Amorphous Materials for Enhanced Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances

The discovery of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in semiconductor nanocrystals has initiated a new field in plasmonics. Plasmonic nanocrystals in particular have seen rapid development in recent years because they are a class of materials with unique photoelectronic properties. At present, a growing number of amorphous plasmonic materials has been steadily capturing scientific interest, though only a few of these are well characterized. Here we focus on recent developments in state-of-the art experiments and explore the vast library of plasmonic properties in amorphous materials, including their application fields and optical spectral range. Taken together, the growing regime of amorphous material plasmonics offers enticing avenues for harnessing light-matter interactions from the visible to the terahertz region, with new potential for optical manipulation beyond what can be accomplished using traditional crystal materials.