Frankfurt 2006 – scientific programme

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Q: Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 20: Photonische Kristalle I

Q 20.3: Talk

Tuesday, March 14, 2006, 11:10–11:25, HI

Interaction of Nanoscopic Particles with the Near Field of Photonic Crystal Structures — •Michael Barth and Oliver Benson — Nano Optics, Institute of Physics, Humboldt University Berlin

Nanostructured dielectric materials provide new ways of guiding and manipulating light, most prominently realized in photonic crystal waveguides and cavities. The specific optical properties of these structures make them promising candidates for novel sensing techniques, as small changes in the dielectric environment can significantly alter the propagation of light. For this purpose we have studied the interaction of nanoscopic dielectric particles with the near field of various photonic crystal structures by means of numerical simulations. We investigate the resulting changes in the optical properties of the photonic crystals as well as the mechanical forces acting on the particles. Both effects turn out to be strongest for cavity-like defect structures, which exhibit sharp resonances and large field enhancements, thereby ensuring intense matter-light interaction. These results will be exploited in experimental studies, which are currently in progress, using an optical tweezer to position and manipulate dielectric particles on planar photonic crystals.