smallercap
Smallercap is a term used in nanophotonics to describe cap-like nanostructures in which the cap portion has a smaller radius of curvature than the surrounding body. The geometry concentrates and enhances electromagnetic fields at the cap edge, enabling tailored plasmonic resonances in the visible to near-infrared. The term is descriptive rather than prescriptive, used to classify nanoparticles that combine a larger core with a diminutive cap segment.
Design and fabrication typically involve a metallic core, commonly gold or silver, with a partial shell or
Optical properties are highly tunable: cap size and shape shift the localized surface plasmon resonance and
Applications include surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), optical sensing, and integration into plasmonic antennas for nanoscale imaging.