Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Semimetal elemental antimony (Sb) nanostructures show great potential for applications where nanophotonic properties play a key role, such as phase-change optical memories, non-linear optical elements, photothermal therapy agents, photodetectors and photocatalysts. However, designing advanced Sb-based photonic devices critically requires an accurate and reliable knowledge of the optical response of bulk and nanoscale Sb. Herein, we report for the first time a fully consistent and accurately measured dielectric function for Sb nanoscale films in a wide spectral range from the ultraviolet to the far infrared (4 - 0.04 eV, i.e. ~ 0.3 - 30 $μ$m), surpassing previous reports that explored a limited spectral range. It is found that the Sb spectral response is driven exclusively by giant interband transitions in the visible up to mid infrared (4 - 0.4 eV, i.e. ~ 0.3 - 3 $μ$m), and that their contribution dominates over that of free carriers down to 0.12 eV (i.e. ~ 10 $μ$m). Such spectral response enables Sb nanostructures to display spectrally selective and tunable nanophotonic resonances. First, we showcase interband plasmonic resonances in the visible-to-near infrared for Sb nanogratings. Second, we report giant refractive index dielectric resonances in the mid infrared for nanostructured Sb/dielectric/metal resonant cavities. These findings open a pathway to optimized planar Sb nanoscale designs enabling a tailored light-matter interaction, which will be useful for integrated data, telecom, medical, optoelectronic and energy conversion devices operating in a broad spectral range.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1175115578, G1276699930, G1439447388, G1622782223, G2262748287, G2933350706, G300979063, G34346518, G3480869486, G410571670, G425668148, G451917667, G4526231891, G5080475149, G5539308778, G5967599077, Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Functional Thin Film Structures, G7084143925, G716936216, G7257203746, G832689143, G8522895693, G929308097
OpenAlex ID: W7212314714