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.