Open AccessEfficient coupling of single photons to single plasmons
Author(s) -
Michele Celebrano,
R. Lettow,
Philipp Kukura,
Mario Agio,
Alois Renn,
Stephan Götzinger,
Vahid Sandoghdar
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.18.013829
Subject(s) - plasmon , optics , photon , surface plasmon , surface plasmon polariton , optoelectronics , coupling (piping) , reflection (computer programming) , total internal reflection , materials science , physics , polariton , spectroscopy , computer science , metallurgy , programming language , quantum mechanics
We demonstrate strong coupling of single photons emitted by individual molecules at cryogenic and ambient conditions to individual nanoparticles. We provide images obtained both in transmission and reflection, where an efficiency greater than 55% was achieved in converting incident narrow-band photons to plasmon-polaritons (plasmons) of a silver nanoparticle. Our work paves the way to spectroscopy and microscopy of nano-objects with sub-shot noise beams of light and to triggered generation of single plasmons and electrons in a well-controlled manner.