title: Plasmonic waveguide modes of film-coupled metallic nanocubes.
abstract: A metallic nanoparticle positioned over a metal film offers great advantages as a highly controllable system relevant for probing field-enhancement and other plasmonic effects. Because the size and shape of the gap between the nanoparticle and film can be controlled to subnanometer precision using relatively simple, bottom-up fabrication approaches, the film-coupled nanoparticle geometry has recently been applied to enhancing optical fields, accessing the quantum regime of plasmonics, and the design of surfaces with controlled reflectance. In the present work, we examine the plasmon modes associated with a silver nanocube positioned above a silver or gold film, separated by an organic, dielectric spacer layer. The film-coupled nanocube is of particular interest due to the formation of waveguide cavity-like modes between the nanocube and film. These modes impart distinctive scattering characteristics to the system that can be used in the creation of controlled reflectance surfaces and other applications. We perform both experimental spectroscopy and numerical simulations of individual nanocubes positioned over a metal film, finding excellent agreement between experiment and simulation. The waveguide mode description serves as a starting point to explain the optical properties observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Center for Metamaterials and Integrated Plasmonics, §Department of Biomedical Engineering, and ∥Department of Chemistry, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: J Britt
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lassiter
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Jack J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mock
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciracì
authors.forename: Ryan T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wiley
authors.forename: Ashutosh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chilkoti
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance
chemical_list: D012834:Silver; D006046:Gold