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Angular distribution of surface-enhanced Raman scattering from individual au nanoparticle aggregates
Timur Shegai1, Björn Brian, Vladimir D Miljković
1Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden. timurs@chalmers.se
ACS Nano
|February 18, 2011
Summary
Gold nanoparticle aggregates act as nano-optical antennas, concentrating energy. Researchers studied the directionality of their emitted light, finding most radiation goes above the critical angle, useful for determining nanoantenna symmetry.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics and Nanophotonics
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Plasmonic metal nanoparticles serve as nano-optical antennas, concentrating electromagnetic energy.
- The directional properties of nanoantennas remain less explored.
- Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a sensitive technique for analyzing molecular vibrations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the angular distribution of SERS emitted by isolated aggregates of gold nanoparticles.
- To explore the potential of angle-resolved imaging for characterizing nanoantennas.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of isolated aggregates of gold nanoparticles on a glass substrate.
- Measurement of angle-resolved SERS emission patterns.
- Analysis of radiation distribution relative to the critical angle of the air-glass interface.
Main Results:
- The majority of SERS radiation from gold nanoparticle aggregates is emitted at angles exceeding the critical angle.
- Angle-resolved imaging effectively captures the directional emission patterns.
- The observed angular distributions correlate with the three-dimensional orientation and symmetry of the nanoantennas.
Conclusions:
- Nano-optical antennas exhibit significant directionality in their SERS emission.
- Angle-resolved imaging provides a rapid and straightforward method for determining nanoantenna orientation and symmetry.
- This work highlights the importance of considering directionality in the design and application of plasmonic nanoantennas.
