Optically tunable surfaces with trapped particles in microcavities

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel optically tunable surface system using gold nanoparticles trapped in water-filled gold cavities, where external light controls particle positioning and surface optical properties.

Contribution

It introduces a new method for all-optical tuning of surface properties by controlling nanoparticle positions within microcavities, supported by theoretical analysis.

Findings

Optical properties change significantly with particle position.

External illumination can precisely control particle location.

The system offers a promising approach for large-scale optical tuning.

Abstract

We introduce optically tunable surfaces based upon metallic gold nanoparticles trapped in open, water-filled gold cavities. The optical properties of the surfaces change dramatically with the presence and location of the particles inside the cavities. The precise position of the particles is shown to be controllable through optical forces exerted by external illumination, thus leading to all-optical tunability, whereby the optical response of the surfaces is tuned through externally applied light. We discuss the performance of the cavity-particle complex in detail and provide theoretical support for its application as a novel concept of large-scale optically tunable system.