A surface plasmon in a metal nanoparticle is the coherent oscillation of the conduction band electrons leading to both absorption and scattering.  Ensemble extinction spectroscopy only measures the sum of both processes.  However, single particle spectroscopy techniques allow one to separately determine the plasmon absorption and scattering.  We have employed different polarization sensitive single particle spectroscopy techniques to investigate both radiative (scattering, luminescence) and non-radiative (absorption) properties of individual plasmonic nanostructures.  In particular, we have used by dark-field scattering spectroscopy, photothermal heterodyne imaging, and confocal luminescence microscopy, which were all combined on one setup to study the same structures.  Simulations aided in the interpretation of the results and allowed us to determine quantitative optical cross sections, which are difficult to obtain by ensemble measurements.  To gain further insight about the relationship between structure and plasmon resonance, we correlated the optical response with the morphology of the nanostructure using electron microscopy.

Radiative and non-radiative properties of individual plasmonic nanostructures investigated by single particle spectroscopy

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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