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arXiv · 1512.07665

Photo-induced electron transfer in the strong coupling regime: Waveguide-plasmon polaritons

Abstract

Reversible exchange of photons between a material and an optical cavity can lead to the formation of hybrid light--matter states where material properties such as the work function\cite{Hutchison_AM2013a}, chemical reactivity\cite{Hutchison_ACIE2012a}, ultra--fast energy relaxation \cite{Salomon_ACIE2009a,Gomez_TJOPCB2012a} and electrical conductivity\cite{Orgiu_NM2015a} of matter differ significantly to those of the same material in the absence of strong interactions with the electromagnetic fields. Here we show that strong light--matter coupling between confined photons on a semiconductor waveguide and localised plasmon resonances on metal nanowires modifies the efficiency of the photo--induced charge--transfer rate of plasmonic derived (hot) electrons into accepting states in the semiconductor material. Ultra--fast spectroscopy measurements reveal a strong correlation between the amplitude of the transient signals, attributed to electrons residing in the semiconductor, and the hybridization of waveguide and plasmon excitations.

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Peng Zeng, Jasper Cadusch, Debadi Chakraborty, Trevor A. Smith, Ann Roberts, John E. Sader, Timothy J. Davis, Daniel E. Gomez. 2015-12-23. Photo-induced electron transfer in the strong coupling regime: Waveguide-plasmon polaritons. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b00310

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