Hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystal formed on gel-immobilized colloidal crystal via solvent substitutio

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the fabrication of hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystals on gel-immobilized colloidal crystals, achieving enhanced electric field effects through coupling of localized surface plasmons and photonic bands.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel method to create hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystals using gel-immobilized colloidal crystals and solvent substitution, enabling controlled coupling of plasmonic and photonic properties.

Findings

Successful fabrication of hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystals.

Tuning of lattice spacing to match LSP and photonic band gap.

Observation of enhanced electric field effects due to coupling.

Abstract

Gel-immobilized colloidal crystals were prepared to obtain hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystals, in which electric field enhancement to a greater extent than that due to localized surface plasmons (LSP) alone was expected due to coupling between LSP and the photonic band. Polystyrene colloidal crystals immobilized by the N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide gel were immersed in an aqueous dispersion of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Then, the gel-immobilized colloidal crystals were picked out and immersed in an ionic liquid mixture. The surfaces of the gel-immobilized colloidal crystals immersed in the AuNP dispersion were observed via scanning electron microscopy after this solvent substitution. The lattice spacing of the colloidal crystal varied as the composition of the ionic liquid mixture was changed. The composition was determined so that the photonic band gap wavelength coincided with the LSP wavelength. Further, the reflection spectra were measured. Thus, we successfully prepared a hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystal.