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Nanophotonics

Study optical phenomena at the nanoscale

Use the power of fast electrons and light to obtain insights into the optical properties of nanostructures, including nanoparticles, nanowires, metamolecules, metasurfaces, and photonic crystals.

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What we can help you with
  • Mapping the radiative local density of optical states

  • Characterizing guided and resonant optical modes

  • Measuring angular profiles to study directionality

  • Measuring band structure
  • Measuring the polarization of emission for multipolar analysis

Cathodoluminescence from photonic crystal

Investigate nanophotonic structures with cathodoluminescence

Cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging is a powerful method for studying nanostructures and optical phenomena at nanoscale. The electron beam acts as a very pure local excitation source. The hyperspectral light-emission maps produced with CL allow mapping of the radiative local density of optical states, a quantity that determines how well light couples to matter and vice versa. Furthermore, directionality, dispersion, and polarization of emission can be measured, using various CL imaging modes.

CL is commonly used to study metallic as well as dielectric and semiconductor nanostructures, including nanoparticles, nanowires, metamolecules, metasurfaces, and photonic crystals. These structures find applications in (bio)sensing, fluorescence enhancement, non-linear optics,  LED’s, solar cells, integrated photonics, lasers and more.

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What we can offer

Experimental freedom with imaging modes
Experimental freedom

Experiment with different modes and learn more about nanophotonic structures

Go beyond conventional CL imaging
Go beyond conventional CL imaging

Analyze directionality, dispersion, and polarization of emission

Powerful and fast CL solutions
Powerful and fast solutions

Study your samples with modular and sensitive cathodoluminescence detectors

Support of Delmic application experts
Support of our application experts

Get the most of your CL system with the help of our application experts

What results can I achieve with cathodoluminescence?

Cathodoluminescence can be used to directly visualize the internal modal structure of semiconductor nanoparticles. Combining particles in complex geometries enables more tunability of the optical response and is key for their integration with a macroscopic device, such as an LED or solar cell. Cathodoluminescence allows visualizing electromagnetic coupling between the particles, which plays a critical role in determining the optical properties in these systems and leads to mode hybridization.

Spatial CL distribution at λ = 450 nm, derived from a hyperspectral CL dataset. SEM image
Spatial CL distribution at λ = 450 nm, derived from a hyperspectral CL dataset. Mode hybridization due to coupling between the particles manifests itself in the CL measurement as an enhanced emission probability at the outer edges of the dimer. Image courtesy of Dr. Jorik van de Groep (UvA, AMOLF). Also see J. van de Groep et al. Optica 3, 93-99 (2016)
Dr. Ruggero Verre and SPARC Compact cathodoluminescence detector

Delmic has developed an integrated solution and provided excellent one-to-one support which has been of help to our research.

Dr. Ruggero Verre

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Chalmers University of Technology

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Talk to one of our experts to learn how our solutions can support you in your research.

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Delmic applications specialist Sangeetha Hari