Elucidating Molecule-Plasmon Interactions in Nanocavities with 2 nm Spatial Resolution and at the Single-Molecule Level.

The fundamental understanding of the subtle interactions between molecules and plasmons is of great significance for the development of plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy (PES) techniques with ultrahigh sensitivity. However, this information has been elusive due to the complex mechanisms and difficulty in reliably constructing and precisely controlling interactions in well-defined plasmonic systems. Herein, the interactions in plasmonic nanocavities of film-coupled metallic nanocubes (NCs) are investigated. Through engineering the spacer layer, molecule-plasmon interactions were precisely controlled and resolved within 2 nm. Efficient energy exchange interactions between the NCs and the surface within the 1-2 nm range are demonstrated. Additionally, optical dressed molecular excited states with a huge Lamb shift of ≈7 meV at the single-molecule (SM) level were observed. This work provides a basis for understanding the underlying molecule-plasmon interaction, paving the way for fully manipulating light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.
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