# Quantum Plasmonic Nanoantennas

## TL;DR

This paper investigates quantum effects in plasmonic excitations of sodium chains, revealing a quantum-classical transition, field enhancement potential at the molecular level, and the impact of gap size on charge-transfer states in dimers, advancing ultra-small plasmonic device design.

## Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of quantum plasmonic excitations in atomic-scale sodium chains, bridging classical and quantum models, and explores their potential for ultra-small tunable plasmonic devices.

## Key findings

- Quantum-classical transition occurs around 10 atoms in longitudinal modes.
- Large electric field enhancements are achievable at the molecular scale.
- Charge-transfer states depend on gap and chain size in sodium dimers.

## Abstract

We study plasmonic excitations in the limit of few electrons, in one-atom thick sodium chains, and characterize them based on collectivity. We also compare the excitations to classical localised plasmon modes and find for the longitudinal mode a quantum-classical transition around 10 atoms. The transverse mode appears at much higher energies than predicted classically for all chain lengths. The electric field enhancement is also considered which is made possible by considering the effects of electron-phonon coupling on the broadening of the electronic spectra. Large field enhancements are possible on the molecular level allowing us to consider the validity of using molecules as the ultimate small size limit of plasmonic antennas. Additionally, we consider the case of a dimer system of two sodium chains, where the gap can be considered as a picocavity, and we analyse the charge-transfer states and their dependence on the gap size as well as chain size. Our results and methods are useful for understanding and developing ultra-small, tunable and novel plasmonic devices that utilise quantum effects that could have applications in quantum optics, quantum metamaterials, cavity-quantum electrodynamics and controlling chemical reactions, as well as deepening our understanding of localised plasmons in low dimensional molecular systems.