Plasmonic nanofluids have excellent optical properties in solar energy absorption and have been widely studied in solar thermal conversion technology. The absorption of the visible region of solar energy by ordinary metal nanoparticles is usually limited to a narrow resonance band, so it is necessary to enhance the coupling effect of nanoparticles in the visible spectrum region to improve absorption efficiency. However, it is still a difficult task to improve solar energy absorption by adjusting the structure and performance of nanoparticles. In this paper, a plasma dimer Ag nanoparticle is proposed to excite localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Compared with an ordinary Ag nanoparticle in the visible region, the plasmonic Ag dimer nanoparticle produces more absorption peaks and broader absorption bands, which can broaden solar energy absorption. By analyzing the electromagnetic field of the nanoparticle, the resonance mode of the plasma dimer is discussed. The effects of the geometric dimensions of the nanoparticle and the embedding of two spheres on the optical properties are studied. In addition, the effects of a trimer and its special structure on the optical properties are also analyzed. The results show that the proposed plasma dimer Ag nanoparticle has broad prospects for application in solar thermal conversion technology.
Keywords: dimer; localized surface plasmon resonance; nanofluids; photothermal conversion.