Plasmonic nanostructures embedded in dielectrics for imaging, spectroscopy and opto-phono-electronics

Description

Abstract
The development of many applications based on embedded plasmonic nanostructures, like surface enhanced spectroscopies, photothermal therapy, plasmoelectronics, photocatalysis…, are strongly dependent on the knowledge of their transport and thermodynamical properties and thus of their electronic and vibrational excitations. To circumvent the experimental limits of very low scattering cross-section, specific elaboration processes (like low energy ion implantation and sample architectures called “3 scales – 3 dim” using FIB and lithography, antireflective layers) and new set-up configurations have been designed at CEMES to record optical scattering signals of nanocrystals (embedded Ag NCs using implantation or colloidal Au and Ag NCs assemblies or Si NCs deposited), films (graphene) or molecules (ligands, pyridine). We thus take benefit of dark-field and differential scanning spectroscopy, spectrally and spatially localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), and optical amplification, simultaneously. 
Confinement, surface, disorder and strain effects have been particularly investigated at the nanoscale providing new ways of understanding physics at this scale, like lattice dynamics (collective modes, bulk phonons), electron-hole excitations (background in SERS). Applicative projects of embedded nanoplasmonics architectures at the vicinity of a free and flat surface, concern:
(i) high contrast imaging and spectroscopy for the understanding of charge tunneling between nano-objects, enhanced spectroscopies mechanisms (prevention of biofilm development, analysis of biocide activity of metallic NPs and/or ions), 
or (ii) electron-hole generation for photocatalysis or water purification,  
both offering new opportunities within the Water project.
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