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Measurement of Scattering Nonlinearities from a Single Plasmonic Nanoparticle
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Optical characterisation of plasmonic nanostructures on planar substrates using second-harmonic generation
Optics Express
|October 20, 2015
Summary
Second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements reveal sensitivity to plasmonic nanoparticle morphology. This fixed-wavelength technique offers a promising method for in situ characterization of nanostructures during self-assembly.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanotechnology
- Optical Physics
Background:
- Plasmonic nanostructures exhibit unique optical properties influenced by their size, shape, and arrangement.
- Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process sensitive to local electromagnetic fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore off-normal, polarization-dependent SHG as a fixed-wavelength characterization technique for self-assembled plasmonic nanostructures.
- To assess the sensitivity of SHG to nanoparticle morphology and its potential for in situ monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Ex situ measurements of second-harmonic generation (SHG) on silver nanoparticle (NP) arrays.
- Utilized off-normal incidence geometry to access out-of-plane SH response.
- Investigated the influence of input polarization on SH response relative to NP morphology.
Main Results:
- SHG sensitivity to NP size, shape, and distribution was confirmed.
- Off-normal geometry yielded a significantly larger SH response compared to normal incidence.
- A 20% change in NP aspect ratio resulted in a 30-fold variation in the p-polarized SH response ratio.
Conclusions:
- Off-normal SHG is a viable fixed-wavelength technique for characterizing plasmonic nanostructures.
- The method demonstrates high sensitivity to anisotropic NP morphology.
- This technique is suitable for in situ monitoring of nanostructure growth during self-assembly.
