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Optically Induced Sub-Wavelength Transient Apertures in Sb-Te Based Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2011

Robert E. Simpson
Affiliation:
Nanoelectronics Research Institute, National Institute of Applied Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 4, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8562, Japan
Paul J. Fons
Affiliation:
Nanoelectronics Research Institute, National Institute of Applied Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 4, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8562, Japan
Alexander V. Kolobov
Affiliation:
Nanoelectronics Research Institute, National Institute of Applied Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 4, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8562, Japan
Xiomin Wang
Affiliation:
Nanoelectronics Research Institute, National Institute of Applied Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 4, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8562, Japan
Junji Tominaga
Affiliation:
Nanoelectronics Research Institute, National Institute of Applied Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba Central 4, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8562, Japan
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Abstract

The origin of sub-diffraction-limit apertures in Sb-based thin films is discussed. Electromagnetic energy can be channeled by these apertures thus allowing near-field focussing- the Super-RENS effect. The aperture formation within Sb, Sb2Te3, Sb2Te, SbTe and Ge2Sb2Te5 is investigated by time resolved optical pump-probe techniques and found to occur without melting. Density functional calculations have shown that these materials exhibit a thresholdlike change in their optical properties below their melting temperatures. The threshold is shown to be a consequence of thermally induced misalignment of p-orbital bonds. It is the non-linearity of this process that leads to the formation of the sub-diffraction-limit apertures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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