Plasmon Excitation of Atomic Clusters and Their Assembly by Electrons and Photons

Abstract

The structures and properties of the atomic clusters are neither like those of the corresponding atoms and molecules nor bulk solid. It is quite natural that the materials composed of those clusters exhibit some new properties. Moreover, cluster assemblies have shown even large variety of optical, electric and magnetic responses due to localized coupling between the clusters, leading to the enhancement of certain unusual properties. In this review we present some examples such as the enhanced Raman scattering of ordered lattice of metal clusters, multi-phase plasmon excitation of silver cluster dimer and cluster chains by electrons and photons. We demonstrate that the novel properties of these cluster assemblies could have potential applications in manufacturing new-type nanomaterials and quantum devices, such as plasmonics and nano-optical devices.