Enhanced Plasmonic Particle Trapping Using a Hybrid Structure of Nanoparticles and Nanorods

Plasmon-enhanced particle trapping was demonstrated using a hybrid structure of nanoparticles and nanorods. In order to intensify localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited on zinc oxide nanorods (ZnONRs). The synergistic effect caused by the hybrid structure was identified experimentally. Numerical analysis revealed that the LSPR-induced photophysical processes such as plasmonic heating and near-field enhancement were improved by the existence of ZnONRs. The role of the ZnONR in enhancing the particle-trapping velocity was explored by examining the scattered electric field, Poynting vector, and temperature gradient over the nanostructures calculated from the simulation. It was found that polystyrene microparticles and Escherichia coli cells were successfully trapped by using the ZnONR/AuNP plasmonic structure. A relatively high dielectric constant and nanorod geometry of ZnO enabled the hybrid substrate to enhance trapping performance, compared with a control case fabricated using only gold nanoislands.