Excellence in Research: Control of electric and magnetic light with plasmonic nanostructures

光是一种既有电成分又有磁成分的电磁波。然而，当光与物质相互作用时，通常只有它的电子成分能够相互作用。这个项目的重点是研究所谓的稀土离子发出的光，稀土离子与光的电和磁成分相互作用的能力是独一无二的。这种“双重相互作用”使这些材料能够对光进行额外的控制。特别是，研究人员研究了光的电和磁成分与各种纳米图案光学材料的相互作用。这有助于人们获得知识，从而开发出更高分辨率的显微镜、先进的生物和化学传感器、超快的电子芯片和电路。该项目的更广泛影响包括加强美国历史上最大的黑人大学之一的材料科学与工程研究生课程。该项目通过让未被充分代表的少数群体的研究生和本科生参与前沿研究活动，丰富了他们的教育和培训。对少数民族入学率高的当地高中的外展访问旨在促进科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科教育的价值。等离子体纳米结构附近的光、电、磁场的强修饰为基础研究和应用提供了多种机会。虽然与电场增强有关的影响是许多研究的主题，但与光磁场修改有关的影响和机会在很大程度上仍未被探索。该项目的主要目标是：(i)更好地理解纳米结构工程环境中光磁偶极子的基本特性，以及（ii）开发利用改进的光学环境控制和增强磁偶极子发射的方法。在项目过程中，研究人员合成了在光学范围内具有磁偶极子跃迁的稀土离子有机体系，并探索了它们在各种局部光学环境下的光学行为，包括共振纳米结构。该项目还旨在寻找新的表征方法，使人们能够在纳米尺度上探测和绘制光学电场和磁场，这对光学纳米源和超材料的进一步发展具有重要意义。此外，在项目过程中开发的稀土金属离子发光有机系统对纳米光子学和光电子学的各种基础和应用研究很感兴趣。另一方面，该项目扩大了诺福克州立大学的研究能力，并加强了材料科学与工程研究生课程，诺福克州立大学是美国最大的hbcu之一。这项研究丰富了来自代表性不足的少数群体的研究生和本科生的教育和培训，并促进了当地高中的STEM教育。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Light is an electromagnetic wave that has both electric and magnetic components. However, when light interacts with matter typically only its electric component is able to interact. This project is focused on the study of light emitted by so-called rare earth ions, which are unique in their ability to interact with both the electric and magnetic components of the light. Such "double interaction" enables additional controls over light in these materials. In particular, the investigators study interaction of both the electric and magnetic components of light with a variety of nanopatterned optical materials. This helps one to obtain knowledge leading to the development of microscopes with higher resolution, advanced biological and chemical sensors, and ultrafast electronic chips and circuits. The Broader Impacts of the project include strengthening of the graduate program in Materials Science and Engineering in one of the nation's largest historically black university. The project enriches education and training of graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority groups by involving them in cutting-edge research activities. Outreach visits to local high schools with high minority enrollment are designed to promote the value of education in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.Strong modification of optical electric and magnetic fields in close vicinity of plasmonic nanostructures provides multiple opportunities for fundamental studies and applications. While the effects associated with electric field enhancement are the subject of numerous studies, the effects and opportunities related to modifications in optical magnetic fields remain largely unexplored. The main goals of the project are (i) better understanding of the fundamental properties of optical magnetic dipoles in nanostructured engineered environments, and (ii) development of approaches for control and enhancement of magnetic dipole emission with modified optical environments. In the course of the project, the investigators synthesize organic systems with rare earth ions having magnetic dipole transitions in the optical range, and explore their optical behavior in various local optical environments, including resonant nanostructures. The project is also aimed at new characterization methods allowing one to probe and map optical electric and magnetic fields at the nanoscale, which is important for further development of optical nano sources and metamaterials. In addition, luminescent organic systems with rare earth metal ions developed in the course of the project are of interest for various fundamental and applied studies in nanophotonics and optoelectronics. On the other hand, the project expands the research capabilities and enhances the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program at Norfolk State University, one of the largest HBCUs in the nation. This research enriches education and training of graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority groups and promotes STEM education in local high schools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.