By taking advantage of the tensor nature of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), we track trajectories of the linker molecule and a CO molecule chemisorbed at the hot spot of a nano-dumbbell consisting of dibenzyldithio-linked silver nanospheres. The linear Stark shift of CO serves as an absolute gauge of the local field, while the polyatomic spectra characterize the vector components of the local field. We identify surface-enhanced Raman optical activity due to a transient asperity in the nanojunction in an otherwise uneventful SERS trajectory. During fusion of the spheres, we observe sequential evolution of the enhanced spectra from dipole-coupled Raman to quadrupole- and magnetic dipole-coupled Raman, followed by a transition from line spectra to band spectra, and the full reversal of the sequence. From the spectrum of CO, the sequence can be understood to track the evolution of the junction plasmon resonance from dipolar to quadrupolar to charge transfer as a function of intersphere separation, which evolves at a speed of ∼1 Å/min. The crossover to the conduction limit is marked by the transition of line spectra to Stark-broadened and shifted band spectra. As the junction closes on CO, the local field reaches 1 V/Å, limited to a current of 1 electron per vibrational cycle passing through the molecule, with associated Raman enhancement factor via the charge transfer plasmon resonance of 10(12). The local field identifies that a sharp protrusion is responsible for room-temperature chemisorption of CO on silver. The asymmetric phototunneling junction, Ag-CO-Ag, driven by the frequency-tunable charge transfer plasmon of the dumbbell antenna, combines the design elements of an ideal rectifying photocollector.

The motion of chemical bonds within molecules can be observed in real time, in the form of vibrational wavepackets prepared and interrogated through ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopy. Such nonlinear optical measurements are commonly performed on large ensembles of molecules, and as such, are limited to the extent that ensemble coherence can be maintained. Here, we describe vibrational wavepacket motion on single molecules, recorded through time-resolved, surface-enhanced, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. The required sensitivity to detect the motion of a single molecule, under ambient conditions, is achieved by equipping the molecule with a dipolar nano-antenna (a gold dumbbell). In contrast with measurements in ensembles, the vibrational coherence on a single molecule does not dephase. It develops phase fluctuations with characteristic statistics. We present the time evolution of discretely sampled statistical states, and highlight the unique information content in the characteristic, early-time probability distribution function of the signal.

Surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) measurements carried out on individual nanosphere dimer nantennas are presented. The ν-domain and t-domain CARS measurements in the few-molecule limit are contrasted as vibrational autocorrelation and cross-correlation, respectively. We show that in coherent Raman spectroscopies carried out with ultrashort pulses, the effect of surface enhancement is to saturate stimulated steps at very low incident intensities (100 fJ in 100 fs pulses), and the principal consideration in sensitivity is the effective quadratic enhancement of spontaneous emission cross sections, σ* = (E L /E o ) 2 σ. Through multicolor femtosecond SECARS measurements we show that beside enhancement factors, an effective plasmon mode matching consideration controls the interplay between coherent electronic Raman scattering on the nantenna and vibrational Raman scattering on its molecular load. Through extensive measurements on individual nantennas, we establish the tolerable average and peak intensities that can be used in ultrafast measurements at nanojunctions, and we highlight a variety of plasmon-driven chemical and physical channels of signal and sample degradation.

Continuous wave (CW) pump-probe surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is used to examine a range of plasmon-driven chemical behavior in the molecular SERS signal of trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE) adsorbed on individual Au nanosphere oligomers (viz., dimers, trimers, tetramers, etc.). Well-defined new transient modes are caused by high fluence CW pumping at 532 nm and are monitored on the seconds time scale using a low intensity CW probe field at 785 nm. Comparison of time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations with the experimental data leads to the conclusion that three independent chemical processes are operative: (1) plasmon-driven electron transfer to form the BPE anion radical; (2) BPE hopping between two adsorption sites; and (3) trans-to- cis-BPE isomerization. Resonance Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy measurements provide further substantiation for the observation of an anion radical species formed via a plasmon-driven electron transfer reaction. Applications of these findings will greatly impact the design of novel plasmonic devices with the future ability to harness new and efficient energetic pathways for both chemical transformation and photocatalysis at the nanoscale level.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) from bipyridyl ethylene adsorbed on gold dumbbells shows Fano-like spectra at high incident light intensity. This is accompanied by an increased electronic temperature, while no vibrational anti-Stokes (AS) scattering is observed. Theory indicates that interference between vibrational and electronic Raman scattering can yield such asymmetric scattering lineshapes. The best fit to observations is obtained by disregarding this coupling and accounting for the detailed lineshape of the continuous electronic component of the SERS.