UNS: Tunable Plasmonic Nanostructures by Atomic Layer Deposition

等离子体是一个通用术语，描述了一系列广泛的研究活动，以研究光与贵金属纳米结构的相互作用。贵金属是在潮湿空气中耐腐蚀和氧化的金属。钌、铑、钯、银、锇、铱、铂和金都是贵金属。随着对等离子体材料应用研究的不断深入，等离子体领域得到了迅速发展。这些应用是为了它们在生物传感器中的用途，作为生物化学传感器，作为光电探测器，以及用于太阳能收集，包括收集红外（IR）波长。等离子体材料的中心特征是局部表面等离子体共振，其导致小金属颗粒对电磁辐射的强烈吸收和散射。计划进行一项研究可调等离子体纳米结构的实验研究计划，重点是电连接的工艺方案。等离子体材料的中心特征是局部表面等离子体共振，其导致小贵金属颗粒对可见光和近红外辐射的强吸收和散射。共振对纳米结构的尺寸和形状以及材料和周围环境的介电性质敏感，并且可以在整个可见光/近红外区域进行调谐。光学现象和电荷转移过程的耦合是等离子体材料科学中令人兴奋的新领域之一。在这项工作中，PI计划研究贵金属在Pd纳米结构上的原子层沉积，以调整由纳米间隙耦合的导电纳米结构的光学和电学性质。原子层沉积将用于创建电耦合等离子体纳米结构，该纳米结构在纳米尺度上结合了联合收割机光学和电学现象。这项研究将提高在纳米级设计有用结构的能力，其关键尺寸为1 nm。更广泛的影响包括STEM教育和推广活动，包括通过新的高级实验室实验建立教育基础设施，启动新的研究生指导计划，支持本科生研究和代表性不足的学生群体的参与，并举办高中学生和教师的暑期学习活动。

1511138(Willis)Plasmonics is a general term that describes a broad array of research activity to study the interaction of light with noble metal nanostructures. Noble metals are metals that are resistant to corrosion and oxidation in moist air. Ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold are noble metals. The field of plasmonics is growing rapidly due an increasing number of studies on the applications of plasmonic materials. These applications are for their uses in photocatalysis, as biochemical sensors, as photodetectors, and for solar energy harvesting, including harvesting infrared (IR) wavelengths.The central features of plasmonic materials are localized surface plasmon resonances that lead to strong absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation by small metal particles. An experimental research program to investigate tunable plasmonic nano structures is planned, with an emphasis on process schemes for electrical connectivity. The central features of plasmonic materials are localized surface plasmon resonances that lead to strong absorption and scattering of visible and near-IR radiation by small noble metal particles. The resonances are sensitive to the size and shape of nanostructures as well as the dielectric properties of the materials and surroundings, and can be tuned throughout the visible/near-IR region. The coupling of optical phenomena and charge transfer processes is one of the exciting new areas of the science of plasmonic materials. In this work, the PI plans to investigate atomic layer deposition of noble metals on Pd nanostructures to tune the optical and electrical properties of electrically conductive nanostructures coupled by nanogaps on the order of a few nanometers. Atomic layer deposition will be used to create electrically coupled plasmonic nanostructures that combine optical and electrical phenomena at the nanoscale. This research should enhance the ability to engineer useful structures at the nanoscale with critical dimensions on the order of 1 nm.The broader impacts encompass STEM educational and outreach activities, including building infrastructure for education through new senior laboratory experiments, starting a new graduate student mentoring program, supporting undergraduate research and participation by underrepresented student populations, and hosting high school students and teachers for summer learning activities.