Turning the Corner: Efficient Energy Transfer in Bent Plasmonic Nanoparticle Chain Waveguides

Abstract

For integrating and multiplexing of subwavelength plasmonic waveguides with other optical and electric components, complex architectures such as junctions with sharp turns are necessary. However, in addition to intrinsic losses, bending losses severely limit plasmon propagation. In the current work, we demonstrate that propagation of surface plasmon polaritons around 90° turns in silver nanoparticle chains occurs without bending losses. Using a far-field fluorescence method, bleach-imaged plasmon propagation (BlIPP), which creates a permanent map of the plasmonic near-field through bleaching of a fluorophore coated on top of a plasmonic waveguide, we measured propagation lengths at 633 nm for straight and bent silver nanoparticle chains of 8.0 ± 0.5 and 7.8 ± 0.4 μm, respectively. These propagation lengths were independent of the input polarization. We furthermore show that subradiant plasmon modes yield a longer propagation length compared to energy transport via excitation of super-radiant modes.

DNA-Assembled Plasmonic Waveguides for Nanoscale Light Propagation to a Fluorescent Nanodiamond

“…Such colloidal nanoparticles have been self-assembled into optically large (~λ/2) plasmonic waveguides with micrometer-long propagation lengths using lithographically prepared trenches. 11,12 Here, we leverage on the programmability and scalability of DNA nanotechnology [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] to push the confinement below the diffraction limit (~λ/10) while retaining a long propagation length. The robust DNA origami method 24,25 is used to pattern a large variety of inorganic nanoparticles or other functional elements including proteins, or small molecules, with nanometer precision on two or three dimensions.…”

Plasmon transmission through excitonic subwavelength gaps

“…A more subtle issue is the role played by molecular fluorescence. In present experimental studies the fluorescence signal from dye molecules placed along the nano waveguide is used to report on the electromagnetic field distribution along the guide [64,65]. In the configuration used in the present study spontaneous emission by strongly fluorescent molecule may play an active role in the observed optical response.…”

Infrared Solar Thermal-Shielding Applications Based on Oxide Semiconductor Plasmonics

“…LSPRs have demonstrated on the noble metal NPs, which have been tailored for use in optical areas as diverse as waveguides and biochemical sensing [18][19][20]. Recently, In 2 O 3 :Sn NPs have launched as nanoplamonic materials.…”