Plasmonic nanostructures provide unique opportunities to improve the detection limits of chiroptical spectroscopies by enhancing chiral light-matter interactions. The most significant of such interaction occur in ultraviolet (UV) range of the electromagnetic spectrum that remains challenging to access by conventional localized plasmon resonance based sensors. Although Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) on noble metal films can sustain resonances in the desired spectral range, their transverse magnetic nature has been an obstacle for enhancing chiroptical effects. We demonstrate, both analytically and numerically, that SPPs excited by near-field sources can exhibit rich and non-trivial chiral characteristics. In particular, we show that the excitation of SPPs by a chiral source not only results in a locally enhanced optical chirality but also achieves manifold enhancement of net optical chirality. Our finding that SPPs facilitate a plasmonic enhancement of optical chirality in the UV part of the spectrum is of great interest in chiral bio-sensing. Next we focus on the new concepts of transverse spin angular momentum and Belinfante spin momentum of evanescent waves, which have recently drawn considerable attention. We investigate these novel physical properties of electromagnetic fields in the context of chiral surface plasmon polaritons. We demonstrate, both analytically and numerically, that locally excited surface plasmon polaritons possess transverse Spin angular momentum and Belinfante momentum with rich and non-trivial characteristics. We also show that the transverse spin angular momentum of locally excited surface plasmon polaritons leads to the emergence of transverse chiral forces in opposite directions for chiral objects of different handedness. The magnitude of such a transverse force is comparable to the optical gradient force and scattering forces. This finding may pave the way for realization of optical separation of chiral biomolecules

Optical manipulation of nanoscale objects is studied with particular emphasis on the role of plasmon resonance for enhancement of optical forces. The thesis provides an introduction to plasmon resonance and its role in confinement of light to a sub-diffraction volume. The strong light confinement and related enhancement of optical forces is then theoretically studied for a special case of nanoantenna supporting plasmon resonances. The calculation of optical forces, based on the Maxwell stress tensor approach, reveals relatively weak optical forces for incident powers that are used in typical realisations of trapping with nanoantenna. The optical forces are so weak that other non-optical effects should be considered to explain the observed trapping. These effects include heating induced convection, thermoporesis and chemical binding. The thesis also studies the optical effects of plasmon resonances for a fundamentally different application - size-based optical sorting of gold nanoparticles. Here, the plasmon resonances are not utilised for sub-diffraction light confinement but rather for their ability to increase the apparent cross-section of the particles for their respective resonant sizes. Exploiting these resonances, we realise sorting in a system of two counter-propagating evanescent waves, each at different wavelength that selectively guide gold nanoparticles of different sizes in opposite directions. The method is experimentally demonstrated for bidirectional sorting of gold nanoparticles of either 150 or 130 nm in diameter from those of 100 nm in diameter within a mixture. We conclude the thesis with a numerical study of the optimal beam-shape for optical sorting applications. The developed theoretical framework, based on the force optical eigenmode method, is able to find an illumination of the back-focal plane of the objective such that the force difference between nanoparticles of various sizes in the sample plane is maximised.

One of the most intriguing properties of light-matter interaction is the ability of an electromagnetic field to exert mechanical forces on polarizable objects. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of the fact that light carries momentum, which in turn can be transferred to matter. Mediated by scattering, this interaction usually manifests itself as a “pushing force” in the direction of beam propagation. However, it is possible to judiciously engineer these optical forces, either by tailoring particle polarizability, and/or by structuring the incident light field. As a simple example, a tightly focused laser beam demonstrates strong gradient forces, which may attract and even trap particles with positive polarizability in the focal volume. The opposite occurs in the regime of negative polarizability, where particles are expelled from the regions of highest intensity. Based on this fundamental principle, one can actively shape the beam using spatial light modulators to manipulate individual objects as well as ensembles of particles suspended in a liquid. In the latter case, a modulation of the local particle concentration is associated with changes of the effective refractive index. The result is an artificial nonlinear medium, whose Kerr-type response can be readily tuned by the parameters of its constituent particles. In the course of this work, we introduce a new class of synthetic colloidal suspensions exhibiting negative polarizabilities, and observe for the first time robust propagation and enhanced transmission of self-trapped light over long distances. Such light penetration in strongly scattering environments is enabled by the interplay between optical forces and self-activated transparency effects. We explore various approaches to the design of negative-polarizability arrangements, including purely dielectric as well as metallic and hybrid nanoparticles. In particular, we find that plasmonic resonances allow for extremely high and spectrally tunable polarizabilities, leading to unique nonlinear light-matter interactions. Here, for the first time we were able to observe plasmonic resonant solitons over more than 25 diffraction lengths, in colloidal nanosuspensions.

Desde a sua origem nos laboratórios do Bell Labs, durante a década de 70, pinças ópticas vêm sendo investigadas, desenvolvidas e diversificadas por vários grupos nacionais e internacionais incluindo, nos últimos anos, o nosso departamento (Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação - SEL/EESC/USP) e, em particular, o Grupo de Telecomunicações a ele vinculado, com propostas de aplicações em óptica biomédica e medicina. Dada a importância deste assunto, o principal objetivo deste trabalho é estender a análise teórica de forças ópticas utilizando uma descrição simples, porém eficaz, e analítica de um feixe de Bessel truncado, isto é, gerado por abertura finita. Até onde sabemos, esta é a primeira tentativa de introduzir esta investigação dos feixes originais de Durnin na literatura, e, deste modo, temos a possibilidade de contribuir com uma análise inédita de um feixe de Bessel com características físicas reais. Com a modelagem matemática dos feixe de Bessel truncados em mãos, aplicamos o cálculo de forças nos regimes de óptica geométrica e de Rayleigh e analisamos o seu comportamento quando os feixes incidem em espalhadores dielétricos esféricos. Como resultado direto deste trabalho, publicamos dois artigos descrevendo as forças ópticas no regime de óptica geométrica e de Rayleigh que um feixe de Bessel truncado causa em uma partícula dielétrica esférica. Como resultados indiretos, publicamos dois artigos com os mesmos cálculos de forças, adotando classe de feixes chamada Frozen-Waves, que é uma superposição de feixes de Bessel de mesma frequência. / Since its origins at Bell Labs laboratories, during the 1970s, optical tweezers have been researched, developed and diversified by several research groups, both nationally and internationally, including in our department (Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering - SEL/EESC/USP), in particular the Telecom Group associated to it, with several proposals with applications of optical tweezers in different fields from medicine to biomedical optics. Given the importance of this field, our main goal is to extend the theoretical analysis of optical forces using a simplest - but effective - analytical description of truncated Bessel beams (i.e. beams that are generated by finite apertures). As far we know, this is the first attempt to introduce such analysis of the originals Durnin beams in the literature, thus, we may have the chance to contribute to an unpublished study of a truncated Bessel beam with real characteristics. With such mathematical model at hands, we calculate the forces exerted by the truncated Bessel beam in ray optics and Rayleigh regime and analyze their behavior when hits dielectric spherical particles. As direct result of this work, we have published two papers describing the optical forces in ray optics and Rayleigh regime that a truncated Bessel beam causes in a spherical dielectric particle. As indirect results, we have published two papers with the same force considerations, adopting a beam class called Frozen-Waves, which is a superposition of same frequency Bessel beams.

Desde a sua origem nos laboratórios do Bell Labs, durante a década de 70, pinças ópticas vêm sendo investigadas, desenvolvidas e diversificadas por vários grupos nacionais e internacionais incluindo, nos últimos anos, o nosso departamento (Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação - SEL/EESC/USP) e, em particular, o Grupo de Telecomunicações a ele vinculado, com propostas de aplicações em óptica biomédica e medicina. Dada a importância deste assunto, o principal objetivo deste trabalho é estender a análise teórica de forças ópticas utilizando uma descrição simples, porém eficaz, e analítica de um feixe de Bessel truncado, isto é, gerado por abertura finita. Até onde sabemos, esta é a primeira tentativa de introduzir esta investigação dos feixes originais de Durnin na literatura, e, deste modo, temos a possibilidade de contribuir com uma análise inédita de um feixe de Bessel com características físicas reais. Com a modelagem matemática dos feixe de Bessel truncados em mãos, aplicamos o cálculo de forças nos regimes de óptica geométrica e de Rayleigh e analisamos o seu comportamento quando os feixes incidem em espalhadores dielétricos esféricos. Como resultado direto deste trabalho, publicamos dois artigos descrevendo as forças ópticas no regime de óptica geométrica e de Rayleigh que um feixe de Bessel truncado causa em uma partícula dielétrica esférica. Como resultados indiretos, publicamos dois artigos com os mesmos cálculos de forças, adotando classe de feixes chamada Frozen-Waves, que é uma superposição de feixes de Bessel de mesma frequência. / Since its origins at Bell Labs laboratories, during the 1970s, optical tweezers have been researched, developed and diversified by several research groups, both nationally and internationally, including in our department (Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering - SEL/EESC/USP), in particular the Telecom Group associated to it, with several proposals with applications of optical tweezers in different fields from medicine to biomedical optics. Given the importance of this field, our main goal is to extend the theoretical analysis of optical forces using a simplest - but effective - analytical description of truncated Bessel beams (i.e. beams that are generated by finite apertures). As far we know, this is the first attempt to introduce such analysis of the originals Durnin beams in the literature, thus, we may have the chance to contribute to an unpublished study of a truncated Bessel beam with real characteristics. With such mathematical model at hands, we calculate the forces exerted by the truncated Bessel beam in ray optics and Rayleigh regime and analyze their behavior when hits dielectric spherical particles. As direct result of this work, we have published two papers describing the optical forces in ray optics and Rayleigh regime that a truncated Bessel beam causes in a spherical dielectric particle. As indirect results, we have published two papers with the same force considerations, adopting a beam class called Frozen-Waves, which is a superposition of same frequency Bessel beams.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第17985号 / 工博第3814号 / 新制||工||1584(附属図書館) / 80829 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科電子工学専攻 / (主査)教授 川上 養一, 教授 藤田 静雄, 准教授 浅野 卓 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM