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Tracking Optical Welding through Groove Modes in Plasmonic Nanocavities
J Mertens1, A Demetriadou2,3, R W Bowman1
1NanoPhotonics Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
Nano Letters
|August 17, 2016
Summary
Light exposure creates conductive pathways across nanoscale gaps in plasmonic nanoparticle-on-mirror systems. This optical method reveals electrical transport properties for developing novel resistive memory devices.
Area of Science:
- Nanophotonics
- Plasmonics
- Molecular Electronics
Background:
- Plasmonic nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPoM) geometries enable precise control over nanoscale optical fields.
- Conductive bridge formation across insulating gaps is crucial for nanoscale electronic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the light-induced formation of conductive links in NPoM systems.
- To correlate optical spectroscopy with electrical transport phenomena.
- To explore applications in resistive memory devices (memristors).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of gold NPoMs with molecular or 2D monolayer spacers.
- In situ monitoring of plasmonic systems using dark-field spectroscopy.
- Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations for spectral analysis.
- Development of an analytic cavity model for plasmonic mode hybridization.
Main Results:
- Laser irradiation controllably formed conductive bridges, shorting nanometer-wide gaps.
- Dark-field spectroscopy revealed strong plasmonic mode mixing and anticrossings during bridge formation.
- FDTD simulations and analytic models confirmed metal filament formation and plasmonic hybridization.
Conclusions:
- Optical methods can effectively probe electrical transport across nanoscale metallic gaps.
- The study demonstrates a pathway for developing light-tunable resistive memory devices.
- Understanding plasmonic-electronic coupling in NPoMs is key for future nanoelectronic applications.
