Plasmon-enhanced fluorescence and sensing of novel magnesium and gold structures

This project will investigate the light-matter interaction of metallic nanoparticles, known as plasmonic, using experimental and theoretical approaches. The main objective is to provide experimental evidence on the ability of magnesium, a cheap, earth-abundant but yet unexploited for plasmonic applications metal, to enhance the optical response of fluorescent molecules. The effect of the different magnesium nanoparticle shapes and the magnesium oxide or polymer shell thickness on the fluorescent signal enhancement will be investigated using suitable spectroscopy techniques. The novel findings will cement the suitability of magnesium as a plasmonic material and will pave the road for its use in applications, especially for biological or medical sensing. Additionally, the morphology of complex gold nanoparticle assemblies, featuring a central nanoparticle of gold or different metal, will be investigated using computational techniques. Numerical results will provide a theoretical platform to guide the nanoparticle assembly in order to achieve maximum environmental sensitivity towards the design of efficient sensors.

Faculty Supervisor:

Denis Boudreau;Anna Ritcey

Student:

Partner:

University of Cambridge

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

Université Laval

Program: