Localized surface plasmons: a powerful tool for sensing

Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) represent an outstanding class of nanomaterials that have the capability to localize light at the nanoscale by exploiting a phenomenon called "localized plasmon resonance." This book reviews recent efforts devoted to the utilization of NPs in many research fields, such as photonics, optics, and plasmonics. In this framework, a particular interest is devoted to "active plasmonics," a quite broad concept that indicates those applications in which NPs play an "active" role, such as the realization of gain-assisted means, utilization of NPs embedded in liquid crystalline and flexible materials, and exploitation of renewable solar energy. The book puts together contributions from outstanding international research groups in the field of plasmonic nanomaterials.