Introduction To Metal Nanoparticle Plasmonics

Based on a popular article in Laser and Photonics Reviews, this book provides an explanation and overview of the techniques used to model, make, and measure metal nanoparticles, detailing results obtained and what they mean. It covers the properties of coupled metal nanoparticles, the nonlinear optical response of metal nanoparticles, and the phenomena that arise when light-emitting materials are coupled to metal nanoparticles. It also provides an overview of key potential applications and offers explanations of computational and experimental techniques giving readers a solid grounding in the field.

Manipulation of plasmonics from nano to micro scale. 1. Introduction. 2. Form-Birefringent metal and its plasmonic anisotropy. 3. Plasmonic photonic crystal. 4. Fourier plasmonics. 5. Nanoscale optical field localization. 6. Conclusions and outlook -- 11. Dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguide components. 1. Introduction. 2. Design of waveguide dimensions. 3. Sample preparation and near-field characterization. 4. Excitation and propagation of guided modes. 5. Waveguide bends and splitters. 6. Coupling between waveguides. 7. Waveguide-ring resonators. 8. Bragg gratings. 9. Discussion-- 12. Manipulating nanoparticles and enhancing spectroscopy with surface plasmons. 1. Introduction. 2. Propulsion of gold nanoparticles with surface plasmon polaritons. 3. Double resonance substrates for surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy. 4. Conclusions and outlook -- 13. Analysis of light scattering by nanoobjects on a plane surface via discrete sources method. 1. Introduction. 2. Light scattering by a nanorod. 3. Light scattering by a nanoshell. 4. Summary -- 14. Computational techniques for plasmonic antennas and waveguides. 1. Introduction. 2. Time domain solvers. 3. Frequency domain solvers. 4. Plasmonic antennas. 5. Plasmonic waveguides. 6. Advanced structures. 7. Conclusions

Considered a major field of photonics, plasmonics offers the potential to confine and guide light below the diffraction limit and promises a new generation of highly miniaturized photonic devices. This book combines a comprehensive introduction with an extensive overview of the current state of the art. Coverage includes plasmon waveguides, cavities for field-enhancement, nonlinear processes and the emerging field of active plasmonics studying interactions of surface plasmons with active media.

Plasmonics gives researchers in universities and industries and designers an overview of phenomena enabled by artificially designed metamaterials and their application for plasmonic devices. The purpose of this book is to provide a detailed introduction to the basic modeling approaches and an overview of enabled innovative phenomena. The main research agenda of this book is aimed at the study of modeling techniques and novel functionalities such as plasmonic enhancement of solar cell efficiency, plasmonics in sensing, etc. The topics addressed in this book cover the major strands: theory, modeling and design, applications in practical devices, fabrication, characterization, and measurement. It is worthwhile mentioning that the strategic objectives of developing new artificial functional materials require close cooperation of the research in each subarea.

What is a plasmon? Is it a particle, like a photon or a wave? Plasmonics stands at the frontier of condensed matter physics, which is the world of electrons, optics and of photons. Plasmonics is one of the most active fields in nanophotonics. This book begins by exploring the concepts behind waves, and the electromagnetic description of light when it interacts with metals; it dedicates every chapter thereafter to all aspects of plasmonics. In particular, the surface plasmon polariton wave is explained in full detail, as well as the localized surface plasmon resonance of metallic nanoparticles. The active research area opened by plasmonics, as well as its applications, are also briefly explained, such as advanced biosensing, subwavelength waveguiding, quantum plasmonics, nanoparticle-based cancer therapies, optical nano-antenna and high-efficiency photovoltaic cells.The book is adapted for graduate students and places a special emphasis on providing complete explanations of the fundamental concepts of plasmonics. Further, each of these concepts is illustrated with examples drawn from the most recent scientific literature. Each chapter ends with a set of exercises that will help the reader revise the concepts and go deeper into the world of plasmonics. More than 70 exercises are included.

Plasmonics is a highly dynamic field, and a number of researchers and scientists from other disciplines have become involved in it. This book presents the most widely employed approaches to plasmonics and the numerous applications associated with it. There are several underlying elements in plasmonics research. Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology have made possible the fabrication of plasmonic nanostructures, deposition of thin films, and development of highly sensitive optical characterization techniques. The different approaches to nanostructuring metals have led to a wealth of interesting optical properties and functionality via manipulation of the plasmon modes that such structures support. The sensitivity of plasmonic structures to the changes in their local dielectric environment has led to the development of new sensing strategies and systems for chemical analysis and identification. The book discusses all of these aspects.

This book introduces the fascinating world of plasmonics and physics at the nanoscale, with a focus on simulations and the theoretical aspects of optics and nanotechnology. A research field with numerous applications, plasmonics bridges the gap between the micrometer length scale of light and the secrets of the nanoworld. This is achieved by binding light to charge density oscillations of metallic nanostructures, so-called surface plasmons, which allow electromagnetic radiation to be focussed down to spots as small as a few nanometers. The book is a snapshot of recent and ongoing research and at the same time outlines our present understanding of the optical properties of metallic nanoparticles, ranging from the tunability of plasmonic resonances to the ultrafast dynamics of light-matter interaction. Beginning with a gentle introduction that highlights the basics of plasmonic interactions and plasmon imaging, the author then presents a suitable theoretical framework for the description of metallic nanostructures. This model based on this framework is first solved analytically for simple systems, and subsequently through numerical simulations for more general cases where, for example, surface roughness, nonlinear and nonlocal effects or metamaterials are investigated.

Plasmonics is a rapidly developing field that combines fundamental research and applications ranging from areas such as physics to engineering, chemistry, biology, medicine, food sciences, and the environmental sciences. Plasmonics appeared in the 1950s with the discovery of surface plasmon polaritons. Plasmonics then went through a novel propulsion in the mid-1970s, when surface-enhanced Raman scattering was discovered. Nevertheless, it is in this last decade that a very significant explosion of plasmonics and its applications has occurred. Thus, this book provides a snapshot of the current advances in these various areas of plasmonics and its applications, such as engineering, sensing, surface-enhanced fluorescence, catalysis, and photovoltaic devices.