Switchable Two-Dimensional Waveguiding Abilities of Luminescent Hybrid Nanocomposites for Active Solar Concentrators.

Passing from fossil energy sources to renewable ones, meanwhile answering the increasing world energy demand, will require innovative and low-cost technologies. Smart photovoltaic windows could fulfill our needs in this matter. Their transparency can be controlled to manage solar energy and regulate interior temperature and illumination.

Strong Coupling between Self-Assembled Molecules and Surface Plasmon Polaritons.

We experimentally demonstrate strong coupling between self-assembled PTCDI-C7 organic molecules and the electromagnetic mode generated by surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). The system consists of a dense self-assembly of ordered molecules evaporated directly on a thin gold film, which stack perpendicularly to the metal surface to form H-aggregates, without a host matrix. Experimental wavevector-resolved reflectance spectra show the formation of hybrid states that display a clear anticrossing, attesting the strong coupling regime with a Rabi splitting energy of Ω ≃ 102 meV at room temperature.

Efficient active waveguiding properties of Mo6 nano-cluster-doped polymer nanotubes.

We investigate 1D nanostructures based on a Mo6@SU8 hybrid nanocomposite in which photoluminescent Mo6 clusters are embedded in the photosensitive SU8 resist. Tens of micrometers long Mo6@SU8-based tubular nanostructures were fabricated by the wetting template method, enabling the control of the inner and outer diameter to about 190 nm and 240 nm respectively, as supported by structural and optical characterizations. The image plane optical study of these nanotubes under optical pumping highlights the efficient waveguiding phenomenon of the red luminescence emitted by the clusters.

Injection and waveguiding properties in SU8 nanotubes for sub-wavelength regime propagation and nanophotonics integration.

We report photonic concepts related to injection and sub-wavelength propagation in nanotubes, an unusual but promising geometry for highly integrated photonic devices. Theoretical simulation by the finite domain time-dependent (FDTD) method was first used to determine the features of the direct light injection and sub-wavelength propagation regime within nanotubes. Then, the injection into nanotubes of SU8, a photoresist used for integrated photonics, was successfully achieved by using polymer microlensed fibers with a sub-micronic radius of curvature, as theoretically expected from FDTD simulations.