Two-photon pumped spaser based on the CdS/ZnS core/shell quantum dot–mesoporous silica–metal structure

Abstract

The spaser (a plasmonic nanolaser) has rapidly advanced as a subwavelength light source candidate. Herein, we introduce a spaser based on a quantum-dot, mesoporous-oxide, and metal structure from top to bottom consisting of CdS/ZnS core/shell quantum dots, a mesoporous silica film (MSF), and an Au film, respectively. Two-photon pumping using femtosecond laser pulses at 800 nm creates amplified spontaneous emission at approximately 451 nm. The advantages of MSF as a dielectric gap layer are examined through numerical simulations. Measuring the dependence of the luminescence intensity on the average pump power confirms the occurrence of two-photon up-conversion luminescence.