Nanometer-scale heating reveals surface plasmon resonance
Recent progress in the engineering of plasmonic structures
has enabled new kinds of nanometer-scale optoelectronic devices as well as
high-resolution optical sensing. But until now, there has been a lack of tools
for measuring nanometer-scale behavior in plasmonic structures which are needed
to understand device performance and to confirm theoretical models.
“For the first time, we have measured nanometer-scale
infrared absorption in semiconductor plasmonic microparticles using a technique
that combines atomic force microscopy with infrared spectroscopy,” explained
William P. King, an Abel Bliss Professor in the Department of Mechanical
Science and Engineering (MechSE) at Illinois. “Atomic force microscope infrared
spectroscopy allows us to directly observe the plasmonic behavior within
microparticle infrared antennas.”