# Plasmonic properties of refractory titanium nitride

## TL;DR

This paper investigates the plasmonic properties of titanium nitride (TiN) using first principles calculations, revealing pressure effects on its optoelectronic behavior and its potential for durable plasmonic devices.

## Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of TiN's plasmon dispersion relations and predicts a universal scaling law linking its mechanical and plasmonic properties under pressure.

## Key findings

- TiN exhibits characteristic plasmonic features in the visible range.
- Pressure influences TiN's optoelectronic and mechanical properties.
- Surface-plasmon polaritons at TiN/dielectric interfaces are stable under certain conditions.

## Abstract

The development of plasmonic and metamaterial devices requires the research of high-performance materials, alternative to standard noble metals. Renewed as refractory stable compound for durable coatings, titanium nitride has been recently proposed as an efficient plasmonic material. Here, by using a first principles approach, we investigate the plasmon dispersion relations of TiN bulk and we predict the effect of pressure on its optoelectronic properties. Our results explain the main features of TiN in the visible range and prove a universal scaling law which relates its mechanical and plasmonic properties as a function of pressure. Finally, we address the formation and stability of surface-plasmon polaritons at different TiN/dielectric interfaces proposed by recent experiments. The unusual combination of plasmonics and refractory features paves the way for the realization of plasmonic devices able to work at conditions not sustainable by usual noble metals.