Comprehending nonmonochromatic plasmonic behavior of metal nanoparticles on dielectric nanowires using monochromated EELS
Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 125202 – Published 4 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ybgk-2mc8
Abstract
Incorporating plasmonic nanoparticles is a promising strategy for advancing the optoelectronic functionality of dielectric nanomaterials. In such hybrid systems, plasmonic fields contribute to enhancing performance by manipulation of light at the nanoscale. The characteristics of plasmonic fields in hybrid configurations, despite the substantial potential for tailoring, have been largely disregarded and remain underexplored compared to those of isolated nanoparticles. Here, we demonstrate nonmonochromatic plasmonic behavior in a hybrid structure composed of metal nanoparticles and dielectric nanowires. We observed two distinct plasmon excitations in a silver nanoparticle on a ZnO nanowire—a representative hybrid system—by employing monochromated electron energy loss spectroscopy in conjunction with tomography. The lower-energy plasmon exhibited near-fields extending away from the ZnO nanowire, while the higher-energy plasmon was more confined near the nanowire surface. We attribute this nonmonochromatic behavior to asymmetry in the dielectric environment along the polarization direction orthogonal to the nanowire's long axis. Comprehensive numerical simulations support this interpretation and further reveal that the spatial and spectral characteristics of plasmonic fields in hybrid configurations can be modulated by structural and dielectric parameters. This study deepens our understanding of plasmonic excitations in metal/dielectric hybrid nanostructures and provides a foundation for tailoring plasmonic fields to optimize the functionality of hybrid systems.
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