Plasmonic modes of gold nano-particle arrays on thin gold films

Regular arrays of metal nanoparticles on metal films have tuneable optical resonances that can be applied for surface enhanced Raman scattering or biosensing. With the aim of developing more surface selective geometries we investigate regular gold nanoparticle arrays on 25 nm thick gold films, which allow to excite asymmetric surface plasmon modes featuring a much better field confinement compared to the symmetric modes used in conventional surface plasmon resonance setups. By optical extinction spectroscopy we identify the plasmonic modes sustained by our structures. Furthermore, the role of thermal treatment of the metal structures is investigated, revealing the role of modifications in the crystalline structure of gold on the optical properties. (C) 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim