ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the advent of artificial dielectrics through the nonlinear optical properties of periodic nanostructures and, in particular, those embedded with nano-size semiconductor nano-materials. The combined scattering effect from individual spheres and the overall coherent scattering effect of the periodic three-dimensional structure strongly contribute to its nonlinear optical transmission properties. The nonlinear optical properties of the structure are therefore attained by incorporating into it other, relatively strong nonlinear optical materials. The nonlinear model is applicable to Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) due to its high conductance and may be applicable to semiconductor clusters at high levels of induced carriers. SWCNTs are one-dimensional crystals formed by a rollover of single grapheme sheets. Conventional surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) results for SWCNTs adsorbed on aggregates of silver particles. SERS is a modified version of Raman spectroscopy; the usually weak signal of a nonresonant, spontaneous Raman line is amplified via coupling of the Raman-active, optical phonons to localized electric fields.
