Multiscale models of plasmonic structural colors with nanoscale surface roughness

Plasmonic coloration arises from resonant interaction between visible light and metallic nanostructures, which causes wavelength-selective absorption or scattering of light. This effect is sensitive to surface roughness that can perturb these resonant interactions and cause observed coloration to deviate from coloration predicted by simulations. We present a computational visualization approach that incorporates electrodynamic simulations and physically based rendering (PBR) to investigate the effect of nanoscale roughness on the structural coloration from thin, planar silver films decorated with nanohole arrays. Nanoscale roughness is modeled mathematically by a surface correlation function and parameterized in terms of roughness that is either out of or into the plane of the film. Our results provide photorealistic visualization of the influence of nanoscale roughness on the coloration from silver nanohole arrays in both reflectance and transmittance. Out-of-plane roughness has a significantly greater effect on coloration than in-plane roughness. The methodology introduced in this work is useful for modeling artificial coloration phenomena. (c) 2023 Optica Publishing Group

Automated summary

Plasmonic coloration is a result of the interaction between visible light and metallic nanostructures, which leads to wavelength-selective absorption or scattering of light. Surface roughness can disrupt these interactions and cause observed coloration to deviate from simulations. In this work, computational visualization incorporating electrodynamic simulations and physically based rendering is used to investigate the influence of nanoscale roughness on the coloration from silver films decorated with nanohole arrays. The results demonstrate the significant effect of out-of-plane roughness on coloration and provide a photorealistic visualization of the phenomenon. This methodology is valuable for modeling artificial coloration.