Plasmonic Au/Co/Au nanosandwiches with enhanced magneto-optical activity

A study was conducted to analyzed magneto-optical (MO) activity of thin films prepared by Au/Co/Au trilayers as surface plasmon polaritons. Trilyers exhibit a magnetic-field-induced nonreciprocal effect in the surface plasmon polariton propagation. The Au/Co/Au nanosandwiches, prepared by a self-assembly process, show localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) that affect the optical properties of metallic nanostructures. The fabrication of the nanostructures was performed using colloidal lithography (CL). An atomic force microscopy was used to analyze the structure of thin films. The polar Kerr ellipticity and rotation spectra for an array of nanoparticles with identical dimensions were examined. Metal trilyer films were sputtered onto glass substrates. Results show that nanoparticles can be used for the development of high-sensitive magnetoplasmonic nanosensors with multiplexing capabilities.