Tailored self-assembled nanocolloidal Huygens scatterers in the visible

Abstract

Existing nanocolloidal optical resonators exhibiting strong magnetic resonances often suffer from multi-step low yield synthesis methods as well as a limited tunability, particularly in terms of spectral superposition of electric and magnetic resonances, which is the cornerstone for achieving Huygens scatterers. To overcome these drawbacks, we have synthesized clusters of gold nanoparticles using an emulsion-based formulation approach. This fabrication technique involved emulsification of an aqueous suspension of gold nanoparticles in an oil phase, followed by controlled ripening of the emulsion. The structural control of the as synthesized clusters, of mean radius 120 nm and produced in large numbers, is demonstrated with microscopy and X-ray scattering techniques. Using a polarization-resolved multi-angle light scattering setup, we conduct a comprehensive angular and spectroscopic determination of their optical resonant scattering in the visible wavelength range. We thus report on the clear experimental evidence of strong optical magnetic resonances and directional forward scattering patterns. The clusters behave as strong Huygens sources. Our findings crucially show that the electric and magnetic resonances as well as the scattering patterns can be tuned by adjusting the inner cluster structure, modifying a simple parameter of the fabrication method. This experimental approach allows for the large scale production of nanoresonators with potential uses for Huygens metasurfaces.