title: All-optical control of a single plasmonic nanoantenna-ITO hybrid.
abstract: We demonstrate experimentally picosecond all-optical control of a single plasmonic nanoantenna embedded in indium tin oxide (ITO). We identify a picosecond response of the antenna-ITO hybrid system, which is distinctly different from transient bleaching observed for gold antennas on a nonconducting SiO(2) substrate. Our experimental results can be explained by the large free-carrier nonlinearity of ITO, which is enhanced by plasmon-induced hot-electron injection from the gold nanoantenna into the conductive oxide. The combination of tunable antenna-ITO hybrids with nanoscale plasmonic energy transfer mechanisms, as demonstrated here, opens a path for new ultrafast devices to produce nanoplasmonic switching and control.
authors.affiliation: SEPnet and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abb
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albella
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aizpurua
authors.forename: Otto L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Muskens
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D017971:Tin Compounds; C109984:indium tin oxide; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide