Lightning-rod effect of plasmonic field enhancement on hydrogen-absorbing transition metals

Abstract

The plasmonic enhancement of electromagnetic field energy density at the sharp tips of nanoparticles or nanoscale surface roughnesses of hydrogen-absorbing transition metals, Pd, Ti, and Ni, is quantitatively investigated. A large degree of energy focusing is observed for these transition metals in the microwave region, even surpassing the enhancement for noble metals according to the conditions. Pd, for instance, exhibits peak field enhancement factors of 6000 and 2 × 108 in air for morphological aspect ratios of 10 and 100, respectively. Metal surfaces possibly contain such degrees of nano- or micro-scale native random roughnesses, and, therefore, the field enhancement effect may have been unknowingly produced in existing electrical and optical systems. In addition, for future devices under development, particularly in hydrogen-related applications, it is desirable to design and optimize the systems, including the choice of materials, structures, and operating conditions, by accounting for the plasmonic local energy enhancement effect around the metal surfaces.