Plasmonic Excitation Phenomena in Nanostructured Materials

Plasmonic excitation phenomena arise when the conduction electrons in metallic nanostructures collectively oscillate in response to incident electromagnetic radiation. These excitations fall broadly into two categories: Localised Surface Plason Resonances (LSPRs), which are confined to subwavelength nanoparticles and produce intense near-field enhancement; and propagating Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs), which travel along metal–dielectric interfaces. The resonance frequency and spatial confinement of plasmons depend sensitively on particle size, shape, composition and dielectric environment. In nanostructured assemblies, coupling between plasmonic elements gives rise to hybrid modes, spectral tunability and Fano-type interferences. Such phenomena underpin a range of applications including surface-enhanced spectroscopy, photothermal therapy, biosensing and plasmon-driven photocatalysis. Recent advances in fabrication and simulation techniques have enabled atomic-scale control of plasmonic architectures, while ultrafast spectroscopic methods have revealed the dynamics of plasmon formation, dephasing and hot-carrier generation. The ability to tailor plasmonic responses has opened pathways towards energy conversion, environmental sensing and on-chip nanophotonic devices with unprecedented performance.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated the fundamental interplay between plasmonic and single-particle excitations in metal nanoclusters. Real-time time-dependent density functional simulations have demonstrated that resonant coupling between d-band transitions and collective modes governs hot-carrier yields in silver clusters, suggesting design principles for enhanced photochemical action. In small metallic nanoparticles, quantitative quantum-mechanical models of single-plasmon decay have revealed that hot-electron and hole generation rates deviate markedly from semiclassical predictions, underscoring the importance of quantum coherence in ultrasmall regimes. Additionally, investigations into plasmonic mode coupling in oligomeric assemblies have shown that interference between electric and magnetic resonances can produce sharp Fano-line shapes, enabling selective field confinement along specific structural elements. These foundational insights provide a robust framework for tailoring plasmonic responses at the nanoscale.

Plasmonic Excitation Phenomena in Nanostructured Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in plasmonic excitation phenomena in nanostructured materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Localised Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR): Coherent oscillation of conduction electrons in a nanoparticle, confined to its dimensions, leading to strong field enhancement.

Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP): Surface-bound electromagnetic wave resulting from coupling between light and collective electron oscillations at a metal–dielectric interface.

Hot carrier: Energetic electrons or holes generated by plasmon dephasing, capable of driving photochemical reactions before thermalisation.

Fano resonance: Asymmetric spectral feature arising from interference between a discrete resonant mode and a broad continuum of states.

Non-adiabatic coupling: Interaction enabling transitions between electronic states during atomic motion, crucial for modelling electron–phonon and electron–electron scattering in plasmonic systems.

References

1. Interplay between plasmon and single-particle excitations in a metal nanocluster. Nature Communications (2015).
2. Single plasmon hot carrier generation in metallic nanoparticles. Communications Physics (2019).
3. Fano-like resonance emerging from magnetic and electric plasmon mode coupling in small arrays of gold particles. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Nanofountain Pen for Writing Hybrid Plasmonic Architectures. Small Structures (2023).
5. Molecular dynamics study of plasmon-mediated chemical transformations. Chemical Science (2023).
6. Hot-Carrier Transfer across a Nanoparticle–Molecule Junction: The Importance of Orbital Hybridization and Level Alignment. Nano Letters (2022).