Surface plasmon resonance response of Au-WO3-x composite films
Journal
Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing
Journal Volume
97
Journal Issue
2
Pages
489-496
Date Issued
2009
Author(s)
Abstract
Surface plasmon resonance of metal-dielectric composite thin films formed by noble metal nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric matrix offers a high degree of flexibility and enables many applications such as surface enhanced spectroscopes, and biological and chemical sensing. In this article, Au-WO 3-x composite films of various Au contents and thicknesses were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique, and their SPR responses were measured in the Kreschmann geometry, using a polarized light beam at 640 nm wavelength. Theoretical calculation of SPR responses based on the Bruggeman or Maxwell-Garnett model with the MacLeod general characteristic matrix method is in obvious discrepancy with experimental measurements but it is able to predict the trend in term of the dependence of SPR responses on Au content and thickness of the Au-WO3-x films. The SPR responses of the Au-WO3-x films when exposed to NO gas molecules were measured and the preliminary results indicated that gas sensing using the SPR responses of metal-dielectric composite films is feasible. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.
Type
journal article