Dielectric properties of ultrathin metal films around the percolation threshold

TL;DR

This study investigates the dielectric properties of ultrathin gold films near the percolation threshold using broad-spectrum optical measurements, revealing a dielectric anomaly associated with the insulator-to-metal transition.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the dielectric functions of ultrathin gold films across a wide spectral range, combining spectroscopic techniques and modeling.

Findings

Identification of a Drude component and a plasmon in the dielectric response.

Observation of a dielectric constant maximum at the insulator-metal transition.

Shift of plasmon frequency with increasing film thickness.

Abstract

We report on optical reflection measurements of thin Au films at and around the percolation threshold (film thickness 3 to 10 nm) in an extremely broad spectral range from 500 to 35000 cm-1 (0.3 - 20 *10-6 m). Combining spectroscopic ellipsometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the dielectric properties of the films can be described over the whole frequency range by Kramers-Kronig consistent effective dielectric functions. The optical conductivity of the films is dominated by two contributions: by a Drude-component starting at the percolation threshold in the low frequency range and a plasmon in the near-infrared region, which shifts down in frequency with increasing film thickness. The interplay of both components leads to a dielectric anomaly in the infrared region with a maximum of the dielectric constant at the insulator-to-metal transition.