Plasmonics Yields Efficient Electron Transport via Assembly of Shell-Insulated Au Nanoparticles

Junctions built from metallic nanoparticles (NPs) can circumvent the diffraction limit and combine molecular/nanoelectronics with plasmonics. However, experimental advances in plasmon-assisted electron transport at the nanoscale have been limited. We construct junctions of a robust, molecule-free, suspended film, built solely from AuNPs, capped by SiO₂ shells (Au@SiO₂), which give insulating tunneling gaps up to 3.6 nm between the NPs. Current measured across monolayers of such AuNPs shows ultra-long-range, plasmon-enabled electron transport (P-transport), beyond the range of normal electron tunneling across insulators. This finding challenges the present understanding of electron transport in such systems and opens possibilities for future combinations of plasmonics and nanoelectronics.