Tuning the electromagnetic local density of states in graphene-covered systems via strong coupling with graphene plasmons

Riccardo Messina (1) , Jean-Paul Hugonin (1) , Jean-Jacques Greffet (1) , François Marquier (1) , Yannick de Wilde (2) , Ali Belarouci (3) , Luc Frechette (3) , Y. Cordier (4) , Philippe Ben-Abdallah (1)

1 Laboratoire Charles Fabry / Naphel
2 IL - Institut Langevin - Ondes et Images (UMR7587)
3 LN2 - Laboratoire Nanotechnologies et Nanosystèmes [Sherbrooke]
4 Centre de Recherche sur l'Hétéro-Epitaxie et ses Applications

It is known that the near-field spectrum of the local density of states of the electromagnetic field above a SiC/air interface displays an intense narrow peak due to the presence of a surface polariton. It has been recently shown that this surface wave can be strongly coupled with the sheet plasmon of graphene in graphene-SiC heterosystems. Here, we explore the interplay between these two phenomena and demonstrate that the spectrum of the electromagnetic local density of states in these systems presents two peaks whose position depends dramatically both on the distance to the interface and on the chemical potential of graphene. This paves the way towards the active control of the local density of states.

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]; Other [cond-mat.other]; Micro and nanotechnologies/Microelectronics; Optics / Photonic

Riccardo Messina, Jean-Paul Hugonin, Jean-Jacques Greffet, François Marquier, Yannick de Wilde, et al.. Tuning the electromagnetic local density of states in graphene-covered systems via strong coupling with graphene plasmons. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 2013, 87 (8), pp.085421. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.87.085421⟩. ⟨hal-00817546⟩