A theory of plasma oscillations in metallic nanoparticles

Abstract

Equations describing the behavior of plasma oscillations that can arise on the surface as well as inside metallic spherical nanoparticles are obtained in the random-phase approximation. The frequencies of all characteristic plasma oscillations arising on the surface and in the volume of a particle are determined. It is shown that the volume plasma oscillations can give rise to forced oscillations on the surface of a nanoparticle. The effect of plasma oscillations on the optical properties of a dielectric medium containing metallic nanoparticles is determined. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.