Distributing the optical near-field for efficient field-enhancements in nanostructures

Abstract

Circularly polarized light imparts a sense of rotation on the electron density in ring-shaped gold nanostructures. As a consequence, the near-field enhancement becomes homogeneous on the surface of the nanostructures, thereby increasing the opportunity for interaction with molecules. This type of nanostructured samples can find a broad range of applications in chemical processes where the interaction between molecules and local field enhancements play an important role. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.