ABSTRACT

In this chapter wewill see that there is amultiplicity of effects which

are important in determining the enhancement of fluorescence

available from proximity of molecules or nanocrystals to metal

nanostructures. The possibility of enhancing light absorption via

the intense field generated by plasmon excitation at a fluorescent

species leads to a dependence on the size, shape and dielectric

surroundings of a metallic nanostructure, while the possibility of

scattering of a plasmon into far field radiation leads to a dependence

on additional factors, including the periodicity of the array. Substrate

effects are strong and lead to an additional level of tunability which

promises to be useful in a number of applications.