Quantum plasmon excitations in gold-fullerene mixture films

Controllable access to the hybrid plasmonic nanostructures built of small metal nanoparticles and organic spacer offers a tempting set of electronic excitations, which proper handling promises valuable applications and bright fundamental prospect. Here, we report on remarkable plasmonic properties of the Au _x C₆₀ hybrid nanostructures formed through self-assembling the depositing mixture of metal and fullerene. Using optical absorption spectra, we demonstrate establishing of quantum plasmon (QP) excitations upon the controllable increase of spatial density and size of the Au clusters formed in the films. Detection of two plasmonic modes evidences the QP hybridization enabling by nm-scaled proximity of the neighboured Au clusters. Variation of the QP mode parameters with gradual decrease of the inter-cluster spacing ΔL to the sub-nanometre scale driven by the Au concentration in the film x allowed us to evidence the quantum tunnelling regime in the QP hybridization launching at ΔL ≈ 0.9 nm. The later result designates an important role of the C₆₀ molecules, separating the Au clusters, in design of plasmonic and transport properties of the hybrid films. The obtained results represent the self-assembled Au _x C₆₀ nanocomposites as the promising plasmonic materials with potential for application in nanoplasmonics, nanoelectronics, and nanomedicine.