Strong confinement of optical fields using localized surface phonon polaritons in cubic boron nitride

Phonon polaritons (PhPs) are long-lived electromagnetic modes that originate from the coupling of infrared (IR) photons with the bound ionic lattice of a polar crystal. Cubic-boron nitride (cBN) is such a polar, semiconductor material which, due to the light atomic masses, can support high-frequency...

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Published inOptics letters Vol. 43; no. 9; p. 2177
Main Authors Chatzakis, Ioannis, Krishna, Athith, Culbertson, James, Sharac, Nicholas, Giles, Alexander J, Spencer, Michael G, Caldwell, Joshua D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.2018
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Summary:Phonon polaritons (PhPs) are long-lived electromagnetic modes that originate from the coupling of infrared (IR) photons with the bound ionic lattice of a polar crystal. Cubic-boron nitride (cBN) is such a polar, semiconductor material which, due to the light atomic masses, can support high-frequency optical phonons. Here we report on random arrays of cBN nanostructures fabricated via an unpatterned reactive ion etching process. Fourier-transform infrared reflection spectra suggest the presence of localized surface PhPs within the reststrahlen band, with quality factors in excess of 38 observed. These can provide the basis of next-generation IR optical components such as antennas for communication, improved chemical spectroscopies, and enhanced emitters, sources, and detectors.
ISSN:1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/OL.43.002177