Atomic-scale structural fluctuations of a plasmonic cavity

TL;DR

This paper investigates atomic-scale fluctuations in plasmonic electroluminescence using a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope, revealing how atomic rearrangements influence optical and electronic properties at the single-atom level.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how atomic rearrangements affect plasmonic and electroluminescent properties in atomic-scale junctions, advancing understanding of nanoscale optical phenomena.

Findings

Atomic rearrangements cause spontaneous electroluminescence intensity changes.

Single-atom transfer influences plasmonic properties.

Atomic contact modifications affect electronic conductance and optical responses.

Abstract

We study fluctuations in plasmonic electroluminescence at the single-atom limit profiting from the precision of a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. First, we investigate the influence of a controlled single-atom transfer on the plasmonic properties of the junction. Next, we form a well-defined atomic contact of several quanta of conductance. In contact, we observe changes of the electroluminescence intensity that can be assigned to spontaneous modifications of electronic conductance, plasmonic excitation and optical antenna properties all originating from minute atomic rearrangements at or near the contact. The observations are relevant for the understanding of processes leading to spontaneous intensity variations in plasmon-enhanced atomic-scale spectroscopies.