Influence of Length of Opposing bi-Au Cone-Tips and Different Environment on Field Enhancement in Feed Gap

Electric field enhancement distributions encountered in feed gap of opposing bi-Au cone-tips is studied using a frequency-domain three-dimensional finite element method to solve Maxwell's equations of electric field distributions. Both the influences of cone-tip length and surrounding medium on electric field enhancement are investigated. The maximal enhancement value is discussed in terms of a simple physical model based on a standing wave on the tip surface associated with the antenna effect and surface plasmon. Simulated results demonstrate the enhancement is sensitive to the tip length.
By selecting a suitably matched scale according to the incident wavelength, a large enhancement value can be observed within a small focused spot between the opposing tips permitting a high spatial resolution. The relative position of the opposing tips is also found for the optimum enhancement. All of the results suggest that our configuration is suitable for the site-specific Raman spectroscopic analysis at nanoscale.