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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Surface-plasmon-mediated single-molecule fluorescence through a thin metallic film
F D Stefani1, K Vasilev, N Bocchio
1Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128 Mainz, Germany.
Abstract:
We demonstrate that fluorescence of single molecules in the nanometric vicinity of a thin gold film can be effectively excited and detected through the film with an epi-illumination scanning confocal microscope. A full theoretical treatment of the fluorescence signal indicates that both excitation and emission are surface-plasmon mediated. Remarkably, the number of photons detectable from chromophores perpendicular to the interface is enhanced by the presence of the metal.

