Formation and optical properties of indium nanoparticle arrays for deep-UV plasmonics

H H. D. L. McKenna (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan 1 , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2136,) B B. Shrestha E E. Lu (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan 4 , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109,) H H. Lott (National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1 , Golden, Colorado 80401,) I I. Subedi (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo 2 , Toledo, Ohio 43606,) X X. Chen S S. Hwang (Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory 6 , Upton, New York 11973,) D D. Zakharov (Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory 6 , Upton, New York 11973,) N N. J. Podraza (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo 2 , Toledo, Ohio 43606,) J J. C. Yang (Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh 5 , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261,) R R. S. Goldman

Abstract

We utilize a combined computational-experimental approach to examine the influence of indium nanoparticle (NP) array distributions on deep-ultraviolet (UV) plasmon resonances. For photon energies < 5.7 eV, analysis of ellipsometric spectra reveals an increase in silicon reflectance induced by indium NP arrays on silicon. For various energies in the range 5.7–7.0 eV, a decrease in reflectance is induced by the NP arrays. Similar trends in reflectance are predicted from finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations using NP size distributions extracted from atomic-force micrographs as input. In addition, in the energy range of 7.4–9.2 eV, the FDTD simulations reveal reflectance minima, characteristic of localized surface plasmon resonances. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy collected from individual indium NPs reveals the presence of LSPR at ≈ 8 eV, further supporting the promise of indium NP arrays on silicon for deep-UV plasmonics.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 127, Issue 3
Published July 21, 2025
ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Applied Physics Letters

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0003-6951 Physical Sciences

Authors (11)

H

H. D. L. McKenna

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan 1 , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2136,

B

B. Shrestha

E

E. Lu

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan 4 , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109,

H

H. Lott

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1 , Golden, Colorado 80401,

I

I. Subedi

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo 2 , Toledo, Ohio 43606,

X

X. Chen

S

S. Hwang

Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory 6 , Upton, New York 11973,

D

D. Zakharov

Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory 6 , Upton, New York 11973,

N

N. J. Podraza

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo 2 , Toledo, Ohio 43606,

J

J. C. Yang

Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh 5 , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261,

R

R. S. Goldman