Gold Photoluminescence Wavelength and Polarization Engineering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how to engineer the spectral content and polarization of gold nanoparticle photoluminescence using gap-surface plasmon resonances, enabling tailored optical properties for plasmonic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control gold nanoparticle PL spectral and polarization features through shape and size tuning, supported by a simple theoretical model.

Findings

Enhanced PL spectral control achieved

Polarization of PL can be tailored

Model accurately predicts experimental results

Abstract

We demonstrate engineering of the spectral content and polarization of photoluminescence (PL) from arrayed gold nanoparticles atop a subwavelength-thin dielectric spacer and optically-thick gold film, a configuration that supports gap-surface plasmon resonances (GSPRs). Choice of shapes and dimensions of gold nanoparticles influences the GSPR wavelength and polarization characteristics, thereby allowing us to enhance and spectrally mold the plasmon-assisted PL while simultaneously controlling its polarization. In order to understand the underlying physics behind the plasmon-enhanced PL, we develop a simple model that faithfully reproduces all features observed in our experiments showing also good quantitative agreement for the PL enhancement