Single-molecule resonance Raman effect in a plasmonic nanocavity

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is a versatile tool for chemical analysis at the nanoscale. In earlier TERS experiments, Raman modes with components parallel to the tip were studied based on the strong electric field enhancement along the tip. Perpendicular modes were usually neglected. Here, we investigate an isolated copper naphthalocyanine molecule adsorbed on a triple-layer NaCl on Ag(111) using scanning tunnelling microscope TERS imaging. For flat-lying molecules on NaCl, the Raman images present different patterns depending on the symmetry of the vibrational mode. Our results reveal that components of the electric field perpendicular to the tip should be considered aside from the parallel components. Moreover, under resonance excitation conditions, the perpendicular components can play a substantial role in the enhancement. This single-molecule study in a well-defined environment provides insights into the Raman process at the plasmonic nanocavity, which may be useful in the nanoscale metrology of various molecular systems.