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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Performing Spectroscopy on Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Transmission-Based Nomarski-Type Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy
Published on: June 5, 2019
Imaging three-dimensional rotational diffusion of plasmon resonant gold nanorods using polarization-sensitive optical
Raghav K Chhetri1, Krystian A Kozek, Aaron C Johnston-Peck
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
Abstract:
We demonstrate depth-resolved viscosity measurements within a single object using polarized optical scattering from ensembles of freely tumbling plasmon resonant gold nanorods (GNRs) monitored with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography. The rotational diffusion coefficient of the GNRs is shown to correlate with viscosity in molecular fluids according to the Stokes-Einstein relation. The plasmon resonant and highly anisotropic properties of GNRs are favorable for microrheological studies of nanoscale properties.
