Optical and electrical probing of plasmonic metal-molecule interactions.

ABSTRACT: Plasmonic nanostructures enable efficient light-to-chemical energy conversion by concentrating optical energy into nanoscale volumes. A key mechanism in this process is chemical interface damping (CID), where surface plasmons are damped by adsorbed molecules, enabling the transfer of charge to adsorbed molecules. Here, we investigate the relationship between CID and adsorbate-induced changes in dc electrical resistivity for four molecular adsorbates on gold surfaces. Our results reveal two distinct CID regimes. On one hand, CID takes place via direct resonant electronic transitions to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. This mechanism is dependent on plasmon energy. In the second regime, plasmon damping takes place through inelastic electron scattering at the metal-molecule interface.

SUBMITTER: Stefancu A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12700213 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature