Laboratory of Quantum and Molecular Photonics

The mineral linarite, PbCuSO_{4}(OH)_{2}, is a spin-1/2 chain with frustrating nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic and next-nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. Our inelastic neutron scattering experiments performed above the saturation field establish that the ratio between these exchanges is such that linarite is extremely close to the quantum critical point between spin-multipolar phases and the ferromagnetic state. We show that the predicted quantum multipolar phases are fragile and actually suppressed by a tiny orthorhombic exchange anisotropy and weak interchain interactions in favor of a dipolar fan phase. Including this anisotropy in classical simulations of a nearly critical model explains the field-dependent phase sequence of the phase diagram of linarite, its strong dependence of the magnetic field direction, and the measured variations of the wave vector as well as the staggered and the uniform magnetizations in an applied field.

Short peptides made from repeating units of phenylalanine self‐assemble into a remarkable variety of micro‐ and nanostructures including tubes, tapes, spheres, and fibrils. These bio‐organic structures are found to possess striking mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, which are rarely seen in organic materials, and are therefore shown useful for diverse applications including regenerative medicine, targeted drug delivery, and biocompatible fluorescent probes. Consequently, finding new optical properties in these materials can significantly advance their practical use, for example, by allowing new ways to visualize, manipulate, and utilize them in new, in vivo, sensing applications. Here, by leveraging a unique electro‐optic phase microscopy technique, combined with traditional structural analysis, it is measured in di‐ and triphenylalanine peptide structures a surprisingly large electro‐optic response of the same order as the best performing inorganic crystals. In addition, spontaneous domain formation is observed in triphenylalanine tapes, and the origin of their electro‐optic activity is unveiled to be related to a porous triclinic structure, with extensive antiparallel beta‐sheet arrangement. The strong electro‐optic response of these porous peptide structures with the capability of hosting guest molecules opens the door to create new biocompatible, environmental friendly functional materials for electro‐optic applications, including biomedical imaging, sensing, and optical manipulation.

The unique optical properties of arrays of metallic nanoparticles are of great interest for a range of applications including optical data storage, sensing, optoelectronic devices or as platforms to improve on the detection limit in spectroscopic measurements. This work presents for the first time a study of nanocavities-shaped supra(meta)molecular arrangements of metamolecular units, designed and fabricated using electron beam lithography, with strong plasmonic performances. Such novel designed structures are compelling candidates for the development of highly sensitive label-free biosensors due to their unique surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) and SPR enabled Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).

This article reviews the synthesis, structural and optical characterizations of some novel luminescent two dimensional organic-inorganic perovskite (2DOIP) semiconductors. These 2DOIP semiconductors show a self-assembled nano-layered structure, having the electronic structure of multi-quantum wells. 2DOIP thin layers and nanoparticles have been prepared through different methods. The structures of the 2DOIP semiconductors are characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The optical properties of the 2DOIP semiconductors are characterized from absorption and photoluminescence spectra measured at room and low temperatures. Influences of different components, in particular the organic parts, on the structural and optical properties of the 2DOIP semiconductors are discussed.

I predict that a nanoscopic, high-permittivity layer on the surface of a plasmonic metal can cause total external reflection of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Such a layer can be used as a mirror in nanoplasmonics, in particular for resonators of nanolasers and spasers and can also be used in adiabatic nanooptics. I also show that the earlier predicted slow propagating SPP modes, especially those with negative refraction, are highly damped.

The far-field emission of two-dimensional stadium-shaped microlasers is investigated. Stadium-shaped microcavities based on a laser dye embedded in a polymer matrix have been elaborated. Such stadium-shaped microresonators, made by lithography and reactive ion etching have displayed quality factors greater than 6000 and a high output power. The highly directional far-field pattern of the emitted beam (full width at half maximum ∼15°) reflects the symmetries of the stadium shape.

A polymer-based waveguide amplifier doped with Er3+ ions has been modelized, elaborated and characterized. An internal net gain of 1.34 dB at 1540 nm is demonstrated for a single-mode waveguide of 1.6 cm length.