# Point-dipole approximation for small systems of strongly coupled radiating nanorods

## TL;DR

This study evaluates the accuracy of point-dipole models for small systems of strongly coupled plasmonic nanorods, finding they are valid when the separation is sufficiently large relative to the wavelength, but less accurate at smaller distances.

## Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the validity range of point-dipole approximations for small, strongly coupled nanorod systems, including effects of geometry and size.

## Key findings

- Point dipole approximation is accurate for $kl
ceil rac{ ext{pi}}{2}$
- Finite size effects cause divergence at small separations
- Effective models can describe nanorod pairs as metamolecules

## Abstract

Systems of closely-spaced resonators can be strongly coupled by interactions mediated by scattered electromagnetic fields. In large systems the resulting response has been shown to be more sensitive to these collective interactions than to the detailed structure of individual resonators. Attempts to describe such systems have resulted in point-dipole approximations to resonators that are computationally efficient for large resonator ensembles. Here we provide a detailed study for the validity of point dipole approximations in small systems of strongly coupled plasmonic nanorods, including the cases of both super-radiant and subradiant excitations, where the characteristics of the excitation depends on the spatial separation between the nanorods. We show that over an appreciable range of rod lengths centered on $210~\text{nm}$, when the relative separation $kl$ in terms of the resonance wave number of light $k$ satisfies $kl \gtrsim \pi/2$, the point electric dipole model becomes accurate. However, when the resonators are closer, the finite-size and geometry of the resonators modifies the excitation modes, in particular the cooperative mode line shifts of the point dipole approximation begin to rapidly diverge at small separations. We also construct simplified effective models by describing a pair of nanorods as a single effective metamolecule.