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Evaluating Plasmonic Transport in Current-carrying Silver Nanowires
Published on: December 11, 2013
Low-temperature plasmonics of metallic nanostructures
Jean-Sebastien G Bouillard1, Wayne Dickson, Daniel P O'Connor
1Nano-optics and Near-field Spectroscopy Laboratory, Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom. jean-sebastien.bouillard@kcl.ac.uk
Nano Letters
|February 21, 2012
Summary
Temperature significantly impacts plasmonic nanorod metamaterials, altering light extinction by tenfold. This temperature-dependent optical response offers new control pathways for plasmonic devices, unlike weaker effects in plasmonic crystals.
Area of Science:
- Nanophotonics and Plasmonics
- Materials Science
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Plasmonics enables nanoscale electromagnetic field manipulation, outperforming conventional photonics.
- Ohmic losses in metals limit plasmonic device performance, especially at room temperature.
- Low temperatures can mitigate ohmic losses in low-frequency plasmonic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of temperature on the optical response of various plasmonic nanostructures.
- To quantify temperature-induced changes in light extinction and transmission.
- To compare the temperature sensitivity of different plasmonic architectures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of plasmonic nanorod metamaterials and plasmonic crystals.
- Optical spectroscopy measurements across a temperature range (room to liquid nitrogen).
- Analysis of transmission spectra to determine extinction changes.
Main Results:
- Plasmonic nanorod metamaterials exhibit a nearly tenfold change in extinction with temperature variation.
- Plasmonic crystals show a weaker temperature dependence, with transmission changes up to 20%.
- Different nanostructure designs display opposing responses (increased/decreased extinction) to temperature, despite identical metal permittivity changes.
Conclusions:
- Temperature is a critical parameter for controlling the optical response of plasmonic nanorod metamaterials.
- Plasmonic nanorod metamaterials offer a tunable platform for optical applications via temperature modulation.
- The distinct temperature sensitivities highlight the importance of nanostructure design in plasmonics.
