  We investigate surface plasmon amplification in a silver nanoparticle coupled
to an externally driven three-level gain medium, and show that quantum
coherence significantly enhances the generation of surface plasmons. Surface
plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation is achieved in the
absence of population inversion on the spasing transition, which reduces the
pump requirements. The coherent drive allows us to control the dynamics, and
holds promise for quantum control of nanoplasmonic devices.
