Estimation of temperature rise in an atomically separated plasmonic dimer under resonant optical illumination

Plasmonic nanostructures have been engineered and investigated for their ability to confine light to sub-nm gaps and increase absorption[1]. The heat generated upon optical illumination of these nanostructures has been utilized in various applications ranging from biomedical technology to optoelectronics [2–5]. Here we computationally quantify the heat generated by one such sub-nm spaced plasmonic dimer geometry with monolayer Mos
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sandwiched in between. Such structures can be used for on demand material phase transformation and other optoelectronic applications[7]. This rise in local temperature confined to few nanometers has potential to be used as optically controlled nano heaters for heat assisted storage and patterning.