Near-field mapping of plasmonic antennas by multiphoton absorption in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Nano Lett. 2012 Sep 12;12(9):4864-8. doi: 10.1021/nl3023912. Epub 2012 Aug 17.

Abstract

Mapping the optical near-field response around nanoantennas is a challenging yet indispensable task to engineer light-matter interaction at the nanometer scale. Recently, photosensitive molecular probes, which undergo morphological or chemical changes induced by the local optical response of the nanostructures, have been proposed as a handy alternative to more cumbersome optical and electron-based techniques. Here, we report four-photon absorption in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as a very promising tool for nanoimaging the optical near-field around nanostructures over a broad range of near-infrared optical wavelengths. The high performance of our approach is demonstrated on single-rod antennas and coupled gap antennas by comparing experimental maps with 3D numerical simulations of the electric near-field intensity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Absorption
  • Light
  • Materials Testing / methods
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / methods*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Particle Size
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemistry*
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance / methods*

Substances

  • Polymethyl Methacrylate