title: 2D-ordered dielectric sub-micron bowls on a metal surface: a useful hybrid plasmonic-photonic structure.
abstract: Recently, it has been demonstrated that the combination of periodic dielectric structures with metallic structures provides an efficient means to yield a synergetic optical response or functionality in the resultant hybrid plasmonic-photonic systems. In this work, a new hybrid plasmonic-photonic structure of 2D-ordered dielectric sub-micron bowls on a flat gold surface was proposed, prepared, and theoretically and experimentally characterized. This hybrid structure supports two types of modes: surface plasmon polaritons bound at the metallic surface and waveguided mode of light confined in the cavity of bowls. Optical responses of this hybrid structure as well as the spatial electric field distribution of each mode are found to be strongly dependent on the structural parameters of this system, and thus could be widely modified on demand. Importantly, compared to the widely studied hybrid systems, namely the flat metallic surface coated with a monolayer array of latex spheres, the waveguided mode with strong field enhancement appearing in the cavities of bowls is more facilely accessible and thus suitable for practical use. For demonstration, a 2D-ordered silica sub-micron bowl array deposited on a flat gold surface was fabricated and used as a regenerable platform for fluorescence enhancement by simply accommodating emitters in bowls. All the simulation and experiment results indicate that the 2D-ordered dielectric sub-micron bowls on a metal surface should be a useful hybrid plasmonic-photonic system with great potential for applications such as sensors or tunable emitting devices if appropriate periods and materials are employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China. lgt@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Shiqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xianpeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guangtao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li