Electric near-field enhancing properties of a finite-size metal conical nano-tip

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique simulations are performed to study the near-field resonance properties of a silver conical nano-tip with a rounded end. Varying the tip geometry, we have computed the electric field distribution, as well as the electric field enhancement factor in the immediate vicinity of the tip apex. The aim of this study is to find optimal geometric parameters of the conical tip, such as its angle and length, in order to maximize the electric field enhancement factor. The increase of the tip length is shown to result in a redshift of the tip resonance wavelength. In addition, some subsidiary (non-dipole) peaks appear for relatively long tips. The peak enhancement values for the small-angle tips increase with the tip length while those for the large-angle ones decrease with it. At the same time, the dependencies of the field enhancement on the cone angle exhibit non-monotonic behavior. In other words, an optimal angle exists allowing one to maximize the electric near field. Finally, the effect of the supporting dielectric medium on the electric field near the tip apex is discussed. In the approximation used, the effect is shown to leave the main conclusions unchanged. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.