Shape-dependent plasmonic response and directed self-assembly in a new semiconductor building block, indium-doped cadmium oxide (ICO)

The influence of particle shape on plasmonic response and local electric field strength is well-documented in metallic nanoparticles. Morphologies such as rods, plates, and octahedra are readily synthesized and exhibit drastically different extinction spectra than spherical particles. Despite this fact, the influence of composition and shape on the optical properties of plasmonic semiconductor nanocrystals, in which free electrons result from heavy doping, has not been well-studied. Here, we report the first observation of plasmonic resonance in indium-doped cadmium oxide (ICO) nanocrystals, which exhibit the highest quality factors reported for semiconductor nanocrystals. Furthermore, we are able to independently control the shape and free electron concentration in ICO nanocrystals, allowing for the influence of shape on the optical response of a plasmonic semiconductor to be conclusively demonstrated. The highly uniform particles may be self-assembled into ordered single component and binary nanocrystal superlattices, and in thin films, exhibit negative permittivity in the near infrared (NIR) region, validating their use as a new class of tunable low-loss plasmonic building blocks for 3-D optical metamaterials.