title: Nanoscale optical properties of metal nanoparticles probed by Second Harmonic Generation microscopy.
abstract: We report spatial and vectorial imaging of local fields' confinement properties in metal nanoparticles with branched shapes, using Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy. Taking advantage of the coherent nature of this nonlinear process, the technique provides a direct evidence of the coupling between the excitation polarization and both localization and polarization specificities of local fields at the sub-diffraction scale. These combined features, which are governed by the nanoparticles' symmetry, are not accessible using other contrasts such as linear optical techniques or two-photon luminescence.
authors.affiliation: ICD-LNIO, UMR STMR CNRS 6279, Universit´e de Technologie de Troyes 12 rue Marie Curie, CS 42060, 10004 Troyes cedex, France.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ngoc
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gachet
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maillard
authors.forename: Timothée
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toury
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brasselet
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*