Life-time of surface plasmons in small metal particles

Existing theories concerning the life-time of surface plasmons in small metal particles fail to explain recent experimental data for silver. Therefore, two of these theories were critically re-examined, and some numerical errors were found. The semi-classical approach by Lozovik et al. yields, after correction, physically reasonable results, which are nearly identical with theoretical results by Kreibig. The corrected RPA-result by Lushnikov et al. is in quantitative agreement with recent experimental data for silver.     

Red shift of surface plasmons in small metal particles

It is shown that the experimentally found red shift of the surface plasmon resonance in a small metal particle is a direct measure of the first moment of the induced surface charge.     

Surface plasmons in small metal particles

The dielectric response of a small metal particle to a perturbing potentialv _L =r ^L Y _LM e ^iωt is considered within the random phase approximation (RPA). The static dielectric polarizability is found and the size dependence of the surface plasmon frequencies are then determined from sum rule calculations. When the particle radiusa is large compared to the Thomas-Fermi screening lengthr ₀ the RPA equation is transformed into a form appropriate for an analytical solution. The dynamic electric polarizability, the position and the width of the surface plasma resonance are found in the limita/r ₀?1.     

Excitation of surface plasmons in metal particles by fast electrons and x rays

The cross sections for excitation of surface plasmons by fast electrons and x rays are calculated within the random phase approximation for a spherical metal particle. The results are compared with those obtained within the hydrodynamic model of a free electron gas.     

Surface plasmons in small layer metal particles

Positions of two surface plasma resonances in a layer metal particle containing a dielectric foreign nucleus are calculated within the random phase approximation. The results obtained give a possible explanation of a recent experimental observation by Genzel et al.¹ of two peak structure in the photoabsorption cross-section of small silver particles.     

Resonant surface plasmons of a metal nanosphere treated as propagating surface plasmons

On the assumption that the resonant surface plasmons on a spherical nanoparticle are formed by standing waves of two counter-propagating surface plasmon waves along the surface, by using Mie theory simulation, we find that the dispersions of surface plasmon resonant modes supported by silver nanospheres match with those of the surface plasmons on a semiinfinite medium-silver interface very well. This suggests that the resonant surface plasmons of a metal nanosphere can be treated as a propagating surface plasmon wave.     

Modified method of surface plasmons in metal superlattices

We present a modified method to solve the surface plasmons(SPs) of semi-infinite metal/dielectric superlattices and predicted new SP modes in physics. We find that four dispersion-equation sets and all possible SP modes are determined by them. Our analysis and numerical calculations indicate that besides the SP mode obtained in the original theory, the other two SP modes are predicted, which have either a positive group velocity or a negative group velocity. We also point out the possible defect in the previous theoretical method in accordance to the linear algebra principle.     

Effect of extended surface plasmons on surface enhanced Raman scattering

Surface enhanced Raman scattering of pyridine adsorbed to weakly roughened silver films is studied using a well-characterized extended surface plasmon excitation. We show that the additional increase in the Raman signal associated with the extended surface plasmon is fully accounted for by the enhancement in the average macroscopic field.     

General properties of local plasmons in metal nanostructures

Under the quasistatic approximation, the characteristics of a local plasmon resonance of a metal nanostructure exhibit several general properties. The resonance frequency depends on the fraction of plasmon energy residing in the metal through the real dielectric function of the metal. For a given resonant frequency, the Q factor of the resonance is determined only by the complex dielectric function of the metal material, independent of the nanostructure form or the dielectric environment. A simple result describing the effect of optical gain on the Q factor is also obtained.     

Enhanced backward scattering by surface plasmons on silver film

Surface plasmon and its potential application in nanotechnology have attracted a remarkable amount of attention recently due to their novel properties. In this work we present an angularly resolved surface plasmon scattering study on a primitive metal surface. Using a reversed attenuated total reflection (RATR) setup in the experiment, we obtained a double-crescent shaped and enhanced scattering pattern at far field. The scattering pattern as a function on the variation of angle and polarization of incident beam are studied. Both theoretical and experimental results reveal an enhanced backward scattering by surface plasmon excitation. Consequently, it is shown that this angularly resolved surface plasmon scattering measurement can be employed for resolving a richness of nanoscale surface textures. PACS 42.79.-e; 42.30.Wb; 78.20.Ci     

The effect of gain and absorption on surface plasmons in metal nanoparticles

The compensation of loss in metal by gain in interfacing dielectric has been demonstrated in a mixture of aggregated silver nanoparticles and rhodamine 6G dye. An increase of the quality factor of surface plasmon (SP) resonance was evidenced by the sixfold enhancement of Rayleigh scattering. The compensation of plasmonic losses with gain enables a host of new applications for metallic nanostructures, including low- or no-loss negative-index metamaterials. We have also predicted and experimentally observed a suppression of SP resonance in metallic nanoparticles embedded in dielectric host with absorption. PACS 61.46.Df; 73.20.Mf; 78.67.Bf     

Optical generation of terahertz plasmons on comb-shaped surface of metal

The possibilities of a recently proposed (Opt. Express 17, 9323 (2009)) method for generating terahertz surface plasmons on a microstructured (comb-shaped) metal surface using a nonlinear polarization pulse that moves with a superluminal velocity and is induced by an ultrashort laser pulse in a strip of electrooptic material deposited on the surface are theoretically studied. For an arbitrary direction of motion of the nonlinear source along the comb-shaped surface, fields of excited terahertz plasmons and the angular spectral distribution of the radiated energy are calculated. It is shown that the spectral and energy characteristics of plasmons can be efficiently controlled by varying the direction of motion of the source. Conditions (parameters of the comb-shaped structure, direction and velocity of motion of the source) that ensure the maximal efficiency of the optical-to-terahertz conversion are found. The developed method of terahertz generation is promising for surface terahertz spectroscopy.     

Inelastic surface scattering of non-penetrating particles

This paper is an extension of the authors' earlier work to include a treatment of onephonon inelastic scattering of particles which do not penetrate appreciably into the crystal. A full quantum-mechanical treatment of the lattice vibrations is used throughout, and the results are not restricted to small scattered intensities. Calculations are presented for the scattering of helium atoms by a simplified model of the crystal surface.     

Size distribution function of dispersed particles in metal alloys

A consideration of the change in thickness of the diffusion zone and of the rate of attachment of material to the faces of particles during diffusion coagulation leads to a general expression for the size distribution function of the dispersed particles. The form of the distribution function and its variation with time illustrate the diversity of the experimentally observed unimodal distributions of the particles of the dispersed phases in metal alloys.     

Terahertz-pulse emission through laser excitation of surface plasmons in a metal grating

The second-order processes of optical-rectification and photoconduction are well known and widely used to produce ultrafast electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz frequency domain. We present a new form of rectification that relies on the excitation of surface plasmons in metal films deposited on a shallow grating. Multiphoton ionization and ponderomotive acceleration of electrons in the enhanced evanescent field of the surface plasmons results in a femtosecond current surge and emission of terahertz electromagnetic radiation. Using gold, this rectification process is third or higher-order in the incident field.     

Size dependent ac conductivity of small metal particles

The statistical model of electrons in a small metallic particle is applied to calculate three expressions for the size dependent ac conductivity. The first expression is very simple. It is obtained with a sum-rule conserving ansatz for the electric dipole matrix element. The two other forms follow from generalizations of a quasiclassical approximation for the matrix element due to Gor'kov and Eliashberg. The results are discussed and related to other work.Dedicated to Professor W. Brenig on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Size dependences of the polarizability of the metal particles

Size dependences of the eigenfrequencies, quality factors and polarizabilities of small metallic particles-resonant radiating elements were examined. Limits of electrodynamic scaling regions and ones of plasmon oscillations predominance were established for two types of particles-spling-ring and core-shell resonators.     

Size effect in electron-lattice energy exchange in small metal particles

The paper examines electron-lattice energy exchange in confined metal systems (metal islands). An expression is derived for the energy, which an electron loses per unit of time to initiate acoustic oscillations in the lattice in accordance to the Cherenkov mechanism. In confined metal systems an electron moves, oscillating, from one potential wall to the other. The expression obtained for energy exchange converts to the generally known expression for bulk metals when the distance between the potential walls is increasing. The intensity of the bulk electron-lattice energy exchange oscillates and tends to zero at reaching a certain size with decrease of the distance between the walls.     

Surface plasmons in a free-electron metal

The dispersion and damping of the surface plasmons are calculated for a free-electron model of Al. At large wave-vector the frequency of the surface plasmons approaches that of the bulk plasmons. Their damping remains quite small up to a wave-vector close to the bulk plasmon cut-off. The change in zero-point energy of the plasmons is calculated, and it gives a large positive contribution to the surface energy.