title: Threading plasmonic nanoparticle strings with light.
abstract: Nanomaterials find increasing application in communications, renewable energies, electronics and sensing. Because of its unsurpassed speed and highly tuneable interaction with matter, using light to guide the self-assembly of nanomaterials can open up novel technological frontiers. However, large-scale light-induced assembly remains challenging. Here we demonstrate an efficient route to nano-assembly through plasmon-induced laser threading of gold nanoparticle strings, producing conducting threads 12±2 nm wide. This precision is achieved because the nanoparticles are first chemically assembled into chains with rigidly controlled separations of 0.9 nm primed for re-sculpting. Laser-induced threading occurs on a large scale in water, tracked via a new optical resonance in the near-infrared corresponding to a hybrid chain/rod-like charge transfer plasmon. The nano-thread width depends on the chain mode resonances, the nanoparticle size, the chain length and the peak laser power, enabling nanometre-scale tuning of the optical and conducting properties of such nanomaterials.
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, NanoPhotonics Centre, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thompson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors: Lars O
authors: LO
authors: Herrmann
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, NanoPhotonics Centre, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thompson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors: Ventsislav K
authors: VK
authors: Valev
authors: Donostia International Physics Center DIPC and Centro de Física de Materiales CSIC-UPV/EHU Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
authors: Christos
authors: C
authors: Tserkezis
authors: Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Charles Babbage Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 30FS, UK.
authors: Jonathan S
authors: JS
authors: Barnard
authors: Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
authors: Setu
authors: S
authors: Kasera
authors: Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
authors: Oren A
authors: OA
authors: Scherman
authors: Donostia International Physics Center DIPC and Centro de Física de Materiales CSIC-UPV/EHU Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
authors: Javier
authors: J
authors: Aizpurua
authors: Cavendish Laboratory, NanoPhotonics Centre, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thompson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors: Jeremy J
authors: JJ
authors: Baumberg