Fourier Plane Tomographic Spectroscopy Reveals Orientation-Dependent Multipolar Plasmon Modes in Micrometer-Scale Janus Particles

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Fourier plane tomographic spectroscopy technique to analyze how the orientation of Janus particles affects their multipolar plasmon modes, providing insights into their optical properties and potential applications.

Contribution

The study develops a novel 4D spectroscopic method combined with simulations to identify and characterize orientation-dependent multipolar plasmon modes in Janus particles.

Findings

Identification of three distinct multipolar modes up to fifth order.

Observation of red-shifts and linewidth narrowing with higher-order resonances.

Polarization-dependent scattering patterns enable optical tracking of particle rotation.

Abstract

Plasmonic Janus particles, comprising dielectric cores with thin metallic caps, exhibit complex optical properties due to their asymmetric structure. Despite applications in active matter research, their orientation-dependent scattering properties remain largely unexplored. We introduce Fourier plane tomographic spectroscopy for simultaneous four-dimensional characterization of scattering from individual micrometer-scale particles across wavelength, incident angle, scattering angle, and polarization. Combining measurements with finite-element simulations, we identify discrete spectral markers in visible and near-infrared regions that evolve predictably with cap orientation. Spherical-harmonics decomposition reveals these markers arise from three distinct multipolar modes up to fifth order: axial-propagating transverse-electric, transverse-propagating transverse-electric, and transverse-propagating axial-electric, with retardation-induced splitting. We observe progressive red-shifts and linewidth narrowing of higher-order resonances, demonstrating curvature's influence on mode dispersion. Orientation-specific scattering patterns exhibit polarization-dependent features enabling optical tracking of particle rotation. Our framework applies to diverse material combinations and geometries, offering a toolkit for designing orientation-responsive nanoantennas, reconfigurable metasurfaces, and active colloidal systems with tailored light-matter interactions.