Optimal open-loop near-field control of plasmonic nanostructures

Optimal open-loop control, i.e. the application of an analytically derived control rule, is demonstrated for nanooptical excitations using polarization-shaped laser pulses. Optimal spatial near-field localization in gold nanoprisms and excitation switching is realized by applying a π shift to the relative phase of the two polarization components. The achieved near-field switching confirms theoretical predictions, proves the applicability of predefined control rules in nanooptical light–matter interaction and reveals local mode interference to be an important control mechanism. 5 Present address: Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA. 6 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. New Journal of Physics 14 (2012) 03303