Surface Plasmon Enhanced Photoconductance of Gold Nanoparticle Arrays with Incorporated Alkane Linkers

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that surface plasmon resonance significantly enhances the photoconductance in gold nanoparticle arrays with alkane linkers, revealing a bolometric effect that could improve nanoscale photodetectors.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of enhancing photoconductance in nanoparticle arrays through surface plasmon resonance and provides experimental evidence of bolometric effects in these systems.

Findings

Photoconductance is strongly enhanced at surface plasmon frequency.

Surface plasmon excitation leads to bolometric conductance increase.

Arrays are fabricated via self-assembly and microcontact printing.

Abstract

We report on a photoconductive gain effect in two-dimensional arrays of gold nanoparticles, in which alkane molecules are inserted. The nanoparticle arrays are formed by a self-assembly process from alkanethiol-coated gold nanoparticles, and subsequently they are patterned on a Si/SiO2 chip by a microcontact printing technique. We find that the photoconductance of the arrays is strongly enhanced at the frequency of the surface plasmon of the nanoparticles. We interpret the observation as a bolometric enhancement of the conductance of the nanoparticle arrays upon excitation of the surface plasmon resonance.