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Work function is an essential material’s property playing important roles in electronics, photovoltaics, and more recently, in nanophotonics. We have studied e昀 ects of organic, and inorganic dielectric materials on work functions of Au 昀 lms in single layered, and multilayered structures. We found that measured work function of metallic surfaces can be a昀 ected by dielectric materials situated 10–100 nm away from the metallic surface. We have found that, (i) the glass underneath ~ 50 nm gold slab reduces the work function of gold, (ii) Rh590:PMMA increases the work function of a gold 昀 lm deposited on top of the polymer, and (iii) reduces it if Rh590:PMMA is deposited on top of Au. (iv) With increase of the Rh590 concentration in PMMA, n, the work function 昀 rst decreases (at n < 64 g/l), and then increases (at n > 64 g/l). (v) The work function of a Fabry–Perot cavity or an MIM waveguide is almost the same as that of single Au 昀 lms of comparable thickness. The experimental results can be qualitatively explained in terms of a simple model taking into account adhesion of charged molecules to a metallic surface, and formation of a double layer of charges accelerating or decelerating electrons exiting the metal and decreasing or increasing the work function. 

Electrochromic polymers incorporated into plasmonic systems provide a possibility to control plasmonic properties with the applied voltage. Using gold-polyaniline (PANI) bilayers, we study the effect of coloration switching on surface plasmon polaritons propagating at the PANI-gold interface. The width of the resonance, magnitude of the plasmon wave-vector and dielectric permittivity of PANI are estimated as the function of the applied voltage. 

Abstract We have studied optical properties of single-layer and multi-fold nanoporous gold leaf (NPGL) metamaterials and observed highly unusual transmission spectra composed of two well-resolved peaks. We explain this phenomenon in terms of a surface plasmon absorption band positioned on the top of a broader transmission band, the latter being characteristic of both homogeneous “solid” and inhomogeneous “diluted” Au films. The transmission spectra of NPGL metamaterials were shown to be controlled by external dielectric environments, e.g. water and applied voltage in an electrochemical cell. This paves the road to numerous functionalities of the studied tunable and active metamaterials, including control of spontaneous emission, energy transfer and many others. 

Significant photovoltages are observed in permalloy grating-like structures in response to pulsed laser light illumination. Electrical signals are enhanced at plasmon resonance conditions and show a clear dependence on the magnetic field with a characteristic hysteresis. Estimations show that the effect could not be explained solely by laser-induced heating. Alternative mechanisms are discussed. 

Plasmon-enhanced photovoltages in 1D profile-modulated permalloy films strongly depend on magnetic field, with a characteristic hysteresis. The effect is discussed in terms of the anomalous Nernst effect. 

We have studied optical properties of single and multi-fold nanoporous gold leaf metamaterials and demonstrated that they can be controlled with applied voltage and dielectric environment.