Metal Nanostructure Arrays Research Articles

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect of silver nanoparticles array

The Raman signal of adsorbed Raman probe molecule can be significantly enhanced by using metallic nanostructures with high-density hot spots as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. A great effort has been devoted to the improving of the SERS detection sensitivity and reproducibility by preparing ordered metal nanostructure arrays with controlled particle size, shape and hot spot position, which are used as SERS substrates. In this paper, we prepare high-density Ag nanoparticle arrays by electrochemical deposition in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The particle size and the nanogap between the adjacent particles can be adjusted by changing the deposition time. The structures and surface plasmons of Ag nanoparticle arrays are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and reflectance spectra. The size of the gap between the particles significantly affects the plasmon resonance and the plasmon coupling between the particles. The SERS properties of Ag nanoparticle arrays are investigated by using 1, 4-benzenedithiol (1, 4-BDT) as Raman probe molecule. The Ag nanoparticle arrays with high SERS detection sensitivity and high reproducibility (uniformity) are prepared by optimizing the deposition time (the nanogap between the adjacent particles), and the detection limit of the 1, 4-BDT can reach 10-13 mol/L. The relative standard deviation of the SERS signal intensity randomly measured from 20 spots on the Ag nanoparticle array substrate is 5.35%. The finite-difference time domain simulations confirm that the plasmon coupling between nanoparticles is strong, and that the coupling between the nanoparticles will increase as the nanogap decreases. Additionally, the local field is enhanced at the bottom of the nanoparticle and the gap between the Ag nanoparticle and the AAO template is larger. These results show that Ag nanoparticle array can be used as a high-efficiency SERS substrate.

Super-Resolution Trapping: A Nanoparticle Manipulation Using Nonlinear Optical Response

Optical manipulation of nanoparticles (NPs) with nanoscale precision has been a goal of several research fields. One of the promising ways to realize this is the usage of localized surface plasmon (LSP). The electric field at hotspots near metallic structures is highly localized, which generates a sufficient force to trap NPs, and at the same time, the optical nonlinearity of NPs appears. In this Letter, we propose a scheme to super-resolutionally trap the NP into a particular hotspot of the metallic nanostructure array. The scheme is based on the optical nonlinearity of NPs, and utilizes two kinds of structured light: Gaussian and Laguerre-Gaussian beams. The results show the significant role of the optical nonlinearity in LSP trappings, and they are expected to open up new degrees of freedom to manipulate NPs.

Using Particle Lithography to Tailor the Architecture of Au Nanoparticle Plasmonic Nanoring Arrays.

The facile assembly of metal nanostructured arrays is a fundamental step in the design of plasmon enhanced chemical sensing and solar cell architectures. Here we have investigated methods of creating controlled formations of two-dimensional periodic arrays comprised of 20 nm Au nanoparticles (NPs) on a hydrophilic polymer surface using particle lithography. To direct the assembly process, capillary force and NP concentration both play critical roles on the resulting nanostructured arrays. As such, tuning these experimental parameters can directly be used to modify the nature of the nanostructures formed. To explore this, two different concentrations of Au NP solutions (∼7 × 1011 or 4 × 1012 NPs/mL) were used in conjunction with a fixed concentration of polystyrene microspheres (PS MS, ∼6 × 109 PS MS/mL). Assembly at a relative humidity (RH) of 45% with the higher concentration resulted in the formation of well-defined Au nanorings of ca. 23 nm in height and 881 nm in diameter with a pitch of 2.5 μm. Assembly at 65% RH with the lower concentration of NPs resulted in Au nanodonut arrays comprised of isolated single Au NPs. To explore the extent of coupling in the well-defined structures, dark field scattering spectra were collected and showed a broad localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak with a shoulder, which full-wave electrodynamics modeling (finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method) attributed to be a result of pronounced particle-particle coupling along the circumference of the nanoring array.

A Review of Three-Dimensional Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (3D-SNOM) and Its Applications in Nanoscale Light Management

In this article, we present an overview of aperture and apertureless type scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) techniques that have been developed, with a focus on three-dimensional (3D) SNOM methods. 3D SNOM has been undertaken to image the local distribution (within ~100 nm of the surface) of the electromagnetic radiation scattered by random and deterministic arrays of metal nanostructures or photonic crystal waveguides. Individual metal nanoparticles and metal nanoparticle arrays exhibit unique effects under light illumination, including plasmon resonance and waveguiding properties, which can be directly investigated using 3D-SNOM. In the second part of this article, we will review a few applications in which 3D-SNOM has proven to be useful for designing and understanding specific nano-optoelectronic structures. Examples include the analysis of the nano-optical response phonetic crystal waveguides, aperture antennae and metal nanoparticle arrays, as well as the design of plasmonic solar cells incorporating random arrays of copper nanoparticles as an optical absorption enhancement layer, and the use of 3D-SNOM to probe multiple components of the electric and magnetic near-fields without requiring specially designed probe tips. A common denominator of these examples is the added value provided by 3D-SNOM in predicting the properties-performance relationship of nanostructured systems.

Optically saturated and unsaturated collective resonances of flat metallic nanoantenna arrays

We study collective optical properties of arrays of flat gold nanoantennas, demonstrating they can support optically saturated and unsaturated plasmonic lattice modes when the incident light is polarized along their short axes. The saturated mode is nearly immune to the variation of the refractive index of the environment, while the unsaturated mode undergoes a large red shift without degradation as the refractive index increases. Our results show that when the incident light becomes polarized along the long axes of the nanoantennas, an increase of the refractive index of the superstrate leads to the formation of secondary plasmon peaks. These peaks are spectrally narrow and can detect variations of the ambient refractive index with a sensitivity of up to 620 nm/RIU (refractive index unit). The results suggest that the periodic arrays of flat metallic nanostructures can support hybridization of their multipolar plasmonic resonances with diffraction orders with distinct similarities and differences compared to those seen in cases of arrays of metallic nanorods.

Tunable polarization-independent plasmonically induced transparency based on metal-graphene metasurface.

A tunable polarization-independent dual-band plasmonically induced transparency (PIT) device based on metal-graphene nanostructures is proposed theoretically and numerically at mid-infrared frequencies, which is composed of two kinds of center-symmetric metallic nanostructure array with different sizes and element numbers placed on separate graphene interdigitated finger sets, respectively. The coupled Lorentz oscillator model is used to explain the physical mechanism of PIT effect at multiple frequency domains. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solutions are employed to simulate the characteristics of the polarization-independent metal-graphene PIT device, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis. The PIT peaks, obtained at two frequency domains, are separately and dynamically modulated by varying the Fermi energy of corresponding graphene finger set without changing the geometrical parameter of the metallic nanostructure. By the carefully selected element numbers of nanostructure arrays, the resonance strength of the PIT peaks at two frequency domains are nearly close. And the PIT device has identical response to the various polarized incident field due to the center symmetry of the metallic nanostructure, which have advantages in practical applications with no polarization-dependent loss.

Nanoimprint methods for the fabrication of macroscopic plasmonically active metal nanostructures

In this article, we present a refined nanostructuring method, lift-off nanoimprint lithography (LO-NIL), which allows the deposition of high-quality metal nanostructures due to a bilayer resist process and compare it to nano-transfer printing (nTP), a purely additive metal printing technique. LO-NIL and nTP are used as accurate methods for the fabrication of ordered plasmonic metal nanostructure arrays on semiconducting substrates over large areas using the example of gold nanodisks on silicon. The possibility of feature size adjustment in LO-NIL during the fabrication process is especially useful for tuning plasmonic resonance peaks between the visible and the mid-infrared range as well as fine-tuning of these resonances. In UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopic measurements, a significant blueshift in the plasmonic resonance was found for nTP samples compared to the ones fabricated with the lift-off technique. It was concluded that this shift originates from a metal/substrate interface roughness resulting in a change in the dielectric properties of this layer. This finding was verified with finite difference time-domain simulations where a similar trend was found for a model with an assumed thin air gap in this interface. In cyclic voltammetry measurements under illumination, a reduced overpotential by almost 400 mV for CO2 reduction and hydrogen evolution was found for LO-NIL samples.

Label-free detection of DNA hybridization with a compact LSPR-based fiber-optic sensor.

A miniaturized, robust, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-coupled fiber-optic (FO) nanoprobe providing an integrated and portable solution for detection of DNA hybridization and measurement of DNA concentrations has been demonstrated. The FO nanoprobe was created by constructing arrays of metallic nanostructures on the end facets of optical fibers utilizing nanofabrication technologies, including electron beam lithography and lift-off processes. The LSPR-FO nanoprobe device offers real-time, label-free, and low-sample-volume quantification of single-strand DNA in water with high sensitivity and selectivity, achieving a limit of detection around 10 fM. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the LSPR-FO nanoprobe device as a compact and low-cost biosensor for detection of short-strand DNA.

Surface Lattice Resonances for Enhanced and Directional Electroluminescence at High Current Densities.

Hybrid photonic-plasmonic modes in periodic arrays of metallic nanostructures offer a promising trade-off between high-quality cavities and subdiffraction mode confinement. However, their application in electrically driven light-emitting devices is hindered by their sensitivity to the surrounding environment and to charge injecting metallic electrodes in particular. Here, we demonstrate that the planar structure of light-emitting field-effect transistor (LEFET) ensures undisturbed operation of the characteristic modes. We incorporate a square array of gold nanodisks into the charge transporting and emissive layer of a polymer LEFET in order to tailor directionality and emission efficiency via the Purcell effect and variation of the fractional local density of states in particular. Angle- and polarization-resolved spectra confirm that the enhanced electroluminescence correlates with the dispersion curves of the surface lattice resonances supported by these structures. These LEFETs reach current densities on the order of 10 kA/cm2, which may pave the way toward practical optoelectronic devices with tailored emission patterns and potentially electrically pumped plasmonic lasers.

Superplastic Formation of Metal Nanostructure Arrays with Ultrafine Gaps.

Laser shock compression of plasmonic nanoarrays results in ultrafine tunable line-gaps at sub-10 nm scale by collaborative superplastic flow. From molecular dynamics analysis, the metal nanostructures change from crystalline to liquid-like metals, expanding quickly but never fusing together, even when they are very close. This technique enables good tunability of surface plasmon resonances and significantly enhanced local fields.

Increase the absorption plasm and the flow of light energy in ultra-thin films gaas solar nano-structured metal

The silicon thin film solar cells in the visible region, The low absorption which reduces its efficiency. The use of metallic nanostructures help, to increase light absorption and reduce the size of the entire structure will be. The process of light absorption in solar cells is one of the factors in improving the performance of solar cells. Silicon thin film solar cells, in the visible region, the absorption is low. Using arrays of metallic nanostructures, Semiconductors such as silicon or germanium on, Radiation absorption, a significant amount used in the top layer. Metal nanostructures for their ability to excite PLASMONS, (Collective oscillations of free electrons) are being considered. PLASMONS, surface electromagnetic waves, They are strictly limited to the field level, And that's why the border field strength is high, As a result, the surface PLASMON excitation, Square in the vicinity of heavily reinforced silicon and thus the absorption of light, The silicon layer is increased significantly. Keyword: Plasmon light energy; NANO-structured metal

Generic Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Branches on Metal Oxide Arrays Exhibiting Stable High-Rate and Long-Cycle Sodium-Ion Storage.

A new and generic strategy to construct interwoven carbon nanotube (CNT) branches on various metal oxide nanostructure arrays (exemplified by V2 O3 nanoflakes, Co3 O4 nanowires, Co3 O4 -CoTiO3 composite nanotubes, and ZnO microrods), in order to enhance their electrochemical performance, is demonstrated for the first time. In the second part, the V2 O3 /CNTs core/branch composite arrays as the host for Na(+) storage are investigated in detail. This V2 O3 /CNTs hybrid electrode achieves a reversible charge storage capacity of 612 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) and outstanding high-rate cycling stability (a capacity retention of 100% after 6000 cycles at 2 A g(-1) , and 70% after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g(-1) ). Kinetics analysis reveals that the Na(+) storage is a pseudocapacitive dominating process and the CNTs improve the levels of pseudocapacitive energy by providing a conductive network.

Arrays of metallic micro-/nano-structures by means of colloidal lithography and laser dewetting

Long-range arrays of prismatoid metal nanostructures are fabricated by a hybrid methodology, i.e. using Langmuir microsphere films and laser-assisted dewetting. As the initial step, we use colloidal lithography. Monolayers of 1–5μm polystyrene microspheres covered with a thermally evaporated Ag or Au thin film of controlled thickness (5–50nm) are then used as masks to pattern the surface of quartz, BK7 glass or silicon substrates, typically in the order of cm2. When removing the spheres by physico-chemical means (ultrasound bath and solvent wash), the resulting surface shows an array of nm-size prismatoid structures (Fischer patterns), that can be further processed by laser. Thus, by using two different lasers (355-nm wavelength, 50-ps duration and 193-nm wavelength, 15-ns duration) for the metal dewetting, we control the shape of the deposited nanostructures. A detailed study is presented here on the reshaping of such metal structures through laser annealing. This new hybrid methodology expands the panel of microsphere-assisted technologies employed in preparing surface nanomaterials.

Электрохимический синтез и кристаллическая структура упорядоченных массивов нанотрубок кобальта

In this paper, using the method of electrochemical template synthesis, ordered arrays of metallic nanostructures on the basis of cobalt with various dimensions (180-380 nm) were obtained. The diameter of Co-nanotubes was controlled by original polymer matrix, which provided to prepare arrays consisting of individually standing cobalt nanotubes. The crystal structure of the synthesized samples was studied by X-ray diffraction to determine cell parameters and crystallite size. Decrease of the conductive properties of Co - nanotubes can be explained by inhomogeneity of the crystallites formed during synthesis, because the growth rate of nanostructures directly affects the size of the crystallites.

Induced correlation between molecules in different plasmonic fields

We theoretically examine the optical responses of two molecules near gold nanoblocks which generate strongly localized near-fields due to localized surface plasmon resonance. The molecules located in the near-fields efficiently interact with light. As a result, we find that correlations between the molecules exist, even though the molecules are distantly positioned. Because these correlations are of importance to collective behaviors of the molecules such as superradiance and superfluorescence, this result implies the possibility of these collective behaviors being generated through the plasmonic fields. Besides, correlations between molecules must be taken into account with regards to device applications of metallic nanostructure arrays.

Gold Elliptic Nanocavity Array Biosensor With High Refractive Index Sensitivity Based on Two-Photon Nanolithography

Metallic nanostructure arrays have been highlighted by their tremendously promising applications, such as biosensors, light harvesting, and fluorescence enhancement. To reach the aim of obtaining an inexpensive gold elliptic nanocavity array (GENA) biosensor, which has high refractive index sensitivity, the two-photon nanolithography, with the advantages of high resolution, low cost, time-saving, etc., is used to fabricate GENAs. The characteristics of these GENA biosensors are experimentally and theoretically investigated. A finite-difference time-domain method is applied to analyze the GENAs' localized surface plasmon resonance modes in the transmission spectra of GENAs and steady-state field intensity distributions. The refractive index sensitivities of the GENAs are characterized by the transmission spectra of GENAs in water and varied concentrations of NaCl solution. The results illustrate that the GENA biosensor under coupled mode sensing has high refractive index sensitivity, which reaches 562 nm/RIU.

Tunable dual-band infrared polarization filter based on a metal-dielectric-metal compound rectangular strip array

A tunable dual-band infrared polarization filter is proposed and investigated. Based on the perfect absorption characteristic of the metal-dielectric-metal sandwich structure, the reflection spectrum performs as a filter. The filter consists of three layers. The top layer is a compound metal nano-structure array comprised of rectangular strips. The middle and bottom layers are a dielectric spacer and metal film, respectively. The calculated results show that the filter properties are closely related to the polarization of the incident light. Different dual-band wavelengths are filtered while the incident light has different polarizations, which are parallel or vertical to the x axis. Moreover, it is found that the resonant wavelength strongly depends on the length of the rectangular strip (which causes the resonant effect) and is independent of other strips. Therefore, the filter wavelengths can be tuned freely by adjusting the length of the corresponding rectangular strip. In addition, the calculated results show that all of the intensities at the filter wavelengths are closed to zero, which implies that the filter exhibits good filtering performance.

Well-designed metal nanostructured arrays for label-free plasmonic biosensing

Well-designed metal nanostructured arrays hold great advantages for on-chip label-free plasmonic biosensing, meeting the need for portable and rapid diagnosis.

Cell responses to metallic nanostructure arrays with complex geometries

Metallic nanopillar/nanowires are emerging as promising platforms for biological applications, as they allow for the direct characterization and regulation of cell function. Herein we study the response of cells to a versatile nanopillar platform. Nanopillar arrays of various shape, size, and spacing and different nanopillar-substrate interfacial strengths were fabricated and interfaced with fibroblasts and several unique cell-nanopillar interactions were observed using high resolution scanning electron microscopy. Nanopillar penetration, engulfment, tilting, lift off and membrane thinning, were observed by manipulating nanopillar material, size, shape and spacing. These unique cell responses to various nanostructures can be employed for a wide range of applications including the design of highly sensitive nano-electrodes for single-cell probing.

Erratum: "Nature-like photosynthesis of water and carbon dioxide with femtosecond laser induced self-assembled metal nanostructures"

Large-scale replication of the natural process of photosynthesis is a crucial subject of storing solar energy and saving our environment. Here, we report femtosecond laser induced self-assembled metal nanostructure arrays, which are easily mass producible on earth-abundant metals, can directly synthesize liquid and solid hydrocarbon compounds from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight at a production rate of more than 1 × 105 μL/(gh) that is significantly (103–106 times) higher than those in previous studies.1,2 The efficiency for storing solar energy of the photosynthesis is about 10% in the present simple experimental setup which can be further improved. Moreover, different from previous artificial photosynthesis works, this phenomenon presents a new mechanism that, through a surface-enhanced photodissociation process, nature-like photosynthesis can be performed artificially.