Plasmomechanical Systems: Principles and Applications

Abstract

Extreme confinement of electromagnetic waves and mechanical displacement fields to nanometer dimensions through plasmonic nanostructures offers unprecedented opportunities for greatly enhanced interaction strength, increased bandwidth, lower power consumption, chip-scale fabrication, and efficient actuation of mechanical systems at the nanoscale. Conversely, coupling mechanical oscillators to plasmonic nanostructures introduces mechanical degrees of freedom to otherwise static plasmonic structures thus giving rise to the generation of extremely large resonance shifts even for minor position changes. This nanoscale marriage of plasmonics and mechanics has led to the emergence of a new field of study called plasmomechanics that explores the fundamental principles underneath the coupling between light and plasmomechanical nanoresonators. In this review, both the fundamental concepts and applications of plasmomechanics as an emerging field of study are discussed. After an overview of the basic principles of plasmomechanics, the active tuning mechanisms of plasmonic nano-mechanical systems are extensively analyzed. Moreover, the recent developments on the practical implications of plasmomechanic systems for such applications as biosensing and infrared detection are highlighted. Finally, an outlook on the implications of the plasmomechanical nanosystems for development of point-of-care diagnostic devices that can help early and rapid detection of fatal diseases are forwarded.

Study of Single Gold Nanocrystals by Inelastic Light Scattering Spectroscopy

“…3,4 More recently, it has been shown that there is a strong interaction between the plasmonic and vibrational (mechanical) properties of nano-objects that can be used to develop nanooptomechanics based on metal nanoparticles. [5][6][7] However, while the control of the plasmonic properties tends to be a mature technology, the control of the vibrational properties of nanoobjects and their assembly and their interaction with light are in their infancy. Following the example of developments in the field of plasmonics, the tools for measuring the acoustic vibrations of nano-objects are evolving and allow to constantly improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in light-vibration interactions in nano-objects (not necessarily metallic) and thus to envisage the joint engineering of the acoustic and optical properties of nanoparticles.…”

“…The small dimensions of nano-objects are at the origin of the appearance of original optical properties resulting from the confinement of excitons in semiconductor nanoparticles and the localized surface plasmons in metallic ones. , The latter are now widely used in many applications thanks to the recent development of fabrication and characterization techniques, paving the way for nanoplasmonic engineering linking both the intrinsic plasmonic properties of individual particles and their interactions with their environment or each other. , More recently, it has been shown that there is a strong interaction between the plasmonic and vibrational (mechanical) properties of nano-objects that can be used to develop nano-optomechanics based on metal nanoparticles. − However, while the control of the plasmonic properties tends to be a mature technology, the control of the vibrational properties of nano-objects and their assembly and interaction with light are in their infancy. Following the example of developments in the field of plasmonics, the tools for measuring the acoustic vibrations of nano-objects are evolving and allow us to constantly improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in light–vibration interactions in nano-objects (not necessarily metallic) and thus to envisage the joint engineering of the acoustic and optical properties of nanoparticles.…”

Plasmonic Strain Sensors Based on Au-TiO2 Thin Films on Flexible Substrates

“…Furthermore, the resonant excitation of these plasmonic nanostructures leads to a strong absorption of the incident light, generating photo-induced thermal effect that can be exploited for actuation of mechanical systems at the nanoscale. Therefore, these systems offer optical and mechanical degrees of freedom for different kinds of applications including active control of nano-mechanical motion transduction and amplification of weak external stimuli [ 51 ].…”

Investigation of Lattice Plasmon Modes in 2D Arrays of Au Nanoantennas

“…In most of these applications, metasurfaces comprise specific spatial distributions of nanoantennas or arrays with a fixed periodicity or aperiodic patterns. The typical geometry includes a monolayer of nanoparticles exhibiting plasmonic properties supported by a rigid or flexible substrate [15,16]. In this vast scenario of possibilities, a relevant role is played by phased arrays showing collective resonances or so-called lattice plasmon modes (LPMs).…”