Optical extinction in a single layer of nanorods

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates near-perfect optical extinction using a monolayer of nanorods, revealing a sharp Fano resonance and significant absorption enhancement, with implications for advanced light management in nanostructures.

Contribution

It introduces a method to achieve high optical extinction and absorption enhancement with a single layer of nanorods in a symmetrical environment.

Findings

Near 100% photon interaction with monolayer nanorods

Observation of a Fano resonance causing spectral opacity

25-fold absorption enhancement in absorbing nanorods

Abstract

We demonstrate that almost 100 % of incident photons can interact with a monolayer of scatterers in a symmetrical environment. Nearly-perfect optical extinction through free-standing transparent nanorod arrays has been measured. The sharp spectral opacity window, in the form of a characteristic Fano resonance, arises from the coherent multiple scattering in the array. In addition, we show that nanorods made of absorbing material exhibit a 25-fold absorption enhancement per unit volume compared to unstructured thin film. These results open new perspectives for light management in high-Q, low volume dielectric nanostructures, with potential applications in optical systems, spectroscopy, and optomechanics.