CAREER: Towards Control of Photo-Induced Charges in Chiral Nanocomposites via Optical Spin-Orbit Interactions

技术：该职业奖的研究部分旨在了解手性纳米复合材料中的光生电能流动，在前所未有的低光强(1W/cm^2)下观察到非线性光学现象，这些现象源于可感知的光致磁场和纳米颗粒之间的相互作用。这些与光学自旋-轨道相互作用有关的效应在理论上被低估了，也没有被很好地理解；改进数值模型，以便它们正确地估计测量到的强度相关和偏振相关的过程是这个项目的优先事项。部分金属包覆的介电纳米球的样品被归入透明导电聚合物中，并通过电泳和外部磁场处理技术进行组装。散射、瞬时吸收、电场和磁场测量表征了修饰后的纳米颗粒取向和周围导电聚合物中发生的低频电荷传输。非技术性：该项目解决了材料科学中具有技术相关性的热门领域的基础研究问题。纳米复合材料为新的光电子学、太阳能收集和光催化应用提供了一个平台。该项目的教育活动旨在吸引、培训和留住各种背景的创造性、足智多谋的学生，特别是那些在纽约外围皇后区和布朗克斯区公立学校就读的学生。为积极进取的预科学生、专业硕士学生和国际合作者提供研究机会，以满足博士项目之前和之外的科学培训需求。

Technical: The research component of this CAREER award aims to understand the photo-induced electrical energy flows in chiral nanocomposite materials where nonlinear optical phenomena are observed at unprecedented low light intensities (1 W/cm^2) stemming from the appreciable photo-induced magnetic fields and the interactions between nanoparticles. These effects, associated with optical spin-orbit interactions, are theoretically underestimated and not well understood; refining numerical models so that they properly estimate the measured intensity-dependent and polarization-dependent processes is a priority in this project. Samples of partially-metal-coated dielectric nanospheres are subsumed in transparent conducting polymers and assembled electrophoretically and with external magnetic-field processing techniques. Scattering, transient absorption, electrical, and magnetic field measurements characterize the modified nanoparticle alignment and the low-frequency charge transport that occurs in the surrounding conducting polymer.Non-technical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science with technological relevancy. Nanocomposite materials provide a platform for new optoelectronics, solar harvesting, and photocatalysis applications. The educational activities of this project are designed to attract, train, and retain creative, resourceful students of all backgrounds, with special emphasis on those attending public schools in the outer New York boroughs of Queens and the Bronx. Research opportunities for highly motivated pre-college students, professional Master's students, and international collaborators address the need for scientific training prior to and outside of a doctoral program.