Polarization-Controlled Plasmonic Nanoparticle Growth and Reshaping

Abstract Plasmonic systems, which support collective oscillations of electrons that couple strongly with light, have provided a rich source of physical insights in the study of light-matter interaction and are tightly embedded in a variety of fields and applications, from biosensing to photonic computing. Advances in nanofabrication techniques have played an important role in the increased relevance of plasmonics, offering tools to create nanostructures with different features and properties. Among the various nanofabrication techniques, colloidal chemistry has proven powerful and versatile as a scalable bottom-up fabrication framework. The shape and size of the metal nanoparticles can be controlled by changing different properties of the seed and of the environmental conditions for their growth, including the use of light. Light-driven or light-modulated nanoparticle growth and reshaping is being demonstrated as a useful tool to increase the range of available structures for nanofabrication. In particular, the polarization state of light induces a directional symmetry breaking in the local physicochemical response of the nanostructure, which shows strong potential for controlling the evolution of its shape under various fabrication conditions. In this article, we overview examples and opportunities of using the polarization of light in photochemical processes using plasmonic nanostructures to extend our catalogue of available geometries and superstructures.