Nonradiative limitations to plasmon propagation in chains of metallic nanoparticles

Abstract

We investigate the collective plasmonic modes in a chain of metallic nanoparticles that are coupled by near-field interactions. The size- and momentum-dependent nonradiative Landau damping and radiative decay rates are calculated analytically within an open quantum system approach. These decay rates determine the excitation propagation along the chain. In particular, the behavior of the radiative decay rate as a function of the plasmon wavelength leads to a transition from an exponential decay of the collective excitation for short distances to an algebraic decay for large distances. Importantly, we show that the exponential decay is of a purely nonradiative origin. Our transparent model enables us to provide analytical expressions for the polarization-dependent plasmon excitation profile along the chain and for the associated propagation length. Our theoretical analysis constitutes an important step in the quest for the optimal conditions for plasmonic propagation in nanoparticle chains.

14 pages, 6 figures; v2: published version

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• Quantum theory of plasmon polaritons in chains of metallic nanoparticles: From near- to far-field coupling regime
• Multiple polaritonic edge states in a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger chain strongly coupled to a multimode cavity
• Plasmon-Plasmon Interaction in Nanoparticle Assemblies: Role of the Dipole-Quadrupole Coupling
• Spontaneous orbital magnetization of mesoscopic dipole dimers