Plasmonics for improved photovoltaic devices

Three dimensional design of silver nanoparticle assemblies embedded in dielectrics for Raman spectroscopy enhancement and dark-field imaging

A strategy to design and fabricate hybrid metallic-dielectric substrates for optical spectroscopy and imaging is proposed. Different architectures consisting of three-dimensional patterns of metallic nanoparticles embedded in dielectric layers are conceived to simultaneously exploit the optical interference phenomenon in stratified media and localized surface plasmon resonances on metal nanoparticles. These structures are based on a simultaneous control of opto-electronic properties at three scales (3S) (~2/20/200 nm) and along three directions (3D). By ultralow energy ion implantation through a microfabricated stencil we precisely control the size, density, and location of silver nanoparticles embedded in silica/silicon thin films. Elastic (Rayleigh) and inelastic (Raman) scattering imaging assisted by simulations were used to analyze the optical response of these "3S-3D" patterned layers. The reflectance contrast is strongly enhanced when resonance conditions between the stationary electromagnetic field in the dielectric matrix and the localized plasmon resonance in the silver nanoparticles are realized. The potential of these 3S-3D metal-dielectric structures as surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates is demonstrated. These novel kinds of plasmonic-photonic architectures are reproducible and stable; they preserve flat and chemically uniform surfaces, offering opportunities for the development of efficient and reusable substrates for optical spectroscopy and imaging enhancement.

Infrared plasmonics with indium-tin-oxide nanorod arrays

This article reports the study of infrared plasmonics with both random and periodic arrays of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) nanorods (NR). A description is given on the synthesis, patterning, and characterization of physical properties of the ITO NR arrays. A classical scattering model, along with a 3-D finite-element-method and a 3-D finite-difference-time-domain numerical simulation method has been used to interpret the unique light scattering phenomena. It is also shown that the intrinsic plasma frequency can be varied through careful postsynthesis processing of the ITO NRs. Examples are given on how coupled plasmon resonances can be tuned through patterning of the ITO NR arrays. In addition, environment dielectric sensing has been demonstrated through the shift of the resonances as a result of index change surrounding the NRs. These initial results suggest potential for further improvement and opportunities to develop a good understanding of infrared plasmonics using ITO and other transparent conducting oxide semiconducting materials.

Self-assembly of large-scale and ultrathin silver nanoplate films with tunable plasmon resonance properties

We describe a rapid, simple, room-temperature technique for the production of large-scale metallic thin films with tunable plasmonic properties assembled from size-selected silver nanoplates (SNPs). We outline the properties of a series of ultrathin monolayer metallic films (8-20 nm) self-assembled on glass substrates in which the localized surface plasmon resonance can be tuned over a range from 500 to 800 nm. It is found that the resonance peaks of the films are strongly dependent on the size of the nanoplates and the refractive index of the surrounding dielectric. It is also shown that the bandwidth and the resonance peak of the plasmon resonance spectrum of the metallic films can be engineered by simply controlling aggregation of the SNP. A three-dimensional finite element method was used to investigate the plasmon resonance properties for individual SNPs in different dielectrics and plasmon coupling in SNP aggregates. A 5-17 times enhancement of scattering from these SNP films has been observed experimentally. Our experimental results, together with numerical simulations, indicate that this self-assembly method shows great promise in the production of nanoscale metallic films with enormous electric-field enhancements at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. These may be utilized in biochemical sensing, solar photovoltaic, and optical processing applications.

Isotropic broadband absorption by a macroscopic self-organized plasmonic crystal

We describe the plasmonic properties of a two-dimensional periodic metallic grating of macroscopic size obtained by gold deposition on a self-assembled silica opal. Structural characterization shows a transition from microscopic order to isotropy at macroscopic scale. Optical reflection spectra exhibit a dip of almost complete absorption due to coupling to surface-plasmon-polaritons (SPP). This is explained by theoretical calculations introducing a density of coupled SPP modes. We demonstrate, at a given incidence angle, a broad continuum of coupled wavelengths over the visible spectrum. This opens new possibilities in fields where light-plasmon coupling is required over a broad range of wavelengths and incidence orientations.

Mechanism of optical absorption enhancement in thin film organic solar cells with plasmonic metal nanoparticles

The optical absorption enhancement in thin film organic solar cells (OSCs) with plasmonic metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been studied by means of finite element method with a three-dimension model. It is found that significant plasmonic enhancement of above 100% can be obtained by introducing Ag-NPs at the interface between P3HT:PCBM active layer and PEDOT:PSS anode layer. This enhancement is even larger than that with Ag-NPs totally embedded in the P3HT:PCBM active layer of thin film OSCs. Furthermore, the enhancement mechanism of Ag-NPs at different positions of thin film OSCs is investigated.

Structural colors: from plasmonic to carbon nanostructures

In addition to colorant-based pigmentation, structure is a major contributor to a material's color. In nature, structural color is often caused by the interaction of light with dielectric structures whose dimensions are on the order of visible-light wavelengths. Different optical interactions including multilayer interference, light scattering, the photonic crystal effect, and combinations thereof give rise to selective transmission or reflection of particular light wavelengths, which leads to the generation of structural color. Recent developments in nanofabrication of plasmonic and carbon nanostructures have opened another efficient way to control light properties at the subwavelength scale, including visible-light wavelength selection, which can produce structural color. In this Concept, the most relevant and representative achievements demonstrated over the last several years are presented and analyzed. These plasmonic and carbon nanostructures are believed to offer great potential for high-resolution color displays and spectral filtering applications.

Unidirectional broadband radiation of honeycomb plasmonic antenna array with broken symmetry

Emerging plasmonic and photovoltaic applications benefit from effective interaction between optical antennas and unidirectional incident light over a wide spectrum. Here, we propose a honeycomb array of plasmonic nanoantennas with broken symmetry to obtain a unidirectional radiation pattern over a wide spectrum. The honeycomb nanoantenna array is based on a hexagonal grid with periodically arranged nanostructure building blocks. To analyze the far-field optical distribution and spectral behavior of the plasmonic antenna honeycomb, a two-dimensional Wigner-Seitz unit cell is used together with periodic boundary conditions. As a result of the vectoral superposition of the fields produced by the Wigner-Seitz unit cells, far-zone optical fields interfere constructively or destructively in different directions. The constructive interference along the array's normal direction engenders unidirectional radiation. Due to the broken symmetry of the Wigner-Seitz cell, multiple resonances are supported by the plasmonic antenna honeycomb array over a broad spectrum.

Design of nanostructured plasmonic back contacts for thin-film silicon solar cells

We report on a plasmonic light-trapping concept based on localized surface plasmon polariton induced light scattering at nanostructured Ag back contacts of thin-film silicon solar cells. The electromagnetic interaction between incident light and localized surface plasmon polariton resonances in nanostructured Ag back contacts was simulated with a three-dimensional numerical solver of Maxwell's equations. Geometrical parameters as well as the embedding material of single and periodic nanostructures on Ag layers were varied. The design of the nanostructures was analyzed regarding their ability to scatter incident light at low optical losses into large angles in the silicon absorber layers of the thin-film silicon solar cells.

Combined plasmonic gratings in organic solar cells

We propose an organic solar cell structure with combined silver gratings consisting of both a front and a back grating. This combination provides multiple, semi-independent enhancement mechanisms which act additively, so that a broadband absorption is obtained. Both gratings couple the incident light into various plasmonic modes, showing a more localized or propagating character respectively. In addition, some modes only appear for tilted incident light, and therefore present a complex angle-dependent behavior. We provide extensive numerical simulations, resulting in an optimized period of 490 nm, with front grating elements of 60 by 10nm and back elements of 60 by 30 nm. With these parameters an integrated absorption enhancement factor around 1.35 is observed, with absorption increasing from 48% to 65% under TM polarized light. In addition, the solar cell with combined gratings is much less sensitive to the angle of incident light than the single grating cases. Furthermore, the grating structure does not have a large influence on the TE polarized light absorption.

Exact polarizability and plasmon resonances of partly buried nanowires

The electrostatic polarizability for both vertical and horizontal polarization of two conjoined half-cylinders partly buried in a substrate is derived in an analytical closed-form expression. Using the derived analytical polarizabilities we analyze the localized surface plasmon resonances of three important metal nanowire configurations: (1) a half-cylinder, (2) a half-cylinder on a substrate, and (3) a cylinder partly buried in a substrate. Among other results we show that the substrate plays an important role for spectral location of the plasmon resonances. Our analytical results enable an easy, fast, and exact analysis of many complicated plasmonic nanowire configurations including nanowires on substrates. This is important both for comparison with experimental data, for applications, and as benchmarks for numerical methods.

Hybrid FIB milling strategy for the fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures on semiconductor substrates

The optical properties of plasmonic semiconductor devices fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) milling deteriorate because of the amorphisation of the semiconductor substrate. This study explores the effects of combining traditional 30 kV FIB milling with 5 kV FIB patterning to minimise the semiconductor damage and at the same time maintain high spatial resolution. The use of reduced acceleration voltages is shown to reduce the damage from higher energy ions on the example of fabrication of plasmonic crystals on semiconductor substrates leading to 7-fold increase in transmission. This effect is important for focused-ion beam fabrication of plasmonic structures integrated with photodetectors, light-emitting diodes and semiconductor lasers.

Patterning of plasmonic nanoparticles into multiplexed one-dimensional arrays based on spatially modulated electrostatic potential

We report a new strategy to pattern plasmonic nanoparticles into multiplexed one-dimensional arrays based on the spatially modulated electrostatic potential. The 32 nm Au nanoparticles can be simultaneously deposited on one chip with tunable interparticle distance by solely adjusting the width of the grooves. Furthermore, 32 and 13 nm Au nanoparticles can be selectively deposited in grooves of different widths on one chip. As a result, the surface plasmon absorption bands on the chip can be tuned depending on the interparticle distance or the particle size of multiplex 1D arrays, which could enhance the Raman scattering cross section of the adsorbed molecules and result in multiplex surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) response on the chip. This strategy provides a general method to fabricate 1D multiplex arrays with different particle sizes and interparticle distances on one chip.

Suppression of long-range collective effects in meta-surfaces formed by plasmonic antenna pairs

The collective effects in a periodic array of plasmonic double-antenna meta-molecules are studied. We experimentally observe that the collective behavior in this structure substantially differs from the one observed in their single-antenna counterparts. This behavior is explained using an analytical dipole model. We find that in the double-antenna case the effective dipole-dipole interaction is significantly modified and the transverse long-range interaction is suppressed, giving rise to the disappearance of Wood's anomalies. Numerical calculations also show that such suppression of long-range interaction results in an anomalous spatial dispersion of the electric-dipolar mode, making it insensitive to the angle of incidence. In contrast, the quadrupolar mode of the antenna pair experiences strong spatial dispersion. These results show that collective effects in plasmonic metamaterials are very sensitive to the design and topology of meta-molecules. Our findings envision the possibility of suppressing the spatial dispersion effects to weaken the dependence of the metamaterials' response on the incidence angle.

Nanoplasmonics: past, present, and glimpse into future

A review of nanoplasmonics is given. This includes fundamentals, nanolocalization of optical energy and hot spots, ultrafast nanoplasmonics and control of the spatiotemporal nanolocalization of optical fields, and quantum nanoplasmonics (spaser and gain-assisted plasmonics). This article reviews both fundamental theoretical ideas in nanoplasmonics and selected experimental developments. It is designed both for specialists in the field and general physics readership.

Hybrid nanoplasmonic-photonic resonators for efficient coupling of light to single plasmonic nanoresonators

We show that efficient coupling of lightwave is possible to an individual plasmonic nanoresonator in a hybrid plasmonic-photonic resonator structure. The proposed hybrid structure consists of a photonic microresonator strongly coupled to a plasmonic nanoresonator. The theory and simulation results show that more than 73% of the input power in the waveguide can be coupled to the localized resonance mode of the plasmonic nanoresonator.

Dynamically modulating the surface plasmon resonance of doped semiconductor nanocrystals

Localized surface plasmon absorption features arise at high doping levels in semiconductor nanocrystals, appearing in the near-infrared range. Here we show that the surface plasmons of tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystal films can be dynamically and reversibly tuned by postsynthetic electrochemical modulation of the electron concentration. Without ion intercalation and the associated material degradation, we induce a > 1200 nm shift in the plasmon wavelength and a factor of nearly three change in the carrier density.

Optimized spatial correlations for broadband light trapping nanopatterns in high efficiency ultrathin film a-Si:H solar cells

Nanophotonic structures have attracted attention for light trapping in solar cells with the potential to manage and direct light absorption on the nanoscale. While both randomly textured and nanophotonic structures have been investigated, the relationship between photocurrent and the spatial correlations of random or designed surfaces has been unclear. Here we systematically design pseudorandom arrays of nanostructures based on their power spectral density, and correlate the spatial frequencies with measured and simulated photocurrent. The integrated cell design consists of a patterned plasmonic back reflector and a nanostructured semiconductor top interface, which gives broadband and isotropic photocurrent enhancement.

Palladium-based plasmonic perfect absorber in the visible wavelength range and its application to hydrogen sensing

We report on the experimental realization of a palladium-based plasmonic perfect absorber at visible wavelengths and its application to hydrogen sensing. Our design exhibits a reflectance <0.5% and zero transmittance at 650 nm and the operation wavelength of the absorber can be tuned by varying its structural parameters. Exposure to hydrogen gas causes a rapid and reversible increase in reflectance on a time scale of seconds. This pronounced response introduces a novel optical hydrogen detection scheme with very high values of the relative intensity response.

A compact light concentrator by the use of plasmonic faced folded nano-rods

We propose a compact nano-metallic structure for enhancing and concentrating far-field transmission: a faced folded nano-rod (FFR) unit, composed of two folded metallic nano-rods placed facing each other in an aperture. By analyzing local charge, field, and current distributions in the FFR unit using three-dimensional finite difference time domain (FDTD) calculation results, we show that although charge and field configurations become somewhat different depending on the polarization states of the illumination, similar current flows are formed in the FFR unit, which entail similar far-field radiation patterns regardless of the polarization states, making the FFR unit a quasi-polarization-insensitive field concentrator. We demonstrate this functionality of the FFR unit experimentally using the holographic microscopy which provides us a three-dimensional map of the complex wavefronts of optical fields emanating from the FFR unit.

Absorption enhancement in solution processed metal-semiconductor nanocomposites

We present a full wave 3D simulation study of optical absorption enhancement in solution processed metal-semiconductor nanocomposite ultrathin films, which consist of colloidal metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) and semiconductor matrices of polymer and colloidal quantum dots (CQD). We present an approach for modeling the optical properties of a CQD film, and study the effect of the optical properties of the semiconductor in the near field enhancement showing that CQD is a very promising platform to exploit the benefits of the near-field effects. We show that over a 100% enhancement can be achieved in the visible-near infrared region of the spectrum for CQD PbS films, with a maximum gain factor of 4 when MNPs are on resonance. We study in detail the effect of MNP capping for different ligand lengths and materials and propose solutions to optimize absorption enhancement.

Highly efficient plasmon-enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells through metal@oxide core-shell nanostructure

We have investigated the effects of localized surface plasmons (LSPs) on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The LSPs from Ag nanoparticles (NPs) increase the absorption of the dye molecules, allowing us to decrease the thickness of photoanodes, which improves electron collection and device performance. The plasmon-enhanced DSSCs became feasible through incorporating core-shell Ag@TiO(2) NPs into conventional TiO(2) photoanodes. The thin shell keeps the photoelectrons from recombining on the surface of metal NPs with dye and electrolyte and improves the stability of metal NPs. With 0.6 wt % Ag@TiO(2) NPs, the power conversion efficiency of DSSCs with thin photoanodes (1.5 μm) increases from 3.1% to 4.4%. Moreover, a small amount of Ag@TiO(2) NPs (0.1 wt %) improves efficiency from 7.8% to 9.0% while decreasing photoanode thickness by 25% for improved electron collection. In addition, plasmon-enhanced DSSCs require 62% less material to maintain the same efficiency as conventional DSSCs.

Semishells: versatile plasmonic nanoparticles

Localized surface plasmon excitations in metal nanostructures have a strong impact on light scattering, absorption, and local field intensities at the nanoscale. Tweaking the nanoparticle shape, size, and material enables researchers to engineer the resonance wavelength position, the nanoparticles' local field enhancement, and their scattering properties. In particular, by breaking the symmetry of originally symmetric nanostructures, additional degrees of freedom can be explored. One particular example of a highly investigated nanostructure is the so-called semishell (or nanocup or nanocrescent moon). In this issue of ACS Nano, King et al. report on the angular and spectral scattering properties of plasmonic semishells and the effect of a high-index substrate on these properties.

Angle- and spectral-dependent light scattering from plasmonic nanocups

As optical frequency nanoantennas, reduced-symmetry plasmonic nanoparticles have light-scattering properties that depend strongly on geometry, orientation, and variations in dielectric environment. Here we investigate how these factors influence the spectral and angular dependence of light scattered by Au nanocups. A simple dielectric substrate causes the axial, electric dipole mode of the nanocup to deviate substantially from its characteristic cos(2) θ free space scattering profile, while the transverse, magnetic dipole mode remains remarkably insensitive to the presence of the substrate. Nanoscale irregularities of the nanocup rim and the local substrate permittivity have a surprisingly large effect on the spectral- and angle-dependent light-scattering properties of these structures.

Continuous layer gap plasmon resonators

We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that a gold nanostrip supported by a thin dielectric (silicon dioxide) film and a gold underlay forms an efficient (Fabry-Perot) resonator for gap surface plasmons. Periodic nanostrip arrays are shown to exhibit strong and narrow resonances with nearly complete absorption and quality factors of ~15-20 in the near-infrared. Two-photon luminescence microscopy measurements reveal intensity enhancement factors of ~120 in the 400-nm-period array of 85-nm-wide gold strips atop a 23-nm-thick silica film at the resonance wavelength of ~770 nm. Excellent resonant characteristics, the simplicity of tuning the resonance wavelength by adjusting the nanostrip width and/or the dielectric film thickness and the ease of fabrication with (only) one lithography step required make the considered plasmonic configuration very attractive for a wide variety of applications, ranging from surface sensing to photovoltaics.

A bimetallic nanoantenna for directional colour routing

Recent progress in nanophotonics includes demonstrations of meta-materials displaying negative refraction at optical frequencies, directional single photon sources, plasmonic analogies of electromagnetically induced transparency and spectacular Fano resonances. The physics behind these intriguing effects is to a large extent governed by the same single parameter—optical phase. Here we describe a nanophotonic structure built from pairs of closely spaced gold and silver disks that show phase accumulation through material-dependent plasmon resonances. The bimetallic dimers show exotic optical properties, in particular scattering of red and blue light in opposite directions, in spite of being as compact as ∼λ³/100. These spectral and spatial photon-sorting nanodevices can be fabricated on a wafer scale and offer a versatile platform for manipulating optical response through polarization, choice of materials and geometrical parameters, thereby opening possibilities for a wide range of practical applications.

Plasmon resonances occur as collective excitations of surface electrons in noble metal nanoparticles. This study presents a new way of manipulating their behaviour by creating bimetallic dimers which, as a result of their asymmetric composition, give rise to unusual optical properties.

Controlling the interplay of electric and magnetic modes via Fano-like plasmon resonances

Assemblies of strongly coupled plasmonic nanoparticles can support highly tunable electric and magnetic resonances in the visible spectrum. In this Letter, we theoretically demonstrate Fano-like interference effects between the fields radiated by the electric and magnetic modes of symmetric nanoparticle trimers. Breaking the symmetry of the trimer system leads to a strong interaction between the modes. The near and far-field electromagnetic properties of the broken symmetry trimer are tunable across a large spectral range. We exploit this Fano-like effect to demonstrate spatial and temporal control of the localized electromagnetic hotspots in the plasmonic trimer.

Electron enrichment in 3d transition metal oxide hetero-nanostructures

Direct experimental observation of spontaneous electron enrichment of metal d orbitals in a new transition metal oxide heterostructure with nanoscale dimensionality is reported. Aqueous chemical synthesis and vapor phase deposition are combined to fabricate oriented arrays of high-interfacial-area hetero-nanostructures comprised of titanium oxide and iron oxide nanomaterials. Synchrotron-based soft X-ray spectroscopy techniques with high spectral resolution are utilized to directly probe the titanium and oxygen orbital character of the interfacial region's occupied and unoccupied densities of states. These data demonstrate the interface to possess electrons in Ti 3d bands and an emergent degree of orbital hybridization that is absent in parent oxide reference crystals. The carrier dynamics of the hetero-nanostructures are studied by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, which reveals the presence of a dense manifold of states, the relaxations from which exhibit multiple exponential decays whose magnitudes depend on their energetic positions within the electronic structure.

Active modulation of nanorod plasmons

Confining visible light to nanoscale dimensions has become possible with surface plasmons. Many plasmonic elements have already been realized. Nanorods, for example, function as efficient optical antennas. However, active control of the plasmonic response remains a roadblock for building optical analogues of electronic circuits. We present a new approach to modulate the polarized scattering intensities of individual gold nanorods by 100% using liquid crystals with applied voltages as low as 4 V. This novel effect is based on the transition from a homogeneous to a twisted nematic phase of the liquid crystal covering the nanorods. With our method it will be possible to actively control optical antennas as well as other plasmonic elements.

Monolithic integration of continuously tunable plasmonic nanostructures

We demonstrate precise three-dimensional integration of smooth bumps, grooves, and apertures in optically thick metal films using template stripping. Patterned silicon wafers are used as high-quality, reusable templates. The heights or depths of the metallic features are controlled to within 2 nm, giving continuously tunable optical properties with sharp and intense plasmonic resonances. Furthermore, we demonstrate a pick-and-place template stripping method in situ, enabling versatile three-dimensional micromanipulation, imaging, and characterization of nanoscale devices.

Loss compensation by gain and spasing

We present a theory of the effective dielectric response of metamaterials containing gain. We demonstrate analytically that the conditions of spaser generation and the full loss compensation in a dense resonant plasmonic-gain metamaterial are identical. Consequently, attempting the full compensation or overcompensation of losses by gain will lead to an instability and a transition to a spaser state. This will limit (clamp) the inversion and eliminate the net gain. As a result, the full loss compensation (overcompensation) in such metamaterials is impossible. The criterion of the loss overcompensation, leading to the instability and spasing, is given in an analytical and a universal (independent from system geometry) form. Comparison with existing experiments is carried out.

Nonlinear plasmonics at planar metal surfaces

We investigate the nonlinear optical response of a noble metal surface. We derive the components of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility and determine an absolute value of χ((3))≈0.2 nm(2) V(-2), a value that is more than two orders of magnitude larger than the values found for typical nonlinear laser crystals. Using nonlinear four-wave mixing (4WM) with incident laser pulses of frequencies ω(1) and ω(2), we generate fields oscillating at the nonlinear frequency ω(4WM)=2ω(1)-ω(2). We identify and discuss three distinct regimes: (i) a regime where the 4WM field is propagating, (ii) a regime where it is evanescent, and (iii) a regime where the nonlinear response couples to surface plasmon polaritons.

Modal analysis of enhanced absorption in silicon nanowire arrays

We analyze the absorption of solar radiation by silicon nanowire arrays, which are being considered for photovoltaic applications. These structures have been shown to have enhanced absorption compared with thin films, however the mechanism responsible for this is not understood. Using a new, semi-analytic model, we show that the enhanced absorption can be attributed to a few modes of the array, which couple well to incident light, overlap well with the nanowires, and exhibit strong Fabry-Pérot resonances. For some wavelengths the absorption is further enhanced by slow light effects. We study the evolution of these modes with wavelength to explain the various features of the absorption spectra, focusing first on a dilute array at normal incidence, before generalizing to a dense array and off-normal angles of incidence. The understanding developed will allow for optimization of simple SiNW arrays, as well as the development of more advanced designs.

Plasmon-induced modulation of the emission spectra of the fluorescent molecules near gold nanorods

Both the excitation and emission processes of a fluorescent molecule positioned near a noble metal nanocrystal can interact strongly with the localized surface plasmon resonance of the metal nanocrystal. While the effects of this plasmon-fluorophore interaction on the intensity, polarization, and direction of the fluorescence emission have been intensively investigated, the plasmonic effect on the emission spectrum has barely been explored. We show, on the single-particle level, that the localized surface plasmon resonance of Au nanorods can strongly alter the spectral profile of the emission from adjacent fluorescent molecules. The fluorescent molecules are embedded in a mesostructured silica shell that is uniformly coated on each Au nanorod. The longitudinal plasmon resonance wavelengths of the nanorods are deliberately shifted away from the intrinsic fluorescence emission peak wavelength by synthetically tuning the nanorod aspect ratio. The resultant emission spectra of the fluorescent molecules are found to be remarkably modulated. Besides the intrinsic fluorescence peak, a plasmon-induced new peak emerges at the plasmon resonance wavelength. The intensity of this plasmon-induced fluorescence peak increases as the size of the Au nanorod is increased. This spectral modulation can be understood by depicting the decay process of the fluorophore with multiple vibrational energy levels. The plasmon with a specific resonance energy will enhance the transition rate between the energy levels that have the transition energy approximately equal to the plasmon energy. This plasmon-enhanced transition rate results in a modulated spectral profile of the fluorescence emission.

Templating of self-alignment patterns of anisotropic gold nanoparticles on ordered SWNT macrostructures

We report a simple and versatile technique for oriented assembly of gold nanorods on aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) macrostructures, such as thin nanotube films and nanotube fibers. The deposition and assembly is accomplished via drop drying of dilute gold nanorod suspensions on SWNT macrostructures under ambient conditions. Guided by anisotropic interactions, gold nanorods, and polygonal platelets spontaneously align with SWNTs, resulting in macroscopic arrays of locally ordered nanorods supported on aligned SWNT substrates. SEM reveals that the scalar order parameter of rods relative to the local average SWNT alignment is 0.7 for rods on SWNT films and 0.9 for rods on SWNT fibers. This self-alignment is enabled by anisotropic gold nanoparticle-SWNT interactions and is observed for a wide range of nanoparticles, including nanorods with aspect ratios ranging from 2-35, thin gold triangular and other polygonal platelets. The plasmonic properties of aligned gold nanorods together with superior electronic, chemical and mechanical properties of SWNTs make these hybrid nanocomposites valuable for the design of self-assembled multifunctional optoelectronic materials and optical metamaterials.

Harvesting light at the nanoscale by GaAs-gold nanowire arrays

A nanoscale metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector with a 40 nm-thick GaAs absorbing layer has been studied numerically and experimentally. A gold nanowire array is the top mirror of a Fabry-Perot cavity and forms interdigitated Schottky contacts. Nearly perfect absorption is achieved in TE polarization. It is shown numerically that the gold nanowire array induces light absorption in GaAs nanowires with tiny sections (100 nm × 40 nm). High external quantum efficiency (η > 40 %) is demonstrated.

Light funneling mechanism explained by magnetoelectric interference

We investigate the mechanisms involved in the funneling of optical energy into subwavelength grooves etched on a metallic surface. The key phenomenon is unveiled thanks to the decomposition of the electromagnetic field into its propagative and evanescent parts. We unambiguously show that the funneling is not due to plasmonic waves flowing toward the grooves, but rather to the magnetoelectric interference of the incident wave with the evanescent field, this field being mainly due to the resonant wave escaping from the groove.