Detection via Collective Excitation of Confined Charge

智能优势：在这个项目中，密集的受限电荷云的集体响应被用作许多高灵敏度检测应用的基础，包括光学探测器、带电粒子探测器和太赫兹频率范围的电磁辐射探测器。光学探测器将被制造出来，通过将它们收集在电荷储存库中并检测随后的电荷密度波，来绕过对器件速度的最大限制，即载流子的传输时间。带电粒子探测器将被设计、制造和分析，它们在这样一个储存库的微扰的基础上工作。将研究太赫兹地区的电磁辐射与这类装置的耦合，预计将导致开发这种辐射的灵敏探测器。这些效应随着限制程度的增加而增强；因此，将寻求设计用于光子和带电粒子探测的一维设备的方案。该项目的成功完成将对电子集体反应的研究产生广泛的科学影响，其应用领域从电子显微镜到光通信，以及生物医学工程。更广泛的影响：这项工作的更广泛的教育影响将通过在教育的早期阶段让本科生参与研究的强大德雷克塞尔传统得到放大，并将利用NSF赞助的多个项目，包括两个面向本科生的研究体验计划，其中一个专门涉及传感器开发，一个教师研究经历网站，一个纳米技术研究生教育和研究综合计划，以及一个GK-12研究生奖学金和教育推广计划。本科生和研究生都将参与这些纳米结构材料的生长、表征、设计、制造和分析。此外，导致本次工作的许多以前的研究都是基于国际合作，并将在国家科学基金会的支持下继续进行。

Intellectual Merits: In this project, the collective response of a dense cloud of confined charge is used as the basis for a number of high sensitivity detection applications including optical detectors, charged particle detectors, and the detectors of electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz frequency range. Optical detectors will be fabricated which circumvent the most limiting constraint on speed of device, the transit time of the carriers, by collecting them in a reservoir of charge and detecting the subsequent charge density waves. Charged-particle detectors will be designed, fabricated and analyzed which work on the same basis of the perturbation of such a reservoir. Coupling of electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz region and such devices will be studied and is expected to lead to the development of sensitive detectors of such radiation. These effects are enhanced with increase in the degree of confinement; as a result schemes for designing one-dimensional devices for photon and charged particle detection will be pursued. Successful completion of this project will have a broad scientific impact on the study of the collective response of electrons with application areas ranging from electron microscopy to optical communications, and biomedical engineering. Broader impacts: The broader educational impact of this work will be magnified by building on a strong Drexel tradition of involving undergraduates in research at early stages of their education, and will leverage a number of NSF-sponsored programs including two Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs, including one specifically involving sensor development, a Research Experiences for Teachers site, an Integrative Graduate Education and Research program in nanotechnology and a GK-12 graduate fellowship and educational outreach program. Both undergraduates and graduates will be involved in growth, characterization, design, fabrication, and analysis of these nanostructured materials. In addition, much of the previous research leading to the present work is based on international collaboration and will be continued as a result of NSF support.