Coupling of emission with optical modes in multilayer plasmonic and photonic nanostructures

The coupling of emitters with nanoscale structures facilitates extraordinary control over emission properties. Excited fluorophores within near-field distances from nanostructures interact differently with the nanostructures than freely propagating light at the same frequency. This not only leads to excitation of the optical modes supported by the structure, but also induces fluorophores to acquire the properties of the modes. The emitter-environment interaction alters spontaneous decay rates, allows spectral tunability and modifies the directionality and polarization of emitted light. These multiple benefits have impacted a wide range of fluorescence applications. This Review describes the interaction of fluorescence with large-area multilayer plasmonic and photonic structures, within the weak coupling regime. Five different types of multilayer structures composed of metallic, dielectric or mixed materials are discussed, emphasizing on the relationship between the nanostructure geometry and the nature of the associated optical modes. Various studies underlining the roles of geometric structure and/or optical properties of the multilayer substrates on fluorescence properties, and their applications in different areas are reviewed, to provide an overview of the advances in the field, and seed new ideas for effective light-energy management.