High pressure study of the surface plasmon resonance in AG nanoparticles

Abstract

The optical absorption spectra of a composite material formed by silver nanoparticles of 12.1 nm radius embedded in a phosphate glass have been studied as a function of hydrostatic pressure up to 11 GPa. The confinement induces a strong absorption peak, the surface plasmon resonance, which is red shifted by the application of pressure. Upon pressure release, a hysterisis is observed persisting even at ambient conditions. The pressure-induced changes in the properties of both the glass and the silver contribute to the observed behaviour, the irreversibility of which, is attributed to the pressure induced irreversible densification of glass.