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Interaction of localized surface plasmons with chiral molecules

T. J. Davis and D. E. Gómez
Phys. Rev. B 90, 235424 – Published 15 December 2014

Abstract

We analyze theoretically the interaction between chiral molecules and localized surface plasmons in subwavelength metallic structures of arbitrary shape. The chiral molecule is modeled using Condon's classical description of the molecular dipole moment that depends on the magnetic field [E. U. Condon, Rev. Mod. Phys. 9, 432 (1937)]. This model is included in an eigenmode theory of coupled plasmonic systems. In the limit of dipole-dipole interactions, the theory predicts there is no change in the resonance frequency of the surface plasmon in the presence of a chiral molecule and there is no change in the amplitude of the resonance in the presence of a uniform distribution of chiral molecules. This implies that to observe the effects of the chirality of molecules it may be necessary to form localized surface plasmons with more complex charge distributions. We also examine the absorption of light of the combined system of the metal structure and chiral molecule. The theory predicts that the chirality-dependent absorption in the metal structure averages to zero for a uniform distribution of molecules, with the observed absorption occurring entirely within the molecule due to excitation by the incident light and the fields from the surface plasmon. Apart from the expected circular dichroism, the theory also predicts a chirality-dependent absorption arising from a metal nanostructure illuminated with linearly polarized light and an absorption arising from those chiral properties of the molecule usually associated with optical activity.

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  • Received 8 October 2014
  • Revised 27 November 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.235424

Published by the American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

T. J. Davis and D. E. Gómez

  • CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Private Bag 10, Clayton, Victoria, 3169, Australia and Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, 151 Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia

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Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 23 — 15 December 2014

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