Enhancing the circular dichroism of chiral dielectric nanostructure through the addition of a symmetric Au cylinder

Abstract Circular dichroism (CD) spectra play a crucial role in recognition, separation and detection of chiral molecules. Due to the inherent weak CD response of natural chiral molecules, researchers have endeavored to enhance CD signals through various artificial nanostructures. In this study, combining the advantages of both the dielectric and metal materials, we propose a hybrid dielectric-metal nanostructure consisting of a chiral Si nanorod dimer coupled with a symmetric Au cylinder to achieve robust CD responses. Owing to the plasmon resonance of the Au cylinder, the scattering-CD and absorption-CD of the hybrid system have been enhanced, which result in the enhanced extinction-CD response. Furthermore, the distributions of electric field, magnetic field and displacement current density of both the Si dimer and hybrid nanostructure have been meticulously crafted to elucidate the physical mechanisms underlying amplified CD signals. The synergistic coupling between the magnetic fields of dielectric materials and the electric fields of the Au cylinder leads to an increase in the electric field strength and the asymmetry of near-field distributions. Additionally, spatial overlaps between electric and magnetic fields occur. These factors contribute to the enhanced chiral response of the hybrid system. Meanwhile, the CD signal can be flexibly tuned by adjusting the size of the Au cylinder and Si nanorods. This design offers a versatile approach to enhancing the chiral response of dielectric nanostructures.