Quantum Corrections in Nanoplasmonics: Shape, Scale, and Material

Thomas Christensen (1) , Wei Yan (2) , A.-P. Jauho (3, 4) , Marin Soljačić (1) , N. Asger Mortensen (3, 5)

1 Departments of Physics University of Massachusetts
2 LP2N - Laboratoire Photonique, Numérique et Nanosciences
3 DTU - Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark
4 Center for Nanostructured Graphene
5 Department of Photonics Engineering

The classical treatment of plasmonics is insufficient at the nanometer-scale due to quantum mechanical surface phenomena. Here, an extension of the classical paradigm is reported which rigorously remedies this deficiency through the incorporation of first-principles surface response functions—the Feibelman d parameters—in general geometries. Several analytical results for the leading-order plasmonic quantum corrections are obtained in a first-principles setting; particularly, a clear separation of the roles of shape, scale, and material is established. The utility of the formalism is illustrated by the derivation of a modified sum rule for complementary structures, a rigorous reformulation of Kreibig's phenomenological damping prescription, and an account of the small-scale resonance shifting of simple and noble metal nanostructures.

Domains: Physics [physics]; Physics [physics]; Optics [physics.optics]

Thomas Christensen, Wei Yan, A.-P. Jauho, Marin Soljačić, N. Asger Mortensen. Quantum Corrections in Nanoplasmonics: Shape, Scale, and Material. Physical Review Letters, 2017, 118, pp.57402. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.157402⟩. ⟨hal-01549547⟩