Orientation-preserving transfer and directional light scattering from individual light-bending nanoparticles

Nano Lett. 2011 Apr 13;11(4):1838-44. doi: 10.1021/nl2008357. Epub 2011 Mar 28.

Abstract

A nanocup, or semishell, is an asymmetric plasmonic "Janus" nanoparticle with electric and magnetic plasmon modes; the latter scatters light in a direction controlled by nanoparticle orientation, making it the nanoscale analog of a parabolic antenna. Here we report a method for transferring nanocups from their growth substrate to oxide-terminated substrates that precisely preserves their three-dimensional orientation, enabling their use as nanophotonic components. This enables us to selectively excite and probe the electric and magnetic plasmon modes of individual nanocups, showing how the scattered light depends on the direction of incoming light and the orientation of this nanoparticle antenna.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Light
  • Materials Testing
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Refractometry / methods*
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance / methods*
  • Titanium / chemistry*

Substances

  • titanium dioxide
  • Titanium