This thesis deals with the optical properties of
Localized surface plasmon resonances (SPR) determine
the main optical properties of Ag and Au
nanoparticles in the visible. Under certain
conditions, SPR can give rise to single molecule
sensitivity in surface-enhanced Raman scattering
(SERS). The experimental observation of dimer
structures, where two Ag particles are bridged by a
single hemoglobin molecule, probably reveal the
simplest nanoparticle system that can amplify Raman
scattering to the extent that vibrational spectra of
single molecules can be recorded. More controllable...