Open AccessOptical bistability in core-shell magnetoplasmonic nanoparticles with magnetocontrollability
Author(s) -
Wenzhi Yu,
Huarui Sun,
Lei Gao
Publication year - 2016
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.24.022272
Subject(s) - bistability , optical bistability , magnetic field , materials science , plasmon , optoelectronics , nonlinear optics , polarization (electrochemistry) , wavelength , optics , condensed matter physics , physics , laser , chemistry , quantum mechanics
We propose a mechanism to actively tune optical bistable behavior with the external magnetic field in nonlinear coated nanospheres with a magneto-optical (MO) shell and nonlinear metallic core. We show that such nanostructures can exhibit typical bistable phenomena near surface plasmon resonant wavelengths, which can be modified through the external magnetic fields B. We demonstrate numerically that the optical bistability exists only when the volume fraction η of the metallic core is larger than a critical one η c . Moreover, the bistable behavior is found to be dependent on the incident polarization state as well as the external magnetic field. The application of an external magnetic field does not only increase (or decrease) the upper/lower threshold fields but also changes the critical volume fractions. Such nanostructures with magneto-controllable optical bistability may be designed for us as nonlinear optical nanodevices, such as optical nanoswitches, nanosensors and so on.