Rationally Designed Three-Dimensional Nanostructures for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

本研究的目的是综合考虑尺寸、间隙和形状工程、光子学设计和三维设计，以获得最佳的表面增强拉曼基底，用于实际的基于拉曼的化学和生物传感应用。设计三维金属纳米结构的光学特性有助于人们对这些纳米结构的等离子体特性有一个基本的了解，并为基于Sers的传感器、金属增强荧光、等离子体传播等应用带来创新方法。知识点：时间有限差分区域方法将用于计算各种金属纳米结构的局部电场分布和光学性质，以了解不同几何形状的贡献。因素和耦合，并设计最佳的传感器基板。掠射角沉积技术或斜角沉积技术结合其他复杂的纳米纤维技术将用于根据理论结果制造和优化传感器衬底。成功开发了一种实用、简单、低成本、高灵敏度的最佳表面增强拉曼基底的制备技术不仅为拉曼光谱的商业化发展奠定了基础，拉曼光谱不仅是用于生物医学诊断、国防和安全的实用的基于拉曼的传感器，而且在纳米结构制造和工程、基础表面科学和分析光谱学领域也具有巨大和直接的影响。此外，该项目还将为研究生、本科生和高中生提供严格的材料物理学、光子学和纳米技术教育和培训机会。

The objective of this research is to take a comprehensive consideration of size, gap, and shape engineering, photonic design, and three-dimensional design to achieve the best surface enhanced Raman substrates for practical Raman based chemical and biological sensing applications. Engineering the optical properties of three dimensional metallic nanostructures helps one to gain a fundamental understanding of the plasmonic properties of those nanostructures, and bring innovative methods for applications such as SERS based sensors, metal enhanced fluorescence, plasmon propagation, etc.Intellectual Merit: A finite-difference-time-domain method will be used to calculate local electric field distribution and optical properties of various metallic nanostructures in order to understand the contributions of different geometric factors and coupling, and to design optimal sensor substrates. The glancing angle deposition technique or oblique angle deposition technique combining with other sophisticated nanofabrication techniques will be used to fabricate and optimize the sensor substrates according to the theoretical results.Broader Impacts: The successful development of a practical, simple, and inexpensive technique for fabrication of optimal surface enhanced Raman substrates with high sensitivity would not only lay a foundation for commercial development of practical Raman based sensors for biomedical diagnostics, national defense and security, but also have a large and immediate impact in the areas of nanostructure fabrication and engineering, fundamental surface science and analytical spectroscopy. In addition, this project will also establish a rigorous material physics, photonics, and nanotechnology education and training opportunity for graduate, undergraduate, and high school students.