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Title: Coupling, lifetimes, and “strong coupling” maps for single molecules at plasmonic interfaces

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0077739· OSTI ID:1982373

The interaction between excited states of a molecule and excited states of a metal nanostructure (e.g., plasmons) leads to hybrid states with modified optical properties. When plasmon resonance is swept through molecular transition frequency, an avoided crossing may be observed, which is often regarded as a signature of strong coupling between plasmons and molecules. Such strong coupling is expected to be realized when 2|$$\langle$$U$$\rangle$$|/ℏΓ > 1, where $$\langle$$U$$\rangle$$ and Γ are the molecule–plasmon coupling and the spectral width of the optical transition, respectively. Because both $$\langle$$U$$\rangle$$ and Γ strongly increase with decreasing distance between a molecule and a plasmonic structure, it is not obvious that this condition can be satisfied for any molecule–metal surface distance. Here, in this work, we investigate the behavior of $$\langle$$U$$\rangle$$ and Γ for several geometries. Surprisingly, we find that if the only contributions to Γ are lifetime broadenings associated with the radiative and nonradiative relaxation of a single molecular vibronic transition, including effects on molecular radiative and nonradiative lifetimes induced by the metal, the criterion 2|$$\langle$$U$$\rangle$$|/ℏΓ > 1 is easily satisfied by many configurations irrespective of the metal–molecule distance. This implies that the Rabi splitting can be observed in such structures if other sources of broadening are suppressed. Additionally, when the molecule–metal surface distance is varied keeping all other molecular and metal parameters constant, this behavior is mitigated due to the spectral shift associated with the same molecule–plasmon interaction, making the observation of Rabi splitting more challenging.

Research Organization:
US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington, DC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
FA9550-19-1-0009
OSTI ID:
1982373
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1863470
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 156, Issue 15; ISSN 0021-9606
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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