Transferable low-attenuation scaffold based on transparent conductive oxide nanoparticles for nanoplasmonics and optical metamaterials

We report on functionalized freestanding membrane-based plasmonic structures transferable to various substrates, including curved and flexible surfaces, biological tissues, etc., but also usable as freestanding, self-supported media. The functionalized membranes consist of a supporting layer with a thickness of the order of tens of nanometers, to which additional layers containing doped transparent conductive oxide nanoparticles were deposited. The supporting layer provides mechanical strength to the structure, while the additionally deposited layers impart plasmonic functionality. Carbon nanotubes were utilized for the reinforcement of the supporting layer. Indium tin oxide and aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles produced by nonaqueous route were utilized as fillers to impart plasmonic functionality, their losses at near infrared being lower than those of usual plasmonic metals. Dip coating and drop coating were chosen as the deposition methods for the functionalized layers. The obtained plasmonic-dielectric-plasmonic multilayer scaffold is a candidate structure for further tailoring, for instance by forming a 2D array of nanoholes in it.