Full control of electric and magnetic light-matter interactions through a plasmonic nanomirror on a near-field tip

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates full control over electric and magnetic light-matter interactions by using a plasmonic nanomirror to manipulate the spatial distribution of electromagnetic fields, enabling selective excitation, emission, and imaging of magnetic and electric dipolar processes.

Contribution

The study introduces a method to manipulate and control electric and magnetic light-matter interactions independently using a plasmonic nanomirror on a near-field tip, which is a novel approach.

Findings

Achieved 3D imaging of electric and magnetic field nodes and anti-nodes.

Enhanced photoluminescence driven specifically by magnetic fields.

Demonstrated selective control over electric and magnetic dipolar transitions.

Abstract

Light-matter interactions are often considered governed by the electric optical field only, leaving aside the magnetic component of light. However, the magnetic part plays a determining role in many optical processes from light and chiral-matter interactions, photon-avalanching to forbidden photochemistry, making the manipulation of magnetic processes extremely relevant. Here, by creating a standing wave using a plasmonic nanomirror we manipulate the spatial distributions of the electric and magnetic fields and their associated local density of states, allowing the selective control of the excitation and emission of electric and magnetic dipolar transitions. This control allows us to image, in 3D, the electric and magnetic nodes and anti-nodes of the fields interference pattern. It also enables us to enhance specifically photoluminescence from quantum emitters excited only by the magnetic field, and to manipulate their quantum environment by acting on the excitation fields solely, demonstrating full control of magnetic and electric light-matter interactions.