We analyze nonlinear effects in optically driven arrays of nonlinear metallic nanoparticles. We demonstrate that such plasmonic systems are characterized by a bistable response, and they can support the propagation of dissipative switching waves (or plasmonic kinks) connecting the states with different polarization. We study numerically the properties of such plasmonic kinks which are character...

When a linear chain of plasmonic nanoparticles is subject to longitudinal magnetic field, it exhibits optical Faraday rotation. If the magnetized nanoparticles are plasmonic ellipsoids arranged as a spiral chain, the interplay between the Faraday rotation and the geometrical spiral rotation (structural chirality) can strongly enhance nonreciprocity. This interplay forms a waveguide that permits...

We experimentally demonstrate an ultra-sensitive immunoassay biosensor using diatom biosilica with self-assembled plasmonic nanoparticles. As the nature-created photonic crystal structures, diatoms have been adopted to enhance surface plasmon resonances of metal nanoparticles on the surfaces of diatom frustules and to increase the sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this...

We show that the microstructures of polycrystalline ice can serve as a confining template for one-dimensional assembly of colloidal nanoparticles. Upon simply freezing an aqueous colloid, the nanoparticles are excluded from ice grains and form chains in the ice veins. The nanoparticle chains are transferable and can be strengthened by polymer encapsulation. After coating with polyaniline shells...

Metallic nanostructures attract much interest as an efficient media for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Significant progress has been made on the synthesis of metal nanoparticles with various shapes, composition, and controlled plasmonic properties, all critical for an efficient SERS response. For practical applications, efficient strategies of assembling metal nanoparticles into orga...

Noble metal nanoparticles have been of tremendous interest due to their intriguing size- and shape-dependent plasmonic and catalytic properties. Combining tunable plasmon resonances with superior catalytic activities on the same metallic nanoparticle, however, has long been challenging because nanoplasmonics and nanocatalysis typically require nanoparticles in two drastically different size reg...

We report on the optical and magneto-optical response of hybrid plasmonic lattices that consist of pure nickel and gold nanoparticles in a checkerboard arrangement. Diffractive far-field coupling between the individual emitters of the lattices results in the excitation of two orthogonal surface lattice resonance modes. Local analyses of the radiation fields indicate that both the nickel and gol...

Hybrid magnetic/plasmonic nanoparticles possess properties originating from each individual material. Such properties are beneficial for biological applications including bio-imaging, targeted drug delivery, in vivo diagnosis and therapy. Limitations regarding their stability and toxicity, however, challenge their safe use. Here, the one-step flame synthesis of composite SiO2-coated Ag/Fe2O3 na...

The employment of periodic arrays of plasmonic nanoparticles has been proposed by several groups for enhanced transmission or absorption and for realizing optical nanowaveguides. Generally, due to their small transverse dimensions, such linear arrays have been operated near their dipolar resonance. However, it has been recently shown that nanoscale plasmonic particles may also support higher-or...

We report the experimental realization of plasmonic heterodimers, pairs of directly adjacent, interacting metallic nanoparticles. A novel fabrication and positioning approach is utilized for the stepwise assembly of upright nanoparticle pairs, where the first nanoparticle is almost entirely embedded in an elastomeric dielectric medium prior to attachment of the second nanoparticle. The plasmon ...