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Main Authors: Zhao, Boqin, Lee, Annika, Yim, Ju Eun, Brawley, Zachary, Brass, Emma, Sheldon, Matthew
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12390
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author Zhao, Boqin
Lee, Annika
Yim, Ju Eun
Brawley, Zachary
Brass, Emma
Sheldon, Matthew
author_facet Zhao, Boqin
Lee, Annika
Yim, Ju Eun
Brawley, Zachary
Brass, Emma
Sheldon, Matthew
contents Photo-induced charge transport in plasmonic metal nanostructures has garnered significant interest for applications in sensing and power conversion, yet the underlying mechanisms remain debated. Here, we report spatially correlated photovoltage generation in photonically engineered Au nanowires illuminated by focused, milliwatt-level laser excitation. Plasmonic nanodisk antennas placed adjacent to the nanowires created local variations in the photonic environment, resulting in clearly defined regions of enhanced photovoltage. Experimental results and simulations strongly support a thermally driven photothermoelectric (PTE) mechanism, where the local photonic structure modifies the intrinsic Seebeck coefficient of the metal, independent of other electronic structural factors. Our findings highlight photon-electron interactions as critical to the observed transport phenomena, suggesting photonic engineering as a viable strategy to systematically control and optimize thermoelectric performance.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_12390
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Photonic Contributions to the Apparent Seebeck Coefficient of Plasmonic Metals
Zhao, Boqin
Lee, Annika
Yim, Ju Eun
Brawley, Zachary
Brass, Emma
Sheldon, Matthew
Optics
Photo-induced charge transport in plasmonic metal nanostructures has garnered significant interest for applications in sensing and power conversion, yet the underlying mechanisms remain debated. Here, we report spatially correlated photovoltage generation in photonically engineered Au nanowires illuminated by focused, milliwatt-level laser excitation. Plasmonic nanodisk antennas placed adjacent to the nanowires created local variations in the photonic environment, resulting in clearly defined regions of enhanced photovoltage. Experimental results and simulations strongly support a thermally driven photothermoelectric (PTE) mechanism, where the local photonic structure modifies the intrinsic Seebeck coefficient of the metal, independent of other electronic structural factors. Our findings highlight photon-electron interactions as critical to the observed transport phenomena, suggesting photonic engineering as a viable strategy to systematically control and optimize thermoelectric performance.
title Photonic Contributions to the Apparent Seebeck Coefficient of Plasmonic Metals
topic Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12390