Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy of 1D metal-dielectric photonic crystals

TL;DR

This paper investigates the ultrafast optical switching in 1D metal-dielectric photonic crystals, analyzing their nonlinear response and separating thermal and electronic effects using pump-probe spectroscopy.

Contribution

It introduces a model for ultrafast dynamics in metal-dielectric photonic crystals that fits experimental data and distinguishes thermal from electronic responses.

Findings

Ultrafast sub-picosecond transmission suppression observed.

Both ultrafast and slow (millisecond) responses identified.

Model successfully fits experimental data and separates thermal and electronic effects.

Abstract

We study the all-optical switching behavior of one-dimensional metal-dielectric photonic crystals due to the nonlinearity of the free metal electrons. A polychromatic pump-probe setup is used to determine the wavelength and pump intensity dependence of the ultrafast transmission suppression as well as the dynamics of the process on a subpicosecond timescale. We find ultrafast (sub-picosecond) as well as a slow (millisecond) behavior. We present a model of the ultrafast dynamics and nonlinear response which can fit the measured data well and allows us to separate the thermal and the electronic response of the system.