Fabrication of gold nanorod arrays on a cylindrical surface of optical fibers by using in-situ electrodeposition

Abstract Optical fiber is an excellent light-coupled substrate, which has the characteristics of large a length-diameter ratio with a cylindrical surface. Recently, various methods have been reported in order to improve the ability of local optical fields. In particular, methods aimed to address the efficient coupling and optical resonances by modifying metal nanostructures on the light-coupled substrate have been developed. However, existing methods are largely applicable to planar or tip substrates, and it remains a significant challenge to prepare metal nanostructures on a cylindrical substrate. In this study, we proposed a novel strategy to fabricate gold nanorods arrays (AuNRs) by electrodepositing them in anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates on the cylindrical surface of optical fibers. Briefly, AAO templates were prepared in-situ by using a constant current density secondary oxidation method on the cylindrical surface of optical fibers, and then the AuNRs were in-situ deposited in the AAO templates by electrodeposition. The features of the AuNRs such as diameter, nanorod pitch, and height could be easily regulated by adjusting the parameters of electrodeposition and the anode oxidation. The SEM images demonstrates that AuNRs exhibit a satisfactory consistency with a uniform diameter and favorable self-supporting properties. The relationships between the current density, pore diameter and pore distribution were explored, combined with the voltage-time curve during anodic oxidation. Furthermore, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical properties of the AuNRs on the cylindrical surface were analyzed using the Finite-difference Time-domain Algorithm (FDTD) method. Results suggest that this alternative in-situ electrodeposition strategy has the potentials to be applied to SPR optical fiber sensing.