OpenMUSTANC (MUltiple Scattering Theory At Nanoplasmonic Cavities): A MATLAB toolbox for the simulation of Plasmonic Sphere Aggregates

Abstract

Mesoscopic physical models, including the Hydrodynamic Drude Model (HDM), the Generalized Nonlocal Optical Response (GNOR) Model, and the Surface Response Model (SRM), have been proposed to investigate nonlocal effects in nanometric structures. The combination of classical electromagnetism with these mesoscopic material models calls for new computational electromagnetic (CEM) algorithms, or update of conventional ones, in what is termed computational mesoscopic electromagnetics (CMEM). In this work, we present a MATLAB toolbox for the simulation of multiple spherical interfaces with arbitrary relative positions, with the incorporation of the aforementioned mesoscopic models. The method exploits vector spherical wave functions to properly express electric and magnetic fields, an S matrix formulation for the efficient treatment of incident and scattered fields at spherical interfaces, and a translation matrix to deal with propagating waves with different expansion centers. Excitation sources can be chosen among arbitrarily polarized plane waves, dipoles and electron beams. For the post-processing part, the calculation of cross sections and far/near-field mapping; fluorescence enhancement, Purcell factor and quantum yield; and cathodoluminescence and electron energy-loss probability is implemented. The toolbox is built in a modular manner, and each part (routine) has its own important functionality. This paper provides a full explanation of the proposed highly efficient and general toolbox, and a detailed guideline for researchers in the nanoplasmonics community.