Fabry-Pérot nanocavities controlled by Casimir forces in electrolyte solutions

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ge, Lixin, Liu, Kaipeng, Gong, Ke, Podgornik, Rudolf
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911788041240576
author Ge, Lixin
Liu, Kaipeng
Gong, Ke
Podgornik, Rudolf
author_facet Ge, Lixin
Liu, Kaipeng
Gong, Ke
Podgornik, Rudolf
contents We propose a design for tuning the resonant spectra of Fabry-Pérot nanocavities mediated by the Casimir force. The system involves a suspended gold nanoplate approaching to a dielectric-coated gold substrate in a univalent electrolyte solution. The gold nanoplate can be stably suspended due to the delicate balance between repulsive and attractive components of the Casimir forces. In an electrolyte solution, the presence of ionic-charge fluctuations can partially or totally screen the thermal $n$=0 Matsubara term, resulting in strongly modified interactions. As a result, the separation between the gold nanoplate and the substrate experiences a significant modulation in response to variations in salt concentration. Under proper conditions, we find that the modulation of the Casimir force would strongly shift the resonances of Fabry-Pérot nanocavities at the optical frequencies, when the Debye length of the electrolyte decreases from 1000 nm to 10 nm. Finally, the temperature dependence of the thermal Casimir force would provide an additional modulation of Fabry-Pérot nanocavity resonances for their eventual fine tuning. These results open up a promising venue for general tuning of the optical resonances with potential applications in re-configurable microfluidic nanophotonics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2403_01443
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fabry-Pérot nanocavities controlled by Casimir forces in electrolyte solutions
Ge, Lixin
Liu, Kaipeng
Gong, Ke
Podgornik, Rudolf
Quantum Physics
Optics
We propose a design for tuning the resonant spectra of Fabry-Pérot nanocavities mediated by the Casimir force. The system involves a suspended gold nanoplate approaching to a dielectric-coated gold substrate in a univalent electrolyte solution. The gold nanoplate can be stably suspended due to the delicate balance between repulsive and attractive components of the Casimir forces. In an electrolyte solution, the presence of ionic-charge fluctuations can partially or totally screen the thermal $n$=0 Matsubara term, resulting in strongly modified interactions. As a result, the separation between the gold nanoplate and the substrate experiences a significant modulation in response to variations in salt concentration. Under proper conditions, we find that the modulation of the Casimir force would strongly shift the resonances of Fabry-Pérot nanocavities at the optical frequencies, when the Debye length of the electrolyte decreases from 1000 nm to 10 nm. Finally, the temperature dependence of the thermal Casimir force would provide an additional modulation of Fabry-Pérot nanocavity resonances for their eventual fine tuning. These results open up a promising venue for general tuning of the optical resonances with potential applications in re-configurable microfluidic nanophotonics.
title Fabry-Pérot nanocavities controlled by Casimir forces in electrolyte solutions
topic Quantum Physics
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.01443