We have studied the problem of light scattering by an ensemble of dipoles with both electric and magnetic polarizabilities. Using the coupled electric and magnetic dipole method as the formal base, we have generalized the eigenvector decomposition of the local dipole moments previously derived for purely electric particles to the case of both electric and magnetic dipoles. We have analyzed the properties of eigenvalues and eigenvectors in the most elementary case of two particles. In the purely electric case, the eigenvalues correspond to the resonance modes of the system due to the electromagnetic coupling of its components. For a two-dipole system with both electric and magnetic responses, purely electric, purely magnetic, and mixed states can be distinguished. The resonance spectrum is analyzed as a function of the magnetic permeability, and it is shown that the latter can be fitted quite accurately by the eigenmode decomposition.

International audienceWe show that the study of gold nanoparticle self-assemblies induced by a liquid crystal matrix reveals the intimate distorted structure of the liquid crystal existing prior to nanoparticles incorporation. We also show how this intimate structure monitors the spacing between nanoparticles in the self-assemblies. We have created hybrid films of cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) and gold nanoparticles, the CLC being deformed by competing anchorings at its two interfaces. Whereas previous results have evidenced formation of only slightly anisotropic clusters of large nanoparticles (diameter 20nm), we now demonstrate for smaller nanoparticles (diameter 4.2nm) formation of long needles of length larger than 50 nanoparticles and width smaller than 5 nanoparticles, on average oriented perpendicular to the anchoring direction. The difference between the two kinds of nanoparticle aggregations is interpreted by a modification of the balance between aggregation between nanoparticles and trapping by the defects, favoured by the disorder induced by the alkylthiol molecules grafted around the nanoparticles. This leads to a well-defined, anisotropic Localized Surface Plasmonic Resonance (LSPR) of the 4.2nm embedded nanoparticles. Interpretation of these optical properties using generalized Mie theory allows for a comparison between CLC/gold nanoparticles and the same nanoparticles trapped within smectic topological defects or deposited on the same substrate without liquid crystal. A smaller spacing between nanoparticles is demonstrated in the CLC system with an attraction between nanoparticles induced by the CLC matrix, related to the additionnal disorder associated with the nanoparticles presence. The experimental observations allow us to estimate the disordered size of the liquid crystal shell around the nanoparticles in the CLC to be of some nanometers. They also suggest that the CLC distorted by competing anchorings is characterized by the presence of arrays of defects with topological cores of width smaller than 5nm that act as efficient anisotropic traps for the nanoparticles

We present an extensive experimental study of microwave scattering by a fully characterized complex aggregate. We measured the full amplitude scattering matrix (amplitude and phase of the four elements) for a wide range of configurations. The presented results are of special interest to the light scattering community. Our experiments offer the possibility to validate numerical methods against experiments, since the geometrical and dielectric properties of the complex target are known to a high degree of precision, a situation difficult to attain in the optical regime. We analyze in detail the behaviour of amplitude and phase as a function of the scattering angle and target orientation. Furthermore, we compare different computational methods for a specific experimental configuration.