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Coherent perfect absorption in deeply subwavelength films in the single-photon regime

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Roger

    (Institute for Photonics and Quantum Sciences and SUPA, Heriot-Watt University)

  • Stefano Vezzoli

    (Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University)

  • Eliot Bolduc

    (Institute for Photonics and Quantum Sciences and SUPA, Heriot-Watt University)

  • Joao Valente

    (Optoelectronics Research Centre & Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton)

  • Julius J. F. Heitz

    (Institute for Photonics and Quantum Sciences and SUPA, Heriot-Watt University)

  • John Jeffers

    (University of Strathclyde)

  • Cesare Soci

    (Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University)

  • Jonathan Leach

    (Institute for Photonics and Quantum Sciences and SUPA, Heriot-Watt University)

  • Christophe Couteau

    (Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University
    CINTRA CNRS-NTU-Thales, UMI 3288
    Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Instrumentation and Optics, ICD CNRS UMR 6281, University of Technology of Troyes)

  • Nikolay I. Zheludev

    (Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University
    Optoelectronics Research Centre & Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton)

  • Daniele Faccio

    (Institute for Photonics and Quantum Sciences and SUPA, Heriot-Watt University)

Abstract

The technologies of heating, photovoltaics, water photocatalysis and artificial photosynthesis depend on the absorption of light and novel approaches such as coherent absorption from a standing wave promise total dissipation of energy. Extending the control of absorption down to very low light levels and eventually to the single-photon regime is of great interest and yet remains largely unexplored. Here we demonstrate the coherent absorption of single photons in a deeply subwavelength 50% absorber. We show that while the absorption of photons from a travelling wave is probabilistic, standing wave absorption can be observed deterministically, with nearly unitary probability of coupling a photon into a mode of the material, for example, a localized plasmon when this is a metamaterial excited at the plasmon resonance. These results bring a better understanding of the coherent absorption process, which is of central importance for light harvesting, detection, sensing and photonic data processing applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Roger & Stefano Vezzoli & Eliot Bolduc & Joao Valente & Julius J. F. Heitz & John Jeffers & Cesare Soci & Jonathan Leach & Christophe Couteau & Nikolay I. Zheludev & Daniele Faccio, 2015. "Coherent perfect absorption in deeply subwavelength films in the single-photon regime," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-5, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms8031
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8031
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    Cited by:

    1. Rakesh Dhama & Ali Panahpour & Tuomas Pihlava & Dipa Ghindani & Humeyra Caglayan, 2022. "All-optical switching based on plasmon-induced Enhancement of Index of Refraction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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