Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance with the use of Silver and Titanium Oxide Nanostructures

Light scattering and surface Plasmon calculations were done on a variety of novel geometries using the DDSCAT software package, which simulates the scattering of objects using the discrete dipole approximation method. Calculations were done on core shell nanoparticles consisting of a silver shell and a TiO₂ core in order to determine changes in the extinction spectrum and the near field patterns. Several geometries were tested, including spheres, cylinders, and hexagons, each of varying size and number. It was determined that when geometries were coupled together, there was significant near field enhancement where the geometries were in contact. This enhancement along with the increase in extinction in the visible region of the light spectrum makes these nanoparticles idea for solar cell technology, where they would increase efficiency.