title: Plasmon-Exciton Interactions Probed Using Spatial Coentrapment of Nanoparticles by Topological Singularities.
abstract: We study plasmon-exciton interaction by using topological singularities to spatially confine, selectively deliver, cotrap and optically probe colloidal semiconductor and plasmonic nanoparticles. The interaction is monitored in a single quantum system in the bulk of a liquid crystal medium where nanoparticles are manipulated and nanoconfined far from dielectric interfaces using laser tweezers and topological configurations containing singularities. When quantum dot-in-a-rod particles are spatially colocated with a plasmonic gold nanoburst particle in a topological singularity core, its fluorescence increases because blinking is significantly suppressed and the radiative decay rate increases by nearly an order of magnitude owing to the Purcell effect. We argue that the blinking suppression is the result of the radiative rate change that mitigates Auger recombination and quantum dot ionization, consequently reducing nonradiative recombination. Our work demonstrates that topological singularities are an effective platform for studying and controlling plasmon-exciton interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.|Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ackerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.
authors.forename: Haridas
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mundoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.|Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.|Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center and Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.|Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.
authors.forename: Ivan I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Smalyukh
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.|National Renewable Energy Laboratory , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.|Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.
authors.forename: Jao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van de Lagemaat
keywords: blinking; metal nanoparticles; plasmonics; semiconductor nanocrystals; topological singularities