title: Tuning the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoclusters by oxygen exposure and low-energy plasma annealing.
abstract: Real-time surface differential reflectance spectroscopy in the visible range is used to study the optical response of silver nanoclusters, prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition, during cyclic treatments in different oxygen atmospheres and low-energy bias argon plasma. Changes in the reflectance show that the exposure to non-ionized (or partially ionized) oxygen causes a red-shift and damping (or complete vanishing) of the resonance, while bias plasma annealing induces the opposite effects, due to oxygen desorption and structural reshaping of the nanoclusters. These results open up new opportunities for developing plasmon-based devices with high tunability of the surface plasmon resonance (energy, width and amplitude) due to an interplay between morphological and chemical modifications of the nanoclusters.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pprime, Département Physique et Mécanique des Matériaux, UPR 3346 CNRS, Université de Poitiers, SP2MI, 11 Bvd M. et P. Curie, BP 30179, F-86962 Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Antad
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simonot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Babonneau
mesh_terms: D001128:Argon / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D006244:Hardness; D006358:Hot Temperature; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D058626:Plasma Gases; D012834:Silver; D001128:Argon; D010100:Oxygen