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We present SERS-active metal holographic metasurfaces fabricated from metal periodical nanograting deposited on a dielectric substrate. The metasurface consists of a modulated dielectric, which is covered by a thin silver layer. The metasurface operates as an open plasmon resonator. The theory of plasmons excited in the open resonator formed by a metal nanograting is presented. The large local electromagnetic field is predicted for optical frequencies. The excitation of plasmons is experimentally demonstrated in the metasurface designed on a 4-inch Si wafer. The enhancement of the local electric field results in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). To investigate the SERS effect, the metasurfaces are covered by molecules of 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid, which form covalent bonds with the silver nanolayer and serve as a proof-of-concept. Finally, we obtain a detection limit of 230 nM for molecules of 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, 67 references

We propose the theory of the plasmon excited in ultra-narrow plasmonic gap formed by a metal cylinder on a metal surface, that generates a huge resonant local electromagnetic field in optical frequencies. Resonance conditions are found. The maximum possible enhancement of the electric field in the nanogap is estimated as $\left|E_{max} \right|/ \left| E_{0} \right| \propto \left| \varepsilon_m \right|^{3} \varepsilon_{d}^{-1} \left( \Im \varepsilon_{m}\right) ^{-2}$ A simple ultranarrow-gaped resonator can be used for SERS sensing and infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed molecules. We assume that a plasmonic nanogap is simplest and most straightforward way to increase flexibility as well as sensitivity of the plasmon-enhanced spectroscopes., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 42 references

We consider plasmonic nanoantennas immersed in active host medium. Specifically shaped metal nanoantennas can exhibit strong magnetic properties in the optical spectral range due to the excitation of Magnetic Plasmon Resonance (MPR). A case when a metamaterial comprising such nanoantennas can demonstrate both "left-handiness" and negative permeability in the optical range is considered. We show that high losses predicted for optical "left- handed" materials can be compensated in the gain medium. Gains required to achieve local generation in such magnetic active metamaterials are calculated for real metals. We propose plasmonic nanolaser, where the metal nanoantenna operates like a resonator. The size of the proposed plasmonic laser is much smaller than the wavelength. Therefore, it can serve as a very compact source of EM radiation.

We report a numerical investigation of surface plasmon (SP) propagation in ordered and disordered linear chains of metal nanospheres. In our simulations, SPs are excited at one end of a chain by a near-field tip. We then find numerically the SP amplitude as a function of propagation distance. Two types of SPs are discovered. The first SP, which we call the ordinary or quasistatic, is mediated by short-range, near-field electromagnetic interaction in the chain. This excitation is strongly affected by Ohmic losses in the metal and by disorder in the chain. These two effects result in spatial decay of the quasistatic SP by means of absorptive and radiative losses, respectively. The second SP is mediated by longer range, far-field interaction of nanospheres. We refer to this SP as the extraordinary or non-quasistatic. The non-quasistatic SP can not be effectively excited by a near-field probe due to the small integral weight of the associated spectral line. Because of that, at small propagation distances, this SP is dominated by the quasistatic SP. However, the non-quasistatic SP is affected by Ohmic and radiative losses to a much smaller extent than the quasistatic one. Because of that, the non-quasistatic SP becomes dominant sufficiently far from the exciting tip and can propagate with little further losses of energy to remarkable distances. The unique physical properties of the non-quasistatic SP can be utilized in all-optical integrated photonic systems.

An array of pairs of parallel gold nanorods is shown to have a negative refractive index n'=-0.3 at the optical communication wavelength of 1.5 micron. This effect results from the plasmon resonance in the pairs of nanorods for both the electric and magnetic components of light. The refractive index is retrieved from the direct phase and amplitude measurements for transmission and reflection, which are all in excellent agreement with our finite difference time domain simulations. The refraction critically depends on the phase of the transmitted wave, which emphasizes the importance of phase measurements in finding n'., Comment: an improved version (17 pages, 5 figures) with a new sample and additional measurements

We compare the optical response of isolated nanowires, double-wire systems, and Pi-structures, and show that their radiation is well described in terms of their electric and magnetic dipole moments. We also show that both dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability can be negative at optical and near infrared frequencies, and demonstrate the connection between the geometry of the system and its resonance characteristics. We conclude that plasmonic nanowires can be employed for developing novel negative-index materials. Finally, we demonstrate that it is possible to construct a nanowire-based "transparent nanoresonator" with dramatically enhanced intensity and metal concentration below 5 %.

A first-principle theory for the effective dielectric permittivity in metallic mesostructures is developed. This theory, in particular, takes into account the skin effect, which is important in practical applications of metal structures., Comment: 1 page, 1 figure

An optical sensing enhancing material (and corresponding method of making) comprising: a medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals; and a microcavity, wherein the medium is located in a vicinity of the microcavity. Also an optical sensor and sensing method comprising: providing a doped medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals, with the material; locating the doped medium in the vicinity of a microcavity; exciting the doped medium with a light source; and detecting light reflected from the doped medium. Also an optical sensing enhancing material comprising a medium, the medium comprising a semicontinuous metal film of randomly distributed metal particles and their clusters at approximately their percolation threshold. The medium preferably additionally comprises a microcavity/microresonator. Also devices and methods employing such material.