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Localized surface plasmon resonances in aluminum nanodisks
Christoph Langhammer1, Markus Schwind, Bengt Kasemo
1Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, Sweden. christoph.langhammer@fy.chalmers.se
Nano Letters
|April 9, 2008
Summary
Arrays of aluminum nanodisks exhibit strong plasmon resonances. The native aluminum oxide shell is crucial for accurate modeling and enables ultrasensitive monitoring of oxidation kinetics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Plasmonics
Background:
- Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) are crucial for various optical applications.
- Aluminum nanoparticles offer unique plasmonic properties in the UV-Vis-NIR spectrum.
- Understanding the influence of native oxide layers on plasmonic behavior is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the plasmonic properties of aluminum nanodisks fabricated by hole-mask colloidal lithography (HCL).
- To investigate the impact of native oxide layers on plasmon excitations.
- To explore the potential of plasmon resonances as sensors for oxidation kinetics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of aluminum nanodisk arrays using hole-mask colloidal lithography (HCL).
- Experimental characterization of localized surface plasmon resonances (UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy).
- Theoretical modeling using electrostatic spheroid theory.
Main Results:
- Strong and well-defined localized surface plasmon resonances were observed across a range of aluminum nanodisk diameters.
- Excellent agreement between experimental data and theoretical models was achieved by incorporating a native aluminum oxide shell.
- The study identified the significant role of the 1.5 eV interband transition in aluminum and the native oxide layer in plasmonic behavior.
Conclusions:
- The native oxide layer significantly influences the plasmonic properties of aluminum nanodisks.
- Electrostatic spheroid theory accurately models experimental observations when the oxide layer is considered.
- Aluminum nanodisk plasmon excitation can serve as a sensitive probe for real-time oxidation/corrosion studies.
