CAREER: Optical Frequency, Quantum Magnetic Resonances for Photonic Devices

目的：本研究的目的是开发一种新型的利用稀土离子的磁偶极跃迁的光频超材料用于光子器件。智能价值：最近的超材料研究扩大了可用于光子器件的材料和现象的范围。虽然大多数超材料利用有损耗的金属结构中的人工磁共振，但这个程序探索了稀土离子中的自然磁偶极跃迁。增强这些量子磁共振有望使连续、低损耗、各向同性超材料的发展成为可能。这种超材料将直接应用于纳米级光刻和成像领域。此外，含有稀土离子的超材料提供了在新提出的纳米级光学电路和激光器设计中实现放大所需的本征增益。广泛的影响：在从荧光灯和彩色显示器到激光和光纤放大器的各种技术中，稀土离子是光发射器。该计划利用稀土材料的社会和技术相关性：(I)推动光学设备和固态照明应用领域的尖端研究，以及(Ii)改善不同年龄、背景和学科的学生的教育。具体计划包括：(1)开发关于“光的艺术与科学”的新的跨学科课程；(2)继续举办暑期讲习班系列，以促进动手实验室培训；(3)扩大Searchlight项目，以提高对照明的能源和环境影响的认识；(4)与国家科学基金会资助的GK-12“环境中的物理过程”计划合作，为普罗维登斯公立学校系统开发新的教育模块。

Objective: The objective of this research is to develop a new class of optical frequency metamaterials that leverage magnetic dipole transitions in Lanthanide ions for photonic device applications.Intellectual Merit: Recent metamaterials research has expanded the range of materials and phenomena available for photonic devices. Whereas most metamaterials exploit artificial magnetic resonances in lossy metallic structures, this program explores the natural magnetic dipole transitions in Lanthanide ions. Enhancing these quantum magnetic resonances promises to enable the development of continuous, low-loss, isotropic metamaterials. Such metamaterials would have direct application in the areas of nanoscale lithography and imaging. Moreover, metamaterials incorporating Lanthanide ions offer the intrinsic gain necessary to realize amplification in newly proposed designs for nanoscale optical circuits and lasers.Broader impacts: Lanthanide ions are light emitters in a board range of technologies from fluorescent lighting and color displays to lasers and fiber-optic amplifiers. This program leverages the societal and technological relevance of Lanthanide materials to: (i) advance cutting-edge research in the applied areas of optical devices and solid-state lighting, and (ii) improve the education of students from a diverse range of ages, backgrounds and disciplines. Specific plans include: (1) development of new interdisciplinary course on the "Art & Science of Light"; (2) continuation of summer workshop series to promote hands-on laboratory training; (3) expansion of SearchLight Project to raise awareness for energy and environmental implications of lighting; (4) development of new educational modules in collaboration with NSF-supported GK-12 "Physical Processes in the Environment" program for the Providence Public School system.