Tuning of one-dimensional plasmons by Ag-Doping in Ag-$\sqrt{3}$-ordered atomic wires

TL;DR

This study explores how small amounts of silver doping influence the formation and properties of one-dimensional plasmons in atomically thin silver nanowires on silicon surfaces, revealing non-linear plasmonic behavior.

Contribution

It demonstrates that Ag doping can tune 1D plasmons in atomic wires, showing a non-linear dependence of plasmonic losses on Ag concentration and the intrinsic semi-metallic or semiconducting nature of the wires.

Findings

Ag doping induces 1D plasmon formation without a threshold.

Plasmonic losses depend non-linearly on Ag concentration.

Residual gas adsorption can mimic doping effects.

Abstract

We generated arrays of silver wires with a height of one atom and an average width of 11 atoms on the Si(557) surface via self assembly with local $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ order, and investigated the 1D plasmon formation in them using a combination of high resolution electron loss spectroscopy with low energy electron diffraction. As it turned out by a series of thermal desorption experiments followed by adding small concentrations of Ag, pure Ag-$\sqrt{3}$ ordered arrays of nanowires, separated by (113) facets, are intrinsically semi-metallic or semiconducting. Added Ag atoms in the range up to few percent of a monolayer result in 1D plasmon formation without any concentration threshold. The quantitative Ag concentration dependence of the plasmonic losses is clearly non-linear and fully compatible with a $\sqrt{n_e}$ dependence of the 1D plasmon. Adsorption of traces of residual gas can have a qualitatively similar doping effect.