Surface Plasmon Resonance at the Gold-Air Interface
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Authors
Ferrier, Alex
Bertschy, Jack
Smith, Alexa
Sherk, Kali
Date
2023-02-01
Type
technical report
Language
en
Keyword
Physics , Surface plasmon resonance
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to prove the existence of surface plasmon resonance at the gold-air interface. Surface plasmon resonance occurs when light hits a conductor, in this case a gold film, that is in direct contact with a dielectric, in this case air, at a specific angle. This angle was theoretically expected to be found at approximately 38.55°, however, was experimentally found at 43.03° ± 0.50°. The parameter that was measured was the intensity of a reflected light beam in Volts using a silicon photodiode detector. A sharp decrease in voltage intensity is observed at the angle where surface plasmon resonance excitation occurs. The intensity parameter was measured over a range of angles which were manipulated using an automated turntable. The discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental values can be attributed to the unknown level of sensitivity of the photodiode detector as well as larger than needed angle increments.