Aluminum as a competitive plasmonic material for the entire electromagnetic spectrum: A review

Abstract

With plasmonics taking the lead in most sensing applications, research has geared towards alternative, cost-effective materials that can strive for large-scale production along with CMOS compatibility. Aluminum (Al) is among those competitive plasmonic metal films that have seen unprecedented research in recent years. The ability to exhibit appreciable plasmonic response in the entire electromagnetic spectrum has been reported along with improved performance sensing parameters. This review article covers different aspects of Al-based nanostructures, nano-films, and nano-particles in different wavelength regimes, displaying efficient plasmonic sensing for myriad purposes. A comprehensive review is conducted to explore the diverse and exciting possibilities emerging from Al-based tunable plasmons at the metal-dielectric interface. Al has already entered many applications, from on-chip plasmonic integration to point-of-care diagnosis. Thus, the application of Al in wide applications (heath, fluorescence, image-filtering techniques, and many more) is discussed here, along with the corresponding limitations and future scope associated with them.