Mode Hybridization in Silicon Core–Gold Shell Nanosphere

Abstract

A dielectric core–metal shell nanosphere has attracted scientific and technological interests due to the unique optical resonances arising from the hybridization of surface plasmon modes and cavity modes. The previous studies focus on a low‐index dielectric core without its own optical resonances. Here, optical resonances of a core–shell nanosphere with a high refractive index (n ≈ 4) core with the lowest order Mie resonances in the visible range are investigated theoretically and experimentally. Scattering and absorption spectra of a core–shell nanosphere for different values of the core refractive index are first analyzed, and there is a transition of the hybridization scheme around n ≈ 2. Above the value, a characteristic hybridized mode with strong absorption and weak scattering emerges in the near‐infrared range. A core–shell nanosphere composed of a silicon core and a gold shell is prepared, and the resonance modes are studied by single particle scattering spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in a transmission electron microscope. The core–shell nanospheres exhibit the hybridized modes depending on the core diameter. The hybridized mode as well as the higher order one that is not observable in the scattering spectroscopy is observed in the EELS.

Silicon eccentric shell nanoparticles fabricated by template-assisted deposition for Mie magnetic resonances enhanced light confinement

“…As recently reported, Si NPs are usually fabricated by several methods such as laser ablation of bulk Si targets [23][24][25], mechanical grinding [26], decomposition of silane [27] and chemical vapor deposition [28], etc. All of the core-shell particles are basically fabricated by coating a dielectric or noble metal shell on Si NPs to realize fascinated light management [29,30]. For instance, Tsuchimoto et al demonstrated core-shell Si@SiO 2 particles with a forward-tobackward scattering ratio five times higher than the bare Si particle [31].…”