Open AccessNonlinear inelastic electron scattering from Au nanostructures induced by localized surface plasmon resonance
Author(s) -
Zhean Li,
Cunyi Xu,
Wenjie Liu,
Meng Li,
Xiangjun Chen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/s41598-018-24065-z
Subject(s) - plasmon , inelastic scattering , raman scattering , scattering , excitation , materials science , x ray raman scattering , electron , surface plasmon resonance , electron energy loss spectroscopy , molecular physics , nanostructure , electric field , atomic physics , electron scattering , condensed matter physics , raman spectroscopy , physics , optics , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , quantum mechanics
Nonlinear electron scattering is a recently-discovered physical process observed during the localized plasmonic excitation of Ag nanostructures on graphite surface. In the present work, nonlinear electron scattering phenomena is experimentally verified on Au nanostructures by measuring inelastic scattering of electrons field-emitted from tungsten tip. The relative intensity of the electron-energy-loss peak associated with the plasmonic excitation of Au shows again to increase nonlinearly with the electric field generated by the tip-sample bias, demonstrating the generality of nonlinear electron scattering process in plasmonic system. Compared to the nonlinear electron scattering phenomena observed on Ag nanostructures, the nonlinear term for Au nanostructures is about 1 to 2 orders of magnitude smaller, which is in consistent with the field enhancement factor of Au and Ag nanostructures from both the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy experiments and the theoretical calculations.