Spectral response of plasmon resonant nanoparticles with a non-regular shape.

We study the plasmon resonances of 10 (nm)--100 (nm) two-dimensional metal particles with a non-regular shape. Movies illustrate the spectral response of such particles in the optical range. Contrary to particles with a simple shape (cylinder, ellipse) non-regular particles exhibit many distinct resonances over a large spectral range. At resonance frequencies, extremely large enhancements of the electromagnetic fields occur near the surface of the particle, with amplitudes several hundred-fold that of the incident field. Implications of these strong and localized fields for nano-optics and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are also discussed.