Metal nanoparticles in strongly confined beams: transmission, reflection and absorption

N. Mojarad; G. Zumofen; V. Sandoghdar; M. Agio

doi:10.2971/jeos.2009.09014

Journal of the European Optical Society - Rapid publications, Vol 4 (2009)

Metal nanoparticles in strongly confined beams: transmission, reflection and absorption

N. Mojarad, G. Zumofen, V. Sandoghdar, M. Agio

Abstract

We investigate the interaction of tightly focused light with the surface-plasmon-polariton resonances of metal nanospheres. In particular, we compute the scattering and absorption ratios as well as transmission and reflection coefficients. Inspired by our previous work in [1], we discuss how well a metal nanoparticle approximates a point-like dipolar radiator. We find that a 100 nm silver nanosphere is very close to such an ideal oscillator. Our results have immediate implications for single nanoparticle
spectroscopy and microscopy as well as plasmonics.

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