Nonlinear-Optical Studies of Fractal Metal Clusters

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This grant addresses making and characterizing composite materials of metal fractal clusters that are embedded in a polymer host with the goal of investigating the possibility of making organic materials with exceptionally enhanced nonlinear-optical susceptibilities. Owing to the large enhancement in the local fields within metallic fractal clusters, it is anticipated that the nonlinear-optical response of a dye- polymer composite can be made significantly larger in the presence of such clusters. We propose to use a standard metal evaporation technique to form clusters with maximized local fields. Owing to a polymer's ease of processing, we propose to make planar and polymer- optical fiber waveguides with the most promising materials to assess the possibility of using fractal cluster composites in all-optical waveguide devices. The expertise for cluster formation, nonlinear- optical characterization, and fiber fabrication is self-contained in a collaborative effort between Washington State University and McGill University (Professor Mark Andrews, Department of Chemistry). The proposed studies are a natural extension of work in progress at both of these institutions. Evidence of a fractal-enhanced nonlinear-optical response has already been reported by this collaborative effort.