Surface plasmon-driven hot electron flow probed with metal-semiconductor nanodiodes.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Hot electrons are generated by photon absorption in metals, creating non-equilibrium conditions.
• Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) can enhance light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the amplification of hot electron flow by LSPR in gold thin films.
• To establish a correlation between internal photoemission and LSPR.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of chemically modified gold thin films on TiO(2) to form Schottky diodes.
• Direct measurement of short-circuit photocurrent using varying photon energies.
• Optical characterization to identify LSPR in modified gold structures.

Main Results:

• Photocurrent measurements confirmed hot electron flow consistent with Fowler's law.
• Modified gold island structures exhibited LSPR around 550 nm.
• An intrinsic correlation was observed between hot electron flow and LSPR.

Conclusions:

• LSPR significantly amplifies hot electron flow generated by internal photoemission in gold thin films.
• This study demonstrates a method for enhancing hot electron generation and transport using plasmonic effects.
• The findings have implications for plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis and optoelectronic devices.