Energy exchange between surface plasmon polaritons and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

TL;DR

This study demonstrates energy transfer between surface plasmon polaritons and quantum dots, revealing shifts and splitting in photoluminescence influenced by evanescent fields, with implications for nanophotonic device control.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence and computer simulations of energy exchange and Rabi splitting between SPPs and quantum dots in multilayered nanostructures.

Findings

PL emission wavelength shifts by 4-5 meV

Up to 50% quenching of quantum dot emission

Observation of Rabi splitting in PL spectrum

Abstract

Evidence is presented for energy exchange between surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) excited in waveguide-coupled Ag/Si3N4/Au structures and CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) emitters. The QD dispersion is coated on the surface of Ag/Si3N4/Au nanostructure, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is excited on surface of multilayered structure and the photoluminescence (PL) emission by the QDs is monitored as a function of the evanescent electric field by using fixed-detector pump-probe spectroscopy. We observe relatively large shift in the PL emission wavelength (corresponding to 4-5 meV) with accompanying electric field induced quenching (up to 50%) of the emission. Under the influence of the evanescent field, the PL emission peak splits into two components corresponding to two frequencies (Rabi splitting). Computer simulations are used to understand conditions under which Rabi splitting should occur.