CAREER: Single element nanophotonic force transducers using subwavelength optical waveguides

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The objective of this program is to uncover a novel single element force sensing platform that is based on force-sensitive plasmonic coatings embedded in the sharp decaying evanescent field of a sub-wavelength optical waveguide. By linking plasmonic materials such as gold nanoparticles to the optical waveguides via compressible polymer coatings, a highly sensitive force transducer can be fabricated. The transducer works by utilizing a dielectric-plasmon coupling effect to provide sub-nanometer optical feedback on the position of the plasmonic material in the evanescent field. By leveraging the size, tunable elastic properties of the polymer coating, and wavelength guided in the fibers, a highly versatile force detection scheme can be configured that has sub-pico-newton force sensitivity at the same time being self-contained and mobile. The intellectual merit is that discovering new optical methods capable of quantifying forces at the nanoscale will transform our ability to monitor cellular mechanics, determine kinetics of bond formation and breakage, and optimize drug design parameters, measure elastic moduli of materials, and image surfaces not accessible by current scan probe techniques. The broader impacts are that advancing nanophotonic analytical techniques will have a significant impact on industrial research and development interested in high-throughput screening techniques used in antibody screening, drug, drug discovery, or DNA sequencing. In addition to the industrial impacts, this program will be leveraged to develop a new ?Mobile Science Lab? educational program that brings the lab to the classroom in school districts with low budgets and minimal resources to teach students about research and science.