Simpler fabrication of nanogaps
Thursday, February 10, 2011 - 13:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Plasmons, which are density waves of electrons, are of great interest to pure and applied scientists because of their novel properties, and because of their application to sensing and photonic technologies. These applications are possible because plasmons are sensitive to surface properties, and allow for the concentration of electric fields into small volumes. Fabricating the intricate nanostructures necessary to support plasmons, however, has proved a challenge. Now a straightforward fabrication technique, capable of generating plasmon-supporting nanogap structures over large areas, has been demonstrated by Wakana Kubo and Shigenori Fujikawa from the RIKEN Innovation Center, Wako, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.