We demonstrate distinctive structural colors within a small footprint by using a short chain of nanospheres. Rather than using high-index materials like Si (n ∼ 4), which ensure strong modal confinement, TiO2 is employed. TiO2 has an intermediate index (n ∼ 2), promoting stronger modal coupling between the magnetic dipoles of each particle. This approach enables selective engineering of the magnetic response and yields larger spectral changes compared to that of Si. Despite the lower refractive index, the absence of absorption in TiO2 also produces higher scattering intensities than Si. We develop a quasistatic analytical model that describes the dipolar modal coupling in a trimer and use it to reveal distinct magnetic field strengths in the outer or central particle depending on the polarization of incident light. These results suggest pathways to manipulate the magnetic field in chains of particles and create vibrant structural colors with simple configurations.
Keywords: Mie scattering; coupled dipoles; dark-field spectroscopy; dielectrics; magnetic dipoles; structural colors; trimer.