Hybridization between plasmonic and photonic modes in laser-induced self-organized quasi-random plasmonic metasurfaces

Plasmonic metasurfaces made of perfectly regular 2D lattices of metallic nanoparticles deposited on surfaces or close to waveguides can exhibit hybridized plasmonic and photonic modes. The latter arise from the excitation of surface or guided modes through the in-plane coherent scattering of periodic arrays. Recently, laser-induced self-organization of random plasmonic metasurfaces has been used to create nanoparticle gratings embedded in protective layers. Despite the broad size distribution and positional disorder of nanoparticles, the resulting nanostructures exhibit strong coupling between plasmonic and photonic modes in transverse electric polarization, leading to dichroism, which is well-reproduced from one laser printing to another. Here, we examine quantitatively the effect of inhomogeneities at the nanoscale on the hybridization between localized plasmonic modes and delocalized guided modes by considering realistic laser-induced self-organized nanoparticle arrays embedded in a two-layer system. By referring to regular samples, we describe the optical mechanisms involved in the hybridization process at characteristic wavelengths, based on far and near field simulations. Two kinds of real samples are considered, featuring different levels of coupling between the plasmonic and photonic modes. The results demonstrate that controlling the statistical properties of plasmonic metasurfaces, such as the nanoparticle size distribution and average position, over areas a few micrometers wide is enough to control in a reproducible manner the hybridization mechanisms and their resulting optical properties. Thus, this study shows that the inherent irregularities of laser-induced self-organized nanostructures are compatible with smart functionalities of nanophotonics, and confirms that laser processing has huge potential for real-world applications. Self-organized plasmonic metasurfaces induced by laser processing can exhibit hybridized plasmonic and photonic modes.

Automated summary

Laser-induced self-organized plasmonic metasurfaces exhibit hybridized plasmonic and photonic modes. Even with the irregularities in nanoparticle size distribution and positional disorder, the resulting nanostructures show strong coupling between plasmonic and photonic modes. Controlling the statistical properties of plasmonic metasurfaces allows for reproducible control of hybridization mechanisms and their optical properties.