Thousand-fold Increase in Plasmonic Light Emission via Combined Electronic and Optical Excitations

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c00503
• Publication Date: 2021-03-12T18:32:32Z
• Authors: Longji Cui; Yunxuan Zhu; Peter Nordlander; Massimiliano Di V...; Douglas Natelson
• Keywords: Light emission

Surface plasmon enhanced processes and hot-carrier dynamics in plasmonic nanostructures are of great fundamental interest to reveal light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. Using tunnel junctions as a platform supporting both electrically optically excited localized surface plasmons, we report much greater (over 1000× ) light emission upconverted photon energies under combined electro-optical excitation, compared with electrical or optical excitation separately. Two mechanisms compatible form observed spectra plasmon-induced hot carriers electronic anti-Stokes Raman scattering. Our measurement results excellent agreement theoretical model combining generation through nonradiative relaxation. We also discuss challenge distinguishing relative contributions carrier process. This increase above-threshold systems may open avenues on-chip nanophotonic switching photocatalysis.