Photoinduced tunability of the reststrahlen band in 4H-SiC

Materials with a negative dielectric permittivity (e.g., metals) display high reflectance and can be shaped into nanoscale optical resonators exhibiting extreme mode confinement, a central theme of nanophotonics. However, the ability to actively tune these effects remains elusive. By photoexciting f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. B 2016-02, Vol.93 (8)
Main Authors: Spann, Bryan T, Compton, Ryan, Ratchford, Daniel, Long, James P, Dunkelberger, Adam D, Klein, Paul B, Giles, Alexander J, Caldwell, Joshua D, Owrutsky, Jeffrey C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carriers
Condensed matter
Dielectric constant
Nanostructure
Permittivity
Reflectance
Reflectivity
Spectra
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Summary:Materials with a negative dielectric permittivity (e.g., metals) display high reflectance and can be shaped into nanoscale optical resonators exhibiting extreme mode confinement, a central theme of nanophotonics. However, the ability to actively tune these effects remains elusive. By photoexciting free carriers in 4H-SiC, we induce dramatic changes in reflectance near the "reststrahlen band" where the permittivity is negative due to charge oscillations of the polar optical phonons in the midinfrared. We infer carrier-induced changes in the permittivity required for useful tunability (~40 cm super(-1)) in nanoscale resonators, providing a direct avenue towards the realization of actively tunable nanophotonic devices in the midinfrared to terahertz spectral range.
ISSN:2469-9950
2469-9969
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.93.085205