Laser-assisted implantation of gold nanoparticles, formed under surface plasmon-polariton resonant conditions in polymer layer

Morphological and optical properties of a polymer film/glass system with laser-implanted Au nanofragments were studied. The polymer films (formvar) were deposited on glass plates by the Langmuir-Blodgett method. The fragmentation of continuous Au films was carried out by a Q-switched YAG:Nd3+ laser ( lambda =532 mu m, t p =10ns) at the condition of the surface plasmon-polariton resonance (SPR) and subsequent ballistic transport of Au nanoparticles (NPs) through the air gap and fixation in the polymer film. It is shown that the average size and concentration of the implanted NPs are significantly influenced by the SPR. They were ranged from 40nm and 6.5109 cm-2 up to 350nm and 5107 cm-2 at the resonant and nonresonant cases, respectively. Possible mechanisms of decomposition of the Au film fragments are discussed within the framework of a thermal model.