Figure 1

(a) Schematic of the MNP embedded in a background material with permittivity of ${\varepsilon }_b$. The MNP, with radius $a$ and permittivity ${\varepsilon }_m$, is located at the origin. The single photon emitter (QD) at ${\mathbf{r}}_d$ is located at height $h$ above the surface of the MNP. We also consider a pointlike detector at ${\mathbf{r}}_D$ located along the same axis at height $h_D$ above the metal surface. (b) LDOS peak as a function of height above a 20-nm (blue-dark) and 7-nm (orange-light) spherical silver MNP for an $x$-oriented dipole. The nondipole result (for the MNP) is given by the solid line and the dipole-approximation result is given by the dashed line. For comparison, using the 20-nm MNP, selected FDTD results are shown as squares (1-nm grid) and crosses (2-nm grid), showing very good agreement for different effective emitter sizes.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(a) LDOS versus frequency 2 nm above a 20-nm (blue-dark) and 7-nm (orange-light) silver MNP. The nondipole (exact) result is given by the solid line and the dipole-approximation result is given by the dashed line. (b) ${\rho }_{xx}^{\mathrm{nl}}({\mathbf{r}}_D,{\mathbf{r}}_d)$ versus frequency for $h_d=2$ nm and $h_D=1$ $\mu$m, (c) Lamb shift versus frequency. In (a)–(c) we use an $x$-oriented emitter. (d)–(f) As (a)–(c) but for a $z$-oriented emitter. For clarity, dipole-approximation results are multiplied by a factor of 50 (20-nm particle) and 4 (7-nm particle) in graphs (a),(c) and (d),(f).Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

(a),(c) 7-nm particle [(b),(d) 20-nm particle] with an emitter 2 nm from the surface. Graphs (a),(b) and (c),(d) show the normalized effective particle and far-field spontaneous emission spectra, respectively, using the nondipole result (blue-dark line) and the dipole approximation (orange-light line) for an $x$-oriented dipole. Transition frequencies are indicated by black dots on the curves. The thin gray line in all graphs indicates the LSP resonance (at the maximum of ${\alpha }_m$).Reuse & Permissions

Figure 4

As in Fig. 3, but with a $z$-oriented QD dipole.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 5

(a) 7-nm particle [(d) 20-nm particle] with an emitter 2 nm from the surface tracking the particle spectral peaks (orange circles) and light emission spectral peaks (blue crosses) as a function of QD frequency for an $x$-oriented QD. The dashed lines correspond to the location of the QD transition frequencies used in the graphs in Fig. 3. (b) Integrated particle spectra for an $x$-oriented QD normalized by the integrated particle spectrum without the MNP (i.e., free space) as a function of QD transition frequency for 20-nm MNP (blue-dark line) and 7-nm MNP (orange-light line) for dipole (dashed line) and nondipole (solid line) calculations. (c) Integrated particle spectrum 2 nm above a metallic half space normalized by integrated particle spectrum in free space as a function of QD transition frequency for $z$-oriented QD (blue-dark line) and $x$-oriented QD (orange-light line). (e) As (b) but with the integrated far-field spectrum normalized by the integrated far-field spectrum without the MNP. (f) As (c) but with the integrated far-field spectrum normalized by the integrated far-field spectrum in free space. The thin gray lines in (a), (b), (d), and (e) indicate the LSP resonance.Reuse & Permissions