Magnetic plasmonic nanoparticle dimer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9627115-B2
Application number	US-201514853410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

Described embodiments include a system, method, and apparatus. The apparatus includes a plasmonic nanoparticle dimer. The dimer includes a first plasmonic nanoparticle having a first magnetic element covered by a first negative-permittivity layer comprising a first plasmonic outer surface. The dimer includes a second plasmonic nanoparticle having a second magnetic element covered by a second negative-permittivity layer comprising a second plasmonic outer surface. The dimer includes a separation control structure configured to establish a dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface. A magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element binds the first plasmonic nanoparticle and the second plasmonic nanoparticle together, separated by the dielectric-filled gap established by the separation control structure. The first plasmonic outer surface, the dielectric-filled gap, and the second plasmonic outer surface are configured to cooperatively support one or more mutually coupled plasmonic excitations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a plasmonic nanoparticle dimer including;
a first plasmonic nanoparticle having a first magnetic element at least partially covered by a first negative-permittivity layer comprising a first plasmonic outer surface; and
a second plasmonic nanoparticle having a second magnetic element at least partially covered by a second negative-permittivity layer comprising a second plasmonic outer surface;
a separation control structure disposed between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface and configured to maintain a dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface; and
the dielectric-filled gap comprising a distinct physical layer and extending beyond the first plasmonic outer surface or the second plasmonic surface in at least one direction,

wherein a magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element binds the first plasmonic nanoparticle and the second plasmonic nanoparticle together, separated by the dielectric-filled gap maintained by the separation control structure, and
wherein the first plasmonic outer surface, the dielectric-filled gap, and the second plasmonic outer surface are configured to cooperatively support bonding surface plasmons.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first negative-permittivity layer includes a metallic layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second negative-permittivity layer includes a metallic layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic element includes a ferromagnetic or paramagnetic element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic element includes a permanent magnetic element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic element includes a magnetisable element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure includes a non-electrically conductive separation control structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure includes a dielectric film or dielectric coating applied to the first plasmonic nanoparticle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure includes at least one dielectric element projecting outward from the first plasmonic outer surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure includes a dielectric spacer element coupled with the first plasmonic outer surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure includes a dielectric-filled gap separating the first plasmonic outer surface from the second plasmonic outer surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure is configured to establish or maintain a selected dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation control structure is configured to establish or maintain a dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric-filled gap is less than a maximum chord length of the first plasmonic nanoparticle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric-filled gap is less than about 50 nm.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric-filled gap is less than about 20 nm.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric-filled gap is less than about 10 nm.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer in a gas, fluid, or solid colloidal.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer in a colloidal suspension.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer in a colloidal solution.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer is configured to have a selected resonant band frequency signature or profile.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer is configured to have a selected optical absorption spectrum.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer is configured to have a selected Raman scattering signature or profile.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic nanoparticle dimer includes a plasmonic nanoparticle trimer, and the trimer includes a third plasmonic nanoparticle having a third magnetic element at least partially covered by a third negative-permittivity layer comprising a third plasmonic outer surface.

25. A system comprising:
a mixture of a plurality of plasmonic nanoparticle dimers in a dispersion medium;
each plasmonic nanoparticle dimer of the plurality of plasmonic nanoparticle dimers including;
a first plasmonic nanoparticle having a first magnetic element at least partially covered by a first negative-permittivity layer comprising a first plasmonic outer surface;
a second plasmonic nanoparticle having a second magnetic element at least partially covered by a second negative-permittivity layer comprising a second plasmonic outer surface;
a separation control structure configured to maintain a dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface;
the dielectric-filled gap comprising a distinct physical layer and extending in at least one direction beyond the first plasmonic outer surface or the second plasmonic surface; and

the dispersion medium,
wherein a magnetic attraction between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element binds the first plasmonic nanoparticle and the second plasmonic nanoparticle together, separated by the dielectric-filled gap maintained by the separation control structure,
wherein the first plasmonic outer surface, the dielectric-filled gap, and the second plasmonic outer surface are configured to cooperatively support bonding surface plasmons.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the mixture includes a colloidal.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the dispersion medium includes a fluid.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the dispersion medium includes a solid.

29. The system of claim 25 , further comprising:
a capsule configured to hold the mixture.

30. An apparatus comprising:
a plasmonic nanoparticle dimer including;
a first plasmonic nanoparticle having a first magnetic element at least partially covered by a first negative-permittivity layer comprising a first plasmonic outer surface; and
a second plasmonic nanoparticle having a second magnetic element at least partially covered by a second negative-permittivity layer comprising a second plasmonic outer surface;
a separation control structure configured to maintain a dielectric-filled gap between the first plasmonic outer surface and the second plasmonic outer surface; and
the dielectric-filled gap comprising a distinct physical layer and extending beyond the first plasmonic outer surface or the second plasmonic surface in at least one direction,

wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element magnetically attract each other, and bind the first plasmonic nanoparticle and the second plasmonic nanoparticle together separated by the dielectric-filled gap, the binding configured to re

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Akselrod Gleb M
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Mikkelsen Maiken H
• Pan Tony S
• Smith David R
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Urzhumov Yaroslav A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• H01F1/06 Primary

  in the form of particles, e.g. powder (H01F1/047 takes precedence {; record carriers G11B5/70605}) · CPC title

• H01F1/0045 Primary

  Zero dimensional, e.g. nanoparticles, soft nanoparticles for medical/biological use (preparation of fullerenes in general C01B32/15) · CPC title

• G02B5/008

  Surface plasmon devices (diffractive gratings with a pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength G02B5/1809; surface plasmons in integrated optics G02B6/1226; optical analysis of materials by means of surface plasmons G01N21/553) · CPC title

• H01F1/20

  in the form of particles, e.g. powder (H01F1/147 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01F1/0018

  Diamagnetic or paramagnetic materials, i.e. materials with low susceptibility and no hysteresis (H01F1/0036 takes precedence) · CPC title