Biomedical subjects

A Dereux

Publications and source records attributed to A Dereux.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Photonic nanopatterns of gold nanostructures indicate the excitation of surface plasmon modes of a wavelength of 50-100 nm by scanning near-field optical microscopy.

Scanning near-field optical microscopy images of metal nanostructures taken with the tetrahedral tip (T-tip) show a distribution of dark and bright spots at distances in the order of 25-50 nm. The images are interpreted as photonic nanopatterns defined as calculated scanning near-field optical microscopy images using a dipole serving as a light-emitting scanning near-field optical microscopy probe. Changing from a positive to a negative value of the dielectric function of a sample leads to the partition of one spot into several spots in the photonic nanopatterns, indicating the excitation of surface plasmons of a wavelength in the order of 50-100 nm in metal nanostructures.

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PubMed2002

Spatially resolved photonic transfer through mesoscopic heterowires.

We report spatially resolved observations of light wave propagation along high refraction index dielectric heterowires lying on a transparent substrate. The heterowires are made of linear chains of closely packed mesoscopic particles. The optical excitation of these heterowires is performed through channel waveguides featuring submicrometer transverse cross sections. Both numerical simulations and near-field optical images, recorded with a photon scanning tunneling microscope, agree to show that, at visible frequencies, tuning the periodicity of the heterowires controls the propagation length within a range of several micrometers.

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PubMed2002

Imaging the local density of states of optical corrals.

This paper reports the experimental observation, at optical frequencies, of the electromagnetic local density of states established by nanostructures corresponding to the recently introduced concept of optical corral [G. Colas des Francs et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4950 (2001)]. The images obtained by a scanning near-field optical microscope under specific operational conditions are found in agreement with the theoretical maps of the optical local density of states. A clear functionality of detection by the scanning near-field optical microscope is thereby identified since the theoretical maps are computed without including any specific tip model.

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PubMed2001

Addressing and imaging high optical index dielectric ridges in the optical near field.

Experimental observation of light coupling between TiO(2) integrated waveguides of subwavelength cross section and pure three-dimensional evanescent light fields is reported. This near-field optical phenomenon is produced by controlling the location of the focusing of a laser beam totally reflected at the surface of the sample. The phenomenon is observed in direct space with a photon scanning tunneling microscope. Dielectric ridges several tens of micrometers long have been efficiently excited with this technique. Upon excitation, the extremities of the linear dielectric wires display intense light spots localized both inside and around the ridge. For ridge lengths up to 30 microm, the observed phenomenon has been reproduced numerically with a parallel implementation based on the three-dimensional Green dyadic method.

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PubMed2001

Optical analogy to electronic quantum corrals.

We describe full multiple-scattering calculations of localized surface photonic states set up by lithographically designed nanostructures made of a finite number of dielectric pads deposited on a planar surface. The method is based on a numerical solution of the dyadic Dyson's equation. When the pads are arranged to form a closed circle, we find field patterns that look like the electronic charge density recently observed above quantum corrals. We propose two experimental techniques that could be used to observe these electromagnetic modes in direct space.

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PubMed2001

Light field propagation by metal micro- and nanostructures.

The ability to sustain plasmon oscillations gives rise to unique properties of metal nanostructures, which can be exploited for the controlled manipulation of light fields on the nanoscale. In this context we investigate electromagnetic coupling effects within lithographically produced ensembles of gold nanoparticles with a photon scanning tunnelling microscope. To provide an interface between these nano-optical devices and classical far-field optics, we investigate surface plasmon propagation on microstructured metal thin films.

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PubMed2001

Direct interpretation of near-field optical images.

The interpretation of the detection process in near-field optical microscopy is reviewed on the basis of a discussion about the possibility of establishing direct comparisons between experimental images and the solutions of Maxwell equations or the electromagnetic local density of states. On the basis of simple physical arguments, it is expected that the solutions of Maxwell equations should agree with images obtained by collecting mode near-field microscopes, while the electromagnetic local density of states should be considered to provide a practical interpretation of illumination mode near-field microscopes. We review collecting mode near-field microscope images where the conditions to obtain good agreement with the solutions of Maxwell equations have indeed been identified. In this context of collecting mode near-field microscopes, a fundamentally different functionality between dielectric and gold-coated tips has been clearly identified experimentally by checking against the solutions of Maxwell equations. It turns out that dielectric tips detect a signal proportional to the optical electric field intensity, whereas gold-coated tips detect a signal proportional to the optical magnetic field intensity. The possible implications of this surprising phenomenon are discussed.

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PubMed2001

Near-field optical addressing of single molecules in coplanar geometry: a theoretical study.

Photonic transfer through elongated optical structures of submicrometre section microfabricated at the surface of dielectric or semiconductor samples can be enhanced by an appropriate structuring of the local refraction index. We show from computerized simulations that both the light localization and the spectroscopic properties of such structures can be used to selectively excite, in coplanar geometry, individuals molecules located in the near-field.

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PubMed2000

Optical addressing at the subwavelength scale

The Green dyadic formalism is applied to the study of the optical properties of dielectric subwavelength structures integrated in coplanar geometry. We first consider homogeneous wires with high refractive index featuring subwavelength cross sections. We show that such wires may have guiding properties and that they may be coupled with a local illumination produced by a focused Gaussian beam totally reflected at the substrate interface. When excited by the focused beam, these subwavelength optical waveguides (SOW's) provide a confined source of light that could be used to excite a single nanoscopic object. Well designed heteregeneous wires resulting from the alignment of dielectric particles separated from each other by a subwavelength distance are also found to propagate a Gaussian beam excitation over several micrometers. This propagation occurs with reasonable damping for incident beams in the visible frequency range. The computed transmission spectra of these heterowires may exhibit narrow gaps. Finally, we discuss the relation between the optical properties of the SOW and the calculated electromagnetic local density of states.

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PubMed1999

Resonant optical tunnel effect through dielectric structures of subwavelength cross sections.

We show that optical tunnel effects through elongated structures of subwavelength cross sections can be enhanced by the appropriate structuration of the local dielectric function. Even under total internal reflection, transfer channels can be excited to perform spatially confined photonic transfer between transparent media linked by such subwavelength structures. The optical properties of such systems are analyzed using field susceptibilities, also known as electromagnetic Green's dyadics, which determine both the local density of photon states and the optical transmittance of the system. Green's dyadics obtained by solving numerically a set of dyadic Dyson equations are applied to study the optical properties of subwavelength structures connecting two semi-infinite materials.

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PubMed1996