Fluorescence of Single Rhodamine Molecules Near the Surface of Gold

Abstract

Fluorescent properties of single Rhodamine molecules at different distances to the surface of a high-quality polycrystalline gold film are investigated by the time-correlated single-photon counting technique. The fluorescence lifetime and the fluorescence intensity of the dye molecules as a function of their distance to the gold surface are modeled quantitatively by a classical model for a horizontal electric dipole. The analysis shown herein represents a useful tool to model and further to control molecular fluorescence near complex plasmonic structures, where delicate manipulation of fluorescence emission intensity is of paramount importance.