Open AccessOptically induced crossover from weak to strong coupling regime between surface plasmon polaritons and photochromic molecules
Author(s) -
Benjamin O. Asamoah,
Sughra Mohamed,
Srijoyee Datta,
Petri Karvinen,
Heikki Rekola,
Arri Priimägi,
Tommi K. Hakala
Publication year - 2020
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.400359
Subject(s) - polariton , photochromism , surface plasmon polariton , resonance (particle physics) , coupling (piping) , surface plasmon resonance , surface plasmon , molecular physics , ultraviolet , exciton , materials science , optics , planar , condensed matter physics , optoelectronics , plasmon , physics , atomic physics , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , computer graphics (images) , computer science , metallurgy
We demonstrate optically induced crossover from a weak to a strong coupling regime in a single photonic system consisting of propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a planar silver film and ultraviolet (UV)-switchable photochromic molecules. A gradual increase is observed in the vacuum Rabi splitting upon increasing UV exposure, along with intriguing behavior, where the reflectivity initially decreases due to increased losses at the weak coupling regime, and then increases due to the emergence of strongly coupled modes and the associated band gap formation at the resonance frequency of the uncoupled states. This work explicitly demonstrates the optical tunability of the degree of hybridization of the SPP and exciton modes, spanning the range from weak to intermediate and finally to the strong coupling regime.