Materials World Network: A New Generation of Optical and Magnetooptical Nonlinear Materials Based on Plasmonic Gain Composites

技术综述：本研究的主要目的是建立一个理论框架，能够为新型SPASER(表面等离子激元辐射放大)超材料的设计提供实用建议，这些超材料对低强度光场具有强烈的非线性响应。由于脉冲星是最近才被发现的，它们的描述依赖于过于简单化的模型。在材料研究司的支持下，材料世界网络项目将使用一个现实的模型进行分析和数值计算，该模型考虑到散射器组件相互作用的各向异性，这允许激发对超材料至关重要的磁模。超材料遭受着不可接受的焦耳损失。此外，对于基于超材料的器件，不仅需要克服这些损失，而且需要实现精确的补偿。这一研究项目的目的是证明，作为超材料和磁光材料中的活性包裹体的散斑是实现这一目标的理想候选者。对于变质子学来说，重要的不是考虑单一的散射子，而是一个散射子系统，例如有序的链和晶格。在这样一个系统中，自旋的集体相互作用可能会大大改变自激振荡的产生条件和性质，并可能产生新的现象和不稳定性。在俄罗斯和美国团队的合作下，该项目将研究外部电磁场中散射器系统的集体行为，包括外部磁场对散射器的同步以及它们之间的相互同步。非技术综述：在过去的十年里，量子纳米等离子体领域经历了爆炸性的增长，这是由于许多预期的革命性的光学应用，这有望导致超快和超小型光电子器件的未来发展。纳米等离子体利用金属纳米颗粒的卓越光学特性，当与纳米级的活性介质结合时，会产生一种“SPASER”(通过辐射的受激发射进行表面等离子体放大)，这是一种与激光相对应的纳米等离子体。由于脉冲星是最近才被发现的，它们的描述是基于简单化的模型。在这个材料世界网络项目中，将开发一种新的真实的SPASER模型。这个模型将揭示散射器的新特性，例如磁模，这对具有不寻常特性的人造材料的应用至关重要。高水平的能量损失阻碍了超材料的应用。拟议的项目将证明，这一缺点可以在SPASER的帮助下克服。具有散斑夹杂的超材料为未来的光学器件提供了一个理想的低成本平台。这项研究将在纳米尺度上扩展对光-物质相互作用的基本理解。这项提议将促进美国和俄罗斯研究机构之间的国际联系。来自不同社会、种族和国家背景的研究生和本科生将参与这项研究。他们将接触到合作机构的研究，努力让他们熟悉互补的方法、途径和技术，这将拓宽他们的科学视野。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The main objective of this research is to develop a theoretical framework capable of making practical recommendations for the design of new spaser (surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) based metamaterials with strong nonlinear response to low intensity optical fields. Since spasers were discovered only recently, their description has relied on simplistic models. With support from the Division of Materials Research, this Materials World Network project will carry out analytical and numerical calculations using a realistic model that takes into account the anisotropy of interactions of the spaser's component parts, which allow for excitation of magnetic modes that are essential for metamaterials. Metamaterials suffer from an unacceptable level of Joule losses. Moreover, for metamaterial based devices it is necessary not only to overcome these losses but to achieve exact compensation. The purpose of this research project is to demonstrate that spasers, as active inclusions in metamaterials and magnetooptical materials, are ideal candidates for achieving this goal. For metaplasmonics, it is important to consider not a single spaser but a system of spasers, such as ordered chains and lattices. The collective interaction of spasers in such a system may substantially change generation conditions, properties of auto-oscillations, and may engender new phenomena and instabilities. With Russian and US teams working in collaboration, the project will study the collective behavior of a system of spasers in an external electromagnetic field including spaser synchronization by the external field as well as their mutual synchronization. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:In the last decade, the field of quantum nanoplasmonics has experienced explosive growth due to numerous anticipated revolutionary applications in optics, which are expected to lead to the future development of ultrafast and supersmall optoelectronic devices. Nanoplasmonics utilizes outstanding optical properties of metal nanoparticles, which when combined with a nanoscale active medium, results in the emergence of a "spaser" (surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation), which is a nanoplasmonic counterpart of the laser. Since spasers were discovered only recently, their description is based on simplistic models. In this Materials World Network project, a novel realistic model of spasers will be developed. This model will reveal new properties of spasers, such as magnetic modes, which are crucial for applications of artificial materials having unusual properties "metamaterials." Applications of metamaterials have been inhibited by high levels of energy loss. The proposed project will demonstrate that this drawback can be overcome with the help of spasers. Metamaterials with spaser inclusions provide an ideal low-cost platform for future optical devices. This study will extend the fundamental understanding of the light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. This proposal will facilitate international contacts between US and Russian research institutions. Graduate and undergraduate students from diverse social, ethnic and national backgrounds will be involved in the research. They will be exposed to the research at the collaborating institutions in an effort to acquaint them with complementary methods, approaches, and techniques that will broaden their scientific horizons.