Observation of the nonlinear Wood's anomaly on periodic arrays of nickel nanodimers

Linear and nonlinear magnetophotonic properties of periodic arrays of nickel nanodimers are governed by the interplay of the (local) optical response of individual nanoparticles and (nonlocal) diffraction phenomena. The redistribution of light intensity between diffracted beams when a diffraction order onsets or disappears is known as Wood's anomaly. Here, angular and magnetic-field-dependent near-infrared spectroscopic measurements, performed for different optical wavelengths and grating constants, discriminate between the linear and nonlinear excitation mechanisms of Wood's anomalies. In the nonlinear regime, evidenced by the magnetic second-harmonic generation, Wood's anomaly is characterized by an order-of-magnitude larger effect in intensity redistribution between the diffracted beams as compared to the linear case. The nonlinear Wood's anomaly manifests itself also in the nonlinear magnetic contrast highlighting the prospects of nonlinear magnetophotonics.