Memristive control of plasmon-mediated nonlinear photoluminescence in Au nanowires

Nonlinear photoluminescence (N-PL) is a broadband photon emission arising from non-equilibrium electron distribution generated at the surface of metallic nanostructures by an ultrafast pulsed laser illumination. N-PL is sensitive to surface morphology, local electromagnetic field strength, and electronic band structure making it relevant to probe optically excited nanoscale plasmonic systems. It also has been key to access the complex multiscale time dynamics ruling electron thermalization. Here, we show that the surface plasmons mediated N-PL emitted by a gold nanowire can be modified by an electrical architecture featuring a nanogap. Upon voltage activation, we observe that N-PL becomes dependent to the electrical transport dynamics and can thus be locally modulated. This finding brings an electrical leverage to externally control the photoluminescence generated from metal nanostructures, and constitutes an asset for the development of emerging nanoscale interface devices managing photons and electrons.