Multiple Plasmon Resonances Research Articles

Fabrication of the TiN-Ag Double-Shell Hollow Nanosphere Structure As the Highly Sensitive Substrate

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect has been intensively studied in recent years due to its wide applications in sensing or optical regimes, such as surface-enhance Raman scattering (SERS) for molecular detection 1, 2, plasmonic optical tweezers3 and so on. It has been well accepted that the noble metals, such as Ag and Au, especially Ag, are the ideal plasmonic materials in SERS detection 4. But, Ag generally exhibits poor chemical and thermal stability, which would deteriorate its SERS activity5. So, alternative plamonic materials or passivation strategy were often proposed to resolve those issues. TiN, besides its good chemical stability, high melting point, and high hardness as other metal nitrides, also exhibits a metal-like optical properties in the visible and longer wavelengths6, 7 and thus might be considered as a potential plasmonic material. In this work, the surface modification on Ag hollow nanosphere (HNS) arrays was carried out by coating a thin layer of TiN, which presents high and stable sensitivity on molecular detection, including R6G and b-agonists. Theoretically and experimentally, it has been founded that the TiN coating layer can effectively manipulate the local field distribution and intensity near the Ag HNS, as well as the multiple plasmonic resonances on the composite hollow structure.8 Further Raman characterizing indicated that the multiple coupling effect between the plasmonic cavities and the charge-transfer process between the TiN/Ag shells enable the substrate to be a good SERS substrate with intensively enhanced local filed and Raman activity comparing with the bare Ag HNS arrays.

Multiple Plasmonic Resonances and Cascade Effect in Asymmetrical Ag Nanowire Homotrimer

Plasmonic Ag nanowire homotrimer with asymmetrical radii and separations, which exhibits characteristics of multiple plamonic resonances and different electric field distributions, is systematically investigated by means of 2D finite element method. It was found that the dark and bright modes appear in asymmetrical nanowire homotrimer. In addition, when the dark modes appear between the smaller radii of the nanowires, the cascade effect results in enhanced electric field between the smaller radii nanowires. As a result of the appearance of the bright modes between the smaller radii of the nanowires, the restriction of the cascade effect generates enhanced electric field between the bigger nanowires.

Topography effects in AFM force mapping experiments on xylan-decorated cellulose thin films

Abstract Xylan-coated cellulose thin films has been investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and force mapping experiments. The birch xylan deposition on the film was performed under control by means of a multiple parameter surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (MP-SPR) under dynamic conditions. The coated films were submitted to AFM in phase imaging mode to force mapping with modified AFM tips (sensitive to hydrophilic OH and hydrophobic CH3 groups) in order to characterize and localize the xylan on the surfaces. At the first glance, a clear difference in the adhesion force between xylan-coated areas and cellulose has been observed. However, these different adhesion forces originate from topography effects, which prevent an unambiguous identification and subsequent localization of the xylan on the cellulosic surfaces.

Different optical properties in different periodic slot cavity geometrical morphologies**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61178044), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BK20160969), and the University Postgraduate Research and Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. KYLX_0723).

In this paper, optical properties of two-dimensional periodic annular slot cavity arrays in hexagonal close-packing on a silica substrate are theoretically characterized by finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation method. By simulating reflectance spectra, electric field distribution, and charge distribution, we confirm that multiple cylindrical surface plasmon resonances can be excited in annular inclined slot cavities by linearly polarized light, in which the four reflectance dips are attributed to Fabry–Perot cavity resonances in the coaxial cavity. A coaxial waveguide mode TE11 will exist in these annular cavities, and the wavelengths of these reflectance dips are effectively tailored by changing the geometrical pattern of slot cavity and the dielectric materials filled in the cavities. These resonant wavelengths are localized in annular cavities with large electric field enhancement and dissipate gradually due to metal loss. The formation of an absorption peak can be explained from the aspect of phase matching conditions. We observed that the proposed structure can be tuned over the broad spectral range of 600–4000 nm by changing the outer and inner radii of the annular gaps, gap surface topography. Meanwhile, different lengths of the cavity may cause the shift of resonance dips. Also, we study the field enhancement at different vertical locations of the slit. In addition, dielectric materials filling in the annular gaps will result in a shift of the resonance wavelengths, which make the annular cavities good candidates for refractive index sensors. The refractive index sensitivity of annular cavities can also be tuned by the geometry size and the media around the cavity. Annular cavities with novel applications can be implied as surface enhanced Raman spectra substrates, refractive index sensors, nano-lasers, and optical trappers.

Ultra-broadband and high-efficiency polarization conversion metasurface with multiple plasmon resonance modes**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61471292, 61331005, 61471388, 51277012, 41404095, and 61501365), the 111 Project, China (Grant No. B14040), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2015CB654602), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation ( Grant No. 2015M580849).

In this paper, we present a novel metasurface design that achieves a high-efficiency ultra-broadband cross polarization conversion. The metasurface is composed of an array of unit resonators, each of which combines an H-shaped structure and two rectangular metallic patches. Different plasmon resonance modes are excited in unit resonators and allow the polarization states to be manipulated. The bandwidth of the cross polarization converter is 82% of the central frequency, covering the range from 15.7 GHz to 37.5 GHz. The conversion efficiency of the innovative new design is higher than 90%. At 14.43 GHz and 40.95 GHz, the linearly polarized incident wave is converted into a circularly polarized wave.

Broadening of absorption band by coupled gap plasmon resonances in a near-infrared metamaterial absorber

We propose a strategy to broaden the absorption band of the conventional metamaterial absorber by incorporating alternating metal/dielectric films. Up to 7-fold increase in bandwidth and ∼95% average absorption are achieved arising from the coupling of induced multiple gap plasmon resonances. The resonance coupling is analytically demonstrated using the coupled oscillator model, which reveals that both the optimal coupling strength and the resonance wavelength matching are required for the enhancement of absorption bandwidth. The presented multilayer design is easily fabricated and readily implanted to other absorber configurations, offering a practical avenue for applications in photovoltaic cells and thermal emitters.

Dual-band high-efficiency polarization converter using an anisotropic metasurface

In this work, a dual-band and high-efficiency reflective cross-polarization converter based on an anisotropic metasurface for linearly polarized electromagnetic waves is proposed. Its unit cell is composed of an elliptical disk-ring mounted on grounded dielectric substrate, which is an anisotropic structure with a pair of mutually perpendicular symmetric axes u and v along ±45° directions with respect to y-axis direction. Both the simulation and measured results show that the polarization converter can convert x- or y-polarized incident wave to its cross polarized wave in the two frequency bands (6.99–9.18 GHz, 11.66–20.40 GHz) with the conversion efficiency higher than 90%; moreover, the higher frequency band is an ultra-wide one with a relative bandwidth of 54.5% for multiple plasmon resonances. In addition, we present a detailed analysis for the polarization conversion of the polarization converter, and derive a formula to calculate the cross- and co-polarization reflections at y-polarized incidence according to the phase differences between the two reflected coefficients at u-polarized and v-polarized incidences. The simulated, calculated, and measured results are all in agreement with the entire frequency regions.

Structural and Optical Properties of Discrete Dendritic Pt Nanoparticles on Colloidal Au Nanoprisms.

Catalytic and optical properties can be coupled by combining different metals into nanoscale architectures in which both the shape and the composition provide fine-tuning of functionality. Here, discrete, small Pt nanoparticles (diameter = 3–6 nm) were grown in linear arrays on Au nanoprisms, and the resulting structures are shown to retain strong localized surface plasmon resonances. Multidimensional electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron tomography, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy) were used to unravel their local composition, three-dimensional morphology, growth patterns, and optical properties. The composition and tomographic analyses disclose otherwise ambiguous details of the Pt-decorated Au nanoprisms, revealing that both pseudospherical protrusions and dendritic Pt nanoparticles grow on all faces of the nanoprisms (the faceted or occasionally twisted morphologies of which are also revealed), and shed light on the alignment of the Pt nanoparticles. The electron energy-loss spectroscopy investigations show that the Au nanoprisms support multiple localized surface plasmon resonances despite the presence of pendant Pt nanoparticles. The plasmonic fields at the surface of the nanoprisms indeed extend into the Pt nanoparticles, opening possibilities for combined optical and catalytic applications. These insights pave the way toward comprehensive nanoengineering of multifunctional bimetallic nanostructures, with potential applications in plasmon-enhanced catalysis and in situ monitoring of chemical processes via surface-enhanced spectroscopy.

Ultra-wideband transparent 90° polarization conversion metasurfaces

We propose to realize ultra-wideband transparent 90° polarization conversion metasurfaces by combining multiple plasmon resonances and Fabry–Perot-like resonances. An ultra-wideband polarization conversion metasurface is designed using a double-head arrow structure and metal gratings. It has been demonstrated that the bandwidth can be broadened greatly based on multiple plasmon resonances, while the efficiency can be enhanced strongly based on Fabry–Perot-like resonances. The both simulated and measured results show that the bandwidth of cross-polarized transmission is very wide, with a 1:6 3 dB bandwidth. The experimental results agree well with simulation ones.

Performance Boost of Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes with Plasmonic Nanostars

The performance of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is boosted by adding star‐shaped plasmonic particles, so called nanostars. For this purpose, silver‐enhanced gold nanostars coated with a thin silica shell, which tightly follow the nanostar morphology, are synthesized. An optimal spectral overlap between the multiple plasmon resonances of the nanostars and the luminescence of the emitting polymers is one key for the substantial increase of the electroluminescence. The second key ingredient is the star‐shaped morphology. Experiments quantifying the photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and the current–voltage characteristics reveal that the physical origins of the improved performance are twofold; first, a plasmon mediated increase of the radiative recombination of excitons, and second, an improved outcoupling of light otherwise trapped inside the OLEDs. The thin silica shell apparently minimizes exciton quenching via energy transfer and prevents the nanostars from short‐cutting the active layer.

Enhanced plasmonic Fano-like resonances in multilayered nanoellipsoid

Plasmonic Fano-like resonances, which arise from the destructive interference of bright and dark plasmon modes, are theoretically investigated in gold–silica–gold multilayered nanoellipsoid. It is found that the higher-order Fano resonances with sharp modulation depth can be achieved in the symmetric case by simply varying the structural parameters of the nanoparticle. Moreover, for the generation of unique multiple Fano-like resonances, two types of symmetry-breaking conception are also introduced: first by offsetting the inner metal core from its central position and then by relaxing the rotational symmetry of the nanoparticle. The multiple plasmonic Fano-like resonances make the proposed nanostructure highly suitable for plasmon line shaping, electromagnetic-induced transparency, and slow light applications.

Realizing of plasmon Fano resonance with a metal nanowall moving along MIM waveguide

A larger number of complicated plasmonic nanostructures have been realized to exhibit Fano interference. In this paper, we demonstrate a simple nanostructure, side coupled waveguide resonator system with a metal nanowall located in the metal–insulator–metal waveguide (MIM), which can also achieve multiple plasmonic Fano resonance. In the proposed nanostructure, the asymmetric line shape originates from the interference between the slot resonator and the new resonator. Therefore, the Fano line shape can be actively controlled by the phase difference of the two resonators and the thickness of the metal nanowall. A scattering matrix method is used to calculate the transmission spectra. Results obtained by the scattering matrix theory are consistent with those from the finite-difference time-domain simulations (FDTD). Moreover, Fano resonances in the proposed structure show high sensitivity, which may have important application in plasmonic nanosensor and modulator.

A light-trapping strategy for nanocrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells using three-dimensionally assembled nanoparticle structures

We report three-dimensionally assembled nanoparticle structures inducing multiple plasmon resonances for broadband light harvesting in nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells. A three-dimensional multiscale (3DM) assembly of nanoparticles generated using a multi-pin spark discharge method has been accomplished over a large area under atmospheric conditions via ion-assisted aerosol lithography. The multiscale features of the sophisticated 3DM structures exhibit surface plasmon resonances at multiple frequencies, which increase light scattering and absorption efficiency over a wide spectral range from 350–1100 nm. The multiple plasmon resonances, together with the antireflection functionality arising from the conformally deposited top surface of the 3D solar cell, lead to a 22% and an 11% improvement in power conversion efficiency of the nc-Si:H thin-film solar cells compared to flat cells and cells employing nanoparticle clusters, respectively. Finite-difference time-domain simulations were also carried out to confirm that the improved device performance mainly originates from the multiple plasmon resonances generated from three-dimensionally assembled nanoparticle structures.

Polarization-Independent Multiple Fano Resonances in Plasmonic Nonamers for Multimode-Matching Enhanced Multiband Second-Harmonic Generation.

Plasmonic oligomers composed of metallic nanoparticles are one class of the most promising platforms for generating Fano resonances with unprecedented optical properties for enhancing various linear and nonlinear optical processes. For efficient generation of second-harmonic emissions at multiple wavelength bands, it is critical to design a plasmonic oligomer concurrently having multiple Fano resonances spectrally matching the fundamental excitation wavelengths and multiple plasmon resonance modes coinciding with the harmonic wavelengths. Thus far, the realization of such a plasmonic oligomer remains a challenge. This study demonstrates both theoretically and experimentally that a plasmonic nonamer consisting of a gold nanocross surrounded by eight nanorods simultaneously sustains multiple polarization-independent Fano resonances in the near-infrared region and several higher-order plasmon resonances in the visible spectrum. Due to coherent amplification of the nonlinear excitation sources by the Fano resonances and efficient scattering-enhanced outcoupling by the higher-order modes, the second-harmonic emission of the nonamer is significantly increased at multiple spectral bands, and their spectral positions and radiation patterns can be flexibly manipulated by easily tuning the length of the surrounding nanorods in the nonamer. These results provide us with important implications for realizing ultrafast multichannel nonlinear optoelectronic devices.

Ultra-broadband perfect cross polarization conversion metasurface

We propose a metasurface with multiple plasmon resonances that achieves an ultra-broadband perfect cross polarization conversion. The metasurface is composed of an array of unit resonators, three plasmon resonances are excited in the unit resonator, which leads to an ultra-broadband perfect cross polarization conversion. The cross polarization conversion efficiency is higher than 99%, and the bandwidth of the converter is 53.7% of the central wavelength. Both numerical and experimental results were used to validate the ultra-broadband perfect cross polarization converter presented here.

Resonances of nanoparticles with poor plasmonic metal tips.

The catalytic and optical properties of metal nanoparticles can be combined to create platforms for light-driven chemical energy storage and enhanced in-situ reaction monitoring. However, the heavily damped plasmon resonances of many catalytically active metals (e.g. Pt, Pd) prevent this dual functionality in pure nanostructures. The addition of catalytic metals at the surface of efficient plasmonic particles thus presents a unique opportunity if the resonances can be conserved after coating. Here, nanometer resolution electron-based techniques (electron energy loss, cathodoluminescence, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) are used to show that Au particles incorporating a catalytically active but heavily damped metal, Pd, sustain multiple size-dependent localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) that are narrow and strongly localized at the Pd-rich tips. The resonances also couple with a dielectric substrate and other nanoparticles, establishing that the full range of plasmonic behavior is observed in these multifunctional nanostructures despite the presence of Pd.

Directional side scattering of light by a single plasmonic trimer

AbstractDirectional side scattering of light by individual gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) trimers assembled by the atomic force microscope (AFM) nanomanipulation method is investigated in experiment and theory. The AFM nanomanipulation approach brings an active way to construct ultracompact and effective optical nanoantennas. Different configurations of the trimers are constructed in situ via AFM nanomanipulation. Unidirectional side scattering of light by a single trimer is demonstrated with a broad response bandwidth over 400 nm and directivity up to ∼7.8 dB in experiments. The near‐field plasmon coupling of the AuNPs is simulated with the 3D finite‐difference time‐domain method and the far‐field radiation patterns are calculated by employing near‐field‐to‐far‐field transformation methods. The calculated results are in agreement with the experiments qualitatively. The physical origin is revealed intuitively by employing a simple phenomenological “two‐dipole” model. The unidirectional light scattering is due to the interference between multiple plasmonic resonance modes of the trimers. The study contributes to the understanding of the optical response of complex nanostructures and optimizing nanoantenna performances for practical applications, e.g. increasing the detection efficiency of surface‐enhanced spectroscopy. image

Super-radiant plasmon mode is more efficient for SERS than the sub-radiant mode in highly packed 2D gold nanocube arrays.

The field coupling in highly packed plasmonic nanoparticle arrays is not localized due to the energy transport via the sub-radiant plasmon modes, which is formed in addition to the regular super-radiant plasmon mode. Unlike the sub-radiant mode, the plasmon field of the super-radiant mode cannot extend over long distances since it decays radiatively with a shorter lifetime. The coupling of the plasmon fields of gold nanocubes (AuNCs) when organized into highly packed 2D arrays was examined experimentally. Multiple plasmon resonance optical peaks are observed for the AuNC arrays and are compared to those calculated using the discrete dipole approximation. The calculated electromagnetic plasmon fields of the arrays displayed high field intensity for the nanocubes located in the center of the arrays for the lower energy super-radiant mode, while the higher energy sub-radiant plasmon mode displayed high field intensity at the edges of the arrays. The Raman signal enhancement by the super-radiant plasmon mode was found to be one hundred fold greater than that by sub-radiant plasmon mode because the super-radiant mode has higher scattering and stronger plasmon field intensity relative to the sub-radiant mode.

Structural and Viscoelastic Properties of Layer-by-Layer Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Nanofilms and Their Interactions with Living Cells.

Modulation of living cell surfaces by chemical and biological engineering and the control of cellular functions has enormous potential for immunotherapy, transplantation, and drug delivery. However, traditional detection techniques have limitations in the identification of physical properties of viscoelastic films and interaction with living cells in real time. Here, we present the structural analysis of extracellular matrix (ECM) based nanofilms and their interaction with living cells using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) with dissipation (QCM-D), multiple parameter surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and flow cytometry measurements. QCM-D measurements according to the Voigt-based viscoelastic model allowed for the evaluation of the kinetic adsorption of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and physical parameters of viscoelastic ECM-nanofilms in a swelled state. These results reflected the characteristics of viscoelastic films as compared to Sauerbrey's equation. Moreover, we found that gelatin molecules played a crucial role as a binder to build up layered films and control their properties. Using the multiple parameter SPR approach, we confirmed the interaction between FN-G nanofilms and living cells from signal response in real time which was different from the gold substrate-protein signal. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis supported the importance of the domain interaction between the RGD sequence in FN and integrin as a driving force to form the films on cell surfaces. The use of three different analyses supported clarification of the contribution of the protein-protein interaction and viscoelastic properties of ECM films and investigation of the interaction between films and living cells. The knowledge regarding protein-protein and protein-cell interaction in real time would make a contribution to biomaterial design by using protein interactions for modulating the living cell surfaces in biomedical applications.

Scattering Dark States in Multiresonant Concentric Plasmonic Nanorings

Plasmonic nanoantennas can feature a sophisticated spectral response that may be the springboard for a plethora of applications. Particularly, spectrally sharp Fano resonances have been at the focus of interest because of their promising applications in sensing. Usually, the observation of Fano resonances requires nanostructures that exhibit multiple plasmonic resonances such as higher-order multipole moments. We show that similar spectral features can be observed with nanoantennas sustaining solely electric-dipolar resonances. The considered nanoantennas consist of multiple concentric gold nanorings separated by thin dielectric spacers. These nanoantennas host multiple resonances with disparate line widths in the visible and near-infrared. We theoretically and experimentally show that the interference of these resonances causes Fano features and scattering dark states. The electric-dipolar character permits the use of a simplified dense-array theory to predict the response of arrays of such nanoantennas ...