OP: Enabling High-Temperature Photonic Technologies with Plasmonic Ceramics

非技术描述：等离子体已经显示出一种独特的能力，可以连接光子学和电子学，并使纳米级设备能够高效、紧凑和多功能地应用于成像、传感、数据存储和光采集。然而，大多数已证明的等离子体系统不能满足化工和石油/天然气工业、航空航天、国防等恶劣环境，特别是高温的独特挑战。该项目旨在发现并实现坚固、超紧凑、芯片兼容的纳米级光学器件，使用在高温下工作并表现出高耐用性的等离子体陶瓷材料。这一跨学科的努力预计将对光学和光学材料的基础科学以及光学、太赫兹和微波技术产生重大影响，并将引起业界的极大兴趣和启动的可能性。该项目包括学生教育、外展活动以及说明等离子体材料和装置的独特性质的材料的开发。具体地说，研究小组开发了一本关于耐火陶瓷的在线“书”，将提供光学性能的温度依赖关系，以及制造方案和主要应用。创建了一本在线“书”、学习模块、模拟工具和教程，并通过nanHUB.org向全球纳米光子学研究和教育界提供。技术描述：物理界和电工界历来基于室温实验数据和相应的块状贵金属在室温下的唯象模型来设计等离子体结构。该项目旨在通过使用坚固耐火的等离子陶瓷材料，特别是过渡金属氮化物(TiN、ZrN和HFN)来取代金属，从而克服使用金属作为纳米级功能等离子体器件的构建块的特定应用缺陷。通过实验和数值模拟研究了这些材料的高温性能及其在极端环境下的等离子体激元器件中的应用。研究主题包括薄膜和纳米结构过渡金属氮化物的光学性质；高温稳定性和金属-介电相变；以及复合材料的表面/界面现象。此外，还为纳米光子学研究和教育界创建了一本耐火等离子陶瓷在线手册。

Nontechnical Description: Plasmonics has demonstrated a unique capability to bridge photonics and electronics and enable nanoscale devices for applications in imaging, sensing, data storage, and light harvesting that are efficient, compact, and multifunctional. However most of the demonstrated plasmonic systems fall short in meeting the unique challenges of harsh environments, particularly high temperatures, faced by chemical and oil/gas industries, aerospace, defense, etc. This project aims to discover and realize robust, ultra-compact, chip-compatible, nanoscale optical devices using plasmonic ceramic materials that operate at high temperatures and exhibit high durability. This interdisciplinary effort is expected to have a significant impact both in the fundamental science of optics and optical materials as well as in optical, terahertz and microwave technologies and to generate significant industry interest and start-up possibilities. Integrated in this project are student education, outreach activities, and the development of materials illustrating the unique properties of plasmonic materials and devices. Specifically, the research team develops an online "book" on refractory ceramics that would provide temperature dependence of the optical properties, as well as fabrication protocol and major applications. An online "book," a learning module, simulation tools and tutorials are created and made available to the global nanophotonics research and educational community via nanoHUB.org. Technical Description: Plasmonic structures have been historically designed in the physics and electrical engineering communities based on room-temperature experimental data and the corresponding phenomenological models of bulk noble metals at room temperature. This project is designed to overcome application-specific drawbacks associated with the use of metals as building blocks of nanoscale functional plasmonic devices by replacing metals with robust, refractory plasmonic ceramic materials, particularly transition metal nitrides (TiN, ZrN, and HfN). The properties of these materials at high temperatures and their usage for plasmonic devices for applications under extreme environments are studied experimentally and via numerical simulations. The research subjects include investigation of optical properties of transition metal nitrides, in both thin-film and nanostructured forms; high-temperature stability and metal-dielectric phase transitions; and surface/interface phenomena of composites. In addition, an online handbook of refractory plasmonic ceramics is created to benefit the nanophotonics research and educational community.