Light-Induced Heating of PMMA Film by a TiN Plasmon Metasurface

Abstract

We describe studies on photothermal heating of a PMMA polymer films using a refractory plasmon TiN metasurface. Under cw laser irradiation plasmon enhanced light absorption of TiN nanostructures converted into the heat, which causes a change in the ambient temperature. This enhanced temperature may induce phase transitions in homogenous polymer or liquid crystal films, which will allow registering local thermal transitions such as glass transition temperature or melting. Thus, we are investigating the heating of a PMMA polymer film to temperatures above the glass transition temperature by a TiN metasurface under cw laser illumination for further measurements of the local glass transition temperature.