Thin metal slabs with plasmonic nano-voids buried within the skin depth (< 25 nm) of surface plasmon polaritons have been of theoretical as well as technical interests for many years due to its unique optical properties such as sharp absorbance dips and anti-crossing plasmonic dispersion characteristics. Unfortunately, such interesting plasmonic properties have not been experimentally reproduced, especially in the UV-Vis regime, owing to the involuntary surface roughness occurred in systems fabricated using conventional techniques. Here, we describe a versatile cryogenic-stripping approach for encapsulating a monolayer of nano-voids of virtually any arbitrary shapes underneath an atomically-smooth (δ < 0.55 nm) surface of a free-standing metal slab. By artificially varying the topography of the capping metal surface from ultra-smooth to moderately-rough, we show structural symmetricity in a nano-void-metal system can render the overall plasmonic responses becoming profoundly influenced by the surface smoothness. The current fabrication technique is thus of primary importance to the preparation of any kind of smooth nano-void-passivated metal slabs.

© 2011 OSA

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3. J. Takahara, S. Yamagishi, H. Taki, A. Morimoto, and T. Kobayashi, “Guiding of a one-dimensional optical beam with nanometer diameter,” Opt. Lett. 22(7), 475–477 (1997). [PubMed]
4. M. Quinten, A. Leitner, J. R. Krenn, and F. R. Aussenegg, “Electromagnetic energy transport via linear chains of silver nanoparticles,” Opt. Lett. 23(17), 1331–1333 (1998).
5. M. L. Brongersma, J. W. Hartman, and H. A. Atwater, “Electromagnetic energy transfer and switching in nanoparticle chain arrays below the diffraction limit,” Phys. Rev. B 62(24), R16356–R16359 (2000).
6. S. I. Bozhevolnyi, V. S. Volkov, E. Devaux, J. Y. Laluet, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Channel plasmon subwavelength waveguide components including interferometers and ring resonators,” Nature 440(7083), 508–511 (2006). [PubMed]
7. N. E. Hecker, R. A. Höpfel, N. Sawaki, T. Maier, and G. Strasser, “Surface plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence from a single quantum well,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 75(11), 1577 (1999).
8. D. E. Chang, A. S. Sørensen, E. A. Demler, and M. D. Lukin, “A single-photon transistor using nanoscale surface plasmons,” Nat. Phys. 3(11), 807–812 (2007).
9. T. Xu, Y. Zhao, D. Gan, C. Wang, C. Du, and X. Luo, “Directional excitation of surface plasmons with subwavelength slits,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(10), 101501 (2008).
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12. K. Ohtaka, H. Miyazaki, and A. Lucas, “Collective modes of void-surface coupled system,” Phys. Rev. B 21(2), 467–478 (1980).
13. T. V. Teperik, V. Popov, and F. García de Abajo, “Void plamons and total absorption of light in nanoporous metallic films,” Phys. Rev. B 71(8), 085408 (2005).
14. G. Lerosey, D. F. Pile, P. Matheu, G. Bartal, and X. Zhang, “Controlling the phase and amplitude of plasmon sources at a subwavelength scale,” Nano Lett. 9(1), 327–331 (2009).
15. D. Ballester, M. S. Tame, and M. S. Kim, “Quantum theory of surface plasmon polariton scattering,” Phys. Rev. A 82(1), 012325 (2010).
16. S. Coyle, M. C. Netti, J. J. Baumberg, M. A. Ghanem, P. R. Birkin, P. N. Bartlett, and D. M. Whittaker, “Confined plasmons in metallic nanocavities,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 87(17), 176801 (2001). [PubMed]
17. T. Okamoto, F. H’Dhili, and S. Kawata, “Towards plasmonic band gap laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 85(18), 3968–3970 (2004).
18. I. Gryczynski, J. Malicka, W. Jiang, H. Fischer, W. C. Chan, Z. Gryczynski, W. Grudzinski, and J. R. Lakowicz, “Surface-plasmon-coupled emission of quantum dots,” J. Phys. Chem. B 109(3), 1088–1093 (2005).
19. D. E. Chang, A. Sørensen, P. Hemmer, and M. Lukin, “Strong coupling of single emitters to surface plasmons,” Phys. Rev. B 76(3), 035420 (2007).
20. P. Nagpal, N. C. Lindquist, S. H. Oh, and D. J. Norris, “Ultrasmooth patterned metals for plasmonics and metamaterials,” Science 325(5940), 594–597 (2009). [PubMed]
21. N. C. Lindquist, P. Nagpal, A. Lesuffleur, D. J. Norris, and S. H. Oh, “Three-dimensional plasmonic nanofocusing,” Nano Lett. 10(4), 1369–1373 (2010). [PubMed]
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24. P. Wagner, M. Hegner, H.-J. Guentherodt, and G. Semenza, “Formation and in situ modification of monolayers chemisorbed on ultraflat template stripped gold surface,” Language 11(10), 3867–3875 (1995).
25. D. W. Mosley, B. Y. Chow, and J. M. Jacobson, “Solid-state bonding technique for template-stripped ultraflat gold substrates,” Langmuir 22(6), 2437–2440 (2006). [PubMed]
26. J. Mazurkiewicz, F. J. Mearns, D. Losic, L. Weeks, E. R. Waclawik, C. T. Rogers, J. G. Shapter, and J. J. Gooding, “Cryogenic cleavage used in gold substrate production,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 20(6), 2265–2270 (2002).
27. D. L. Mills, “Attenuation of surface polaritons by surface roughness,” Phys. Rev. B 12(10), 4036–4046 (1975).

Anal. Biochem.

• S. J. Oldenburg, C. C. Genick, K. A. Clark, and D. A. Schultz, “Base pair mismatch recognition using plasmon resonant particle labels,” Anal. Biochem. 309(1), 109–116 (2002). [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• T. Xu, Y. Zhao, D. Gan, C. Wang, C. Du, and X. Luo, “Directional excitation of surface plasmons with subwavelength slits,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 92(10), 101501 (2008).
• N. E. Hecker, R. A. Höpfel, N. Sawaki, T. Maier, and G. Strasser, “Surface plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence from a single quantum well,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 75(11), 1577 (1999).
• T. Okamoto, F. H’Dhili, and S. Kawata, “Towards plasmonic band gap laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 85(18), 3968–3970 (2004).

Chem. Mater.

• P. N. Bartlett, J. J. Baumberg, P. R. Birkin, M. A. Ghanem, and M. C. Netti, “Highly ordered macroscopic gold and platinum films formed by electrochemical deposition through templates assembled from submicron diameter monodisperse polystyrene spheres,” Chem. Mater. 14(5), 2199–2208 (2002).

J. Phys. Chem. B

• I. Gryczynski, J. Malicka, W. Jiang, H. Fischer, W. C. Chan, Z. Gryczynski, W. Grudzinski, and J. R. Lakowicz, “Surface-plasmon-coupled emission of quantum dots,” J. Phys. Chem. B 109(3), 1088–1093 (2005).

J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B

• J. Mazurkiewicz, F. J. Mearns, D. Losic, L. Weeks, E. R. Waclawik, C. T. Rogers, J. G. Shapter, and J. J. Gooding, “Cryogenic cleavage used in gold substrate production,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 20(6), 2265–2270 (2002).

Langmuir

• D. W. Mosley, B. Y. Chow, and J. M. Jacobson, “Solid-state bonding technique for template-stripped ultraflat gold substrates,” Langmuir 22(6), 2437–2440 (2006). [PubMed]

Language

• A. S. Dimitrov and K. Nagayama, “Continuous convective assembling of fine particles into two-dimensional arrays on solid surfaces,” Language 12(5), 1303–1311 (1996).
• P. Wagner, M. Hegner, H.-J. Guentherodt, and G. Semenza, “Formation and in situ modification of monolayers chemisorbed on ultraflat template stripped gold surface,” Language 11(10), 3867–3875 (1995).

Nano Lett.

• N. C. Lindquist, P. Nagpal, A. Lesuffleur, D. J. Norris, and S. H. Oh, “Three-dimensional plasmonic nanofocusing,” Nano Lett. 10(4), 1369–1373 (2010). [PubMed]
• G. Lerosey, D. F. Pile, P. Matheu, G. Bartal, and X. Zhang, “Controlling the phase and amplitude of plasmon sources at a subwavelength scale,” Nano Lett. 9(1), 327–331 (2009).

Nat. Phys.

• D. E. Chang, A. S. Sørensen, E. A. Demler, and M. D. Lukin, “A single-photon transistor using nanoscale surface plasmons,” Nat. Phys. 3(11), 807–812 (2007).

Nature

• E. Altewischer, M. P. van Exter, and J. P. Woerdman, “Plasmon-assisted transmission of entangled photons,” Nature 418(6895), 304–306 (2002). [PubMed]
• S. I. Bozhevolnyi, V. S. Volkov, E. Devaux, J. Y. Laluet, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Channel plasmon subwavelength waveguide components including interferometers and ring resonators,” Nature 440(7083), 508–511 (2006). [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• T. V. Teperik, V. V. Popov, F. J. García de Abajo, M. Abdelsalam, P. N. Bartlett, T. A. Kelf, Y. Sugawara, and J. J. Baumberg, “Strong coupling of light to flat metals via a buried nanovoid lattice: the interplay of localized and free plasmons,” Opt. Express 14(5), 1965–1972 (2006). [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• J. Takahara, S. Yamagishi, H. Taki, A. Morimoto, and T. Kobayashi, “Guiding of a one-dimensional optical beam with nanometer diameter,” Opt. Lett. 22(7), 475–477 (1997). [PubMed]
• M. Quinten, A. Leitner, J. R. Krenn, and F. R. Aussenegg, “Electromagnetic energy transport via linear chains of silver nanoparticles,” Opt. Lett. 23(17), 1331–1333 (1998).

Phys. Rev. A

• D. Ballester, M. S. Tame, and M. S. Kim, “Quantum theory of surface plasmon polariton scattering,” Phys. Rev. A 82(1), 012325 (2010).

Phys. Rev. B

• D. E. Chang, A. Sørensen, P. Hemmer, and M. Lukin, “Strong coupling of single emitters to surface plasmons,” Phys. Rev. B 76(3), 035420 (2007).
• M. L. Brongersma, J. W. Hartman, and H. A. Atwater, “Electromagnetic energy transfer and switching in nanoparticle chain arrays below the diffraction limit,” Phys. Rev. B 62(24), R16356–R16359 (2000).
• K. Ohtaka, H. Miyazaki, and A. Lucas, “Collective modes of void-surface coupled system,” Phys. Rev. B 21(2), 467–478 (1980).
• T. V. Teperik, V. Popov, and F. García de Abajo, “Void plamons and total absorption of light in nanoporous metallic films,” Phys. Rev. B 71(8), 085408 (2005).
• D. L. Mills, “Attenuation of surface polaritons by surface roughness,” Phys. Rev. B 12(10), 4036–4046 (1975).

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• I. I. Smolyaninov, J. Elliott, A. V. Zayats, and C. C. Davis, “Far-field optical microscopy with a nanometer-scale resolution based on the in-plane image magnification by surface plasmon polaritons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 94(5), 057401 (2005). [PubMed]
• S. Coyle, M. C. Netti, J. J. Baumberg, M. A. Ghanem, P. R. Birkin, P. N. Bartlett, and D. M. Whittaker, “Confined plasmons in metallic nanocavities,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 87(17), 176801 (2001). [PubMed]

Science

• P. Nagpal, N. C. Lindquist, S. H. Oh, and D. J. Norris, “Ultrasmooth patterned metals for plasmonics and metamaterials,” Science 325(5940), 594–597 (2009). [PubMed]

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