RISE-LightMat Control of Light-Matter Interactions with Plasmonic Systems and Cavities

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The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE) activity within the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the development of research capability at HBCUs that offer doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines. HBCU-RISE projects have a direct connection to the long-term plans of the host department(s) and the institutional mission, and plans for expanding institutional research capacity as well as increasing the production of doctoral students in science and engineering. With support from the National Science Foundation, Norfolk State University (NSU) aims to: 1) renew the curriculum of the graduate programs in materials science and engineering; 2) expose students to entrepreneurship and innovation concepts and practices; and 3) further students' professional preparation through fellowship applications and outreach activities development. This project will develop the infrastructure to increase NSU research competitiveness and capacity to offer relevant and modern education and professional training to graduate students. Through its synergy with existing projects and alignment with NSU's strategic plan, RISE-LightMat will offer a roadmap for STEM academic programs' enhancement. This project will serve as a framework that will enhance recruitment and retention of African-American students in the broader materials science community. The proposed research involves the study of novel physical effects related to the enhancement of light-matter interactions in the conditions of strong coupling of excitons, surface plasmons and electric carriers. The research objectives are to: 1) develop plasmonic structures and metasurfaces with the most efficient plasmon drag effect (PLDE); 2) explore possibilities to control the PLDE with nanoscale geometry; and 3) characterize sensitivity of PLDE to local dielectric environment (for sensors based on PLDE effect). The proposed multi-scale effort will advance fundamental knowledge in the area of plasmonics and potentially bring new possibilities for unprecedented control of classical and quantum properties of hybridized coupled systems of ensembles of molecules, electrons, and localized and propagating surface plasmons and photonic modes in cavities. Results from this research will have many applications in optics and optoelectronics and have potential to bring revolutionary advances to future plasmonic-based electronics, novel operational principles for sensors and new ways to control light matter interactions. Students will obtain hands-on experience in optics, plasmonics, and materials science combined with training in entrepreneurship to use these and future research products for small business development. The knowledge gained within the RISE-LightMat research programs will be transferred to a broad community of scientists and engineers in fields as diverse as catalysis and imaging.