Tuneable plasmonics enabled by capillary oscillations of liquid-metal nanodroplets

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel approach to tunable plasmonics using liquid-metal nanodroplets that change shape via capillary oscillations, enabling dynamic control of light at the nanoscale for various applications.

Contribution

It presents a theoretical analysis of liquid-metal nanodroplets capable of shape-shifting through capillary oscillations to tune plasmon resonance frequencies.

Findings

Capillary oscillation frequency can be tuned electrically or mechanically.

Liquid-metal nanodroplets can serve as room-temperature, tunable nanoantennas.

Potential applications include sensors, imaging, microscopy, and medicine.

Abstract

Plasmonics allows manipulating light at the nanoscale, but has limitations due to the static nature of nanostructures and lack of tuneability. We propose and theoretically analyse a room-temperature liquid-metal nanodroplet that changes its shape, and therefore tunes the plasmon resonance frequency, due to capillary oscillations. We show the possibility to tune the capillary oscillation frequency of the nanodroplet and to drive the oscillations electrically or mechanically. Employed as a tuneable nanoantenna, the nanodroplet may find applications in sensors, imaging, microscopy, and medicine.