Enhancement of single-molecule fluorescence using a gold nanoparticle as an optical nanoantenna

We investigate the coupling of a single molecule to a single spherical gold nanoparticle acting as a nanoantenna. Using scanning probe technology, we position the particle in front of the molecule with nanometer accuracy and measure a strong enhancement of more than 20 times in the fluorescence inte...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2006-07, Vol.97 (1), p.017402-017402
Main Authors: Kühn, Sergei, Håkanson, Ulf, Rogobete, Lavinia, Sandoghdar, Vahid
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We investigate the coupling of a single molecule to a single spherical gold nanoparticle acting as a nanoantenna. Using scanning probe technology, we position the particle in front of the molecule with nanometer accuracy and measure a strong enhancement of more than 20 times in the fluorescence intensity simultaneous to a 20-fold shortening of the excited state lifetime. Comparisons with three-dimensional calculations guide us to decipher the contributions of the excitation enhancement, spontaneous emission modification, and quenching. Furthermore, we provide direct evidence for the role of the particle plasmon resonance in the molecular excitation and emission processes.
ISSN:0031-9007
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.017402