Laser-produced gaseous plasmonic resonators

We study the electromagnetic scattering properties of a gaseous plasma resonator generated by laser-induced gas breakdown. A simple analytical model is used to describe the scattering resonance of these near-ellipsoidal plasmas and its dependence on their eccentricity and intrinsic plasma properties. This dependence is investigated through Ku band transmission experiments of a waveguide with an embedded single plasma element and optical diagnostics of the laser-induced plasma. The described resonator has the potential to be used as the building block in a new class of metamaterials with fully three-dimensional structural flexibility.