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Improve the plasmonic optical tunability of Au nanorod by Pt coating: the application in refractive index sensing

  • Regular Article - Optical Phenomena and Photonics
  • Published:
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Abstract

Plasmonic light absorption properties of bimetallic Au–Pt core–shell nanorod are investigated theoretically. The plasmonic absorption intensity comparison between the longitudinal peak corresponding to outer Pt surface (denoted as band \(\hbox {Pt}_{\mathrm {L}})\) and the transverse peak corresponding to Au–Pt interface (denoted as band \(\hbox {Au}_{\mathrm {T}})\) is sensitive to the environmental dielectric constant. By increasing the environmental dielectric constant, the band \(\hbox {Pt}_{\mathrm {L}}\) fades down, whereas the band \(\hbox {Au}_{\mathrm {T}}\) gets intense. So the absorption discrepancy between \(\hbox {Pt}_{\mathrm {L}}\) and \(\hbox {Au}_{\mathrm {T}}\) bands could be greatly enhanced by increasing the environmental dielectric constant, which is more sensitive to the environmental refractive index than single plasmonic band. This refractive index sensing based on two bands’ absorption discrepancy could be further improved by increasing the Pt coating thickness or the aspect ratio of inner Au nanorod. The refractive index sensing based on red shift of the longitudinal peak corresponding to Au–Pt interface is also competitive, which can also be improved by increasing the Pt coating thickness or aspect ratio of inner Au nanorod. A mechanism based on media polarization-related electric field discontinuity and distribution of surface charge density was investigated to illuminate the absorption intensity-dependent refractive index sensing.

Graphic abstract

In this Au–Pt core–shell nanorod, the \(\hbox {Pt}_{\mathrm {L}}\) band fades down, whereas the \(\hbox {Au}_{\mathrm {T}}\) band gets intense as the environmental dielectric constant is increased. So the absorption discrepancy between \(\hbox {Pt}_{\mathrm {L}}\) and \(\hbox {Au}_{\mathrm {T}}\) bands could be greatly enhanced by increasing the environmental dielectric constant, which is more sensitive to the environmental refractive index than single plasmonic band.

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Data Availability Statement

This manuscript has no associated data or the data will not be deposited. [Authors’ comment: This is a theoretical paper. The study and calculation are based on analytic expressions of quasistatic theory. Therefore, there is no data.]

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 11774283

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, People’s Republic of China

    Jian Zhu, Li-na Meng, Guo-jun Weng, Jian-jun Li & Jun-wu Zhao

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  1. Jian Zhu
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  2. Li-na Meng
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  3. Guo-jun Weng
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Correspondence to Jian Zhu or Jun-wu Zhao.

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Zhu, J., Meng, Ln., Weng, Gj. et al. Improve the plasmonic optical tunability of Au nanorod by Pt coating: the application in refractive index sensing. Eur. Phys. J. D 75, 192 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/s10053-021-00195-4

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