Time-resolved nanoscale detection of complex amplitude in the near field of functional nanophotonic devices

纳米科学和技术在未来信息系统技术的发展中发挥着越来越重要的作用，这些技术包括计算、通信、显示、照明、高分辨率成像和传感。在大多数这些应用中，光学和光子技术被认为是推动者。然而，构建工程化的纳米结构光学材料、共振纳米结构(如光子晶体)以及集成的纳米光子主动和被动器件和系统是最具挑战性的任务之一。显然，纳米光子技术的进一步发展将取决于我们开发(I)有效的设计和建模工具、(Ii)先进的纳米制造技术以及(Iii)可视化和成像工具(用于结构和功能测试)的能力。这些挑战需要在一个能够对计算预测和实验验证进行评估和比较的综合计划中进行调查。这一方案的目的是通过理论研究和实验验证各种纳米尺度的、具有飞秒时间分辨率的工作波长下的近场的复振幅，来进行基础研究。建议的研究将集中在：(I)构建近场光学显微镜，能够测量飞秒分辨率的光学近场的幅度和相位；(Ii)实验研究光场及其在纳米光子器件中的局域化；以及(Iii)研究在非线性区域工作的光学纳米结构中的近场。这项拟议的研究将研究人工纳米结构材料中的近场相互作用，这些材料提供了各种对光学系统集成有用的功能。此外，近场光学器件促进了小型化，同时增强了多功能性，大大增加了光子系统单位体积的功能复杂性。由于近场材料的光学性质由几何形状控制，因此在组成材料的选择上具有灵活性，便于使用兼容材料实现广泛的器件，从而易于制造和集成。这项拟议的研究将对利用纳米级体系结构的先进纳米光子器件和系统的发展产生重大影响。因此，拟议的研究不仅将支持近场光学物理和工程领域，还将通过提供基本的表征技术，扩展到帮助纳米电子学、纳米磁学、纳米机械、化学和生物学的发展。纳米新领域研究生和本科生的研究和培训将对社会产生重大影响，因为它将使许多对生命科学、先进信息科学和国家安全至关重要的技术发生革命性变化。

0304573FainmanNanoscale science and technology are playing an increasingly important role in development of future technologies for information systems including computing, communications, display, lighting, high-resolution imaging, and sensing. Optical and photonic technologies are recognized as enablers in most of these applications. However, construction of engineered nanostructured optical materials, resonant nanostructures such as photonic crystals, and integrated nanophotonic active and passive devices and systems is one of the most challenging tasks. It is evident that further advances in nanophotonic technology will rely on our ability to develop (i) efficient design and modeling tools, (ii) advanced nanofabrication techniques, and (iii) visualization and imaging tools (for both structural and functional tests). These challenges need to be investigated in an integrated program enabling evaluation and comparison of the calculated predictions and the experimental verifications. The objective of this proposal is to conduct basic research by investigating theoretically and verifying experimentally the complex amplitude of the near-field on the nanoscale and with femtosecond time resolution for various nanophotonic devices at operation wavelength. The proposed research will focus on (i) construction of a near-field optical microscope allowing measurement of the amplitude and phase of optical near-fields with femtosecond resolution; (ii) experimental investigation of the optical field and its localization in nanophotonic devices, and (iii) study of near-fields in optical nanostructures operating in a nonlinear regime. The proposed research will investigate near-field interactions in artificial nanostructured materials, which provide a variety of functionalities useful for optical systems integration. Furthermore, near-field optical devices facilitate miniaturization and simultaneously enhance multifunctionality, greatly increasing the functional complexity per unit volume of the photonic system. Since the optical properties of near-field materials are controlled by the geometry, there is flexibility in the choice of constituent materials, facilitating the implementation of a wide range of devices using compatible materials for ease of fabrication and integration. The proposed research will significantly impact the development of advanced nanophotonic devices and systems utilizing nanoscale architectures. Thereby, the proposed research will not only bolster the area of near-field optical physics and engineering, but will also extend to aid in the development of nanoelectronics, nanomagnetics, nanomechanics, chemistry, and biology by providing a fundamental characterization technology. Research and training of graduate and undergraduate students in the new field of nanotechnology will have a significant impact on the society as it will revolutionize numerous technologies of critical importance for life science, advanced information sciences, and national security.