Plasmon Response in Individual Conical Silicon Nanowires with Different Lengths

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are extensively studied in the scientific community due to their remarkable electrical and optical properties. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that cylindrical-shaped SiNWs sustain longitudinal plasmon resonances (LPRs) and transverse plasmon resonances (TPRs). In this work, we will present the results of our investigation on conical SiNWs with different lengths and demonstrate that the NW size plays a role on the spectral response. We selected two groups of SiNWs with approximately 300 nm and 750 nm in length with different lengths and diameters. We investigated the optical properties of the SiNWs at a high energy and spatial resolution by using transmission electron microscopy and in situ electron energy loss spectroscopy. In the UV region of the spectrum investigated here, the experimental evidence suggests the presence of LPRs and a clear presence of TPRs. We found that, as the NW length increases, the LPR fundamental mode shifts towards higher energies, while the diameter seems to affect the TPR, shifting it to lower energy levels when the diameter increases. These SiNWs can play a role in the development of low-dimensional devices for applications in nano-electronics and nano-photonics.