Solid-state lasers constitute essential tools in a variety of scientific and technological areas, being available in many different designs. However, although nanolasing has been successfully achieved for dyes and semiconductor gain media associated with plasmonic structures, the operation of solid-state lasers beyond the diffraction limit has not been reported yet. Here, we demonstrate room temperature laser action with subwavelength confinement in a Nd(3+)-based solid-state laser by means of the localized surface plasmon resonances supported by chains of metallic nanoparticles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSilver nanocubes with low size dispersion have been selectively photo-deposited on the positive surface of a periodically poled RbTiOPO4 ferroelectric crystal. The obtained nanocubes show preferential orientations with respect to the substrate suggesting epitaxial growth. The plasmonic resonances supported by the nanocubes are exploited to enhance blue SHG at the domain walls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelective photoluminescence enhancement of the specific Nd(3+) Stark transition for which laser gain has been obtained in Nd(3+)/LiNbO3 is demonstrated by means of plasmonic resonances with the appropriate symmetry configuration. By using the nonpolar Y-cut of a periodically poled LiNbO3 crystal as platform for photoreduction of metallic nanostructures, periodically distributed chains of Ag nanoparticles oriented parallel to the ferroelectric c-axis are obtained. This alternative metallic nanostructure configuration supports the resonance between the localized surface plasmon and exclusively the π-polarized Stark laser line of Nd(3+) ions at 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF