Tuning the plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles in phase-separated glass via the local refractive index change

Gold-doped glasses are of interest for plasmonics and photonics as optical media with well-resolved localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). We showed the possibility for the thermally-controlled tuning of the LSPR band position of gold nanoparticles precipitated in the ZnO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 glass nucleated by TiO2 and ZrO2 nucleators. The maximal red-shift of the LSPR band as high as 100 nm was achieved for glass which is characterized by the presence of 10 nm phase-separated regions and approximate to 4 nm precipitated gold nanoparticles. The fitting of the absorption spectra showed that the distinct red-shift of the LSPR band is caused by the increased refractive index of the surrounding medium (in the interval 1.6-2.6). The described scenario of the LSPR band shift driven by the phase-separation represents a new approach for precise plasmonic tuning of gold nanoparticles in glass and paves the way for the development of new glass-based materials for photonics applications.

Automated summary

This study demonstrated the possibility for thermally-controlled tuning of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band position of gold nanoparticles in specific gold-doped glasses, achieving a maximum red-shift of up to 100 nm. The distinct red-shift of the LSPR band, driven by phase separation, represents a new approach for precise plasmonic tuning of gold nanoparticles in glass.