Periodically nanostructured noble-metal thin films with enhanced optical properties

We present results on fabrication and characterization of a large variety of metallic and metalo-dielectric periodic nanostructures obtained by using a colloidal lithography technique. Their optical properties are dominated by surface plasmons excitation and can be tuned at the desired wavelength. Furthermore we show that the prepared nanostructures can be used to enhance the fluorescence signal of thionine dye molecules placed in their nanoscale vicinity.