Single Metal Nanoparticle Optical Interference

ORAL

Abstract

Optical interference of plasmon light scattering from a single gold nanoparticle is experimentally observed by placing a plane mirror nearby. The unique interference patterns in both spatial and spectral domians are reproduced by simulations based on the Huygens-Fresnel diffraction theory. The large spectral resonance enables us to determine the distance to the mirror with a 10 nm resolution without scanning the mirror [1]. The image dipole from a spherical mirror's reflection interferes with the real dipole of a single gold nanoparticle attached to an optical fiber tip [2], resulting in enhancement and inhibition of the resonant scattering rate by the modulation in the scattered light intensity collected outside the interference solid angle. [1] S.-K. Eah, H.M. Jaeger, N.F. Scherer, G.P. Wiederrecht, {\&} X.-M. Lin, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (Nov. 2004). [2] S.-K. Eah, H.M. Jaeger, N.F. Scherer, G.P. Wiederrecht, {\&} X.- M. Lin, Appl. Phys. Lett. (in press).

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Authors

  • Sang-Kee Eah

    • The University of Chicago

  • Heinrich Jaeger

    • The James Frank Institute, The University of Chicago
    • The James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60637-1433, USA

  • Norbert F. Scherer

    • The University of Chicago

  • Gary Wiederrecht

    • Argonne National Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Materials and Chemistry Division, Argonne, IL 60439

  • Xiao-Min Lin

    • Argonne National Laboratory
    • Materials Science Division, Chemistry Division, Argonne National Lab