Directional optical absorption and scattering in conical plasmonic nanostructures.

Area of Science:

• Plasmonics and Nanophotonics
• Optical Metamaterials

Background:

• Asymmetric plasmonic nanostructures enable directional control of light.
• Understanding nanoparticle interactions is crucial for tailoring optical responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the impact of asymmetry and nanoparticle interactions on directional optical properties.
• Enhance directional optical absorption in nanostructures.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical investigation of asymmetric plasmonic nanostructures.
• Modeling optical responses of truncated nanocones and interacting nanodisks.
• Analyzing the role of geometrical asymmetry and inter-nanoparticle coupling.

Main Results:

• Dividing a single truncated nanocone into interacting nanodisks enhances directionality without altering geometrical asymmetry.
• Achieved a sixfold increase in directional optical absorption using four nanodisks in a conical arrangement.
• Observed constructive interference of excited modes within the nanodisks contributes to enhanced directionality.

Conclusions:

• Nanoparticle interactions significantly amplify directionality in asymmetric plasmonic systems.
• Configuring nanodisks in a conical array offers a pathway to high directional optical absorption.
• The findings provide insights for designing advanced optical devices with tailored light manipulation capabilities.