Browsing by Author "Esteban, Ruben"

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    Bridging quantum and classical plasmonics with a quantum-corrected model
    (Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2012) Esteban, Ruben; Borisov, Andrei G.; Nordlander, Peter; Aizpurua, Javier; Laboratory for Nanophotonics
    Electromagnetic coupling between plasmonic resonances in metallic nanoparticles allows for engineering of the optical response and generation of strong localized near-fields. Classical electrodynamics fails to describe this coupling across sub-nanometer gaps, where quantum effects become important owing to non-local screening and the spill-out of electrons. However, full quantum simulations are not presently feasible for realistically sized systems. Here we present a novel approach, the quantum-corrected model (QCM), that incorporates quantum-mechanical effects within a classical electrodynamic framework. The QCM approach models the junction between adjacent nanoparticles by means of a local dielectric response that includes electron tunnelling and tunnelling resistivity at the gap and can be integrated within a classical electrodynamical description of large and complex structures. The QCM predicts optical properties in excellent agreement with fully quantum mechanical calculations for small interacting systems, opening a new venue for addressing quantum effects in realistic plasmonic systems.
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    Quantum mechanical effects in plasmonic structures with subnanometre gaps
    (Springer Nature, 2016) Zhu, Wenqi; Esteban, Ruben; Borisov, Andrei G.; Baumberg, Jeremy J.; Nordlander, Peter; Lezec, Henri J.; Aizpurua, Javier; Crozier, Kenneth B.; Laboratory for Nanophotonics
    Metallic structures with nanogap features have proven highly effective as building blocks for plasmonic systems, as they can provide a wide tuning range of operating frequencies and large near-field enhancements. Recent work has shown that quantum mechanical effects such as electron tunnelling and nonlocal screening become important as the gap distances approach the subnanometre length-scale. Such quantum effects challenge the classical picture of nanogap plasmons and have stimulated a number of theoretical and experimental studies. This review outlines the findings of many groups into quantum mechanical effects in nanogap plasmons, and discusses outstanding challenges and future directions.