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Photogenerated Free Carrier‐Induced Symmetry Breaking in Spherical Silicon Nanoparticle
Author(s) -
Rudenko Anton,
Ladutenko Konstantin,
Makarov Sergey,
Itina Tatiana E.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced optical materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 91
ISSN - 2195-1071
DOI - 10.1002/adom.201701153
Subject(s) - materials science , photoexcitation , ultrashort pulse , nanophotonics , optoelectronics , dielectric , silicon , nanoparticle , condensed matter physics , optics , excitation , molecular physics , nanotechnology , physics , laser , quantum mechanics
All‐dielectric nonlinear nanophotonic devices are extremely prospective for ultrafast optical signal processing at the nanoscale. High refractive index (e.g., silicon) nanoparticles supporting magnetic optical response are shown to be suitable for ultrafast all‐optical modulation. A strong modulation of the dielectric permittivity is achieved via photogeneration of free carriers in the regime of simultaneous excitation of both the electric and magnetic Mie resonances and the off‐resonant regimes, resulting in an effective transient reconfiguration of nanoparticle scattering properties. Here, the effects of the related optical inhomogeneities in 3D are examined by coupling numerical electrodynamics with material ionization. Based on the computational results, the possibility of a deeply subwavelength transient refractive index reconfiguration inside spherical silicon nanoparticles is proposed. In particular, a symmetry breaking in the initially symmetrical nanoparticle is revealed, arising during ultrafast photoexcitation below and near the magnetic dipole resonance. The proposed ultrafast breaking of the nanoparticle symmetry paves the way to novel opportunities for nonlinear optical nanodevices.