Insights from Single Particle Spectroscopy of Plasmonic Nanostructures

A surface plasmon in a metal nanoparticle is the coherent oscillation of the conduction band electrons, leading to both absorption and scattering as well as strong local electromagnetic fields. These fundamental properties have been exploited in many different ways, including surface-enhanced spectroscopy and sensing, photothermal cancer therapy, and color display generation.

The performance of plasmonic nanoparticles for a desired application not only depends on the particle size and shape but is tunable through nanoparticle interactions on different length scales that support near- and far-field coupling. Chemical synthesis and assembly of nanostructures are able to tailor plasmonic properties that are, however, typically broadened by ensemble averaging. Single particle spectroscopy, together with correlated imaging, is capable of removing heterogeneity in size, shape, and assembly geometry and also allows one to separate absorption and scattering contributions.

In this webinar hosted by the Quantum Applications in Biomedicine and Material Chemistry Technical Group, Stephan Link will discuss his recent work on understanding the radiative and non-radiative properties of individual and coupled plasmonic nanostructures.

Subject Matter Level: Intermediate - Assumes basic knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• Plasmonics
• Carrier dynamics
• Single particle spectroscopy with correlated imaging
• Potential applications of these fields in display, biomedicine, and sensing

Who Should Attend:
• Young professionals, graduate students, and postdocs
• Optics researchers and plasmonics enthusiasts

About the Presenter: Stephan Link from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Professor Stephan Link received a Diploma of Chemistry in 1996 from the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany, followed by graduate work at the Georgia Institute of Technology under the supervision of Professor Mostafa El-Sayed. Starting in 2001, Stephan gained postdoctoral research experiences at the Georgia Institute of Technology under Professors Mostafa El-Sayed and Rick Trebino, and then at the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked with Professor Paul Barbara. In 2006, Stephan started his independent academic career in the Chemistry Department at Rice University. He was promoted to associate professor in 2013, full professor in 2017, and the Charles W. Duncan, Jr.-Welch Chair in Chemistry in 2021. In 2024, he moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where is the Charles W. and Genevieve M. Walton Professor of Chemistry. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and currently serves as a Senior Editor for The Journal of Physical Chemistry.