Effect of a dielectric spacer on electronic and electromagnetic interactions at play in molecular exciton decay at surfaces and in plasmonic gaps

The deposition of individual molecules, molecular networks, and molecular layers at surfaces is at the core of surface reactivity, energy harvesting, molecular electronics, and (single) photon sources. Yet, strong adsorbate–substrate interaction on metallic surfaces quenches the excited molecular states and harms many practical applications. Here, we theoretically address the role of a NaCl ionic crystal spacer layer in decoupling an adsorbate from the substrate and therefore changing the interplay between the competing decay channels of an excited molecule driven by electronic and electromagnetic interactions. A quantitative assessment of the corresponding decay rates allows us to establish the minimum thickness of the spacer required for the observation of molecular luminescence from the junction of a scanning tunneling microscope. Our work provides a solid quantitative theoretical basis relevant for several fields of nanotechnology where engineering of ionic crystal spacers allows for adsorbate charge manipulation, reactivity, and photon emission in nanocavities.The work of S.D.-T. and F.A.-G. is partially supported by the MICINN Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Project PID2019-110091GB-I00 and the “María de Maeztu” (CEX2018-000805-M) Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D. J.A. acknowledges the Department of Education of the Basque Government Project PI2017-30, and Grant IT1164-19 as well as the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Project PID2019-107432GB-I00.Peer reviewe