Enhancement of molecular orientation by surface enhanced visible absorption of dye molecules in the vicinity of gold nano-antennas

In this presentation, we discuss enhancement of photo-orientation of azo-dye in films of polymer by surface enhanced visible absorption (SEVA) of the dye in the vicinity of Gold nanoantennas. The dye undergoes shape and orientation change; i.e. isomerization and reorientation, upon polarized light absorption; and the observation of enhanced photo-orientation by SEVA is done by photo-induced birefringence (PIB) experiments, since the signal detected from PIB experiments is directly proportional to the extinction coefficient of the dye. Both the dye’s absorption and photoorientation are enhanced by the presence of the plasmonic nanoantennas.