Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Rate and Efficiency in Plasmonic Nanopatch Antennas

Abstract

Successful control of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) through the engineering of the local density of optical states (LDOS) will allow us to develop novel strategies to fully exploit this phenomenon in key enabling technologies. Here we present an experimental and theoretical study on the effect of the LDOS on the FRET rate and efficiency in plasmonic nanopatch antennas formed between a gold nanoparticle and an extended silver film. Our results reveal that plasmonic nanopatch antennas of similar levels of LDOS exhibit comparable levels of FRET rate and FRET efficiency, demonstrating that LDOS plays an important part in controlling both FRET rate and efficiency. Our findings contribute to the ongoing debate about the relation between the FRET process and the LDOS, as well as directly impacting the development of novel FRET based light harvesting and sensing devices.

Long-Range and High-Efficiency Plasmon-Assisted Förster Resonance Energy Transfer

“…3D FDTD calculations (Ansys Lumerical software) were used to calculate the normalized FRET rate G FRET using the approach developed in ref ( 20 ) and ( 24 ). In our calculations, we treated the donor and the acceptor as classical dipoles pointing along the z -direction (perpendicular to the metallic film and see Figure 1 b), with the donor located at either x = 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 nm in the plane of the donor layer (see Figure 1 b).…”

“…The FRET process is affected by the local electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the donor–acceptor pair. , More precisely, the FRET rate , is proportional to the square of the donor field, E D , at the location of the acceptor, r A , (Γ FRET ∝ | E D ( r A )| 2 ). Physically, this means that the FRET rate, Γ FRET , efficiency, and range all depend on the delocalized nature of the donor’s electric field at the location of the acceptor, a quantity that can be carefully controlled via engineering the electromagnetic environment surrounding the donor–acceptor pair to modify the FRET process. − …”

“…Physically, this means that the FRET rate, Γ FRET , efficiency, and range all depend on the delocalized nature of the donor’s electric field at the location of the acceptor, 15 a quantity that can be carefully controlled via engineering the electromagnetic environment surrounding the donor–acceptor pair to modify the FRET process. 15 − 24 …”