Comparing
the optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles in
terms of scattering, absorption and extinction is an active and delicate
issue in nano-optics. Absorption cross sections are usually difficult
to be reliably measured. In this work, the absorption of gold and
aluminum nanodisks was measured using quantitative wavefront sensing.
We evidence a spectral shift between the retrieved absorption and
the extinction maxima. Discrete dipole approximation calculations
enabled us to unravel the origins of the spectral shifts, which are
different depending on the material. In the case of gold nanodisks,
the mismatch between extinction and absorption (∼15 nm) is
related to the frequency shift of the plasmonic field intensity between
near-field and far-field regimes, respectively probed through the
heat generated within the nanoparticles and the optical extinction.
For aluminum nanodisks, displaying dipolar plasmon resonances in the
wavelength range 700 to 850 nm, the spectral shift between extinction
and absorption is ascribed to the presence of interband transitions
located on the low energy side of the surface plasmon resonances.