We extend the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and the Green’s dyadic tensor (GDT) methods—previously dedicated to all-optical simulations—to investigate the thermodynamics of illuminated plasmonic nanostructures. This extension is based on the use of the thermal Green’s function and a original algorithm that we named Laplace matrix inversion. It allows for the computation of the steady-state temperature distribution throughout plasmonic systems. This hybrid photothermal numerical method is suited to investigate arbitrarily complex structures. It can take into account the presence of a dielectric planar substrate and is simple to implement in any DDA or GDT code. Using this numerical framework, different applications are discussed such as thermal collective effects in nanoparticles assembly, the influence of a substrate on the temperature distribution and the heat generation in a plasmonic nanoantenna. This numerical approach appears particularly suited for new applications in physics, chemistry, and biology such as plasmon-induced nanochemistry and catalysis, nanofluidics, photothermal cancer therapy, or phase-transition control at the nanoscale.

• Received 29 April 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.82.165424