Probing ultrafast energy transfer between excitons and plasmons in the ultrastrong coupling regime

We investigate ultrafast energy transfer between excitons and plasmons in ensembles of core-shell type nanoparticles consisting of metal core covered with a concentric thin J-aggregate (JA) shell. The high electric field localization by the Ag nanoprisms and the high oscillator strength of the JAs allow us to probe this interaction in the ultrastrong plasmon-exciton coupling regime. Linear and nonlinear optical properties of the coupled system have been measured using transient absorption spectroscopy revealing that the hybrid system shows half-plasmonic and half-excitonic properties. The tunability of the nanoprism plasmon resonance provides a flexible platform to study the dynamics of the hybrid state in a broad range of wavelengths. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.