P r o f . Y o n a t a n S i v a n

School of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Ben-Gurion University

Office:	Building 64, room 110
Phone:	972-(0)8-6479805
E-mail:	sivanyon@bgu.ac.il

Last updated: 13/3/2023

Students wanted – high scholarship guaranteed

S u m m a r y o f r e s e a r c h

Short CV

Symposium on modal expansions for nanophotonic systems; September 17^th, 2020; full lecture recordings available.

P u b l i c a t i o n s

R e c e n t

• Electron non-equilibrium in metals (last update 13.4.2022)
• Theory of low density Drude materials (last update 24.2.2023)
• Metal luminescence and thermometry (last update 13.3.2023)
• Thermal emission from nanostructures (last update 1.8.2022)
• Electron non-equilibrium in semiconductors (last update 13.4.2022)
• Numerical methods for electromagnetism (last update 15.8.2022)
• Ultrafast diffusion in metals (last update 13.3.2023)

E a r l i e r

• Frequency conversion in metal nanoparticles
• Thermal nonlinearity of metals
• Nanoparticle-assisted microscopy
• Ultrashort pulse dynamics
• Metamaterial design
• Airy beam formation
• Plasmon-resonance in metal nanoparticles
• Loss compensation in plasmonic nanostructures using gain media
• Solitons in inhomogeneous media
• Atmospheric propagation

Electron non-equilibrium in metals

For a lecture explaining our recent work on the topic, including the re-interpretation of plasmon-assisted photocatalysis experiments, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvhewjB5U5c

• Y. Dubi, I. W. Un, J. Baraban, Y. Sivan

Matters arising in “Plasmon-driven carbon-fluorine (C(SP^3)-F) bond activation with mechanistic insights into hot-carrier-mediated pathways”

Nature Catalysis 3: 564–573, 2022.

• I. W. Un, Y. Dubi, Y. Sivan

The photothermal nonlinearity in plasmon-assisted photocatalysis

Nanoscale 14: 5022, 2022.

• Y. Dubi, I. W. Un, Y. Sivan

Distinguishing thermal from non-thermal ("hot") carries in illuminated molecular junctions

Nano Letters 22: 2127-2133 , 2022.

For a lecture on this work, see Movies\PHOTOPTICS_AT_2022_38.mp4 (starting from the middle, unfortunately).

• I. W. Un, Y. Dubi, Y. Sivan

Lessons learned from recent experiments? A critical analysis of "Hot carrier multiplication in plasmonic photocatalysis"

• I. W. Un, Y. Sivan

The role of heat generation and fluid flow in plasmon-enhanced reduction-oxidation reactions

ACS Photonics 8: 1183-1190, 2021.

• Y. Sivan, Y. Dubi

Recent developments in plasmon-assisted photocatalysis – A personal Perspective

Appl. Phys. Letters 117: 130501, 2020.

• I. W. Un, Y. Sivan

Parametric study of temperature distribution in plasmon-assisted photocatalysis

Nanoscale 12: 17821-17832, 2020.

Supplementary Information

• Y. Dubi, I.W. Un, Y. Sivan

Thermal effects - an alternative mechanism for plasmonic-assisted photo-catalysis

Chemical Science 11: 5017-5027, 2020.

Supplementary Information

• Y. Sivan, J. Baraban, Y. Dubi

Experimental practices required to isolate thermal effects in plasmonic photo-catalysis – lessons from recent experiments

OSA Continuum 3: 483-497, 2020.

• Y. Sivan, J. Baraban, I.W. Un, Y. Dubi,

Comment on “Quantifying hot carrier and thermal contributions in plasmonic photocatalysis”

Science 364: (6439) eaaw9367, 2019.

• Y. Sivan, I.W. Un, Y. Dubi,

Assistance of metal nanoparticles in photocatalysis – nothing more than a classical heat source

Faraday Discussions 214: 215, 2019.

• Y. Dubi, Y. Sivan

“Hot” electrons in metallic nanostructures – thermal vs. non-thermal effects;

Light: Science & Applications 8: 89, 2019.

Supplementary Materials

· J. Aizpurua et al., Dynamics of hot electron generation in metallic nanostructures: general discussion

Faraday Discussions 214: 123, 2019.

· J. Aizpurua et al., Theory of hot electrons: general discussion,

Faraday Discussions 214: 245, 2019.

Theory of low density Drude materials

• I. W. Un, S. Sarkar, Y. Sivan, An electronic-based model of the optical nonlinearity of low-density Drude materials, Phys. Rev. Applied, accepted. https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.08504.
• S. Sarkar, I. W. Un, Y. Sivan, The electronic and thermal response of low electron density Drude materials to ultrafast optical illumination

Phys. Rev. Applied, 19: 014005, 2022.

Metal luminescence and thermometry

• Y. Sivan, I.W. Un, I. Kalyan, K.Q. Lin, J. M. Lupton, S. Bange

“Crossover from non-thermal to thermal photoluminescence from metals excited by ultrashort light pulses”

Under review.

• Y. Sivan, Y. Dubi

“Theory of “Hot” photoluminescence from Drude metals

ACS Nano 15: 8724-8732, 2021.

Supplementary Materials

See correction (the published errata was unfortunately wrong too).

• T. Jollans, M. Caldarola, Y. Sivan, M. Orrit

Effective electron temperature measurement using time-resolved anti-Stokes

photoluminescence

J. Phys. Chem. A 124: 6968–6976, 2020.

Electron non-equilibrium in semiconductors

• S. Sarkar, I.W. Un, Y. Sivan, Y. Dubi

Theory of Non-equilibrium Hot Carriers in Direct Band-gap Semiconductors Under Continuous Illumination

New Journal of Physics 24: 053008, 2022.

Thermal emission from nanostructures

• P. Y. Chen, C, Khandekar, R. Ayash, Z. Jacob, Y. Sivan

Thermal emission of spinning photons from temperature gradients

Phys. Rev. Applied, 18: 014052, 2022.

See https://picoelectrodynamics.org/news/our-paper-got-published-physical-review-applied

Numerical methods for electromagnetism

For a lecture summarizing our recent progress in the development of efficient modal computational techniques for nanophotonic systems, see Movies\GENOME_lecture_MTMs_NY_30_9_2020.mp4 or more recently Movies\Cargese_talk.mp4

• P. Y. Chen, Y. Greenberg, Y. Sivan,

Wide frequency band expansion of permittivity normal modes.

Journal of the Optical Society of America, 39: 2387, 2022.

• S. Rao, G. Le Saux, Y. Sivan, P. Y. Chen

Generalised normal mode expansion method for open and lossy periodic structures.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B 39: 1338, 2022.

• P. Y. Chen, Y. Sivan

Resolving the Gibbs phenomenon via a discontinuous basis in a mode solver for open optical systems.

Journal of Computational Physics 429: 110004, 2021.

• P. Y. Chen, Y. Sivan, E. A. Muljarov

An efficient solver for the generalized normal modes of non-uniform open optical resonators
Journal of Computational Physics 422: 109754, 2020.

• N. Kossowski, P. Y. Chen, Q. J. Wang, P. Genevet, Y. Sivan

Scattering by lossy anisotropic scatterers: A modal approach
Journal of Applied Physics 129: 113104, 2021.

See an introduction of the paper in https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/10.0003927

• G. Rosolen, P. Y. Chen, B. Maes, Y. Sivan

Overcoming the bottleneck for quantum computations of complex nanophotonic

structures: Purcell and FRET calculations using a rigorous mode hybridization method

Phys. Rev. B 101: 155401, 2020.

• P. Y. Chen, D.J. Bergman, Y. Sivan

Generalized normal mode expansion of electromagnetic Green’s tensor for open systems
Phys. Rev. Applied 11: 044018, 2019.

• P. Y. Chen, Y. Sivan

Robust location of optical fiber modes via the argument principle method
Computer Physics Communications 214: 105-116, 2017.

Codes are available here.

• A. K. Kildishev, Y. Sivan, N. M. Litchinitser, V. M. Shalaev

Frequency-domain modelling of TM wave propagation in optical nanostructures with a third-order nonlinear response
Optics Letters 34: 3364-6, 2009.

Ultrafast diffusion in metals

For a lecture summarizing our recent progress on the topic, see Movies\Photonics_West_ultrafast_diffusion_2021.wmv

· A. Block, R. Yu, I. W. Un, S, Varghese, M. Liebel, N. F. van Hulst, S. Fan, K.-J. Tielrooij, Y. Sivan

Observation of negative effective thermal diffusion in gold films

Under review.

· Y. Sivan, M. Spector

Ultrafast dynamics of optically-induced heat gratings in metals - more complicated than expected
ACS Photonics 7: 1271−1279, 2020.

· A. Block, M. Liebel, R. Yu, M. Spector, Y. Sivan, F. J. García de Abajo, N. F. van Hulst

Tracking ultrafast hot-electron diffusion in space and time by ultrafast thermomodulation microscopy; Supplementary Materials
Science Advances 5: eaav8965, 2019.

See also a popular introduction to this paper in https://sciencetrends.com/hot-electrons-diffuse-100-times-faster-than-usual/

Frequency conversion in metal nanoparticles

• S. Elkabetz, K. N. Reddy, P. Y. Chen, A. I. Fernández-Dominguéz, Y. Sivan

Optimization of second-harmonic generation from touching plasmonic wires

Phys. Rev. B 103: 075411, 2021.

• S. Elkabetz, K. N. Reddy, Y. Sivan

Sum frequency generation from touching wires: A transformation optics approach

Optics Letters 46: 2079, 2021.

• M. Shor, E. Toledo, S. Shital, A. Maity, Y. Sivan, M. Schvartzman, Avi Niv

Second-harmonic generation due to coulomb-like interaction in a heterodimer of subwavelength dimensions
Optics Express 28: 31468, 2020.

• K. N. Reddy, P. Y. Chen, A. I. Fernández-Dominguéz, Y. Sivan

Surface second-harmonic from metallic nanoparticle configurations - a transformation optics approach

Physical Review B 99: 235429, 2019.

• K. N. Reddy, P. Y. Chen, A. I. Fernández-Dominguéz, Y. Sivan

Revisiting the boundary conditions for second-harmonic generation at metal-dielectric interfaces

Journal of the Optical Society of America B 34: 1824, 2017.

Thermal nonlinearity of metals

• I. W. Un, Y. Sivan

The thermo-optic nonlinearity of single metal nanoparticles under intense continuous-wave illumination

Phys. Rev. Materials 4: 105201, 2020.

• I. W. Un, Y. Sivan

Size-dependence of the photothermal response of a single metal nanosphere

Journal of Applied Physics 126: 173103, 2019.

See also Scilight article featuring our work in https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/10.0000221

• I. Gurwich, Y. Sivan

Metal nanospheres under intense continuous-wave illumination: A unique case of non-perturbative nonlinear nanophotonics

Physical Review E 96: 059901, 2017.

• Y. Sivan, S.-W. Chu

Nonlinear plasmonics at high temperatures

Nanophotonics 6: 317-328, 2017.

• P.-T. Shen, Y. Sivan, C.-W. Lin, H.-L. Liu, C.-W Chang, S.-W. Chu

Temperature- and –roughness dependent permittivity of annealed/unannealed gold films

Optics Express 24: 19254, 2016.

Ultrashort pulses dynamics

• T. A. Weiss, Y. Sivan

Stopping light using a transient Bragg grating

Phys. Rev. A 101: 033828, 2020.

• T. A. Weiss, Y. Sivan

Pulse propagation in the slow and stopped light regimes

Optics Express 26: 19294, 2018.

• A. Shamir, A. Halstuch, Y. Sivan, A. A. Ishaaya

Ns-duration transient Bragg gratings in silica fibers

Optics Letters 42: 4748, 2017.

• Y. Sivan, S. Rozenberg, A. Halstuch, A. A. Ishaaya

Nonlinear wave interactions between short pulses of different spatio-temporal extents
Scientific Reports 6: 29010, 2016.

• Y. Sivan, S. Rozenberg, A. Halstuch

Coupled-mode theory for electromagnetic pulse propagation in dispersive media undergoing a spatiotemporal perturbation: Exact derivation, numerical validation and peculiar wave mixing
Physical Review B: 93: 144303, 2016.

• Y. Sivan, G. Ctistis, E. Yuce, A. P. Mosk

Femtosecond-scale modulations and switching based on periodic patterns of excited free-carriers
Optics Express 23: 16416-28, 2015.

• Y. Sivan, J.B. Pendry

Theory of wave-front reversal of short pulses in dynamically-tuned zero-gap periodic systems
Physical Review A 84: 033822-1-13, 2011.

• Y. Sivan, J. B. Pendry

Broadband time-reversal of optical pulses using a switchable photonic crystal mirror
Optics Express 19: 14502-7, 2011.

• Y. Sivan, J. B. Pendry

Time-reversal in dynamically-tuned zero-gap periodic systems
Physical Review Letters 106: 193909, 2011.

See also cover story at http://phys.org/news/2011-05-physicists-time-reversed-pulses.html

Nanoparticle-assisted microscopy

• N. T. Urban, M. R. Foreman, S. W. Hell, Y. Sivan

Nano-particle assisted STED nanoscopy with gold nanospheres

ACS Photonics 5, 2574-2583, 2017.

• E. Cortes, P. A. Huidobro, H. Sinclair, S. Guldbrand, W. J. Peveler, T. Davies, S. Parinello, F. Gorlitz, C. Dunsby, M. A. A. Neil, Y. Sivan, I. Parkin, P. French, S. A. Maier

Plasmonic Nanoprobes for Stimulated Emission Depletion Nanoscopy

ACS Nano 10, 10454-10461, 2016.

• Y. Sonnefraud, H. Sinclair, Y. Sivan, M. R. Foreman, C. Dunsby, M. A. A. Neil, P. French, S. A. Maier

Experimental proof of concept of nano-particle assisted STED

Nano Letters 14: 4449-4453, 2014.

For a video presentation of these results by my colleague - http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=1939388

• Y. Sivan

Performance improvement in Nano-particle assisted STED nanoscopy
Applied Physics Letters 101: 021111, 2012.

• Y. Sivan, Y. Sonnefraud, S. Kena-Cohen, J. B. Pendry, S. A. Maier

Nano-particle assisted STED nanoscopy
ACS Nano 6: 5291, 2012.

See also Perspective Article at

Plasmonics meets far-field optical nanoscopy
ACS Nano 6: 4580, 2012.

• S. Kena-Cohen, A. Wiener, Y. Sivan, P. N. Stavrinou, D. D. C. Bradley, A. Horsefield, S. A. Maier

Plasmonic sinks for the selective removal of long-lived states

ACS Nano 5: 9958, 2011.

Metamaterial design

• P. Y. Chen, Y. Ben-Yakar, Y. Sivan

Reinterpreting the magnetoelectric coupling of infinite cylinders using symmetry

Physical Review B 94: 035142, 2016.

Airy beam formation

• M. Karpov, T. Congy, Y. Sivan, V. Fleurov, N. Pavloff, S. Bar-Ad

Spontaneously-formed auto-focusing caustics in a confined self-defocusing medium

Optica 2: 1053-1056 (2015).

Plasmon-resonance in metal nano-particles

• M. R. Foreman, Y. Sivan, S. A. Maier and P. Török

Independence of plasmonic near-filed enhancement to illumination beam profile
Physical Review B 86: 155441, 2012.

Loss compensation in plasmonic nanostructures using gain media

• Y. Sivan, S. Xiao, U. K. Chettiar, A. K. Kildishev, V. M. Shalaev

Frequency-domain simulations of a negative-index material with embedded gain
Optics Express 17: 24060-74, 2009.

Solitons in inhomogeneous media

• B. Ilan, Y. Sivan, G. Fibich

A quantitative approach to soliton instability
Optics Letters 36: 397-9, 2011.

• Y. Sivan, G. Fibich, B. Ilan, M. I. Weinstein

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of stability and instability dynamics of positive lattice solitons
Physical Review E 78: 046602, 2008.

Also available at the November 2008 edition of the APS virtual journal.

• Y. Sivan, G. Fibich, B. Ilan

Drift instability and tunneling of lattice solitons
Physical Review E 77: 045601(R), 2008.

• Y. Sivan, G. Fibich, N. K. Efremidis, S. Bar-Ad

Analytic theory of narrow lattice solitons
Nonlinearity 21: 509-536, 2008.

• S.  Le-Coz, R. Fukuizumi, G. Fibich, B. Ksherim, Y. Sivan

Instability of bound states of a nonlinear Schrodinger equation with a Dirac potential
Physica D 237: 1103-1128, 2008.

• Y. Sivan, G. Fibich, and M. I. Weinstein
  Waves in nonlinear lattices: Ultrashort optical pulses and Bose-Einstein condensates
  Physical Review Letters 97: 193902, 2006.

Also available at the October 2006 edition of the APS virtual journal.

• Y. Linzon, Y. Sivan, B. Malomed, M. Zaezjev, R. Morandotti and S. Bar-Ad

Interaction-induced localization of anomalously diffracting nonlinear waves
Physical Review Letters 97: 193901, 2006.

• G. Fibich,  Y. Sivan, and M. I. Weinstein
  Bound states of nonlinear Schrodinger equations with a periodic nonlinear microstructure
  Physica D 217: 31–57, 2006.

Atmospheric propagation

• S. Eisenmann, E. Louzon, Y. Katzir, T. Palchan, A. Zigler, Y. Sivan, and G. Fibich

Control of the filamentation distance and pattern in long-range atmospheric propagation
Optics Express 15: 2779-2784, 2007.

• G. Fibich, Y. Sivan, Y. Ehrlich, E. Louzon, M. Fraenkel, S. Eisenmann, Y. Katzir, and A. Zigler

Control of the collapse distance in atmospheric propagation
Optics Express 14: 4946-4957, 2006.

G r o u p

Current members

Dr. Ieng Wai Un

Dr. Subhajit Sarkar

Dr. Kaizad Rustomji

Dr. Ashish Prajapati

Dr. Imon Kalyan

Tamir Grossinger, PhD candidate

Sravya Rao, PhD candidate

Rebeca Miyar, MSc candidate

Past members

Dr. Parry Chen; now at GreenerWave

Dr. Guillaume Le Saux; at BGU

Dr. Tal Weiss

Dr. K. Nireekshan Reddy; now at KLA Tencor, Israel

Dr. Ioseph Gurwich

Dr. Shlomo Pinhas

Dr. Igal Balin; now at KLA Tencor, Israel

Shimon Elkabetz, MSc

Roy Ayash, MSc

Shai Rozenberg; now at MAFAT, Israel

Yaki Ben-Yakar

T e a c h i n g

Introduction to photoelectronics

Introduction to wave propagation

Introduction to nano-plasmonics and metamaterials

Advanced topics in electromagnetism