Fluctuations of the local density of states probe localized surface plasmons on disordered metal films

TL;DR

This study investigates how the local density of optical states fluctuates on disordered metal films, revealing that maximum fluctuations occur with fractal clusters, indicating localized surface plasmons at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence linking LDOS fluctuations to surface-plasmon localization on disordered metal surfaces, highlighting the role of fractal cluster structures.

Findings

LDOS fluctuations peak with fractal cluster dominance

Large LDOS fluctuations indicate surface-plasmon localization

Surface plasmon localization occurs at the nanometer scale

Abstract

We measure the statistical distribution of the local density of optical states (LDOS) on disordered semi-continuous metal films. We show that LDOS fluctuations exhibit a maximum in a regime where fractal clusters dominate the film surface. These large fluctuations are a signature of surface-plasmon localization on the nanometer scale.