Based on a popular article inLaser 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.

MATTHEW PELTON, PhD, is a Physicist at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, researching the new physical phenomena that arise when light interacts with nanomaterials.

GARNETT BRYANT,PhD, is a Supervisory Physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) where he is the Group Leader of the Quantum Processes and Metrology Group conducting research on nanosystems and nanophotonics.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

I.1 Why All the Excitement? xi

I.2 Historical Perspective xiv

I.3 Book Outline xvii

1 Modeling: Understanding Metal-Nanoparticle Plasmons 1

1.1 Classical Picture: Solutions of Maxwells Equations 2

1.2 Discrete Plasmon Resonances in Particles 13

1.3 Overview of Numerical Methods 25

1.4 A Model System: Gold Nanorods 31

1.5 Size-Dependent Effects in Small Particles 39

References 46

2 Making: Synthesis and Fabrication of Metal Nanoparticles 51

2.1 Top-Down: Lithography 52

2.2 Bottom-Up: Colloidal Synthesis 67

2.3 Self-Assembly and Hybrid Methods 76

2.4 Chemical Assembly 86

References 92

3 Measuring: Characterization of Plasmons in Metal Nanoparticles 97

3.1 Ensemble Optical Measurements 97

3.2 Single-Particle Optical Measurements 102

3.3 Electron Microscopy 125

References 132

4 Coupled Plasmons in Metal Nanoparticles 135

4.1 Pairs of Metal Nanoparticles 136

4.2 Understanding Complex Nanostructures Using Coupled Plasmons 149

References 161

5 Nonlinear Optical Response of Metal Nanoparticles 165

5.1 Review of Optical Nonlinearities 166

5.2 Time-Resolved Spectroscopy 170

5.3 Harmonic Generation 187

References 191

6 Coupling Plasmons in Metal Nanoparticles to Emitters 193

6.1 Plasmon-Modified Emission 193

6.2 PlasmonEmitter Interactions Beyond Emission Enhancement 210

References 225

7 Some Potential Applications of Plasmonic Metal Nanoparticles 229

7.1 Refractive-Index Sensing and Molecular Detection 229

7.2 Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering 233

7.3 Near-Field Microscopy, Photolithography, and Data Storage 239

7.4 Photodetectors and Solar Cells 242

7.5 Optical Tweezers 249

7.6 Optical Metamaterials 254

References 266

Index 271