title: Time-domain investigation of the acoustic vibrations of metal nanoparticles: size and encapsulation effects.
abstract: The acoustic vibrations of single-metal and multi-material nanoparticles are studied by ultrafast pump-probe optical spectroscopy and described in the context of the continuous elastic model. The applicability of this model to the small size range, down to one nanometer, is discussed in the light of recent experimental data and ab initio calculations. Investigations of multi-material nano-objects stress the impact of the intra-particle interface on the characteristics of their vibrational modes, also yielding information on the composition and spatial distribution of the constituting materials.
authors.affiliation: FemtoNanoOptics Group, Institut Lumière Matière UMR5306, Université Lyon 1-CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France. Electronic address: aurelien.crut@univ-lyon1.fr.
authors.forename: Aurélien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crut
authors.affiliation: FemtoNanoOptics Group, Institut Lumière Matière UMR5306, Université Lyon 1-CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maioli
authors.affiliation: FemtoNanoOptics Group, Institut Lumière Matière UMR5306, Université Lyon 1-CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Del Fatti
authors.affiliation: FemtoNanoOptics Group, Institut Lumière Matière UMR5306, Université Lyon 1-CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vallée
keywords: Acoustic vibrations; Metal nanoparticles; Pump–probe; THz domain; Ultrafast spectroscopy