Novel Capabilities and Devices Using Plasmonic Lattices in Conventional and Exotic Metals

摘要目的：目标 研究的目的是阐明 现象，并利用这些知识来开发独特的和有用的 THz光谱范围的设备能力。学术价值：在过去的十年中，对等离子体激元学领域的兴趣急剧增加，因为可以探索引人注目的新物理学以及相关的新的和独特的应用潜力。 许多发现的现象。已经引起显著关注的一个特定现象是通过亚波长孔径阵列（也称为等离子体晶格）的增强的光透射。在研究计划期间，我们将研究 等离子体晶格在太赫兹频率下的透射特性 使用时域光谱，它提供了几个独特的优势，现有的研究在光学频率进行：（i）不像在光学频率，其中只有金和银能够 为了支持表面等离子体激元-极化激元的相对低损耗传播，包括铝、不锈钢以及诸如重掺杂导电聚合物和金属单壁碳纳米管的更奇异的金属的宽范围的金属在THz处工作良好 （ii）在太赫兹频率下的透射共振表现出比在光学频率下的类似共振更高的品质因数（iii）太赫兹时域光谱允许直接测量 测量通过结构传输的THz电场，产生幅度和相位信息。更广泛的影响：潜在的应用包括生物医学和国土安全应用的传感，短距离自由空间通信和成像。的 拟议研究的跨学科性质将有助于教育来自多个部门的研究生和本科生，他们将参与研究项目的各个方面。

Abstract Objective: The goal of the proposed research is to elucidate the underlying properties of the phenomenon, and use this knowledge to develop unique and useful device capabilities for the THz spectral range. Intellectual Merit:Over the last decade, interest in the field Plasmonics has increased dramatically, because of the striking new physics that can be explored and the potential for new and unique applications associated with many of the discovered phenomena. One particular phenomenon that has elicited significant attention is that of enhanced optical transmission through arrays of subwavelength apertures (also known as plasmonic lattices). During the research program period, we will examine the transmission properties of plasmonic lattices at THz frequencies using time-domain spectroscopy, which offers several unique advantages over existing studies performed at optical frequencies: (i) Unlike at optical frequencies, where only gold and silver are able to support relatively low loss propagation of surface plasmon-polaritons, a broad range of metals including aluminum, stainless steel, as well as more exotic metals such as heavily doped conducting polymers and metallic single walled carbon nanotubes, work well at THz frequencies (ii) the transmission resonances at THz frequencies exhibit a higher quality factor than similar resonances at optical frequencies (iii) THz time-domain spectroscopy allows for a direct measurement of the THz electric field transmitted through the structures, yielding both amplitude and phase information. Broader Impact:Potential applications include sensing for biomedical and homeland security applications, short range free-space communications, and imaging. The strong interdisciplinary nature of the proposed research will serve to educate graduate and undergraduate students from multiple departments, who will be involved in all aspects of the research projects.