Tunable Lattice Coupling of Multipole Plasmon Modes and Near-Field Enhancement in Closely Spaced Gold Nanorod Arrays

Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 17:6:23159. doi: 10.1038/srep23159.

Abstract

Considering the nanogap and lattice effects, there is an attractive structure in plasmonics: closely spaced metallic nanoarrays. In this work, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically the lattice coupling of multipole plasmon modes for closely spaced gold nanorod arrays, offering a new insight into the higher order cavity modes coupled with each other in the lattice. The resonances can be greatly tuned by changes in inter-rod gaps and nanorod heights while the influence of the nanorod diameter is relatively insignificant. Experimentally, pronounced suppressions of the reflectance are observed. Meanwhile, the near-field enhancement can be further enhanced, as demonstrated through surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We then confirm the correlation between the near-field and far-field plasmonic responses, which is significantly important for maximizing the near-field enhancement at a specific excitation wavelength. This lattice coupling of multipole plasmon modes is of broad interest not only for SERS but also for other plasmonic applications, such as subwavelength imaging or metamaterials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't