Plasmonic hot-carriers and their applications: opinion

The generation of nonequilibrium hot-carriers from the decay of surface plasmons has been attracting intense research attention in the last decade due to both the fundamental aspects of extreme light-matter interactions and potential practical applications. Here, we overview the physics associated with plasmon-assisted hot-carrier generation and outline the key applications of hot-carrier processes for photodetection, photovoltaics and photocatalysis. We also discuss the recent developments in employing molecular tunnel junctions as barriers for extracting hot-carriers and provide an outlook on the potential of this emerging field for sustainable energy. (C) 2021 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Research on the generation of nonequilibrium hot-carriers from the decay of surface plasmons has attracted intense attention in the past decade, showing great potential for both fundamental research and practical applications. Utilizing plasmon-assisted hot-carrier processes has important applications in areas such as photodetection, photovoltaics, and photocatalysis.