Plasmon enhanced luminescence from fullerene molecules excited by local electron tunneling

Influence of Quadrupolar Molecular Transitions within Plasmonic Cavities

Optical nanocavities have revolutionized the manipulation of radiative properties of molecular and semiconductor emitters. Here, we investigate the amplified photoluminescence arising from exciting a dark transition of β-carotene molecules embedded within plasmonic nanocavities. Integrating a molecular monolayer into nanoparticle-on-mirror nanostructures unveils enhancements surpassing 4 orders of magnitude in the initially light-forbidden excitation. Such pronounced enhancements transcend conventional dipolar mechanisms, underscoring the presence of alternative enhancement pathways. Notably, Fourier-plane scattering spectroscopy shows that the photoluminescence excitation resonance aligns with a higher-order plasmonic cavity mode, which supports strong field gradients. Combining quantum chemistry calculations with electromagnetic simulations reveals an important interplay between the Franck-Condon quadrupole and Herzberg-Teller dipole contributions in governing the absorption characteristics of this dark transition. In contrast to free space, the quadrupole moment plays a significant role in photoluminescence enhancement within nanoparticle-on-mirror cavities. These findings provide an approach to access optically inactive transitions, promising advancements in spectroscopy and sensing applications.

Theoretical and computational methods for tip- and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Raman spectroscopy is a versatile tool for acquiring molecular structure information. The incorporation of plasmonic fields has significantly enhanced the sensitivity and resolution of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). The strong spatial confinement effect of plasmonic fields has challenged the conventional Raman theory, in which a plane wave approximation for the light has been adopted. In this review, we comprehensively survey the progress of a generalized theory for SERS and TERS in the framework of effective field Hamiltonian (EFH). With this approach, all characteristics of localized plasmonic fields can be well taken into account. By employing EFH, quantitative simulations at the first-principles level for state-of-the-art experimental observations have been achieved, revealing the underlying intrinsic physics in the measurements. The predictive power of EFH is demonstrated by several new phenomena generated from the intrinsic spatial, momentum, time, and energy structures of the localized plasmonic field. The corresponding experimental verifications are also carried out briefly. A comprehensive computational package for modeling of SERS and TERS at the first-principles level is introduced. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future developments of theory and experiments for SERS and TERS.

Gap plasmon modes and plasmon-exciton coupling in a hybrid Au/MoSe2/Au tunneling junction

The light-matter interaction between plasmonic nanocavity modes and excitons at the nanometer scale is here addressed in the scanning tunneling microscope configuration where an MoSe₂ monolayer is located between the tip and the substrate. We investigate by optical excitation the electromagnetic modes of this hybrid Au/MoSe₂/Au tunneling junction using numerical simulations where electron tunneling and the anisotropic character of the MoSe₂ layer are taken into account. In particular, we pointed out gap plasmon modes and Fano-type plasmon-exciton coupling taking place at the MoSe₂/Au substrate interface. The spectral properties and spatial localization of these modes are studied as a function of the tunneling parameters and incident polarization.

Selectively Addressing Plasmonic Modes and Excitonic States in a Nanocavity Hosting a Quantum Emitter

Controlling the interaction between the excitonic states of a quantum emitter and the plasmonic modes of a nanocavity is key for the development of quantum information processing devices. In this Letter we demonstrate that the tunnel electroluminescence of electrically insulated C₆₀ nanocrystals enclosed in the plasmonic nanocavity at the junction of a scanning tunneling microscope can be switched from a broad emission spectrum, revealing the plasmonic modes of the cavity, to a narrow band emission, displaying only the excitonic states of the C₆₀ molecules by changing the bias voltage applied to the junction. Interestingly, excitonic emission dominates the spectra in the high-voltage region in which the simultaneously acquired inelastic rate is low, demonstrating that the excitons cannot be created by an inelastic tunnel process. These results point toward new possible mechanisms for tunnel electroluminescence of quantum emitters and offer new avenues to develop electrically tunable nanoscale light sources.

Electric Field Controlled Single-Molecule Optical Switch by Through-Space Charge Transfer State

Controlling the photon emission property of a single molecule is an important goal for nano-optics. We propose here a new mechanism for a single-molecule optical switch that utilizes the in situ electric field (EF) in biased metallic nanojunctions to control photon emission of molecules with through-space charge transfer (TSCT) excited states. The EF-induced Stark effect is capable of flipping the order of the bright noncharge transfer state and dark TSCT state, resulting in the anticipated switching behavior. The proposed mechanism was theoretically verified by scanning tunneling microscope-induced electroluminescence from a naphtalenediimide cyclophane molecule under experimentally accessible conditions. Simulations show that the proposed switching effect can be obtained by changing either bias polarity, which alters the polarization of the field, or tip-height, which affects the magnitude of the field. Our finding indicates that the in situ EF could play an important role in the design of optoelectronic molecular devices.

Gate-tunable electroluminescence in Aviram-Ratner-type molecules: Kinetic description

A theoretical study of the mechanisms of electroluminescence (EL) generation in photoactive molecules with donor and acceptor centers linked by saturated σ-bonds (molecules of the Aviram-Ratner-type) is presented. The approach is based on the kinetics of single-electron transitions between many-body molecular states. This study shows that the EL polarity arises due to asymmetric coupling of molecular orbitals of the photochromic part of the molecule to the electrodes. The gate voltage controls the power of the EL through the occupancy of the excited singlet state. The shifting of the orbital energies forms a resonant or a non-resonant path for the transmission of electrons through the molecule. The action of the gate voltage is reflected in specific critical voltages. An analytical dependence of the critical voltages on the energies of molecular states involved in the formation of EL, as well as on the gate voltage, was derived for both positive and negative polarities. Conditions under which the gate voltage lowers the absolute value of the bias voltage that is responsible for the activation of the resonance mechanism of EL formation were also established. This is an important factor in control of EL in molecular junctions.

Optical scanning tunneling microscopy based chemical imaging and spectroscopy

Through coupling optical processes with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM), single-molecule chemistry and physics have been investigated at the ultimate spatial and temporal limit. Electrons and photons can be used to drive interactions and reactions in chemical systems and simultaneously probe their characteristics and consequences. In this review we introduce and review methods to couple optical imaging and spectroscopy with scanning tunneling microscopy. The integration of the STM and optical spectroscopy provides new insights into individual molecular adsorbates, surface-supported molecular assemblies, and two-dimensional materials with subnanoscale resolution, enabling the fundamental study of chemistry at the spatial and temporal limit. The inelastic scattering of photons by molecules and materials, that results in unique and sensitive vibrational fingerprints, will be considered with tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. STM-induced luminescence examines the intrinsic luminescence of organic adsorbates and their energy transfer and charge transfer processes with their surroundings. We also provide a survey of recent efforts to probe the dynamics of optical excitation at the molecular level with scanning tunneling microscopy in the context of light-induced photophysical and photochemical transformations.

First-principles study on vibrationally resolved fluorescence of fused 5,15-(diphenyl)-10,20-(dibromo)porphyrin molecule

The vibrationally resolved fluorescence spectrum of a narrow-line single-molecule transducer, fused 5,15-(diphenyl)-10,20-(dibromo)porphyrin (fused-H2P) molecule, has been calculated by time-dependent density functional theory with the inclusion of both Franck-Condon and Herzberg-Teller contributions. Analytical transition dipole derivatives are used for the calculations of Herzberg-Teller terms to eliminate the possible errors caused by numerical differentials. The performance of different exchange-correlation functionals including B3LYP, ωB97X-D, and M06-2X has been examined. The comparison with the high-resolution experimental emission spectrum indicates that all three functionals can satisfactorily describe the fluorescence spectral profile, while ωB97X-D and M06-2X give slightly better excitation energy than B3LYP. Detailed analysis shows that the fluorescence spectrum is dominated by the Franck-Condon contribution, while the Herzberg-Teller term contributes mostly to its low energy tail. It is found that the size of the basis set has limited influence on the fluorescence spectrum, and a standard 6-31G(d, p) basis set is adequate for the purpose. The substitution of terthiophene side chains is found to have minor effects on the fluorescence spectrum. Our study provides unambitious assignments for all the vibronic structures in the experimental spectrum.

Fano Description of Single-Hydrocarbon Fluorescence Excited by a Scanning Tunneling Microscope

The detection of fluorescence with submolecular resolution enables the exploration of spatially varying photon yields and vibronic properties at the single-molecule level. By placing individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules into the plasmon cavity formed by the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and a NaCl-covered Ag(111) surface, molecular light emission spectra are obtained that unravel vibrational progression. In addition, light spectra unveil a signature of the molecule even when the tunneling current is injected well separated from the molecular emitter. This signature exhibits a distance-dependent Fano profile that reflects the subtle interplay between inelastic tunneling electrons, the molecular exciton and localized plasmons in at-distance as well as on-molecule fluorescence. The presented findings open the path to luminescence of a different class of molecules than investigated before and contribute to the understanding of single-molecule luminescence at surfaces in a unified picture.

Signatures of Plexitonic States in Molecular Electroluminescence

We develop a quantum master equation (QME) approach to investigate the electroluminesence (EL) of molecules confined between metallic electrodes and coupled to quantum plasmonic modes. Within our general state-based framework, we describe electronic tunneling, vibrational damping, environmental dephasing, and the quantum coherent dynamics of coupled quantum electromagnetic field modes. As an example, we calculate the STM-induced spontaneous emission of a tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) molecule coupled to a nanocavity plasmon. In the weak molecular exciton-plasmon coupling regime we find excellent agreement with experiments, including above-threshold hot luminescence, an effect not described by previous semiclassical calculations. In the strong coupling regime, we analyze the spectral features indicative of the formation of plexcitonic states.

Submolecular Electroluminescence Mapping of Organic Semiconductors

The electroluminescence of organic films is the central aspect in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and widely used in current display technology. However, its spatial variation on the molecular scale is essentially unexplored. Here, we address this issue by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and present an in-depth study of the electroluminescence from thin C₆₀ films (<10 monolayers) on Ag(111) and Au(111) surfaces. Similar to an OLED, the metal substrate and STM tip inject complementary charge carriers that may recombine within the molecular film; however, the atomically defined charge injection by the tip enables mapping of the local electroluminescence down to the submolecular scale. We show that the radiative recombination in solid C₆₀ is restricted to various structural defects, whose emission characteristics can be addressed individually. The emission fine structure reveals a coupling to Jahn-Teller active vibrational modes of C₆₀, which implies that its parity-forbidden lowest singlet transition becomes locally allowed at the emission centers. At lateral distances of a few nanometers, only a weak emission from tip-induced plasmons is detectable. Their excitation evidences the injection of both charge carrier types and confirms that they are unable to recombine radiatively at positions far from structural defects. Finally, we demonstrate that the molecular orbital pattern visible in electroluminescence maps enables an unambiguous discrimination between the intrinsic radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs in the organic film and the technique-related emission of tip-induced plasmons. This capability is essential to consolidate STM as a tool to explore the light generation from organic films on the nanoscale.

Organic Multilayer Films Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

This Minireview focuses exclusively on work with scanning tunneling microscopy to study the self-assembled multilayer films (SAMTs) of organic molecules. The π-conjugated organic molecules form different structures within different monolayers on various substrates. The interplay between molecule-substrate and intermolecular interactions plays a key role in determining the stacking mode of organic multilayer films. Different substrates strongly influence the organic-film growth and electronic properties of the organic molecules. Geometric and electronic structures of SAMTs are important factors that may determine device performance. In addition to the inorganic interface, this Minireview addresses the organic-organic interface. Homo- and hetero-SAMTs of organic molecules are also considered. The subtle interplay between structural and electronic characteristics, on one hand, and functionality and reactivity, on the other hand, are highlighted.

Fabricating two-dimensional plasmonic photonic crystals for the modulation of nanocavity plasmon mode

Here we demonstrate the fabrication of two-dimensional plasmonic photonic crystal (PPC) nanostructures to modulate the nanocavity plasmon (NCP) mode in the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) junction. Theoretically optimized PPC structures with particular defect modes were fabricated and used as the substrates for STM induced luminescence (STML) research. Stable STM imaging and STML studies were achieved by covering a suspended graphene sheet on top of periodic PPC structures. Our preliminary STML results suggest that the NCP emission can be selectively enhanced by the defect mode of the PPC structures, which paves the way for future studies on the engineering of electrically driven single-molecule photon sources and plasmonic lasing through tuning NCP modes.

The mechanism of light emission from a scanning tunnelling microscope operating in air

The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) may be used as a low-energy, electrical nanosource of surface plasmon polaritons and light. In this article, we demonstrate that the optimum mode of operation of the STM for maximum photon emission is completely different in air than in vacuum. To this end, we investigate the emission of photons, the variation in the relative tip-sample distance and the measured current as a function of time for an STM operating in air. Contrary to the case of an STM operating in vacuum, the measured current between the tip and sample for an STM in air is very unstable (rapidly fluctuating in time) when the applied voltage between the tip and sample is in the ∼1.5-3 V range (i.e., in the energy range of visible photons). The photon emission occurs in short (50 μs) bursts when the STM tip is closest to the sample. The current instabilities are shown to be a key ingredient for producing intense light emission from an STM operating in air (photon emission rate several orders of magnitude higher than for stable current). These results are explained in terms of the interplay between the tunnel current and the electrochemical current in the ubiquitous thin water layer that exists when working in air.

Nanoscale Imaging of Charge Carrier and Exciton Trapping at Structural Defects in Organic Semiconductors

Charge carrier and exciton trapping in organic semiconductors crucially determine the performance of organic (opto-)electronic devices such as organic field-effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, or solar cells. However, the microscopic origin of the relevant traps generally remains unclear, as most spectroscopic techniques are unable to simultaneously probe the electronic and morphological structure of individual traps. Here, we employ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) as well as tight-binding calculations derived from ab initio calculations to image the localized electronic states arising at structural defects in thin C60 films (<10 ML). The spatially and spectrally resolved STM-induced luminescence at these states reveals an enhanced radiative decay of excitons, which is interpreted in terms of the local symmetry lowering and the trapping of excitons by an X-trap. The combined mapping of the STM-induced luminescence, electronic structure, and morphology thus provides new insights into the origin and characteristics of individual exciton traps in organic semiconductors and offers new avenues to study charge carrier and exciton dynamics on molecular scales.

Identifying the Assembly Configuration and Fluorescence Spectra of Nanoscale Zinc-Tetraphenylporphyrin Aggregates with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

ZnTPP (Zinc-Tetraphenylporphyrin) is one of the most common nanostructured materials, having high stability and excellent optoelectronic properties. In this paper, the fluorescence features of self-assembled ZnTPP monomers and aggregates on Au(111) surface are investigated in detail on the nanometer scale with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The formation of ZnTPP dimers is found in thick layers of a layer-by-layer molecular assembly on Au substrate with its specific molecular arrangement well characterized. Tip-induced luminescence shows a red shift from tilted dimers comparing with the behavior from monomers, which can be attributed to the change of vibrational states due to the intermolecular interaction and the increasing dielectric effect. The nanoscale configuration dependence of electroluminescence is demonstrated to provide a powerful tool aiding the design of functional molecular photoelectric devices.

Light emission from Ag(111) driven by inelastic tunneling in the field emission regime

We study the light emission from a Ag(111) surface when the bias voltage on a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) junction is ramped into the field emission regime. Above the vacuum level, scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) shows a series of well defined resonances associated with the image states of the surface, which are Stark shifted due to the electric field provided by the STM tip. We present photon-energy resolved measurements that unambiguously show that the mechanism for light emission is the radiative decay of surface localized plasmons excited by the electrons that tunnel inelastically into the Stark shifted image states. Our work illustrates the effect of the tip radius both in the STS spectrum and the light emission maps by repeating the experiment with different tips.

Molecular hot electroluminescence due to strongly enhanced spontaneous emission rates in a plasmonic nanocavity

We have recently demonstrated anomalous relaxationless hot electroluminescence from molecules in the tunnel junction of a scanning tunneling microscope [Dong et al., Nat. Photonics, 2010, 4, 50]. In the present paper, based on physically realistic parameters, we aim to unravel the underlying physical mechanism using a multiscale modeling approach that combines classical generalized Mie theory with the quantum master equation. We find that the nanocavity-plasmon-tuned spontaneous emission rate plays a crucial role in shaping the spectral profile. In particular, on resonance, the radiative decay rate can be enhanced by three-to-five orders of magnitude, which enables the radiative process to occur on the lifetime scale of picoseconds and become competitive to the vibrational relaxation. Such a large Purcell effect opens up new emission channels to generate the hot luminescence that arises directly from higher vibronic levels of the molecular excited state. We also stress that the critical role of resonant plasmonic nanocavities in tunneling electron induced molecular luminescence is to enhance the spontaneous radiative decay through plasmon enhanced vacuum fluctuations rather than to generate an efficient plasmon stimulated emission process. This improved understanding has been partly overlooked in previous studies but is believed to be very important for further developments of molecular plasmonics and optoelectronics.

Molecular orbital gates for plasmon excitation

Future combinations of plasmonics with nanometer-sized electronic circuits require strategies to control the electrical excitation of plasmons at the length scale of individual molecules. A unique tool to study the electrical plasmon excitation with ultimate resolution is scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Inelastic tunnel processes generate plasmons in the tunnel gap that partially radiate into the far field where they are detectable as photons. Here we employ STM to study individual tris-(phenylpyridine)-iridium complexes on a C60 monolayer, and investigate the influence of their electronic structure on the plasmon excitation between the Ag(111) substrate and an Ag-covered Au tip. We demonstrate that the highest occupied molecular orbital serves as a spatially and energetically confined nanogate for plasmon excitation. This opens the way for using molecular tunnel junctions as electrically controlled plasmon sources.

Modulation of nanocavity plasmonic emission by local molecular states of C60 on Au(111)

We investigate the modulation of C60 monolayers on the nanocavity plasmonic (NCP) emission on Au(111) by tunneling electron excitation from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip. STM induced luminescence spectra show not only suppressed emission, but also significant redshift of NCP emission bands on the C60 molecules relative to the bare metal surface. The redshift, together with the bias- and coverage-dependent emission feature, indicates that the C60 molecules act beyond a pure dielectric spacer, their electronic states are heavily involved in the inelastic tunneling process for plasmonic emission. A modified quantum cutoff relation is proposed to explain qualitatively the observed emission feature at both bias polarities. We also demonstrate molecularly resolved optical contrast on the C60 monolayer and discuss the contrast mechanism briefly.

Fabrication of silver tips for scanning tunneling microscope induced luminescence

We describe a reliable fabrication procedure of silver tips for scanning tunneling microscope (STM) induced luminescence experiments. The tip was first etched electrochemically to yield a sharp cone shape using selected electrolyte solutions and then sputter cleaned in ultrahigh vacuum to remove surface oxidation. The tip status, in particular the tip induced plasmon mode and its emission intensity, can be further tuned through field emission and voltage pulse. The quality of silver tips thus fabricated not only offers atomically resolved STM imaging, but more importantly, also allows us to perform challenging "color" photon mapping with emission spectra taken at each pixel simultaneously during the STM scan under relatively small tunnel currents and relatively short exposure time.

Nanoscale imaging of exciton transport in organic photovoltaic semiconductors by tip-enhanced tunneling luminescence

In organic solar cells, the efficiency of the exciton transport and dissociation across donor-acceptor (D/A) interfaces is controlled by the nanoscale distribution of the donor and acceptor phases. The observation of photoluminescence quenching is often used as confirmation for efficient exciton dissociation but provides no information on the nanoscopic nature of the exciton transport. Here we demonstrate nanoscale imaging of the exciton transport in films consisting of the conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT, electron donor) blended with the C60 derivative 1-(3-methoxycarbonyl)-propyl-1-phenyl-(6,6)C61 (PCBM, electron acceptor) by a tunneling luminescence spectroscopy based on atomic force microscopy. The excitonic luminescence is significantly enhanced when the conjugated polymer is coupled to the plasmon excitation at the tip (tip-enhanced luminescence). This effect allows one to dramatically improve the detection efficiency of the excitonic luminescence and, consequently, resolve individual domains of the conjugated polymer in which the exciton will recombine before dissociation at the D/A interface. Under thermal annealing conditions promoting the segregation of the donor and acceptor phases, a clear increase of the luminescence is seen from polymer-rich regions, consistent with domains of dimensions much larger than the exciton diffusion length. The described scanning luminescence microscopy can thus be applied to the optimization of the blends used in solar cells.