Angle dependent surface enhanced Raman scattering obtained from a Ag nanorod array substrate

The angular dependence of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been investigated for molecules adsorbed onto Ag nanorod array substrates fabricated using an oblique angle deposition technique. The strong SERS signal of trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl) ethene (BPE) was found to be strongly dependent on the incident angle of the excitation laser, with the maximum SERS intensity appearing at approximately 45° relative to the surface normal. A scattering model based on classical electrodynamic dipole radiation has been developed for BPE adsorbed onto these Ag nanorod substrates, and the theoretical SERS scattering intensity was found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.