Ruther, MatthiasMatthiasRutherShao, Li-HuaLi-HuaShaoLinden, StefanStefanLindenWeissmüller, JörgJörgWeissmüllerWegener, MartinMartinWegener2023-12-062023-12-062011-01Applied Physics Letters 98 (1): 013112 (2011)https://hdl.handle.net/11420/44488Recent electrochemical experiments on gold-based photonic metamaterials have shown reversible optical modulation as well as an irreversible reduction in the plasmonic damping. Here, we systematically study the latter aspect as a possible means of postprocessing plasmonic gold nanoantennae arrays aiming at loss reduction. We characterize the samples by optical spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and atomic-force microscopy. For sub-10 nm gold thicknesses, the measured damping decreases by factors exceeding 3; for 20-30 nm thin structures, the obtained loss reduction still amounts to about 30%. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.en0003-695120111American Institut of PhysicsPhysicsJournal Article10.1063/1.3533807Journal Article