investigate gain-assisted optical forces on dye-enriched silver nanoshell in the quasi-static limit by means of a theoretical/numerical approach. We demonstrate the onset of nonlinear optical trapping of these resonant nanostructures in…
Single nanoparticle tracking using optical microscopy is a powerful technique with many applications in biology, chemistry and material sciences. Despite significant advances, localising objects with nanometric position accuracy in a…
Dielectrophoretic (DEP) sensing is an extremely important sensing modality that enables the rapid capture and detection of polarizable particles of nano-scale size. This makes it a versatile tool for applications in medical diagnostics,…
Particle plasmons in metal nanoparticles have primarily been investigated through the use of local optical response approximations. However, as nanoparticle size approaches the average distance of electrons to the metal surface, mesoscopic…
We demonstrate slot-mode optomechanical crystals, a class of device in which photonic and phononic crystal nanobeam resonators separated by a narrow slot are coupled through optomechanical interactions. In these geometries, nanobeam pairs…
Quantum mechanics (QM) and General relativity (GR), also known as the theory of gravity, are the two pillars of modern physics. A matter-wave interferometer with a massive particle can test numerous fundamental ideas, including the spatial…
Optical nanofibres are used to confine light to subwavelength regions and are very promising tools for the development of optical fibre-based quantum networks using cold, neutral atoms. To date, experimental studies on atoms near nanofibres…
We demonstrate a compact piezoelectric-driven micropipette launcher for localized in-vacuum delivery of nano- and microparticles into optical traps. The launcher has been integrated into multiple optical trapping setups, including a…
The center-of-mass motion of optically trapped dielectric nanoparticles in vacuum is extremely well-decoupled from its environment, making a powerful tool for measurements of feeble sub-attonewton forces. We demonstrate a method to trap and…
We present and experimentally demonstrate a slotted photonic crystal single nanobeam cavity in silicon. The slot geometry is exploited to achieve ultra-small effective mode volumes, ~0.025({\lambda}/n)^3, more than an order of magnitude…
The selective optical detection of individual metallic nanoparticles (NPs) with high spatial and temporal resolution is a challenging endeavour, yet is key to the understanding of their optical response and their exploitation in…
A robust and reproducible preparation of self-standing nanoporous gold leaves (NPGL) is presented, with optical characterization and plasmonic behaviour analysis. Nanoporous gold (NPG) layers are tipically prepared as thin films on a bulk…
Metallic nanohole arrays have shown their potential as sensing tools. Important research supported by sophisticated laboratory experiments have been recently carried out, that may help to develop practical devices to be implemented in the…
The practical use of nanoparticle superlattices (NPSLs) which are of great interest as materials with designed functionalities is often limited by their lack of structural stability under various utilization conditions. Here, we report a…
In this work we use femtosecond laser pulses of 800 nm wavelength to excite and characterize the multiphoton luminescence emission of single gold nanoparticles. For excitation with 100 fs laser pulses we observe a two and three photon…
We introduce a novel approach for all-optical trapping and manipulation of absorbing aerosol particles based on a photophoretic force. We demonstrate experimentally, in open air, the robust three-dimensional guiding of agglomerates of…
We describe one-dimensional photonic crystals that support a guided mode suitable for atom trapping within a unit cell, as well as a second probe mode with strong atom-photon interactions. A new hybrid trap is analyzed that combines optical…
We present experimental techniques and results related to the optimization and characterization of our nanofiber-based atom trap [Vetsch et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 203603 (2010)]. The atoms are confined in an optical lattice which is…
Localized plasmons in metallic nanostructures have been widely used to enhance nonlinear optical effects due to their ability to concentrate and enhance light down to extreme-subwavelength scales. As alternatives to noble metal…