Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
07:39
Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Controlling Fano lineshapes in plasmon-mediated light coupling into a substrate
P Spinelli1, C van Lare, E Verhagen
1Center for Nanophotonics, FOM Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. spinelli@amolf.nl
Optics Express
|June 7, 2011
Summary
Metal nanoparticles efficiently scatter light and couple it into substrates. Particle shape and substrate index critically influence this plasmonic coupling, with Fano resonances dominating light scattering spectra.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanophotonics
- Optical Materials
Background:
- Metal nanoparticles act as efficient resonant plasmonic scatterers.
- Coupling light into high-index substrates is influenced by particle shape and environment.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for optimizing light-matter interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of particle shape and substrate refractive index on silver nanoparticle plasmonic resonances.
- To systematically correlate plasmonic resonances with light scattering efficiency into substrates.
- To explore methods for enhancing light coupling, particularly for cylindrical nanoparticles.
Main Methods:
- Studied silver nanoparticles with varying shapes (spherical to cylindrical).
- Analyzed plasmonic resonances and light coupling spectra.
- Investigated the role of dielectric spacer layers and asymmetric environments.
Main Results:
- Light coupling spectra are dominated by Fano resonances for dipolar and quadrupolar modes.
- Changing particle shape from spherical to cylindrical significantly shifts Fano resonances, reducing light incoupling.
- Dielectric spacers enable good near-infrared light coupling for cylinders; asymmetric environments enhance quadrupolar radiators.
Conclusions:
- Particle shape and substrate refractive index are critical determinants of plasmonic light coupling.
- Fano resonances govern the spectral characteristics of light scattering.
- Tailoring nanoparticle geometry and environment offers pathways to control light coupling for applications.
