Open AccessChirality arising from small defects in gold nanoparticle arrays
Author(s) -
Brian K. Canfield,
Sami Kujala,
Kaisa Laiho,
Konstantins Jefimovs,
Jari Turunen,
Martti Kauranen
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.14.000950
Subject(s) - chirality (physics) , symmetry breaking , symmetry (geometry) , nanostructure , materials science , second harmonic generation , nanoparticle , nanotechnology , chiral symmetry breaking , colloidal gold , optics , condensed matter physics , chemical physics , physics , quantum mechanics , geometry , nambu–jona lasinio model , laser , mathematics
The symmetry of metal nanostructures may be broken by their overall features or small-scale defects. To separate the roles of these two mechanisms in chiral symmetry breaking, we prepare gold nanostructures with chirality occurring on different levels. Linear optical measurements reveal small chiral signatures, whereas the chiral responses from second-harmonic generation are enormous. The responses of all structures are remarkably similar, suggesting that uncontrollable defects play an important role in symmetry breaking.